Have you bought a gravel bike and want to get the most out of it? With a little gravel accessory in the right places, you can make your bike even better.
In this blog post, we show you which updates can take the comfort and functionality of your bike to the next level.
GPS Computer for Navigation on Gravel Bike Tours
Gravel riding begins where the known paths end. But where exactly is that? With a GPS bike computer, or bike navigation, navigation in unfamiliar terrain is significantly easier. For example, you can plan a cool gravel tour with Komoot or download an already planned tour and then easily follow it under the guidance of your bike navigation. With this gravel bike accessory, you can definitely enhance your rides and add more variety to your tours. Even a simple speedometer is a lot of fun, as you can track duration, speed, and distance.
Whether you prefer devices from Garmin or Wahoo is purely a matter of taste, we can recommend both manufacturers.
Bike Navigation
Navigation/GPS | Bike Computer | Mounts
Lighting for the Night
Riding through the night with a gravel bike has several advantages. These include empty streets and paths, better compatibility with work and family, and an extra dose of mental strength.
However, the whole thing is really only fun and makes sense with a good lighting system. Especially on rough terrain, it can become really dangerous without proper lighting.
- With a hub dynamo and a bike light like the SON Edelux II LED headlight, you not only turn night into day but also don't have to worry about the power supply anymore.
- But even with a battery light, such as the Busch & Müller IXON IQ Speed, you can ensure the necessary lighting – it's important to keep an eye on the battery level with battery-powered lamps.
Bike Lighting
Bike Lighting Battery | Bike Lighting with Dynamo
Mudguards against Dirt and Wetness
Mudguards on a gravel bike may be considered unsexy, but this practical gravel bike accessory ensures that you and your bike stay clean and dry. A muddy jersey and a dirt-encrusted gravel bike might make for a good Instagram picture, but riding a gravel tour while wet and freezing is only half as fun.
Additionally, mudguards on a gravel bike have the nice side effect that your less muddy bike expects significantly less cleaning effort after a ridden tour.
Which Mudguards are Suitable for Your Gravel Bike?
There are clip-on mudguards that you can attach and remove in no time. For an occasional rainy tour, these mudguards are best suited, as you can quickly store them in the basement again. However, if you want to sit outside on your gravel bike often and for long periods in winter, it is worth investing in more robust accessories – permanently mounted mudguards. Many bikes already have eyelets where you can screw the fenders so that they sit firmly and do not flutter or rattle.
Mudguards for Gravel Bikes
permanently mounted mudguards | clip-on mudguards | mudguards
Bags for Transport
You need to store your gear somewhere on the go – bike bags in different sizes and at different positions on the bike are the perfect solution for this! Not only for big adventures like bikepacking or multi-day tours are bike bags the ideal gravel bike accessory, but they are also practical for day tours. Often, a handlebar bag is enough for tools and other accessories – and your bike already looks like adventure and freedom.
On the other hand, it is more comfortable not to store energy bars, a rain jacket, and tools in pockets on your body. Especially on longer tours, you sit much more comfortably than with a backpack or fully packed jersey pockets.
> The Accessory for Accessories: bike bags for gravel bikes
Tools You Can Store in the Gravel Bike
Even if you want to travel super minimally with your gravel bike, you should have a multifunctional tool with you. Tools that are particularly recommended are those that can be stored directly in your gravel bike itself can. Helpers like the Granite STASH multitool disappear into cavities in the frame, in the handlebar ends, or in the fork steerer. Once you've stowed this gravel bike accessory, you'll always have the necessary tools with you and won't have to waste thoughts or space on it.
Bicycle part or gravel accessory? Tires for more grip!
A much-discussed and important topic in gravel biking is the choice of the right tires. They significantly contribute to the riding experience, agility, and of course, the feeling of safety – the grip.
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With the right choice of tires, you can not only enhance the appearance of your gravel bike but also unlock better performance. |
Which tires for which gravel bike?
- If you are mainly on the road and on dirt paths, you generally don't need or only need flat treads. Additionally, your tires don't need to be particularly wide. The MAXXIS Re-Fuse with a width of 32 mm would be a good choice and a real upgrade if you previously used knobby tires.
- However, if you are primarily off-road, on trails, forest paths, and gravel roads, then wider knobby tires provide a lot of grip and comfort. This applies, for example, to the Raddler from WTB with a tire width of 44 mm.
- For bad weather and winter, winter tires or all-weather tires are sensible accessories that prevent you from skidding off the road on slippery surfaces.
It should be noted that your rolling resistance increases the wider and more knobby your tires become. But not only that, the weight also increases! The narrower and smoother your tire is, the better you glide over the road. The selection is huge, because on many gravel bikes, you can mount not only gravel tires but also city bike tires, road bike tires, or even narrow off-road tires and it's always worth considering this accessory and finding the optimal tire for your purpose.
Handlebars & Handlebar Tape for More Comfort
Since things can get rough with the gravel bike, it's important that you don't lose control. A suitable drop bar and the right handlebar tape can help you with that.
The longer your tours are, the more meticulously you should select bike parts and accessories that affect your seating position – especially a suitable handlebar. A good approach is to choose a slightly wider, comfortable handlebar with flare (exposed ends) to use. One of our favorites among gravel handlebars is the SPANK Flare 25 Vibrocore. It is available in different widths and thus suitable for different shoulder widths. It also features a Spank "Vibrocore" – a filling that minimizes shocks and vibrations, relieving your hands and arms and bringing more calm to your upper body.
The handlebar tape of a gravel bike should be primarily non-slip and decently thick. Non-slip, because you don't want to slip off the handlebar, even when wet. Slightly thicker handlebar tape dampens vibrations and allows your hands to grip calmly and loosely. Products like Supacaz Super Sticky Kush have proven themselves with their silicone surface and a thickness of 3 mm.
Accessories for a comfortable gravel cockpit
Gravel Handlebars | Handlebar Tape | Stems
Tubeless tires for fewer punctures when gravel riding
Modern gravel bikes benefit from the influences of the mountain bike world. Disc brakes, telescopic seat posts, and of course the wide, treaded tires are good examples of bike accessories that are popular in both worlds. Tubeless tire systems are also among them. There are many gravel riders who swear by their tubeless system, and it is really worth trying tubeless .
With the right gravel bike accessories, the conversion to a tubeless tire system is easy and done in no time. In addition to a tubeless-compatible rim, you need some basic equipment like the appropriate tubeless-ready tires, sealant, and tubeless valves.
The big advantage of a tubeless tire is the reduced susceptibility to punctures – truly invaluable on long gravel routes! Smaller thorns or splinters can pierce the tire, but since there is no vulnerable tube inside, you can usually just keep riding. The sealant present in the tire settles into the small hole and seals it immediately, often you don't even notice the small punctures!
Converting to Tubeless Tires
Tubeless Tires | Tubeless Accessories
A telescopic seat post – MTB accessories go Gravel
A telescopic seat post is a really worthwhile gravel bike add-on. With it, you have the option to retract and extend your saddle at the push of a button. This provides more freedom of movement between your legs on the descent and allows you to ride in a controlled manner when the trail demands everything from you. When it goes steeply uphill again, you can extend the saddle height continuously at the push of a button and return it to its original position. Dropper posts have long been a fixture in the mountain bike sector, and in recent years they have also become increasingly popular as gravel bike accessories.
Light wheels for a lighter gravel bike
Our last point on the Pimp-your-Gravel-Bike list is also one of the most important tips around gravel bike accessories. The right wheels not only provide plenty of function and riding comfort on your bike, but also significantly contribute to the weight.
Especially on affordable gravel bikes, savings are often made on the wheels. Heavy rims and hubs are used, which cause the overall weight to skyrocket. This also increases the rotating mass, which affects riding comfort and joy.
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We therefore recommend installing high-quality and lightweight gravel wheels. |
Accessories for the gravel bike – our conclusion
To upgrade your gravel bike, there is plenty of gravel bike accessories. Some of it is quick and easy to install, while others require a bit more planning and know-how. The costs of accessory updates also vary greatly – while, for example, only a few euros are needed for handlebar tape, wheels can quickly break the 1,000€ mark.
Whichever gravel bike updates you choose, they all have their justification and will definitely make your next ride a little bit better.
Gravel bikes in the BMO online shop
view all gravel bikes now | Gravel bikes for women | Gravel bikes for men
