Giant’s Revolt 0 is a £1,499 bike aimed at gravel and adventure riding with an aluminium frame, carbon fork, 38mm wide tyres and a Shimano 105 groupset with hydraulic disc brakes. 

When dust turns to mud you need a grippy tyre, and the Teravail Rutland delivers exceptional traction in slippery or loose conditions – without hindering pace on hard tracks and roads. Tubeless installation is easy, it comes in a wide range of sizes (including 650b), and you even get a choice of two casings. It'll cost you, though.

The Cipollini MCM Allroad is fast and direct on the road, but it's stiff and hard off-road, lacks mounts for extra bottles or mudguards and offers limited tyre clearance. One thing that is colossal is the price tag – and all this makes bike hard to fall in love with.

When the Grail launched in 2018, Canyon’s first dedicated gravel bike, it turned a lot of heads owing to its unique double-decker handlebar design. A year later, it’s no less radical, but the range has now expanded to include several Shimano GRX specced bikes.

The Cube Cross Race Pro is a fast and nimble cyclocross bike ideally suited to beginner racers, as well as anyone after an adaptable bike for winter road riding, training and off-roading. It’s not as capable as a modern gravel bike – and the lack of tubeless tyres is a handicap for dirt – but stick to smoother trails and it’s right at home. 

Few bikes stand out as much as Canyon’s carbon fibre Grail with its unique double handlebar design, but under those divisive looks lurks a bike that's seriously fast across all terrain thanks to great handling and comfort. 

Foam inserts are the latest must-have for mountain bikers, and now gravel and adventure cyclists can benefit too with CushCore's Gravel.CX Set. But while it’s clear they prevent flats and prevent rim damage, the claimed improved ride feel is harder to quantify – and at £160 they’re massively expensive. They're hard to recommend unless you’re regularly riding gravel bikes over terrain where a mountain bike might be more suitable.

The Enigma Endeavour is not only the prettiest looking bike I’ve seen in a while, it’s also one of the sweetest riding, with delightful smoothness and fine handling – on the road and in the woods. It isn’t exactly cheap, but it is handmade in the UK, which might just be enough to convince you it’s worth it. 

For £1,499 the Giant Revolt 0 gravel bike offers very impressive performance on the road and in the woods, with an easy agility that makes it fun to carve through the corners. The fast-rolling tyres aren't for the committed off-roader, and the alloy frame can be a little harsh despite its carbon fork, but the Revolt 0 is a fine all-rounder – and there's nothing to hold you back on your commute or weekend road ride either.