Gravel & road bike
Are you into hours of touring on smooth tarmac roads with a road bike or thrilling off-road adventures on a gravel bike? Then you know that this hobby also requires the odd bike upgrade to make your bike as comfortable, aerodynamic and stylish as can be. For long-term pain-free riding pleasure, it's also worth putting the ergonomics of your bike to the test. The angle of the saddle and handlebars can be adjusted in a few simple steps, but it is also worth replacing entire parts. There are handlebars with more flare, saddles with pressure relief channels and damping bar tape.
We have a wide range of add-on parts to ensure that your bike suits your adventure. Here you will find an overview of parts that are suitable for gravel and road bikes.
Handlebars & stems
Pain in the neck, back and shoulder are unpleasant side effects of long tours and extended training rides. There are flared handlebars to relieve these areas. A flatter drop, a shorter reach and a wide contact surface on the top bar also increases ergonomics. If you are a complete beginner when it comes to cockpit optimisation for gravel and road bikes, you can watch our YouTube video to find out more.
Bar tape
During intensive road bike training or on a long bikepacking trip with your gravel bike, grip and comfort are particularly important. Our new bar tapes offer you both and also come in a wide range of colours so you can customise your bike to your taste.
High quality materials such as cork, EVA foam and PU provide the necessary cushioning to reduce the pressure on your hands, especially on uneven roads. With different surface structures, you’ll be able to enjoy a pleasant feeling on the skin with a particularly high level of grip.
Saddles
When you're on your road bike, everything is about speed. You’re constantly pushing for a new record on your training course and don’t want to finish a race at a crawl. To minimize air resistance, you ride in a very stretched and flat position on your saddle. This often means most of your body weight is in the middle, which can lead to uncomfortable tingling and numbness. A specialised road bike saddle with a central cutout can help reduce pressure. It should also be narrow and elongated to enhance efficiency on long rides.
CONTEC Static
The CONTEC saddles Static come either with a fully cut-out or half-lowered centre section, which reduces the pressure on the sensitive areas of your body. The filling of the Static saddles is made of AirFoam - a cushioning material that absorbs shocks. The saddle shells are made of particularly lightweight nylon fibres. Thanks to the special welding of the shell and the synthetic PVC cover, the saddles are 100% waterproof, so you can get on your bike without any problems, even in wet conditions.
Your bike, your adventure
Seatposts
There are more factors in a seatpost than you might think: it literally carries you over the ground and is crucial for your riding position, stability and comfort. Your riding style in particular plays a role in choosing the ideal seatpost. Gravel and road cyclists usually need a firm base in order to ride comfortably and efficiently. Patented seatposts have a high stiffness and therefore a relatively low travel.
Pedals
A reliable pedal is essential for your safety when cycling. At CONTEC, we have a wide variety of pedals to ensure that every pedal stroke is perfect. This way you can choose a set of pedals that is best suited to your individual needs. System pedals or clipless pedals are frequently used by road cyclists in particular. With the right shoes and cleats, you can connect your feet to the pedals. This results in efficient power transmission to your entire leg muscles. Hybrid pedals are a combination of system and platform pedals that can be used on both sides. This is ideal if you're not quite sure whether you always want to use a clipless pedal.
Tubeless
Tubeless tyres are regarded as the tyre technology of the future and are particularly suitable for you if you are an ambitious sports cyclist. Tubeless tyres have a number of advantages such as lower rolling resistance and weight compared to conventional tyres. To ensure that these advantages also benefit you, we provide you with the necessary accessories such as tubeless valves, adapters and kits for checking and topping up the sealant.
CONTEC FastAir TL II Road
With our FastAir TL II Road tubeless valve, you can inflate your tyres quickly and easily. The unique valve design allows 300% more air flow than a normal Presta valve. The larger diameter of the valve core means that it cannot become blocked by tubeless sealant. The best thing about our FastAir valves? They can be fitted without a compressor or tyre booster, but with a standard floor pump!
CONTEC Slap LK und Slap SL
Slap LK and Slap SL are two high quality, lightweight system pedals with sealed industrial bearings. The names are indicators of the respective system compatibility: ‘LK’ = Look Keo, ‘SL’ = Shimano SPD-SL. The low-maintenance pedals are shaped in such a way that almost no dirt or mud collects in the spaces between the pedal housings. The strength of the release-mechanism of the Slap LK and Slap SL can also be individually adjusted.
CONTEC Bracer OS
The Bracer OS patent seatpost enables you to adjust your riding position further back to stretch your back even further. It has an offset of 20mm. The Bracer OS is made from 3D forged aluminium 6061 and has a one-bolt clamp that makes installation quickly and easily.
Discover suitable pedals for your gravel or road bike here:
More handlebars & stems for gravel and road bikes:
Not yet very familiar with tubeless? Then take a look at our YouTube video on the subject! You will also find step-by-step instructions for converting to tubeless tyres.
CONTEC Austral
With the Austral road and gravel bike handlebar made of robust aluminium 6061, you are ideally positioned to tackle all challenges both on and off the road. The bar ends have a 12° flare and offer you a secure grip as well as ergonomic relief on long journeys.
CONTEC Boreal
The stylish Boreal stem provides a particularly clean look thanks to its shape and integrated ahead cap. It is made from aluminium 6061 and weighs just 200 grams (at 110 mm length). You can choose from a total of four different lengths. With a tilt angle of 8°, Boreal holds your handlebar firmly in the perfect position.
CONTEC Reflex.Grip
Often, filigree racing bikes only have the absolute necessary accessories mounted to optimise aerodynamics. When it comes to safety, the options are limited - front and rear lights are rarely fitted. The CONTEC Reflex.Grip bar tape has a reflective surface and therefore offers increased visibility without compromising on factors such as comfort and aerodynamics.
CONTEC SuperComfort.Grip MG
The name says it all: the CONTEC SuperComfort.Grip MG not only offers maximum comfort, but also plenty of slip resistance in all weather conditions. The MG version is also ideal for wide gravel handlebars, as it is longer and thicker. The bar tape is made of PU (plastic) and contains a cushioning foam matrix that significantly reduces vibrations and shocks from uneven roads.
Browse through other various guides for different kinds of bikes:
E-Bike
Lighting, battery protection and saddle: Here you can find out which bike parts and accessories are suitable for e-bikes.
City bike
Attention commuters: You should fit these StVZO-approved add-on parts to your bike when you are travelling in traffic.
Trekking bike
Parallelogram seatpost and co.: Our guide explains which components you shouldn't be without on your next bike tour.
Mountain bike
Find the right parts for technical and practical upgrades for your MTB! Here you can find out what is suitable for you as a mountain biker.
Kids bike
The original equipment of many children's and youth bikes is neither comfortable nor ergonomic. Find out how you can improve the kids bike.