• Europes biggest bike selection
    Gravel biking

    Nakamura Allroad 250 Review:

    Alice Huot
    Alice Huot
    Sep 11, 2024 8 min
    Nakamura Allroad 250 Review:

    Let's review the Nakamura Allroad 250 together. The crunch of grit under your tires, the peaceful natural environments far away from motorized traffic, the invigorating challenge of piloting your bike through tricky terrain… these are the reasons we love gravel riding. But gravel, despite its appeal, is not always accessible.

    Suppose you come from a road cycling background. In that case, you will need a whole new bike to explore the backroads and forest tracks – either that or an extremely adaptable ‘allroad’ bike like the Trek Domane AL 2 that can be modified to contend with the additional technical challenges.

    If you have been waiting to try gravel riding but have not yet found the right bike, the Allroad 250 by Nakamura could be the one for you. Read on to discover more about this amazing value gravel bike. 

    👋
    Do you know buycycle? We are the leading marketplace for buying and selling used bikes. Not just any bikes - only beautiful performance bikes. Come and take a ride!

    What kind of bike is the Nakamura Allroad 250?

    Nakamura Allroad 250: Gravel bike or allroad misnomer?

    The Allroad 250 is a slightly strange name because it looks and rides like a gravel bike, rather than an all-road bike. This latter term is typically used to indicate a road bike capable of a little use on gentle, easy off-road surfaces – things like canal paths or very well-maintained hard-pack gravel. In reality, the Nakamura Allroad 250 is capable of much more than this. 

    The predecessor of the Allroad 250 was the Nakamura Century, which was very popular among budget-conscious gravel cyclists. 

    Is the Nakamura Allroad 250 worth its €1,200 price tag?

    The bike costs €1,200 new and is built around an aluminum frame. Its geometry leans towards comfortable endurance riding, rather than anything too racy. If you are planning to race gravel, you will probably look at bikes in a higher price range than the Nakamura.

    If you want to spend a little bit more, Nakamura is also launching a carbon fiber gravel bike called the Allroad Team, which benefits from SRAM Apex eTap AXS and should hit stores priced around €2,000. - Alice Huot @ buycycle

    The designers of the Allroad 250 had utility in mind. Multiple features boost the bike’s versatility, so it could easily be used as a regular commuter bike, a bikepacking adventure wagon, or even a decent road bike.

    What makes the Nakamura Allroad 250 a great bike?

    There is much to like about this bike, which is sold through the European chain of sporting goods stores, Intersport. 

    Impressive groupset

    For a bike of this price, the fact that the Nakamura Allroad 250 comes equipped with Shimano GRX 400 is a huge mark in the ‘positive’ column. The groupset shifts crisply and precisely, operating a 2 x 10 range of gearing. In our experience, you might want to switch out the cassette for something with a few more teeth at the top end if you are doing a lot of steep climbing on loose gravel surfaces, but for rolling fast and on more steady ascents, it is more than capable enough. 

    Slick, Mavic wheels

    One of the weaknesses many reviewers identified in the Allroad 250’s predecessor, the Century 250, was its wheels. The folks at Nakamura were paying attention and have decided to level things up considerably by adding some lovely Mavic Ksyrium hoops. They roll fast, but are durable enough to take a few dings along the trail. 

    Ready for adventure

    We always like to see a gravel bike with mounting points for bags, pannier racks, extra water bottles, and even a tool bottle, and the Nakamura Allroad 250 doesn’t disappoint. 

    Downsides of the Nakamura Allroad 250 – things to consider before you buy

    Make no mistake, the Allroad 250 is a cheap gravel bike, and with a very competitive price comes a few caveats. 

    Poor tires

    The Chaoyang tires that come on the Allroad 250 are pretty basic. They should do fine on smaller, more manageable gravel in the summer, but they lose a lot of grip when it gets rainier in the shoulder seasons. You’ll also struggle with steep climbing on looser gravel surfaces because they lack the all-action traction of a better-known tire brand. 

    Aesthetics

    The Nakamura Allroad 250 is only offered in one colourway, so if you don’t like green, you are out of luck. We also noticed that some of the welds on the frames are slightly ugly. Really refined-looking aluminum welding is an art form—for which you usually have to pay a bit extra. We have no reason to doubt the frame's structural soundness or the bike's overall safety.

    Cockpit

    In an ideal world, this bike would have fully integrated cable routing from the stem backwards. Instead, the cables only enter the frame on the down tube. We’d also like to see a bigger flare on the handlebars—the stock bar only gives a tiny deviation from the straight bars you’d expect to see on a road bike. It feels more like a nod to gravel trends than an attempt to improve the bike's handle.

    Is the Nakamura Allroad 250 a good bike?

    If you want to start exploring the fun world of gravel cycling, the Nakamura Allroad 250 can support you on that adventure. For the price it is marketed at, it is hard to look past, particularly given the high-quality components it has been spec’d with. 

    When they tested it, TransitionVelo.com said: “While the tires will undoubtedly need to be changed, there is something good on the agenda at this price level, starting with a Shimano GRX 400 groupset.”

    While the team at gravelpassion.fr said: “Already extremely well placed with the previous generation, Nakamura strikes even harder by transforming a weak point into a strong point (the wheels). In addition to the GRX transmission, it is currently an unbeatable package on the market. And don’t let the name “Allroad” fool you, this bike is a gravel bike!”

    Going on to summarize it thus: 

    “Ideal if you are starting the discipline on a “tight” budget, this bike could also be suitable if you want to equip yourself with a mule or a second bike for the winter.”

    Is Nakamura a good bike brand?

    Nakamura is an in-house brand owned by the international sporting goods retail chain, Intersport. Intersport is a globally renowned company that has sponsored multiple editions of the Olympic Games in its 50+ year history. There can be a tendency among enthusiastic expert consumers to assume that all in-house brands are low-quality and not serious competitors to the major specialists in their chosen sport.

    However, Nakamura's current entry-level gravel bike, the Allroad 250, and its predecessor, the Century, have quietly impressed us. If Nakamura keeps producing good bikes at unbeatable prices, its international reputation will continue to climb. 

    What is the best way to buy a gravel bike?

    Low-cost, entry-level gravel bikes like the Nakamura Allroad 250 give riders a great way into the discipline without making a considerable investment. Choosing a secondhand gravel bike can be another way of mitigating the cost of off-road riding.

    You can read our guide on how to choose a gravel bike. At buycycle, we believe in getting you the best bike for your money, with the most hassle-free purchasing process and reliable, trustworthy processes that guarantee the bike you buy is the one you receive.

    Explore our range of gravel bikes on buycycle now!

    In an ideal world, this bike would have fully integrated cable routing from the stem backwards. Instead, the cables only enter the frame on the down tube. We’d also like to see a bigger flare on the handlebars—the stock bar only gives a tiny deviation from the straight bars you’d expect to see on a road bike. It feels more like a nod to gravel trends than an attempt to improve the bike's

    Bike buying guide

    Which bike is for you

    Gravel bike brands 

    Gravel bike reviews

    Bike vs Bike

    Where to buy a bike?

    Components

    Sizing guide