Looking for a new gravel bike! Help and suggestions would be very welcome!

15 replies · 1,036 views

Flebuskeee555
3 posts
#1Apr 13, 2020, 10:47 AM
Hey guys, after looking around for countless hours these past 2-3 weeks looking at all the different options of gravel bikes the internet has to offer, I've decided to sign up to this forum to hopefully get some valuable insights and possibly find the right bike for me!

I'm aware that it's probably best if I give a quick rundown of what I expect form the bike, so here goes:
I've been cycling my whole life (19 atm) and recently have started training and getting serious about being fit and fast on the bike. However the only bike I have atm is a canyon roadlite (flat bar bike) that I've mounted a drop bar on and a shimano 105 r7000 groupset with an ultegra derailleur (very diy, I know 😃) .
Since I recently started working and have always saved up decently, I can finally spend a good amount of money on a bike that will serve me for the next couple of years and that fits me better than the one I have at the moment, which is too large for me, even with the very short 60mm stem I've mounted.)

The bike that grabbed my attention from the start and still does is the Canyon grail cf sl. Specifically the GRX Di2 model, since I love the lever look and am quite interested in the whole DI2 thing. The integrated bar/stem combo just really has me worried on spending that type of cash on a bike that I can't dial in perfectly... If there's any of you Grail owners that can convince me this is a non issue, I'm very open to that!

Next is the Cannondale topstone, I love the look of this bike! However the spec just isn't as competetive as the Canyon for the price but that's not quite a dealbreaker.

The 3t Exploro would be my first choice, but the Shimano GRX spec runs at 3999 euro and Im not sure if that's really worth it.

The same goes for the Cervelo Aspero, love the look, but the price seems a bit of a hard pill to swallow.

I guess I could go on and on but this is really where I'd love to get some interaction going.. Could someone give me a rundown on what brands I've missed out on? Where the extra money might be well spent etc?
I'm quite technical and have some decent knowledge about bikes, so don't be afraid to just blast the technical stuff at me, the more the better actually!

Sorry if this seems a bit long for a simple question, Im not a native english speaker and not extremely familiar with posting on forums. Cheers!
0
gluestick
3 posts
#2Apr 13, 2020, 10:52 AM
Take a look at the Giant Revolt. a lot of bike and great spec for the $$$. I have about 2000 miles on mine so far and am very pleased with it.
0
Flebuskeee555
3 posts
#3Apr 13, 2020, 10:58 AM
gluestick wrote:Take a look at the Giant Revolt. a lot of bike and great spec for the $$$. I have about 2000 miles on mine so far and am very pleased with it.

Thanks for the suggestion! I've stumbled upon the Giant Revolt before and It definetely looks like a great value bike! However I've never really loved the look of the top tube...
0
ljsmith
762 posts
#4Apr 13, 2020, 11:26 AM
The gravel bikes you listed are very different from one another. Are you picking them based on looks, local availability, have you test rode them? Before anyone can really give you suggestions you really need to tell us what you want from a bike and on what kind of terrain you are riding on. Do you need dual wheel size compatibility (650b and 700c)? Do you value compliance or speed more? Do you need accessory mounts? What proportion of road vs pavement. For instance the Cervelo really is just made for going fast. If you are riding long distances, or bikepacking it would not be the best choice, but if you are a competitive racer than it would be a great choice. You will be happiest if you choose a bike that meets your needs rather than what is the coolest looking bike.
2
Flebuskeee555
3 posts
#5Apr 13, 2020, 11:36 AM
ljsmith wrote:The gravel bikes you listed are very different from one another. Are you picking them based on looks, local availability, have you test rode them? Before anyone can really give you suggestions you really need to tell us what you want from a bike and on what kind of terrain you are riding on. Do you need dual wheel size compatibility (650b and 700c)? Do you value compliance or speed more? Do you need accessory mounts? What proportion of road vs pavement. For instance the Cervelo really is just made for going fast. If you are riding long distances, or bikepacking it would not be the best choice, but if you are a competitive racer than it would be a great choice. You will be happiest if you choose a bike that meets your needs rather than what is the coolest looking bike.

I see that I didn't really put out what I expect from the bike. At the moment I ride about 90% on asphalt. This is mainly because of the fact that my current bike isn't really setup for gravel.

In the future I'd like to get into longer distance riding (200-250km). I see myself leaning towards the bikepacking side and I might plan a ride across france this summer (So mounts would probably come in handy). Due to the currenct Covid-19 crisis I haven't had the chance to go out to some of my local bike shops to check out the bikes in person, so I'm basically going off looks/reviews.

I'm not too worried about 650B compatibility as I'm not really interested in the very rough gravel and would prefer a faster rolling platform as my rides will always have a large part of asphalt in them.
I don't take part in road/gravel races and I don't think I will in the near future, If i would, that would probably end with me buying a specific race bike.

I hope this clears it up a bit, thanks for your comment!
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Bnalz
2 posts
#6Apr 15, 2020, 9:05 AM
My 2 cents, hands down cervelo aspero. Not really
a bike packer but it’s fun and it’s fast. Even fun to
climb on this bike. Good luck . Nice problem to
have at this time.
1
haroprease
6 posts
#7Apr 15, 2020, 12:44 PM
Sounds like you want something that leans towards the road side of the gravel spectrum. Look at the geometry of the bikes more than the marketing gizmos and even the spec. You'll probably want something with a steeper HTA, and shorter wheel base. I'm not talking road racing geo, but you don't want to end up with a Chamois Hagar. Of the bikes you mentioned, I'd say Topstone or Aspero. Topstone has more mounts, and will probably be better value, compared to the boutique Cervelo. Another to look at if you haven't is a Trek Checkpoint.
1
Bnalz
2 posts
#8Apr 15, 2020, 5:30 PM
haroprease wrote:Sounds like you want something that leans towards the road side of the gravel spectrum. Look at the geometry of the bikes more than the marketing gizmos and even the spec. You'll probably want something with a steeper HTA, and shorter wheel base. I'm not talking road racing geo, but you don't want to end up with a Chamois Hagar. Of the bikes you mentioned, I'd say Topstone or Aspero. Topstone has more mounts, and will probably be better value, compared to the boutique Cervelo. Another to look at if you haven't is a Trek Checkpoint.

not sure why the cervelo is considered a boutique bike , as far as value

topstone - 2750- 6000

aspero- 2800- 4000
0
haroprease
6 posts
#9Apr 15, 2020, 6:10 PM
Bnalz wrote:

not sure why the cervelo is considered a boutique bike , as far as value

topstone - 2750- 6000

aspero- 2800- 4000

They would be considered boutique because they only make road bikes, and used to be owned and operated by something other than a massive corp? They're messing it up recently, but they still carry some kind of cache in most circles.
As for value...comparing absolute price ranges of bikes does sweet fa to show value. The Topstone Ultegra RX is $5k Canadian Pesos, and comes with carbon hoops and seat post. The Aspero Ultegra RX is $5300, comes with alloy rims, and alloy seat post. Both have a flared alloy bar, and come with sub-compact chainrings on alloy cranks, although the Topstone has lower ratios. I would say that makes the Topstone better value.
0
BubbaS
48 posts
#10Apr 15, 2020, 9:14 PM
Check out a Trek Checkpoint, the only problem I have with mine is that it is too much fun to ride! It has a road bias and lots of points for attaching stuff, bags etc. I am using it mostly on gravel roads, rough/broken asphalt, a bit of double track and a hint of single track. I have a MTB that does a much better job of single track so that wasn't my goal.

BS
0
KLF284
6 posts
#11Apr 19, 2020, 10:26 AM
In case you haven't seen it, bikepacking.com has a nice section reviewing gravel/allroad bikes.
0
Slim
300 posts
#12Apr 22, 2020, 5:03 PM
If you have dreams of longer distance riding and bikepacking, I would pick a bike with a bit more upright position and perhaps fork mounts. That said, with the availability of strap on bags you should be able to get a bikepacking set up on just about any bike these days.
0
chas
1,305 posts
#13Apr 22, 2020, 5:09 PM
Re: canyon. I got the Inflite because I wanted something more nimble than the Grail (but obviously the Inflite is too aggressive for all day rides). Its an amazing bike. I love the integrated cockpit - I think they have it pretty dialed in. The stem lenght/tt length is different than I would have spec'ed but I have fallen in love with it. Fits me like a glove.

Europe seemed to be more flexible in swapping things out, but in the US its out of the box the way it is. Changing the stem length would have cost me $400. I bought 2 bike sizes and a spare stem, kept the one that worked best for me, and sent the rest back at no cost.

So, I wouldn't customize the fit (unless your country has different practices), but if you try it out and don't like it, just send it back.
0
Zurichman
1,526 posts
#14Apr 24, 2020, 7:46 PM
I am trying to post a new thread under bikes and it keeps coming up as a poll. Can anybody tell me what I am doing wrong?

Zman
0
ss29er
39 posts
#15Apr 25, 2020, 11:24 AMedited
Sounds like the Salsa Warbird could be a good choice for you.
2
owly
328 posts
#16Apr 25, 2020, 10:29 PM
https://www.hibike.com/trek-checkpoint-sl-6-28-gravel-bike-bike-carbon-blue-smoke-2021-p9230bb827ef7c81d120fe9b89d287ff5#var_17577206

Good number of mounting points on the 2021.

Geometry not as aggressive as the Aspero. I bit more upright, but still a fairly 'racy' geo.
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