Torn 4 ways on which bike to choose

52 replies · 9,041 views

EagleGrinder
90 posts
#1Aug 23, 2015, 5:40 PMedited
Hi everyone,

First time poster here. Getting into gravel grinding because the skinny tires are unkind to the fat guy in me, and I have enjoyed MTB'ing the last year.

I need yall's help. I have 4 bikes in mind, but need some advice and guidance on which would/could suit my needs.

Some background: I teach, and during the weekends I am weekend warrior that likes to hit up the horse trails nearby with the mtb and do some 5-10 miles before it gets too hot/cold and until mom needs help with the kids.

During the summer, I try to get out everyday and do 10+ as much as I can when its not hot and humid.

So here are the bikes I am torn between.

2016 Kona Jake
What I love- Its not a road bike, looks like the Geo is relaxed and it has some good components (Tiagra) for the price (1,099)
What I dont like as much- Disc Brakes are entry level (Hayes CX comp) and not dual piston, which has me concerned with rotor warpage. I dont really want to have to sink $$ into immediate upgrades

2016 Giant Revolt 1
What I love- Got good Geo, (weird, but good acc to Bikeradar)TRP Spyre, and Thru-Axles (acc to the site). Cross top levers, and
What concerns me- Heard Warranty stuff is skiddish at times (you have to harass Giant) This could be hearsay, but I dont know. for 1,300 I feel like you should get Shimano 105 since you are paying more.

2016 Norco Search
What I love- Shimano 105 at a pretty good price point $1,215 according to the bike store (that is over an hour away :-( &nbsp Its got thru axles and some good tires
What I dont like- Bike shop is an hour away (personal problem), I have heard Norco Frames have some QC issues. (Could be hearsay, but I have spent a lot of time reading this stuff up)

2015/6 Felt V85
What I love- Shimano 105. I would take the big front ring down to 46 since I have a hard time pushing 53. Tubeless compatible
What I dont like- Price. Its a bit out of my range 1,499 but a bike shop near me has them for 1,399. Saddle looks goofy, but I have heard they have fixed this (no word or pictures from the felt site)

As stupid as it sounds, its just nice to have a lifetime warranty. I know that companies arent obligated, but its nice to have that CYA. Also, I am not a fan of press-fit/BB30. I had a CruX and the BB felt like it was made of paper towel rolls. I would like a cassette to have a range of 11-34 and I would like Tiagra or above. 38-40c Tire compliance would be a bonus as well.

I might sound picky, but I want to spend my money wisely since I would like to hold on to this bike for a while.

Any advice you could give or suggestions for other comparable bikes I am all ears.

I might also add that no bike shops in the Atlanta area currently have any of these bikes in stock. To order a bike you have to take a deposit and I want to make sure I am getting what I want before I throw the cash down for it.

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Walt Brown
210 posts
#2Aug 23, 2015, 6:22 PM
EagleGrinder, \nI've ridden the Felt, Norco and seen the Giant. The Felt was 2 sizes small for me but seemed like a real comfortable ride. The Norco is steal and road nice but was a bit heavier than what I was looking for. In Qestern Mass Giant doesn't have a great presence, bike shops either don't like dealing with them and steered me toward another brand or the shop was mediocre. \n \nAnother bike you may want to consider is the Specialized Diverge. New this fall is a Smartweld frame with the new Tiagra and Spyres for Brakes at $1500. I've road and loved the carbon version but can't afford the $3500 price tag. Stay away from the A1 Diverge, it's a different bike.
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SunDog
38 posts
#3Aug 23, 2015, 7:09 PM
I don't have any helpful input on the models you are looking at - but I do hang out at a friend's LBS probably a little too much (8 beers on tap and guys who do funny accents all day). He's the higher volume Giant dealer in town. I never hear the employees whining about dealing with Giant on warranty issues. I have heard them complain that they could not get a certain model (TCX) last year. They also carry a few other brands - and I do hear some negative chatter about some of them.

I don't own a Giant myself - but I would not put an X in their negative column for service if I were evaluating one of their models for purchase. Make sure you are trying the high volume Giant dealer in your area - instead of someone who dabbles in it.

Side note - I'm shopping for a cross/gravel bike myself and I've got Focus/Giant/Litespeed on my list. The Litespeed is probably going to be more than I want to spend right now. Giant and Focus have models across a wide range of price points. These are some of the brands that my friend carries - so I've limited my shopping to those.
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EagleGrinder
90 posts
#4Aug 23, 2015, 7:18 PM

Norco discontinued the Steel Search (counterproductive no?). They are going to an AL setup for 2016. Their bikes will debut this week their website sometime. I will admit, I dont think I am going to be disappointed with anything I go with, and it looks like Felt might be back in the mix.

I have looked at those Specialized and I will admit I feel the "zertz" inserts look a bit ahem... "silly" just my .02, but I am not sure a small piece of rubber is going to soften the ride for my fat rear. I actually enjoy the road vibrations from time to time. Weird I know?

Giant seems to have a good presence here in Atlanta. There are about 5-6 stores that sell them and they are out and about in fair quantities. We have two Trek Factory stores here as well and you see a lot of them. I wish trek about add some Tiagra components to its CrossRip Line instead of selling Sora at the price of which others are selling Tiagra at. I guess they need to pay for those adverts and race teams.

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EagleGrinder
90 posts
#5Aug 23, 2015, 7:21 PMedited
I havent heard a lot of negative chatter here in Atlanta about Giant, just from reading forums on bikes in general. Roswell Bikes in Atlanta seems to be the high volume dealer and they seem to know what they are doing. The shop closer to me in Decatur says he has the first Revolt when they came out and he enjoys it since he is from an MTB background.

The caveat...2016 Revolt 1 is on backorder until post Thanksgiving.

Need to start training now for Bo Bikes Bama.
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RoverAl
489 posts
#6Aug 23, 2015, 8:02 PM
I have a Kona Rove with the hayes brakes and 1000 miles later still going strong. No issues or warping. I had to deglaze the pads a couple times though. If your coming from MTB hydros it will take some getting used to the mech brakes. My Rove is decent on buff single track and I have ridden horsey trails too. Check out the gearing make sure it has the range you want.
All good bikes I would go with the best fitting bike with the best frame and Bottom bracket you want. The standard threaded ones are easy to work on. Kona has the lifetime warranty. The Jake is a CX bike that has a racier geometry.
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EagleGrinder
90 posts
#7Aug 23, 2015, 8:29 PM
RoverAl wrote: I have a Kona Rove with the hayes brakes and 1000 miles later still going strong. No issues or warping. I had to deglaze the pads a couple times though. If your coming from MTB hydros it will take some getting used to the mech brakes. My Rove is decent on buff single track and I have ridden horsey trails too. Check out the gearing make sure it has the range you want.
All good bikes I would go with the best fitting bike with the best frame and Bottom bracket you want. The standard threaded ones are easy to work on. Kona has the lifetime warranty. The Jake is a CX bike that has a racier geometry.

I hear you on the Konas. I wish the Kona AL at least had Tiagra. If it did, I would be all over it. The jump between the AL and Steel is too much for me at the moment. I rode a CruX for a while so the racier geo didnt bother me too much so to speak. Its hard trying to figure out which way this thing is gonna break. I am feeling Norco is out since the ride to buy the bike and get it adjusted for free would be cost ineffective in time/gas vs. learning how to do it on my own.
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Walt Brown
210 posts
#8Aug 23, 2015, 10:09 PM
Im not a huge fan of the zertz either. I found most of the gravel bikes a little on the heavy/ sluggish side. Since I'm looking for a true all rounder the Smartweld looks to be the best option for me. I'm guessing it's around 20 lbs with a relatively short chain stay. Looks great in black.
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Walt Brown
210 posts
#9Aug 23, 2015, 10:10 PM
GT Grade is another option worth looking at. Great value for the money.
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RoverAl
489 posts
#10Aug 24, 2015, 6:22 AMedited
I just checked out the specs on the Jake and the geo is very close to the Rove. I think they changed the specs around this year. With 10 speeds the 34/48 cranks and 11-34 in the rear your pretty much covered for everything from a good cadence on stretches to having that 34 cassette for grunt work on the trails or hills.

Tiagra is pretty solid heck my entry level Claris is doing great. I'm not a fan of alex stock wheels but they should be alright.
The shop I bought my ROve from is an hour and a half away and that makes it tuff to bring it in for tuneups. I do my own work with the help of Park tools and you tube videos. I am getting pretty good too, just changed the crankset to a nice Shimano cx70 and it made a huge difference.Saved almost a pound! FWIW I am riding the 59cm rove and I am 226lbs at 6'2" I vote for the Jake, looks solid, quality components and it's a Kona!
The Raleigh merit looks more like a compact road bike than a gravel grinder per se. Being able to put 40c tires on your rig gives you more options.Good Luck!

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GOTA
61 posts
#11Aug 25, 2015, 3:02 PM
I really like the Felt V85. I haven't tried the Norco and the Jake I rode was a 2012 but the Felt is a very nice bike. It's sporty and stable. The new 5800 105 is great. It's a huge step up from Tiagra or Sora. I have not tried the new Tiagra that just came out but I would definitely spend $200 more to get a 105 bike over the previous Tiagra. All three of the bikes that I rode were good so it may come down to which fits you best but if it was my money I'd buy the Felt V85 without a second thought.
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EagleGrinder
90 posts
#12Aug 25, 2015, 4:12 PM
Thanks for the insight. I think right now in this stage. I am down to three...

Felt v85
Kona Jake
Norco Search

I am waiting until I see what the Norco search looks like before I pass judgement.

I liked the revolt, but the idea of having to wait longer just doesn't appeal to me too much, and the fact that I could prob bring it up to spec for the price diff.

At this point, its Kona Jake or Felt v85 barring a look at the Norco. I dont think I will be able to go wrong with any of them, but it would be nice to have 105, but the Tiagra componentry got some upgrades for 2016 which make it look more race oriented (to an extent)

I just wish someone would get these bikes into a shop in ATL so I can ride them. If the bike shop that is selling the v85 sells it for 1,399 I might have to bite on that.

Any word on the seat of the v85? Is it different than specced? does it have that Selle Royal Look saddle still?
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Sadlebred
37 posts
#13Aug 25, 2015, 8:17 PMedited
I had major issues with my Shimano hydraulic disk brakes on my new Giant Defy road bike last fall. Giant replaced all sorts of parts over the course of 6 months last year after I got it (disclaimer: The road bike gets put away for a bit of cyclocross season, so it didn't see much use from Nov.- early Feb.). As soon as the shop put some pressure on the local Giant rep, I had a completely new hydraulic brake system on the way and on the bike within about 10 days (again, winter, time wasn't crucial, and I have an older 2nd road bike I ride). Giant also took care of me with some other things, too. I can't say anything bad about their warranty.

If you are considering a Giant, please go talk to Tom, one of the owners of Smyrna Bicycles. Those guys live, eat, and breathe gravel riding and cyclocross. They know their stuff. I know it's across town from you, but it's worth the trip. Call ahead to see if Tom will be in the store that day (other guys are great...but for gravel you want to talk to Tom). Tell him Sadlebred sent you.

If you are considering any Treks, talk to Nate at Atlanta Cycling in Ansley. He rides and races gravel and CX. He's set up several of my teammates on their CX bikes. Brent, Manager at Free Flite Marietta (Piedmont Road) store is another good one to talk to about Treks or Michel at the Sandy Springs FF location. If you are looking at Specialized, Peachtree Bikes in Buckhead is great to deal with. JC is your man.

If the Norco dealer you are looking at is Cartecay in Ellijay, they are good people!...but it is a bit far.

One general thing about bikes, don't let a saddle keep you from buying a bike. It's the easiest part to replace, as you know. You can always find replacement saddles that are new or slightly used on craigslist or the Facebook cycling for sale sites for half or less of what they are new (then sell the one you didn't like!). If you need links to those, I can provide them. Same goes for tires. Ride what you buy til they die and then put better ones on. You can get cx tires for pretty cheap on those same sites.
Sadlebred
"CX Queen" in Atlanta
Media Director for the Georgia Cyclocross Series
http://www.sadlebred.com

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EagleGrinder
90 posts
#14Aug 26, 2015, 4:06 PMedited

For anyone interested, here is the 2016 Norco Search Specs here. https://www.norco.com/bikes/road/adventure/search-aluminum/search-a105/ pic below

105- Check
TRP- Check
Thru-Axle- Bonus Check
Up to 40c Tire- Check

1.5 Hours away...wrong

This is a sweet looking bike. Its 2015 predecessor got good reviews on BikeRadar.

What do you guys think? I have really appreciated everyones .02 on this.
tempting...
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SunDog
38 posts
#15Aug 26, 2015, 4:58 PM
EagleGrinder wrote:

What do you guys think? I have really appreciated everyones .02 on this.

Good looking bike.

Seems like a good value.

Not the most relaxed head tube angle - but the head tube height is up there.

I'm just not going to buy another bike from a dealer that i do not frequent. I like hanging out at the shop and drinking a few beers with the fellows. It's easier to do that when you buy stuff where you hang out. They are my friends and I have an interest in their survival - so I buy whatever I can there - even if it's a few more pesos.
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RoverAl
489 posts
#16Aug 26, 2015, 5:25 PM
Looks nice on paper but, as you know it's about the fit and ride too. 1.5 hours away is not too bad. Think road trip! Good spec for the money. Call and see if they have one. What size do you plan on getting? All the shops I have bought bikes from simply adjust the cables and give it a quick check. You can do that yourself. Just make sure the rims are true when you pick it up and everything is adjusted and greased. Is that a 2016 model?
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EagleGrinder
90 posts
#17Aug 26, 2015, 8:15 PM
yea its a 2016. Like I said for 105 and the other perks, thats a good deal. Atlanta starting prices for 105 are in 1399 (with discount) and up. The lowest cost on 105 is at a bike shop in Alpharetta and thats the Felt v85. Ellijay isnt too far away and I would like to see when they get them in stock so I can ride them. I rode a CX bike so im sure the geo here is more relaxed compared to it. I would love to learn how to do the drive train adjustments, but its all about self-confidence, and not trying to screw things up.

I emailed the guy at Cartecay Bikes to see when they would get them in. I'll keep you guys posted.

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GOTA
61 posts
#18Aug 27, 2015, 9:55 AM
Felt just updated their website for 2016. The new V bikes look good especially the top end V55. Could be a while though before they are available.
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EagleGrinder
90 posts
#19Aug 27, 2015, 4:04 PM
That V55 is just too much for me...

Norco Search ships in October to the shop in Ellijay, and I am going to see if there is a Felt V85 I can ride this weekend. Kona Jakes should be coming in soon.

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EagleGrinder
90 posts
#20Aug 30, 2015, 10:50 AMedited
Felt v85 is out of my price range officially. Felt raised the price from 1399 to 1499.\n\nDown to norco and kona. Unless someone else can think of one I haven't already. No GT grades nearby to try or in my size.
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