Just picked up my first gravel bike. Salsa carbon Warbird frame, SRAM Force 1 with a 10-42 rear, my old DT240 hubs laced to new Stan's Grail rims, Schwalbe G-one, Salsa Cowbell 2 bars, and so on. Did a short (20 mile) ride today--bike seemed great. I'm still working on a saddle (the one in the photo is a demo). I may want a slightly smaller chainring in front (current is 42). I know the stem looks funny--I am a very weird fit--all leg and no torso. Learned my first gravel riding tip--when going fast over washboards, either sit or stand--don't just float above the saddle.
Beautiful bike! I've always liked the carbon Warbirds from the first black ones to this. I've got a Niner RLT 9 Steel with the Force1 group and think it's excellent. It shifts great, is dead quiet, no chain slap or dropped chains. The brakes aren't quite as good as Shimano but very good and more than adequate. Mine came w/a 42t front and I changed it out to a 38t for climbing. It spins out on paved descents but can live w/that. Sometimes I wish had smaller and would especially like to fit something if I do some backpacking. Have some fun on that one.
Nice bike. BTW, I have the same fit issue - long legs and short torso. In addition, my lower back MRI looks like a bad train wreck. I too use weird looking stems. Your's look much better than mine. If comfort is your main concern, and you can stand adding 6 oz. to your carbon beauty, you may want to consider the Brooks Cambium C-17. It's made from natural rubber and has a canvas cover. The saddle is extremely comfortable, gives lots of support in just the right places. It's my "go to" saddle now for all of my bikes, after many years riding the iconic Sella Italia Flite, the first ultra light saddle on the market with Ti rails. Good luck. PS: I love red bikes!
That's one gorgeous ride. I think if I were to go with a 1x drivetrain, the 10t is a good choice in the back. You can get a lot wider ratio than with an 11 since you don't need as big of a chain ring for a decent high gear.
Sweet ride! The Warbird is on my list of bikes to consider. I tend to ride a mix of gravel and single-track, so am looking for a bike that can hold it's own on the mtb trails, run good-sized tires, etc. If anyone has thoughts about the Warbird, the Niner RLT, or any other candidates, I'm keen to hear your words of wisdom.
I know this doesn't exactly answer your question, but my selection criteria was to be able to run the biggest tires possible, and still have some clearance. I considered the SC Stigmata, the Norco Search, and the Warbird. The Warbird won with tons of clearance, a price point in the middle of these, and it was being sold out of shop that was great to work with. I ruled out the Niner based on weight--I'm not sure it totally matters, but I've almost always enjoyed lighter bikes more.
I built up a Niner RLT a couple years ago and it's a very nice bike, but ended up being a little hefty. The frame is pretty stout, so tough enough to ride as rough a trail as your tires will allow, but also quite stiff.
I ended up building up a BSB9 this summer and the weight loss is notable. There's also a touch of springiness that the aluminum RLT doesn't have.
Both are very nice bikes but the BSB will be my cross/gravel racing bike and the RLT will get a set of racks and be a very capable touring/exploring bike
