Newbie - looking at a couple of bikes

Hi,
New to forum and new to gravel biking.  In fact so new I have just discovered them in the last few weeks.  Mountain biker but cannot always get out to the trail an hour away and sometimes its closed due to wetness.  So most the non-MTB trails, frankly, are paved around my area but I don't really want to buy a "fitness" bike, because I want wider tires for some off-pavement.  Also don't like true road bikes because of the leaning position.  From my understanding, gravel bikes are a little more relaxed and of course versatile. 

The most interesting bike to me in the $2K or thereabouts price range is the Whyte Gisburn.   I love the 1 x drive train, so sleek and simple, and they apparently have very wide handle bars for drop downs.  And Force 1 is supposed to be real solid.  I would have to order from the Whyte USA distributor so no LBS putting it together for me. 

http://www.whyteusa.bike/products/2017-gisburn

Other couple of bikes are the Vaya GX, Warbird, and Jamis Renegade Exploit.  I know without describing my riding style it hard to say which is best for me (and part because I don't know to what heights I will take this bike).  But comfort and versatility are important. 

Is there anything about the bikes, particularly the Whyte, that screams do or don't buy?

Thanks much!  
-Matt

Whyte is new to the US market and have some killer mountain bikes. I'd assume their gravel bike would be the same. 

Have you checked out any of the Diamondback or Raleigh bikes? You can get a corporate account and order them for a huge discount and they have some seriously nice bikes as well.

For example...the Roker comp....

https://www.raleighusa.com/roker-comp-2886

It will probably show it at the full price of $2800 (assuming you don't already have the discount) but you can get it for $1740. It has SRAM Rival 1x11 and a carbon frame. 

Nice, I will check it out.   

How does one arrange a corporate discount? Thank you.

Social Climber wrote:How does one arrange a corporate discount? Thank you.

There was a promo code going around a while back which allowed you to setup an account on their website with the corporate discount.  It worked for Diamondback also.  Once you set up the account you permanently can shop bikes with the discount.  I think the last valid code was CYCLE4TAW, but it might be expired.