Window Shopping for Gravel Bikes

[snwbrdr]

Since I can go to Canyon's store in SoCal...

Grail CF SL 7

If you need to shake up your riding routine, then gravel is the answer. The lightweight Grail CF SL 7 is a hugely versatile bike ready for all your year-round off-road adventures, and comes complete with Shimano’s GRX810 gravel groupset.

www.canyon.com

Hits the right pricepoint.... $2700 with 11-speed GRX components. Not sure about the double decker bar though, but it has extra space from the double decker bars to mount your accessories on each bar, from a front light (say on the bottom bar) to a phone/Garmin holder on the top bar....

Cannondale's Topstone Carbon 3 is a little over $3000 and heard great things about the kingpin "rear suspension"

* PDP

www.cannondale.com

Specialized Diverge is $3500

Diverge Sport Carbon | www.specialized.com

Whether your goal is to escape on gravel back roads, far from cars and crowds, or drop the hammer at the front of your favorite gravel race, no bike doe...

www.specialized.com

Has SRAM Apex 1x with a generic sunrace 42T cassette and "Future Shock" front suspension/

Trek Checkpoint is $3400

Checkpoint SL 5 - Trek Bikes

Discover your next great ride with Checkpoint SL 5. See the bike and visit your local Trek retailer. Shop now!

www.trekbikes.com

With the Isospeed decoupler on the seat tube-top tube interface with the GRX 11-speed components

 

[Tom K.]

In no particular order of preference:

Canyon: Great price; hard to wrap my head around the look of the bars which reportedly work really well; I like to support my LBS. Which, of course, can still be done, esp if you have a favorite service-only shop.

Diverge: Not a Spec fan; not a 1x fan for gravel but that's highly dependent on your local and regional terrain; future shock seems like a great idea but also seems troublesome.

Trek: Disclaimer I'm a Trek guy; I love the isospeed rear end; GRX is the schizzle; might be hard to find; needs a Redshift suspension stem for real gravel duty.

They are probably good starter bikes. I'd probably choose based first on fit and second on your favorite shop and first (again) on what's available.

Pro Tip: Late in the summer, and I'm actually bikes starting to go on sale?! A friend just bought a Levo e-bike for 20% off.

Have fun with the hunt!

 

[cantunamunch]

Terrain you're going to ride? If front suspension is a purchase driver, would you be better off on the Grizl?

@Erik Timmerman has gobs of miles on a Canyon with hover bars.

I will second @Tom K. - go for fit.

That includes "How the bike feels when climbing/descending, both in the saddle and out"

 

[scott43]

Yeah I think front suspension isn't a bad idea with gravel bikes. Many gravel roads, at least up here, can be heavily washboarded. Perfect application.

 

[scott43]

I'm approaching the gravel thing from more of a Swiss Army knife angle. Basically I will use it as a do it all road bike so I'm going to forgo suspension and try to get more of a road geometry and 2x drivetrain. More cyclocross than gravel. I look at some of the gravel bikes and I think couch with 2lbs of bolts for all the lugs I'll never use. However using 32 or 37 tires on the road makes a lot of sense at times.

 

[cantunamunch]

. I look at some of the gravel bikes and I think couch with 2lbs of bolts for all the lugs I'll never use. However using 32 or 37 tires on the road makes a lot of sense at times.

Yeh, 'gravel' is now turning into a big tent descriptor with that includes
- drop bar hardtails
- all-road crit bikes
- all-road time trial bikes
- almost-cyclocross (more slow-speed oriented than the ARC)
- bikepacking bikes

most of which are going to be making different trail, different wheel flop, different braking and loading assumptions.

 

[Tom K.]

@scott43 I would recommend not pulling the trigger on a new bike yet. Based on what you describe, the new Domane will be your bike.

40c tires at least and compliance at both ends without the weight of the current isospeed decouplers.

Possibly the ultimate "allroad" bike.

For rugged gravel, I still prefer my Procaliber: isospeed rear end, Fox fork up front, rugged 40c tires without a lot of tread.

 

[scott43]

I'm being very cautious and painfully slow. I was pursuing selling the current stable and starting again but the market for used bicycles has apparently collapsed. I may do a careful swap of existing road bike stuff to new frame and build some wheels up. Part out what's left. There is certainly a great diversity of bikes so that is terrific. If you can't find what you like now, I don't know you will ever find it...

 

[cantunamunch]

I'm being very cautious and painfully slow.

You're waiting for a Trentasei, I knows it

 

[chris_the_wrench]

Since I can go to Canyon's store in SoCal...

Do you live near Carlsbad? If so, I spent 20+ years working in bike shops around there and could recommend a few reliable shops(if your in need). Theres a few good repair specialists vs whats becoming a market saturated by company owned or atleast heavily involved shops in that area.

i dont get hung up on brands, except all my bikes are shimano drivetrain and brakes. I love my sworks tarmac road bike, but I ride a niner gravel that I also love. Im currently settup with a 50/34 crank and a 11-40 cassette on my gravel bike. I tried using that bike for some bike packing type rides and I struggled with that gearing when weighted down on our mtns, but for ‘fast’ rides its a great combo for around here. In socal i rode 50/34 w/ a 32t and that was plenty for me. When its time for a new gravel bike, I cant believe im saying it, but I will probably look at something like the diverge with the suspension stem. My wrists arent getting any younger.

 

[snwbrdr]

Do you live near Carlsbad? If so, I spent 20+ years working in bike shops around there and could recommend a few reliable shops(if your in need). Theres a few good repair specialists vs whats becoming a market saturated by company owned or atleast heavily involved shops in that area.

i dont get hung up on brands, except all my bikes are shimano drivetrain and brakes. I love my sworks tarmac road bike, but I ride a niner gravel that I also love. Im currently settup with a 50/34 crank and a 11-40 cassette on my gravel bike. I tried using that bike for some bike packing type rides and I struggled with that gearing when weighted down on our mtns, but for ‘fast’ rides its a great combo for around here. In socal i rode 50/34 w/ a 32t and that was plenty for me. When its time for a new gravel bike, I cant believe im saying it, but I will probably look at something like the diverge with the suspension stem. My wrists arent getting any younger.

My LBS back in NJ, recommended Jax Bicycles to me (they are primarily a Trek dealer)

But, I do live about an hour from Carlsbad.

My road bike, is a 2010 Specialized Secteur, with a 105 compact crank, and Deore XT 9-speed RD so I can run a 11-32T cassette.... MTB derailleurs were common for those weak climbers before SRAM & Shimano realized there was a market demand for 32T rear cassettes on road bikes.... and with Mavic Kysrium Elites I bought back in 2011. And eventually got myself a CG-R carbon seat post.

----------------------------------

Other questions:.... road and single track... nothing really rooty or rock gardens... there is a "beginner" MTB loop near me, that I would like to ride on a gravel bike.... especially since I got rid of my boat anchor hardtail....

 

[Tony Storaro]

Im currently settup with a 50/34 crank and a 11-40 cassette on my gravel bike.

What rear mech? GRX?

 

[Tony Storaro]

@scott43 I would recommend not pulling the trigger on a new bike yet. Based on what you describe, the new Domane will be your bike.

40c tires at least and compliance at both ends without the weight of the current isospeed decouplers.

Possibly the ultimate "allroad" bike.

Tom, any idea how much lighter the new Domane will be? I like it very much (unlike the new Madone) but the outgoing model was quite heavy-in my size (58) it is gonna be a touch below 9 kg and that's a lot

 

[Tom K.]

I'm currently set up with a 50/34 crank and a 11-40 cassette on my gravel bike.

11-speed XTR cassette with Wolftooth Tanpan pulley thing?

Exactly what I've got. Works great!

But I don't ride loaded as such.

I cant believe im saying it, but I will probably look at something like the diverge with the suspension stem. My wrists arent getting any younger.

I was skeptical, but really love my Redshift suspennsion stem on moderate gravel. On the small underlying stuff, it's actually smoother than my suspension fork, since no stiction whatsoever.

Tom, any idea how much lighter the new Domane will be? I like it very much (unlike the new Madone) but the outgoing model was quite heavy-in my size (58) it is gonna be a touch below 9 kg and that's a lot

Nope. That level of secret sauce is way above my pay grade of zero.

But I was literally just told "significantly lighter" and "you'll know soon enough".

Anything for Tony!

 

[chris_the_wrench]

11 spd xtr with the wolf tooth tanpan

What rear mech? GRX?

 

[scott43]

I'll almost certainly get a steel frame, maybe aluminum, with a 68mm BB. Carbon fork. Niner RLT steel, Ritchey Swiss Cross, All City cycles nature cross... Maybe a Gunnar Fastlane or Ribble cx alu. I'll most likely try to keep my existing 105 and use mechanical disc calipers. Wheels will be brand new. Carbon is nice but I can't justify the price. Not to mention I crash regularly...

 

[chris_the_wrench]

I was skeptical, but really love my Redshift suspennsion stem on moderate gravel. On the small underlying stuff, it's actually smoother than my suspension fork, since no stiction whatsoever.

I Just put one of those stems on my wifes road bike, amazing how it smooths out those cracks on farm to market quite nicely!

 

[chris_the_wrench]

Niner RLT steel,

I TOTALLY love mine. Abit heavier but I love it. Ive had it for 6 years. I usually keep bikes less than 3 years…

 

[scott43]

I TOTALLY love mine. Abit heavier but I love it. Ive had it for 6 years. I usually keep bikes less than 3 years…

Yeah it's a gem. 853 which I have a crush on. Availability is an issue. We'll see how it all plays out.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

Yeah it's a gem. 853 which I have a crush on. Availability is an issue. We'll see how it all plays out.

Vanity pic.. I rode this as my MTB for almost two years(I sold my previous mtb the fall before covid hit, planning to buy a new mtb that spring...), Ive ridden a road century on it with 30c tyres, and Ive ridden MANY epic days of mixed surface.