Gravel Bike Recommendations
- singlespeedscott
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Re: Gravel Bike Recommendations
Postby singlespeedscott » Mon Feb 12, 2018 11:48 am
- Defy The Odds
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Re: Gravel Bike Recommendations
Postby Defy The Odds » Mon Feb 12, 2018 3:23 pm
Personally I wouldn't either, but because I think aluminium would withstand more punishment in general. But I get the feeling the OP prefers carbon.singlespeedscott wrote:I am not sure I would be looking at a carbon frame for my gravel riding adventures. I have read stories on the various gravel forums of mud on tyres wearing away carbon on chain and seat stays when running large tyres that reduce clearances
For any sort of adventure type bike I would go a good quality aluminium bike. It's not a race bike it's not meant to be a featherweight.
My Defy weighs 8.3kg with 2 x bottle cages, rear light, garmin mount, speed and cadence sensors and Fulcrum Racing Quattro's...
My Toughroad weighs 10.2 with bottle cage. Could get it down to 9kg with a better set of wheels but why bother when they are going to get punished and it climbs as well or better than the Defy for me
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Re: Gravel Bike Recommendations
Postby lewie15 » Mon Feb 12, 2018 6:02 pm
I'm happy to go with aluminium. I've just had good experiences with carbon bikes and . Maybe it's time to go aluminium for something different. The weight just scares me a bit, but that's probably because i'm used to riding lightweight carbon bikes. I like the look of a few of the Bombtrack bikes recommended by people on here and also like the look and value of the Toughroad. Reckon the Toughroad is very well specced for the price and i've had good experiences with Giant in the past.Defy The Odds wrote:Personally I wouldn't either, but because I think aluminium would withstand more punishment in general. But I get the feeling the OP prefers carbon.singlespeedscott wrote:I am not sure I would be looking at a carbon frame for my gravel riding adventures. I have read stories on the various gravel forums of mud on tyres wearing away carbon on chain and seat stays when running large tyres that reduce clearances
For any sort of adventure type bike I would go a good quality aluminium bike. It's not a race bike it's not meant to be a featherweight.
My Defy weighs 8.3kg with 2 x bottle cages, rear light, garmin mount, speed and cadence sensors and Fulcrum Racing Quattro's...
My Toughroad weighs 10.2 with bottle cage. Could get it down to 9kg with a better set of wheels but why bother when they are going to get punished and it climbs as well or better than the Defy for me
- Defy The Odds
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Re: Gravel Bike Recommendations
Postby Defy The Odds » Mon Feb 12, 2018 6:36 pm
lewie15 wrote:I'm happy to go with aluminium. I've just had good experiences with carbon bikes and . Maybe it's time to go aluminium for something different. The weight just scares me a bit, but that's probably because i'm used to riding lightweight carbon bikes. I like the look of a few of the Bombtrack bikes recommended by people on here and also like the look and value of the Toughroad. Reckon the Toughroad is very well specced for the price and i've had good experiences with Giant in the past.Defy The Odds wrote:Personally I wouldn't either, but because I think aluminium would withstand more punishment in general. But I get the feeling the OP prefers carbon.singlespeedscott wrote:I am not sure I would be looking at a carbon frame for my gravel riding adventures. I have read stories on the various gravel forums of mud on tyres wearing away carbon on chain and seat stays when running large tyres that reduce clearances
For any sort of adventure type bike I would go a good quality aluminium bike. It's not a race bike it's not meant to be a featherweight.
My Defy weighs 8.3kg with 2 x bottle cages, rear light, garmin mount, speed and cadence sensors and Fulcrum Racing Quattro's...
My Toughroad weighs 10.2 with bottle cage. Could get it down to 9kg with a better set of wheels but why bother when they are going to get punished and it climbs as well or better than the Defy for me
I come from the same background as you in a way, my other bike is a '13 Defy Composite. Gravel bikes are not slouches like mountain bikes, they go alright. I'm going to get a 2nd set of deeper dish lightweight wheels for bunch rides and I have a feeling I won't be using the Defy much.
My advice would be to for a ride on one, you will change your mind. The simplicity of jumping on, riding and not caring what terrain you will encounter is like being a kid again. I love the Toughroad for this....
Have a ride of a couple and see how you go.
I've always ridden Giants because I find them to be well built and great value for money. May not be exotic but the best specc'd for the money.
You won't regret your decision I am sure of it
- baabaa
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Re: Gravel Bike Recommendations
Postby baabaa » Mon Feb 12, 2018 6:39 pm
And a lot to be said to go thinner when in the mud. Kinda like the old t fords in the black soil plains, the thin wheels would cut thru the crust and they could keep going. I get the float stuff but on double track it just wears you out very quickly. I have found that 1.9 inch 29er tyres on a 700c rim is just about ideal (for me when in the slops).singlespeedscott wrote:I am not sure I would be looking at a carbon frame for my gravel riding adventures. I have read stories on the various gravel forums of mud on tyres wearing away carbon on chain and seat stays when running large tyres that reduce clearances
- singlespeedscott
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Re: Gravel Bike Recommendations
Postby singlespeedscott » Mon Feb 12, 2018 7:09 pm
As for the extra weight of an aluminium frame I don’t think the OP would even notice the extra 500g once on the gravel. My dirt drop MTB gravel bike keeps up fine with most and it weighs nearly 13kg.
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Re: Gravel Bike Recommendations
Postby lewie15 » Tue Feb 13, 2018 8:47 pm
https://treadlybikeshop.com.au/collecti ... k-hook-ext
https://treadlybikeshop.com.au/collecti ... -grey-2018
- singlespeedscott
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Re: Gravel Bike Recommendations
Postby singlespeedscott » Wed Feb 14, 2018 8:36 am
- baabaa
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Re: Gravel Bike Recommendations
Postby baabaa » Wed Feb 14, 2018 8:57 am
Also lewie I now hate you very, very much, as after looking at this discussion I pulled the trigger on the Ritchey Break-Away Ascent frame as one was for sale and worst still in my size. Have wanted a ss coupled or breakaway bike for a long time but if I didn't look I would not have known.....
- s3
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Re: Gravel Bike Recommendations
Postby s3 » Mon Mar 05, 2018 9:56 pm
Another consideration is the Trek Crossroads which launched last week. Alloy and Carbon options, 45mm tyre clearance...
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Re: Gravel Bike Recommendations
Postby lewie15 » Tue Mar 06, 2018 10:07 pm
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Re: Gravel Bike Recommendations
Postby lewie15 » Tue Mar 06, 2018 10:10 pm
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Re: Gravel Bike Recommendations
Postby Zippy7 » Thu Mar 08, 2018 9:21 pm
Then saw the Trek Checkpoint alloy at 2699 rrp - the carbon version is 3699 rrp (should be able to haggle a bit).
Dont think you get isospeed on the alloy version, but everything else seems to be the same, so the extra 1k doesn't seem to be worth it.
- singlespeedscott
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Re: Gravel Bike Recommendations
Postby singlespeedscott » Thu Mar 08, 2018 10:23 pm
- Thoglette
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Re: Gravel Bike Recommendations
Postby Thoglette » Fri Mar 09, 2018 4:17 pm
This is why steel forks aren't straight.singlespeedscott wrote: In 12 months suspension forks will be the norm
We've had a decade of hyper rigid bottom brackets and then zertz and similar "absorbtion" nonsense. Only to discover that, actually, those old blokes who made steel frames were, like, onto something.
Everything old is new again.
(Once upon a time I did statistical analysis of industrial processes. We'd usually "discover" a lot of things the client already knew about plus a few things they didn't ($$$). Usually there'd also be one or two things that "old Bob always said" but that no-one could prove)
"People are worthy of respect, ideas are not." Peter Ellerton, UQ
- Thoglette
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Re: Gravel Bike Recommendations
Postby Thoglette » Fri Mar 09, 2018 5:30 pm
Just beenlewie15 wrote:I'm looking at purchasing a gravel bike and have narrowed it down to the models below. ...Also I know a lot of people prefer steel frames for gravel and touring. Is this worthwhile considering.
If they've managed to keep the weigh under control it'd be fun on anything short of rock gardens and technical descents. For which you're really back into "off road" bikes (like their Giramondo 27.5?), rather than "gravel" bikes. Funny, Masi have both of these as "adventure" bikes and have completely different things nailed as gravel bikes (CXGR w/ 40mm tyres)
(of course SSScott found it last year. Seems it's 13kg which is not light but not heavy. And Peter Weigle will want a pile more money to get you to 9kg. And there was a multi-year waiting list in 2013)
"People are worthy of respect, ideas are not." Peter Ellerton, UQ
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