Gravel/Bikepack nerds enter...

[bodywhomper]

Surly bridge club
All city space horse

[stapes]

I've been riding my 08 Surly Cross Check with 32s lately. Hadn't been riding at all for the past few years (the running bug caught me. Crazy). But recent knee injury has me unable to run, so back to the bike it is. I realize I should've been riding as cross-training this whole time. Kinda nuts, 10 years ago all I wanted to do was bike, bike, bike. Mostly mountain, but I would take out the Surly on all sorts of stuff that I guess would be considered 'gravel' these days. As you all know, there is a certain zen to empty dirt roads. It's been nice getting back out there on some of my old routes. Having kids, competing interests, a bad crash etc had just kinda pulled me away for a bit.

Anyways, I was due for a new bike, and truthfully the Cross Check never fit me the best at 54cm. So I just pulled the trigger on the Giant Revolt 2 for $1350, ordered through my local shop. Went with the M/L. Excited to get on it. I test rode the carbon in a L which felt pretty damn nice. But definitely couldn't justify the price as this is a total impulse buy, and I also just grabbed a new to-me mountain bike from a mag on a whim too.

The CC will definitely be sticking around, though. I love that bike. And truthfully, I probably could've made a few upgrades and got it a little closer to what I wanted. But fuck it, n + 1 and all that.

I considered a Kona (wife has a Sutra which she loves), or a few Salsas/Surlys, as well. I was looking to stick below $2k for sure.

[jhyatt]

I've been riding my 08 Surly Cross Check with 32s lately. Hadn't been riding at all for the past few years (the running bug caught me. Crazy). But recent knee injury has me unable to run, so back to the bike it is. I realize I should've been riding as cross-training this whole time. Kinda nuts, 10 years ago all I wanted to do was bike, bike, bike. Mostly mountain, but I would take out the Surly on all sorts of stuff that I guess would be considered 'gravel' these days. As you all know, there is a certain zen to empty dirt roads. It's been nice getting back out there on some of my old routes. Having kids, competing interests, a bad crash etc had just kinda pulled me away for a bit.

Anyways, I was due for a new bike, and truthfully the Cross Check never fit me the best at 54cm. So I just pulled the trigger on the Giant Revolt 2 for $1350, ordered through my local shop. Went with the M/L. Excited to get on it. I test rode the carbon in a L which felt pretty damn nice. But definitely couldn't justify the price as this is a total impulse buy, and I also just grabbed a new to-me mountain bike from a mag on a whim too.

The CC will definitely be sticking around, though. I love that bike. And truthfully, I probably could've made a few upgrades and got it a little closer to what I wanted. But fuck it, n + 1 and all that.

I considered a Kona (wife has a Sutra which she loves), or a few Salsas/Surlys, as well. I was looking to stick below $2k for sure.

This sounds like my situation. I had a cross check for a while and loved it. Sold it to "upgrade" to the IF.
I will be curious if the Giant is a big upgrade or not.

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[buttahflake]

If the Lauf geo works for you, with the recent price drop, that’s a lot of bike for the money. I keep looking at the Seigla Rigid.

[joetron]

Rode the Telluride Gravel Race yesterday. Holy crap.
Beautiful, badass course. Nice climbs, hurtful climbs, jaw dropping views, great aid stations, stream crossings, fun single track sections. Good vibes all around. Would recommend.
I rode a Why(Revel) R+ with 45c Ramblers stuffed with Tubolight inserts….would also recommend for rougher riding and courses(talkin inserts). Rode 28psi front and 30rear.
With a 42t ring I made a last minute drivetrain switch from 10-44 AXS XPLOR to 10-52 cassette with GX AXS rd was a great call. The 52t was a lovely bailout with the altitude, pitch and vert.
Prepped and waxed a new chain Friday morning while switching things over. After some dirt road driving to campsite and 93 miles of riding with a couple water crossings, the queso was still running smooth and quiet at the end of the day.
I am 100% an AXS fanboy for gravel and road.
Telluride area has some amazing gravel riding. Big climbs, rolling mesas and a lot of fun descents that aren’t too twisty/steep. Lots of old rail grades around that have trails on em.



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[Peruvian]

Smooth woods. I wish you could hear the birds chirping.

[rideit]

Sounds amazing, JoeTron!
I'm jealous, I'm out for at least a month with four broken ribs...

[buttahflake]

Sick ride, JoeTron! Always like to see what people are doing with their setups. I’m also a huge fan of AXS, so clean, so reliable.

[Tech Tonics]

Can a gravel bike do double-duty as an occasional road bike?

I have a late-80s steel Colnago as my road bike. It’s beautiful, but i only ride it a few times a year; early in the spring when nothing is dry, and the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic with my daughters.

The Colnago is also uncomfortable, my back hurts after a couple hours and I get shooting pain in my hands and wrists.

I think I’d get way more use out of a gravel bike. I’d need to offset the cost of a new bike (as well as the “n+1” phenomenon) by selling the Colnago.

I’m thinking that a second set of tires (wheels too?) would allow me to do some occasional road riding while giving me a more versatile bike for touring and gravel rides. And, probably a more comfortable geometry.

Any thoughts?

I’d want to spend less than $2000

Im looking at the Canyon Grizl CF SL 6. On sale for $1800 for a carbon frame seems reasonable?

Any thoughts?

(I’m 6’1” so probably a “L” frame)


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[Tailwind]

If it’s occasional road rides I wouldn’t bother with a second set of wheels and tires. I’d do a fairly fast rolling gravel tire and use if for everything. I’m guessing it will feel way more refined/comfortable than the Colnago on pavement.

I have a Grizl CF7 in a large I’m considering selling… let me know if you’d consider the used route but honestly on the fence about that. It has a power meter, carbon post and Enve bars that have been added. I’m considering selling to fund a titanium hardtail but it’s a solid bike.

Can a gravel bike do double-duty as an occasional road bike?

I have a late-80s steel Colnago as my road bike. It’s beautiful, but i only ride it a few times a year; early in the spring when nothing is dry, and the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic with my daughters.

The Colnago is also uncomfortable, my back hurts after a couple hours and I get shooting pain in my hands and wrists.

I think I’d get way more use out of a gravel bike. I’d need to offset the cost of a new bike (as well as the “n+1” phenomenon) by selling the Colnago.

I’m thinking that a second set of tires (wheels too?) would allow me to do some occasional road riding while giving me a more versatile bike for touring and gravel rides. And, probably a more comfortable geometry.

Any thoughts?

I’d want to spend less than $2000

Im looking at the Canyon Grizl CF SL 6. On sale for $1800 for a carbon frame seems reasonable?

Any thoughts?

(I’m 6’1” so probably a “L” frame)


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[Skistack]

I’ve got a second wheelset with 32c road tires for my Salsa Warbird and it does just fine. But my rides are 50/50 road vs. gravel. If you’re only occasionally on the road you can just run a fast gravel tire at a higher pressure.


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[MagnificentUnicorn]

They’re all road bikes


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[climberevan]

As I've said before, most people would be best served by a nicer gravel bike and 2 wheelsets than 2 separate bikes. Unless you're riding a legit "superbike" road bike a nice gravel bike with 28mm tires will be just as fast, and it will have lower gearing and more comfortable geo.

[davjr96]

I have a wheelset with 32 Corsa Pros for my Lauf True Grit with suspension fork, dropper, and mullet 12speed setup. It's great on the road even without swapping any of that out. Will I win any pro level races with it? Probably not.

[singlesline]

Seem like some good deals here if you're in the mood for a titanium Lynskey gravel bike:

https://lynskeyperformance.com/davidlynskey

[S.B.]

Smooth woods. I wish you could hear the birds chirping.

Did you make it over the irrigation pipe ramp though?

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[alfajores]

As I've said before, most people would be best served by a nicer gravel bike and 2 wheelsets than 2 separate bikes. Unless you're riding a legit "superbike" road bike a nice gravel bike with 28mm tires will be just as fast, and it will have lower gearing and more comfortable geo.

Concur.

Tech Tonic's situation is likely as others have said, go gravel and one wheel set with fast gravel tires.
If your definition of gravel is muffin sized rocks on fire road, maybe two wheel sets is a better bet. In that situation, I would definitely go with a nice upgrade for your gravel wheels/hubs and maybe consider 650b/27.5" for any burly gravel rides.

Side note, as some in the "Show and Tell (Frame Build Ups)" thread might know is that I have a mtnbike with the older non-boost spacing so I can swap a couple of me wheelsets between gravel and mtn. Coincidentally, my rear tire was flat and didn't seal after a re-pump so I pulled one of the more treaded gravel wheels and rode it on the back of my mtn bike. Not perfect and a total suffer fest with the gravel cassette, but it worked!

[jhyatt]

Can a gravel bike do double-duty as an occasional road bike?

I have a late-80s steel Colnago as my road bike. It’s beautiful, but i only ride it a few times a year; early in the spring when nothing is dry, and the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic with my daughters.

The Colnago is also uncomfortable, my back hurts after a couple hours and I get shooting pain in my hands and wrists.

I think I’d get way more use out of a gravel bike. I’d need to offset the cost of a new bike (as well as the “n+1” phenomenon) by selling the Colnago.

I’m thinking that a second set of tires (wheels too?) would allow me to do some occasional road riding while giving me a more versatile bike for touring and gravel rides. And, probably a more comfortable geometry.

Any thoughts?

I’d want to spend less than $2000

Im looking at the Canyon Grizl CF SL 6. On sale for $1800 for a carbon frame seems reasonable?

Any thoughts?

(I’m 6’1” so probably a “L” frame)


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I'm in a similar situation.
Even looking at same bike.
I think I would do 1 wheelset to start and adjust tire pressure.

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[gavinski91]

Can a gravel bike do double-duty as an occasional road bike?

I have a late-80s steel Colnago as my road bike. It’s beautiful, but i only ride it a few times a year; early in the spring when nothing is dry, and the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic with my daughters.

The Colnago is also uncomfortable, my back hurts after a couple hours and I get shooting pain in my hands and wrists.

I think I’d get way more use out of a gravel bike. I’d need to offset the cost of a new bike (as well as the “n+1” phenomenon) by selling the Colnago.

I’m thinking that a second set of tires (wheels too?) would allow me to do some occasional road riding while giving me a more versatile bike for touring and gravel rides. And, probably a more comfortable geometry.

Any thoughts?

I’d want to spend less than $2000

Im looking at the Canyon Grizl CF SL 6. On sale for $1800 for a carbon frame seems reasonable?

Any thoughts?

(I’m 6’1” so probably a “L” frame)

I just ordered that exact bike on Friday, planning on doing exactly what you described. After tax (and with free shipping) came out to $1963, and should arrive on Thursday. Planning to get a set of road wheels eventually to swap out, but will stick with the stock offerings for now (for budget reasons) and see how that does on the road. For that price I don't think there are any better offerings out there right now - only negative is the 1-1/4 steerer tube, but even the Redshift stems are available in that size now if you wanted to go that direction.

Also, I'm the same height as you and the Canyon size tool basically said I'm exactly in between a M and L (would give me M on my true measurements, and L if I added 0.1cm to my inseam length). I ended up going with a L because I wanted something more stable and a more relaxed fit, but could probably have fit into either.

[bodywhomper]

Suggest tempering expectations, I doubt many gravel bikes will feel the same and solicit such unabated giddy laughter on windy smooth-surface road descents as the colnago.

[jhyatt]

I am looking at those bikes now. I am 6' tall and like 34.5" inseam and it recommends a medium. It stays medium until a 37" inseam...
I have always felt like I am square in the middle of large size on most bikes.

I just ordered that exact bike on Friday, planning on doing exactly what you described. After tax (and with free shipping) came out to $1963, and should arrive on Thursday. Planning to get a set of road wheels eventually to swap out, but will stick with the stock offerings for now (for budget reasons) and see how that does on the road. For that price I don't think there are any better offerings out there right now - only negative is the 1-1/4 steerer tube, but even the Redshift stems are available in that size now if you wanted to go that direction.

Also, I'm the same height as you and the Canyon size tool basically said I'm exactly in between a M and L (would give me M on my true measurements, and L if I added 0.1cm to my inseam length). I ended up going with a L because I wanted something more stable and a more relaxed fit, but could probably have fit into either.

[gavinski91]

I am looking at those bikes now. I am 6' tall and like 33.5" inseam and it recommends a medium. It stays medium until a 37" inseam...
I have always felt like I am square in the middle of large size on most bikes.

Looks like it will recommend a Large if you have a 33.5 inseam and are half an inch taller. Guessing it estimates an ideal reach for you given the measurements you input, but makes that secondary to stack. Could probably go either way and adjust the fit by changing the stem and adding/removing spacers and be totally fine.

[forty]

fwiw i picked up a grizl 6 awhile back on sale, 6'3'' on an xl that doesnt feel super big, at 6' i would go L, medium would be way small imo

the plastic bb was trash, swapped to a metal screw together and also grx crankset
steerer size is obnoxious, i think short stems make sense for gravel to be on the hoods more, mine came with a 90 and would prefer 60ish
bar tape is garbage, not a big deal but it only lasted me a few rides before failing which was pretty pathetic
interior front der cable rattles like crazy, so dumb
shifters feel pretty cheapo, guessing a good crash will take them out, rest of components feel solid but they seem like weakest link

but for the price its been rad, will upgrade components as wear them out, been putting ~100mi/wk on trainer since fall, looking forward to a few bikepacking trips later summer and really testing it out

[bfree]

Suggest tempering expectations, I doubt many gravel bikes will feel the same and solicit such unabated giddy laughter on windy smooth-surface road descents as the colnago.

On gentle descents maybe, but on anything challenging I'm glad to have modern hydraulic disc brakes.

@forty, apparently it's pretty big if you want to put a 60mm stem on it?

[climberevan]

On gentle descents maybe, but on anything challenging I'm glad to have modern hydraulic disc brakes.

@forty, apparently it's pretty big if you want to put a 60mm stem on it?

I sort of agree with bodywhomper. I'll choose my 14# Emonda (rim brakes) every time for smooth descents, the steeper and curvier the better. My steel Seven Axiom is also super fun to rip down a 3000' pass at 60mph.

BUT I've been riding road bikes for nearly 30 years and love the quick handling, and rim brakes are perfectly fine if you don't use them much (I'm light and go fast).

For people who don't prioritize max performance, a gravel bike will be a better choice. Ms CE, for example, has a nice Bianchi road bike and hasn't ridden it once outside since getting the Revolt. She immediately preferred the slower handling and better brakes, not to mention the low gears. She does 80-100mi pavement rides with 8000' of climbing on her second wheelset shod with 28s.