Been looking at 'gravel' bikes for a while as something for winter road, mixing in estate tracks and bike packing. Had knid of decided on a Canyon Grizl carbon as it was a. light, b. 2x and c. in budget and on cycle to work. But as usual, they're out of stock until next summer.
I've always loved the look of the Cotic escapade, and have a thing for steel bikes. However, for those with one, I know it's a 10.5 kg bike, but does it drag and ride like that, or is it fairly sprightly? Also, as far a geometry goes, I'm looking for something that's on the road rather than mtb end of the spectrum especially as it'll spend at least equal time on tarmac to off it, and despite looking at the geo chart, I can't decide whether it's stupidly long or not.
Looking for some read world feedback from owners.
Cheers 🙂
My steel gravel bike (853, but overbuilt) comes in at 10.5kg-ish, although that's with bottle cages, pedals and Garmin mount, so maybe 10kg without, in a fair wind
Anyway, yes, I notice a difference compared to my summer road bike (8kg), but it could easily be put down to the tyres rather than the additional weight.
I set a PB on a big local road climb on my last gravel bike. It was aluminium but still close to 10.5/11kg. Haven't beaten it on the road bike yet and have given it some beans, so I reckon difference will be pretty marginal overall.
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The Roadrat was a bit too small for me so has just been replaced with a medium Escapade. Only two rides in, doesn't feel as sprightly as the Roadrat but I also don't keep hitting my feet on the front tyre...
My Grizl is 9.5 ish kg, with a redshift stem and the mudguards on, in size medium. I doubt I'd notice an extra 1kg unless I'd made the unwise decision to climb an alpine pass.
I used that comparison tool on the geometry geeks website to compare what I was looking at to something I'd ridden (the grizl replaced an arkose).
I'm actually looking for something a bit more "all road" rather than gravel to add to the garage for touring / audax and tempted by the spa cycles Elan.
Not as heavy as a cascade, but probably no where near as laugh out loud fun on trails
It might help to know what you are hoping the new bike could do that Grizl can’t. Or how you are hoping that new bike will be better
@rocketdog did you buy an escapade?
did you buy an escapade?
See above photo of my cascade
I've got my Escapade down to 9KG inc pedals. Nothing too bling, just a 2010 SRAM Force groupset and some wheels I built with considered parts. It weighs in lighter than the modern carbon monsters from the big brands and actually turned out much cheaper (and looks way cooler!) I love the way it rides and if I could only ever have one bike then it would be a Cotic Escapade with a few different wheelsets. Horses for courses but it's a brilliantly versatile bike.
I’ve got my Escapade down to 9KG
Wow! There must be some concessions to lightweight there, what frame size? 1x?
Mines is 2x GRX with approx 1700g wheelset and 'sensible' tyres. It's also actually rim brake which should be good for approx 200-300g weight saving over discs, so for a disc brake steel gravel bike to be 1.5kg lighter is impressive!
@rocketdog checking that wasn’t a photo of the bike that you reviewed
Nope, that was this one
Having had two Escapdes and now on a Grizl I would either be waiting for the chosen Grizl to come back in stock or altering the budget to get one that is.
I had one and hated it, two of my mates have them & love them. I'd try before you buy, having said that, I didn't try it's replacement and it's by far the best bike I've ever owned.
Thanks all. It's that head says Grizl and heart says Cotic problem!
It might help to know what you are hoping the new bike could do that Grizl can’t. Or how you are hoping that new bike will be better
Nothing, I only have a road bike (supersix evo HM) and a MTB (Stanton Sherpa) so both of them would be used for exactly the same thing. The attraction of the grizl are that with some 32 road tyres is that it's lighter and thus potentially more winter club run friendly. The attraction of the Escapade is that it's 853, a UK brand and purple.
I’m actually looking for something a bit more “all road” rather than gravel to add to the garage for touring / audax and tempted by the spa cycles Elan.
Being totally honest, this is what I'm after. I've got an XC bike, so I'm really looking fireroads/Estate tracks as the gnarliest end of the spectrum. But I can't afford/justify a Farelight and I hate alu bikes (irrational I know) so anything kinesis is out. I tried a Nukeproof Digger and a Sonder Camino, and they're both too long and too offroad. An endurance road bike with 40mm G-ones would be perfect.
I’ve got my Escapade down to 9KG inc pedals.
Interesting, I'll have to pick your brain - I was looking 105 2x and getting a set of 365s or similar to bring the wheels down to 1500g or less. Less bothered with gravel tyres.
Difference between road tyres (25mm GP4000) vs. gravel (e.g. Terreno Dry TNT 700x38) would be about 0.5kg I think, am sure it's approx 230g for a light road tyre v.s. about 500g for a sturdy gravel tyre.
I had one and hated it,
Wasn't that before we established you were running about 80psi for gravel?
I haven't got an escapade but do have a Cotic >X<, with mudguards, bottle, lights and 28mm gatorskins on it comes in at 13.2kg and thats in size large
Wasn’t that before we established you were running about 80psi for gravel?
I've never known what tyre pressure I'm running & I've only ever liked one steel bike.
I have an Escapade (older green one) in bog -standard spec that gets used for general all-road purposes. It had the steel forks but I swapped them for some carbon ones. It's fun to ride, it fits me well, and it looks great! I find the position on it is really quite aggressive, as it's got quite a low stack, which is nice. Running it tubeless with biggish Schwalbe G-Ones, it feels quite nippy, but I don't have a proper road bike to compare to. I've done 200km+ days on it at reasonable pace, and it's still felt comfy at the end.
Just did a bathroom scale test and it's about 10.7kg, which is heavier than I thought, but it does have very heavy wheels (WTB i19) and Sora groupset. I reckon you could knock a kg without too much work.
It had the steel forks but I swapped them for some carbon ones
The difference between the old Cotic ones with the brake mounts on the front of the right leg (why?) and a set of Genesis carbon ones with alloy steerer is 11oz, quite a chunk to save. Obviously lighter again with some posher ones with carbon steerer
...brake mounts on the front of the right leg (why?)
I seem to recall it was because they used to be QR and Cy was worried the braking forces would pull the axle out of the dropout, whereas on the front it would push it in to the dropout. Once they went to the thru-axle it wasn't an "issue" anymore.
I've just finished building a medium frame 853 Escapade with Ekar and Hunt All Road wheels. It weighs in at 10.6kg (with pedals and 2 x fidlock bottle mounts).
