[Closed] First gravel bike £1500 (thereabouts)?

You'll get a nice hardtail for that, far more capable, and you wont feel like a total sheep. 😉😂

Just in the interest of balance, I have a hardtail and a gravel bike (Specialized Diverge). They get used for different things.

Pinnacle Arkrose D3, in the tradition of recommending what you've got.

Replaced one the original Arkrose bikes. The sub compact gearing has been a revelation on gravel and singletrack rides, can't wait to try it loaded for some credit card touring.

The Riddler tyres are a bit puncture prone, much better if you set them up tubeless

Just in the interest of balance, I have a hardtail and a gravel bike (Specialized Diverge). They get used for different things.

me too

ORRO Terra C from Tri UK

the most important question is where you intend to ride it as it will have the biggest impact on which one you should buy.
at the extremes geometry ranges from that of a road bike to that of a trail bike, couple that with wheel size and tyre width and you can easily end up with something that isnt quite right.

the canyon grail is really good value but sits on the 'road' end of the spectrum, perfect if you intend to ride back lanes and fire roads and want to do long miles.

if you want to ride more challenging stuff take a look at the Nukeproof Digger.

The Rondo Ruut is also definitely worth a look. i came really close to buying one of these.

Boardman adv 9.0 best bike I've owned. Road bike one day off road the next.

Your local kinesis dealer should be able to build you a Tripster AT for that budget. Alternatively the Ribble CGR AL is well within budget.

I have friends with both and they are pleased with them

I had the Ribble CGR 725 for a few months and thought highly of it 👍

Also, 650b or 700c? Well? 🤔😁

You’ll probably find a Whyte Friston for that money, either a discounted v2 2020 or a previous model.

I have the 2018 model and it is an absolute blast. I‘ve eulogised about it on here many times having ridden plenty of roads/paths/tracks and all but the steepest/rockiest trails around the Surrey Hills and S Downs.

I picked mine up for peanuts with only 50 miles on the clock.

IME a gravel bike (for the sake of labelling) has improved my MTBing skills. Hard to explain - I think it’s mostly to do with picking lines, checking transitions and such.

Im not going to recommend a bike. All I would suggest is go for a double chainset if you plan putting miles in. You'll be grateful on those longer rides.

NS Bikes RAG+, if you're planning on more off-road than on-road, then go 650b...

I got a Whyte Friston for my wife for £1500 recently. Nice bike.

The Orro looks like a good buy. Deals on Space Chickens too.

I have a Whyte Saxon Cross (old model) - really like it too

scotroutes
Subscriber
ORRO Terra C from Tri UK

By 'Eck that's good value.

By ‘Eck that’s good value.

Crikey it is. Want.

Trek checkpoint or why not just get a cyclocross bike they are lighter well the Trek ones are.

I really want a sonder Camino. The alu ones are mostly under your budget, the ti one is over budget.

All I would suggest is go for a double chainset if you plan putting miles in.

Definitely this. Friends with 1x setups can cope with longer rides but say they find it hard to get the right gear on longer faster stretches. It's partly why I went for the Arkrose and it's sub compact 48/32 and 12-34

All I would suggest is go for a double chainset if you plan putting miles in.

Good advice, and I wish I’d have stuck with a double when I upgraded my drivetrain & brakes. I’ve not had too much of a problem with 1x on longer rides (unless it gets really hilly towards the end of the ride), but the big jumps between gears can get really annoying as it can be difficult to get just the right cadence - which is normally quite easy with a double chain set.

For balance I disagree with the 2x setup comments.
I much prefer the 1x, particularly if it’s a muddy ride as it seems to shed the mud a lot easier and runs smoother.
Have not had a problem with gaps in gearing being an issue and have run it on road and off. I’m running Rival 1 with 10-42 cassette.

Another 1x user here on the gravel bike with no issues on long rides

Saw this on another thread somewhere.

"Nice Planet X!" said no-one ever.

Agree with the 1x comments. No problem at all on longer rides or on road only rides. Only time I can think it might be an issue is if you are trying to keep up with fast road groups. The benefits off road far outway the slight variations in cadence you need on the road to cope with the gaps in the gearing.

That ORRO Terra C looks great if they have your size.

How about a Giant Revolt 0?
2x11, 105 brakes and gears and carbon forks.

Hi have a large on-one pickenflick that I’m looking to shift. Titanium, 1x11, hope wheels..
Going for a good price...

I’m very happy with my 2015 Genesis Croix de Fer, however I find that I am looking at a Whyte Glencoe every time I’m in our local stockist - it is 1x, but very nice.

Considered a Norco XR A1? Mixed GRX, 2x, decent-looking smooth welds (so many gravel bikes at this price point have really lumpy welds – anyone else noticed that?) mudguard mounts, not awful wheels: £1595. And it's a really lovely candy apple red colour. I know, you'll need to buy it from Evans...

I bought a mid-range CX bike, IME it works better for non-gnarr, and if its gnarr then take a mtb.

2nd hand CAADX Rival off the classifieds (ok, so it was a stonking bargain even if the hubs were knackered)
Built some new wheels with crest rims and fitted tubeless tyres.

Total cost: £650, and goes like shit off the proverbial shovel.

I'd 2nd the point about 1x vs 2x. Even with 2x I find the gaps irritatingly bigger than my road bike. Can't recall if its 11-28 or 11-30. It's not a deal breaker, but in the real world outside of racing would you really want to ride in mud so bad it claggs the wheel/frame. And at that point the front mech is only making a marginal difference.

Dolan GXC

Sorry to hi-jack but whats the general sizing advice looking at gravel bikes? I seem to fall between a 56 & 58cm on lots of bikes. Is reach/TT etc as noticeable as on a MTB? Or will 10 or 20mm more on a stem be a good way to adjust a 56cm frame but maintain low standover?

Sorry to hi-jack but whats the general sizing advice looking at gravel bikes? I seem to fall between a 56 & 58cm on lots of bikes. Is reach/TT etc as noticeable as on a MTB? Or will 10 or 20mm more on a stem be a good way to adjust a 56cm frame but maintain low standover?

I wouldn't worry about standover, and bigger frame triangles are easier to shoulder, and unless you spend a disproportionate amount of time stood over your bike and have really stumpy legs it's not something that should matter anyway.

Have you got a road bike to compare the sizes against? There's pro's and con's of changing stem lengths. If you started at 110mm and went down to 90mm the steering will get quicker (remember long reach and slack head angles both add stability, and short stems bring the steering feel back to something more neutral), conversely a 130mm stem will slow it down slightly.

Most roadies would probably buy the smaller bike and add 10mm to the stem, because no one really (thinks they) wants a bike that's a handful to ride and fashion/tradition. Most MTB'ers would probably do the opposite, because they (think they) want the long wheelbase, and fashion. Neither is entirely right or wrong but if you're changing it by 20mm you've bought the wrong frame size. Geometry is always a set of compromises, you wouldn't try and make a LLS bike fit by putting a 20mm longer stem on it, because it's nicely balanced and stable with a 35mm stem. Similarly 'road' bikes have evolved into a different set of numbers which are equally nicely balanced and stable in a different way.

If you're between sizes, I'd tend to go with the smaller frame, it's easier to get comfortable on a bike that's 10mm too short, than to spend all day stretched out a little too far or not be able to reach the drops comfortably. Just beat in mind the seat angle has a big effect on "reach", a 56cm horizontal top tube on a frame with a 74deg seat angle and a setback seatpost is about 2cm longer in reality than a 56cm top tube on a 72deg seat angle with a more inline post. So it's worth looking carefully at the bike you want's geometry, not blindly searching for a frame size. A couple of outliers I can think of are the planet X track bike, the 54cm medium is good for upto 6ft1 because it's so aggressive, Cube's sportive bikes on the other hand I think it was upto a 60cm frame (virtual, it has a sloping top tube so it's actually measuring stack) to get the controls in the same position as my 56cm Cannondale, which when I bought it was more like a 58 from other brands.

What kind of bike are you looking for?
I found there was a massive difference in handling. I was looking for a speedy road-bike-like thing that felt racey and encouraging.
Ended up with a second hand carbon boardman and love it.

Some of the others I tried felt like something you'd never want to get out of the saddle on, and were built for multi-day epics and comfort above all else.

Some of the others just felt dead and stiff, rather than lively and stiff.