Looking for a cheap and cheerful ‘gravel’ bike.
Any suggestions?
Daughter is 13, around 165cm (5’5”) with potential to grow…
She likes the idea of drops and she’ll be on firetrail style gravel and tarmac (nothing technical/off the ground).
What’s out there?
Are the Decathlon Triban RC120 (£500 microshift 1x) any good?
I’ve seen the Jamis Renegade A1 (£800 Claris 2x) in Go Outdoors but can’t find any reviews
Both are similar weights.
Nothing around me on Gumtree or eBay.
Thanks in advance.
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Cannondale Topstone 4 is in offer at Evans too at £799.
Although I’d probably go for the Triban.
Not sure where you are but Happy Days in Sowerby Bridge had a (donated) Norco gravel bike in yesterday that might do the trick. Think it was 50.5cm. Dieter (writer of the Back From The Dead series here) there has built up a few old touring frames into gravelish bikes too so could probably build to order.
If you could stretch to £1050 Specialized are selling the Specialized E5 sports off. While initially not the best spec it is a cracking frame to build on and a full carbon fork. And plenty of places have them in stock such as the Specialized concept stores, Leisurelakes and Sigmasports to have a go on.
I had the 2016 version for a few years and it was IMO better than the 2020 carbon Roubaix I traded it in for.
A Merlin Malt from... Merlin! 10% off shown prices when added to basket plus there's 4.5% Topcashback for existing customers or a whopping 8.5% for new customers https://www.merlincycles.com/cyclocross-gravel-bikes-75268/?sort=price-min
https://www.halfords.com/bikes/gravel-bikes/?srule=price_increase_rule start from £535, £1200 for a Boardman ADV 8.9 with hydraulic brakes might be hard to beat, when you apply something like a 10% British Cycling discount and cashback site. Check geo though, small isn't that small.
Few sub £1k options at https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/s?q=gravel+bike&catdimid=2229&sort=pricelow , that Ridley Kanzo Apex comes with mechanical brakes, but you might be able to upgrade them cheaply to hydraulic if those cheap SRAM hydraulic sets are still available in the PlanetX clearance sale.
Few options at https://www.paulscycles.co.uk/bikes/road-bikes/gravel-adventure-bikes
If she isn't likely to grow much taller and the budget can stretch, https://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-malt-g2x-grx-gravel-bike-2022-197443.html looks the best deal in stock. I'd expect the ADV 8.9 to be lighter, but OOS until at least next month (often been stock issues with these Boardman gravels since pandemic).
I think the £500 RC120 is the 2x "road bike" rim brake version. The 1x RC120 disc which seems more up to the job is £600.
My son's very happy with his Vitus Substance other than we've changed the bars for something a bit wider and with more flare (i.e. a bit more gravel-looking!).