[Closed] What if you don't want a gravel bike, or a race bike, but something in between?

Maybe a stiff, race geo CX bike. And I mean CX in the proper 'blast around a field for and hour' rather than 'adventure'

Bowman cycles call that ‘road-plus’ they probably do something to fit the bill.

Pilgrims IIRC.

https://bowman-cycles.com/product/pilgrims/

Audax bike innit.

Fast tourer, training bike, Audax, "road plus".

All boil down to the same sort of thing.

And FWIW, i'd not fancy a proper CX bike for that sort of riding, there are better tools out there for the job. Ones with bottle cage bosses, mudguard and rack mounts and so on.

Diverge. Obvs.

Giant Defy?

Enigma Etape?

A monstercross fatbike? 😆

Are you getting to hung up on the pigeon holes that bikes appear to get placed in to these days?

Pickenflick are nice frames. I change from 700/25 set to to a 700/40 set up depending on where I'm "adventuring" and how fast I want to get my adventuring done 🙂

I have a kinesis cx pro 6 . So you could Slam the stem 🙂 and stick some 28 mm tyres on it and away you go.
However ,when you inevitably

ride drop bars off road, even in summer on smoother trails

I didn't expect to like it, it was just an experiment, but it turns out I do like it, the convenience of local rides, and the speed it seems.

So, I'm thinking Id like to replace the Kinesis with something a bit 'nicer'.

Well the best bike is the one you ride, you seem to like everything about the current Kinesis except...er, well you said you want something 'nicer' but didn't actually say what that means.

...nicer paint? - get it repainted
...nicer material (whatever that means!) - might be significantly different enough to not be like the current bike

or are you after some specific change, like wanting the same but lighter, or better shifting, or better stopping, etc.

Until you pin it down a bit you're just gonna get a load of recommendations for things that are similar, but might not necessarily have the qualities that make you enjoy the current bike.

having said all that... Ti Tripster?

I don't have one, but everyone who does seems to love them and they do look very nice and very versatile!

having said all that... Ti Tripster?

I own a Tripster. Ride it every day. Love it to bits. But if you don't need the ability to go off road, then I think there could be better options.

Well I want a bike that's pretty fast and light, that will almost exclusively be ridden on road, but allow some comfort, as most of my local roads are knackered.

There doesn't seem to be much available in between road bikes that'll take a 28mm tyre (at a squeeze) and bridleslayers that'll take anything up to a 50mm.

So, in short, moon on a stick, it needs to be good on crap roads, but no so heavy or sluggish as to be crap if I do a sportive......

A gravel bike it probably is then - Mango Point AR?

Am I missing something obvious here?

Why not a sportive bike? Many take 28mm tyres now, don't they?

Is this thread for real, have we reached peak 'what bike' niche.
Ride what you've got and stop thinking of ways to spend your money.

So, in short, moon on a stick, it needs to be good on crap roads, but no so heavy or sluggish as to be crap if I do a sportive......

See earlier suggestion.

Mine weighed the same as the equivalent spec Roubaix out of the box.

The mango AR is silly heavy considering the material used. Can't remember the exact weight but it's in one my previous posts. It was more than a decent steel frame of the same size. - weights came direct from mango.

Genesis Datum maybe?

What's wrong with a 'gravel' bike or similar that takes up to 50c tyres, you can still run any size up to 50c, say 35s for roads if they are really that bad. Saying that, modern sportive bikes on 28s do a good enough job for most people across the country.

Dawes Galaxy?

Saracen Hack?
Raleigh Mustang?

That sort of thing, from the sounds of it??

Kona Roadhouse?
Lovely things.

jimdubleyou - Member
Dawes Galaxy?

* Cotton Duck.

Mason definition/resolution or genesis datum - racy and stiff bikes, with space to fit 30mm slick tyres in.

I've got an idea the OP tests as CD* Negative.

😆

Jamis Renegade Carbon.

Ridley X-Trail or something from Specalized or Cannondale?

And FWIW, i'd not fancy a proper CX bike for that sort of riding, there are better tools out there for the job. Ones with bottle cage bosses, mudguard and rack mounts and so on.

Whats wrong with an adventure bike and wideish tyres?

Arkose here with 32c marathon pluses (and rack and guards)

Pretty much sums up what you need, although you'd probably want lighter tyres!

Gt grade does me for pretty much what you've said*, although I do use it off road (limited by slick tyres). 45mm mudguard for winter commuting, use it on the local fast Sunday chaingang in crappy weather.

*not sportives though, disc brakes banned here in Spain.

Ahmen brother, nice to see someone else who knows what a CX bike is.

it’s a commuter with mudguards isn’t it?
🙄

it’s a commuter with mudguards isn’t it?

Scott Solace rockin' some Open Paves

I'm enjoying my surly pacer at mo with 36mm open tubs alls good in the hood but now summers here ish I'm running 28's

It sounds to me like you want a Giant Defy. An road bike.

Genesis Datum maybe?

Saw one of these in London Bicycle Workshop at lunch. Looks really nice.

For me though, after riding the Tripster every day (and taking it out on some 100k+ rides on the road with 25mm tyres on), I would definitely go for titanium. The material seems perfect for this type of application. My race bike is starting to only get used for racing.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm not trying to find a new niche or really be awkward I don't think, I just don't want my teeth shaken out by a race bike on 23c or 25c tyres, but equally I'm not sure if I really 'need' the full off road capabilities of a lot of the gravel bikes currently coming out.

But perhaps a gravel bike with a skinnier tyre option is the best bet for comfort and almost out and out road bike like performance?

I'm with you here. Put together a charge Plug with 30mm tyres and it's fantastic. So much so that I'm not sure I'll see myself back on my 'proper' road bike.

There's a whole scale of gravel bikes though - bikes taking up to 35c tyres to those taking 50c. Many around the 35c-40c mark, depending on whether there a front mech

Any many of these are really just anyroad (or allroad) bikes, so they're more comfy than a 'regular' road bike as they have more clearance. You can also then stick mudguards on etc which also allow you to fit those wider tyres

Again, my Arkose takes up to 40c tyres but mine only has 32c on. The tyres are very commuter focussed ones, but if it was less for commuting and more for just riding I'd get something lighter

There's a whole scale of gravel bikes though - bikes taking up to 35c tyres to those taking 50c. Many around the 35c-40c mark, depending on whether there a front mech

And the geometry differs as well. It can change the handling dynamic of the bike on the road quite a bit.

Some of the bikes with much bigger clearances have lower BBs and slacker head angles. They can feel a bit sluggish and/or cumbersome for regular road riding. I'm happy to make a compromise on the road handling by adding a long/low stem to get my normal position. But if I didn't want the ability to swap to a shorter reach for off-roading, then I'd want to bake that in to the frame to sharpen up the handling a bit. I'd also go for something like a 72? head angle rather than the 70.5? of the Tripster.

And I'd want to be running some nice 28/30mm tyres. Something like Challenge Strada Bianca with latex tubes, or Schwalbe Pro One tubeless.

Cotic Roadrat or ..
Genesis Croix de Fer; build it up with a carbon fork, light wheels, discs and flat bars. Mine's been ace at everything from gentle singletrack to 3x100+ mile days in the Tour of the Highlands sportive. Light and lively, yet descends twisty roads like a demon. It's almost too nice to use for commutes!

I just don't want my teeth shaken out by a race bike on 23c or 25c tyres, but equally I'm not sure if I really 'need' the full off road capabilities of a lot of the gravel bikes currently coming out.

At the risk of sounding like CF, a Diverge seems to be right up that street. (It's why I got one, anyway 😳 )

Also:

Genesis Croix de Fer
Giant Revolt (sic)