Gravel Bike Advice

[gavgav]

I bought myself a Genesis Croix de Fer 20 (2021) a few months back and I love it. Really nice to ride, good quality parts, Reynolds steel frame, have fitted rack and mudguards (eventually, but a pig of a job and didn’t fit with the supplied Kenda tyres, swapped to Schwalbe Marathons, as do more on road riding anyway) but mechanical disc brakes, not hydraulic. Double chain ring as well, most others seem to be single chain ring these days.

 

[cm2mackem]

Gravel/Racey thing
https://www.dolan-bikes.com/gxa-2020/

 

[Cycleops]

Right, cheers. I'd be looking for dropped handlebars, I have two other bikes that can cope with off road, etc. The reason I'm looking at a gravel bike is the state of the roads here in Winchester. I don't think a road bike would last very long!!

You’d be surprised, my old Trek road bike with 28c tyres copes quite well with what passes for roads down here with no ill effects which are I imagine rather worse than those in Winchester. The 38c tyres on my Specialized AWOL gravel bike are quite a lot more comfortable though.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Right, cheers. I'd be looking for dropped handlebars, I have two other bikes that can cope with off road, etc. The reason I'm looking at a gravel bike is the state of the roads here in Winchester. I don't think a road bike would last very long!!

Diverge Sport here, sounds like it may be just what you are after? Its light and fast with headshock system that does work, its become my winter road bike now. Not sure if your size but higher spec version than mine here:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Speciali...406537?hash=item1ab1a31c49:g:1y0AAOSw969gDoq9

 

[ashley348]

Can anyone elaborate on Planet X please, seem to be very good value. Can have a titanium frame, I'd be willing to strech the budget a bit. There's so much choice, it's V difficult.

 

[ashley348]

I'm not considering mechanical discs, I've never seen the point in them.

 

[Cycleops]

Plant X are a smaller operation compared to the big names so can buy frames direct from the Far East at advantageous prices and they don’t have the huge advertising budgets, overheads that Specialized, Trek etc do. All this translates into better value.
Decathlon also offer good value and could be worth a look
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/triban-rc-520-gravel-riding-bike/_/R-p-302303
The Medium and XL sizes are actually in stock! The brakes are cable operated but have hydraulic pistons so arguably the best of both worlds.
Or for double the money they do carbon framed Van Rysel.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/edr-cf-carbon-gravel-bike-grx/_/R-p-327757

 

[T4tomo]

Planet X
Dolan GXA
Orbea Terra

all in your budget and all good bikes

 

[vickster]

@ianrauk has a Ti Planet X bike (not necessarily a gravel variant but the quality of the framesets will be comparable)

i have TRP Spyre mechanical discs on my Spa Sabbath Ti road/gravel bike. Nowt wrong with them. I like secondary brake levers hence mechanicals, and the hydro hoods are super fugly!

 

[DRM]

@ianrauk has a Ti Planet X bike (not necessarily a gravel variant but the quality of the framesets will be comparable)

i have TRP Spyre mechanical discs on my Ti road/gravel bike. Nowt wrong with them. I like secondary brake levers hence mechanicals, and the hydro hoods are super fugly!

The TRP Spyres on mine are plenty powerful enough, and I've had an MTB with hydraulic brakes to compare with

 

[figbat]

I've literally just returned from a ride on my home-built gravel bike with TRP Spyres on it - they offer all the braking I need for that bike the way I ride it. Mechanical discs have their detractors but these have been perfect for me; they are significantly cheaper than hydro brakes (especially with road shifters) and, as @vickster points out, hydro levers have some way to go in the aesthetics department.

I'm not immune to the siren lure of the hydro brake either - both my MTBs are hydro-equipped and for what I do with them they are a requirement, but my gravel bike is up there amongst the favourite of my bikes. Definitely top 5.

 

[T4tomo]

Good mechanical disc brakes are good - TPR Spyres, Avid BB7s (I used to have these on tandem and it they were excellent) etc

cheap ones are generally crap

All should not tarred with the same brush.

That said, there are bikes within your budget that will get you Shimano GRX or Sram Apex / rival gravel hydro groupsets.

 

[Deleted User]

If you can stretch to a spesh diverge e comp they're really nice, I've got a 2021 model.

Merlin and Kinesis also do models that fit your needs.

 

[ianrauk]

Can anyone elaborate on Planet X please, seem to be very good value. Can have a titanium frame, I'd be willing to strech the budget a bit. There's so much choice, it's V difficult.

PX make fantastic Ti frames. Designed by Mark Reilly. The frames are very well made and comparable, if not better than some of the more well known Ti brands

 

[cougie uk]

Can anyone elaborate on Planet X please, seem to be very good value. Can have a titanium frame, I'd be willing to strech the budget a bit. There's so much choice, it's V difficult.

I've several PX bikes including a Ti Gravel Tempest. I got them to do me a double chainset instead of the single they advertise and it will do me for everything. It's a lovely bike.