Need To Choose First Drop bar bike for 30 years! But Gravel or not to Gravel..?

[jakone]

Hello all!

Been getting really into riding over the last 9 months, I have a Hoy Shizouka .002 that I, basically, keep breaking. I ride 5 mornings a week for fitness and weightloss (and fun) and have lost 2 stone along with breaking 2 hubs, 1 set of handlebars, 2 chains...but only one puncture. Go figure. My route is now about 13 miles a ride and I'm in west London. It's some road, a couple of parks, some dirt tracks, mud when it's raining and the roads around me are truly awful. Potholes, uneven, broken paving etc.

I've been getting more in maitainence (out of necessity) so the Hoy is in okay fettle but I've been bitten now and want to get faster! FYI I average about 14mph at the moment over the 13 miles, I'm 46 and pretty tall (don't know if that makes a difference but thought I'd mention it!)

I feel maybe a gravel is the way to go but don't want to pay a premium for the word "gravel" as that seems mental frankly.

Any advice, personal experience etc would be gratefully received (with a nice virtual biscuit-yum!)

Budget is around £1k

Thanks in advance!

Jim

 

[vickster]

A bike that has wider tyres (32mm is fine on rough roads) and will take mudguards will suit 👍 This might be called a gravel or adventure bike (or a road bike oreven CX, gotta love marketeers!)
Being tall only really influences the size of frame that you need.
if happy to buy online, you could look at the Merlin Malt gravel at £700 (you could use some of the extra budget to upgrade the brake calipers to a TRP Spyres).
Not the lightest bike perhaps
https://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-malt-g1-tiagra-gravel-bike-2020-147541.html
Note that speed will come from you more so than the bike (rough or crap surfaces will slow you down compared to smooth tarmac)...traffic obviously doesn’t help either!

Here another gravel option, single chain ring but close to budget
https://alpkit.com/products/sonder-camino-al-v3-apex1-mechanical

Or with 1x11 gearing, wide tyres
https://www.halfords.com/bikes/cyclocross-bikes/boardman-cxr-8.9-road-bike---s-528981.html

This is also quite a popular option
https://www.halfords.com/bikes/adventure-bikes/boardman-adv-8.9-mens-adventure-bike-526787.html

 

[Saluki]

Join British cycling, get 10% off at chain reaction and Halfords. That will help your budget go further.
I have a Genesis Croix de Fer and ride it everywhere. Road, track, cycle paths, I love it so much. It currently has Marathon Plus tyres on, which are road tyres. They handle pretty much everything except for sand.
bit more than your budget but thought it may be worth a look for you.

 

[mjr]

Join British cycling, get 10% off at chain reaction and Halfords. That will help your budget go further.

Or better yet, join Cycling UK and get discounts without forcing helmets and medication bans on anyone.

As well as above terms, some "endurance" and "relaxed road" bikes take plush tyres without the gravel mark-up. "Touring" and "trekking" bikes might be ok but some might be heavyweight kitchen-sink camping trip load-luggers.

 

[jakone]

Thanks all. That Camino looks great as does the Genesis. I was looking at this just now, any thoughts?

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/gt-grade-al-expert-bike-2020/

Thanks for your input all (also ben looking at trekking bikes)

 

[vickster]

Thanks all. That Camino looks great as does the Genesis. I was looking at this just now, any thoughts?

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/gt-grade-al-expert-bike-2020/

Thanks for your input all (also ben looking at trekking bikes)

I think GT grades have poor wheels, there was a recent thread
@I like Skol maybe contributed?

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

The breakages and the stated average speed set the alarm bells ringing for me. If you are managing 14mph over a mixed dirt/gravel/potholed urban tarmac route and keep breaking things I would suggest you have a rather harsh and unsympathetic style of riding. I reckon you will still keep breaking things even if you go and chuck £1k at some sort of "gravel" bike. You might gain more hand position options from the drop bars, but it is not going to be a magic bullet that renders a bike indestructible.

 

[jakone]

I'll have a fish around about the wheels on that GT, thanks for the heads up.

Cheers for the comments @SkipdiverJohn. I shall bear tham in mind!

 

[I like Skol]

I think GT grades have poor wheels, there was a recent thread
@I like Skol maybe contributed?

Not sure about the current GT Grade wheels. My experience and the bad reputation was from the stock Stan's wheels 3 or 4 years ago now. My current 2017 Grade has Mavic wheels and these have stood up to my abuse so far, including some HD mtb type rides!
Skipdiver may have a valid point about your riding style and technique. I give my bikes a hard time on rough terrain and don't hold back, but I also have a light touch so avoid any serious or regular damage. I don't know how that works because I am 95kg and 6' 1"?