Gravel bikes - what do you have and where did you buy it?

[Furbz]

1 hour ago, milky4130 said:

must I wait until Friday for the price of the 56cm?

not at all - pop me a DM and we can chat

just been a busy day

[splat]

6 hours ago, Jbr said:

okay looking for my Xmas present at the moment, would like a race-ready bike that I'm probably going to be doing most of my training on too (so with a reliable power meter).

He's my shortlist at the moment :

https://bike-addict.co.za/collections/gravel-bikes/products/bianchi-arcadex-carbon-grx-600-11-speed?variant=43679034442025

https://bike-addict.co.za/collections/gravel-bikes/products/titan-switch-carbon-elite-2023

https://bike-addict.co.za/collections/gravel-bikes/products/cannondale-topstone-5

https://www.specialized.com/za/en/diverge-sport-carbon/p/199964?color=322115-199964&searchText=95422-6056

Edit : forgot to mention windspace has a bf sale gravel wheels for r12k so any other choice than the titan would go with that 

I think the spez is the one that I like best (design / both colours are good looking), 1x... but slightly more exepensive as well

Cannondale looks nice too, but both the Cannondale and the Titan have 2x setups that I'm not very excited about, plus the hollowgram is a bit of a mission to find a power meter for.

What bike would you go for and why ? And which reliable power meter would you put on (I might just put a xcadey crank if I can't find anything plug&play on the hub's ads

Before you commit to a particular choice, have you checked that there is stock in your size ?

What does the Diverge weigh compared to the Trek (at the same price) ?
The narrow rims on the Checkpoint would put me off, but otherwise it looks like a good build if you are looking at the SL 5. It is a 2x drivetrain, which is a good thing in my opinion...
The Diverge spec is pretty basic, but it can take 47mm tyres. Checkpoint can take 45mm.

The Bianchi looks good and the prices have come down but according to the reviews, its a very stiff bike. Might be great for races, but its not a comfortable touring bike. Tyre width is limited to 40mm.

I don't know much about the Cannondale or Titan except for tyre clearance again.
The Topstone is limited to 40mm and I think that the Switch can go up to 50mm or so.
(I stand to be corrected)

Components can be swapped out (at a price), but aesthetics must come into play at some point.

My point of reference is my steel Mercer with 2x11 GRX and 45mm tyres.
(No power meter at this point)

Edited November 23, 2022 by splat

[splat]

 

 

 

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by splat

[Jbr]

31 minutes ago, splat said:

Before you commit to a particular choice, have you checked that there is stock in your size ?

What does the Diverge weigh compared to the Trek (at the same price) ?
The narrow rims on the Checkpoint would put me off, but otherwise it looks like a good build if you are looking at the SL 5. It is a 2x drivetrain, which is a good thing in my opinion...
The Diverge spec is pretty basic, but it can take 47mm tyres. Checkpoint can take 45mm.

The Bianchi looks good and the prices have come down but according to the reviews, its a very stiff bike. Might be great for races, but its not a comfortable touring bike. Tyre width is limited to 40mm.

I don't know much about the Cannondale or Titan except for tyre clearance again.
The Topstone is limited to 40mm and I think that the Switch can go up to 50mm or so.
(I stand to be corrected)

Components can be swapped out (at a price), but aesthetics must come into play at some point.

My point of reference is my steel Mercer with 2x11 GRX and 45mm tyres.
(No power meter at this point)

Thanks, very usefull.

I read for each bike that the frame is very light weight blabla, yet all these bikes come to 9,5kg in the end. So what makes them so heavy in the end ? The allow wheels ? The barstem combos ?

I ordered the wheels from wheelspace already since all the bikes I see in my budget have alloy rims and nothing local comes close in price, so it’s not really a subject but I’m not expecting to gain more than 100g on wheels going from alloy to carbon ?

depending on the bike I could replace the seatpost with my lefty’s carbon seatpost, although not all of them have an alloy one, so not sure I’ll see bit gains there either. Alloy bars aren’t that heavy from my experience, most aero carbon bars are heavier than your standard round alloy bars…

Edited November 23, 2022 by Jbr

[Nico van Loggerenberg]

42 minutes ago, Jbr said:

Thanks, very usefull.

I read for each bike that the frame is very light weight blabla, yet all these bikes come to 9,5kg in the end. So what makes them so heavy in the end ? The allow wheels ? The barstem combos ?

I ordered the wheels from wheelspace already since all the bikes I see in my budget have alloy rims and nothing local comes close in price, so it’s not really a subject but I’m not expecting to gain more than 100g on wheels going from alloy to carbon ?

depending on the bike I could replace the seatpost with my lefty’s carbon seatpost, although not all of them have an alloy one, so not sure I’ll see bit gains there either. Alloy bars aren’t that heavy from my experience, most aero carbon bars are heavier than your standard round alloy bars…

I don't really know either. My steel framed and steel forked gravel bike is around that weight as well. 

[splat]

Switching from low end alu wheels to high end carbon could probably trim 1/2 kg.
Possibly 300 to 500g for a groupset
Bars, stem and seatpost may differ 100g in total, if you did all 3, which is how the top end R200k bikes are a kg lighter that the R50k ones.

But with a R50k budget, you can get a pretty solid bike that can be upgraded to suit your needs.
Mine would be comfort and reliability, without being a total tank.
Yours might be light and fast, without being crazy expensive.

[Furbz]

on the wheel side of things - i have found deeper wheels make for a harsher ride as they have less vertical compliance.

best we've tried are ENVE AG25's - they are expensive, but i am sure cheaper wheels can be found with similarly low depth to help with the compliance.

from a weight side of things, for reference.

Parlee Checbaco with the carbon cockpit, 2x Force AXS with power, ENVE AG 25 wheels and 45C tires comes out to 8kgs

the Bossi Grit SX Titanium bike with 2x Force AXS with power, ENVE AG 25 wheels and 45C tires comes out to 9.1kgs

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Furbz

[Jbr]

I'm almost finished with my build, but man it is frustrating ! I read everywhere that GRX was "highly compatible" with shimano road groupsets. I've desperately been looking for a chainring to fit on my newly aquired XCadey power crankset... The SRAM one that came with the original APEX crank is 110BCD, but not the same as shimano (2mm difference for 2 of the 4 holes).

well guess what. If you want to run a 1x you'll have to do with a ultegra/dura ace 39T inner chainring, because GRX isn't compatible.

I bought a csixx chainring this morning, made sure when I collected that the BCD was exactly the same (I brought an ultegra chainring to compare). First disappointment, it doesn't fit on the spider, I had to use the angle grinder to remove some material, now it fits, awesome..... guess what... THE F*ING holes are smaller !!! so the bolts won't go in 😭 And now I have a grinded chainring I can't use.

Going to try take it to the guy I was using for my motorbikes parts at the time, he should be able to correct both chainrings, then I have 39, 40 and 42T !

Edited December 5, 2022 by Jbr

[splat]

31 minutes ago, Jbr said:

I'm almost finished with my build, but man it is frustrating ! I read everywhere that GRX was "highly compatible" with shimano road groupsets. I've desperately been looking for a chainring to fit on my newly aquired XCadey power crankset... The SRAM one that came with the original APEX crank is 110BCD, but not the same as shimano (2mm difference for 2 of the 4 holes).

well guess what. If you want to run a 1x you'll have to do with a ultegra/dura ace 39T inner chainring, because GRX isn't compatible.

I bought a csixx chainring this morning, made sure when I collected that the BCD was exactly the same (I brought an ultegra chainring to compare). First disappointment, it doesn't fit on the spider, I had to use the angle grinder to remove some material, now it fits, awesome..... guess what... THE F*ING holes are smaller !!! so the bolts won't go in 😭 And now I have a grinded chainring I can't use.

Going to try take it to the guy I was using for my motorbikes parts at the time, he should be able to correct both chainrings, then I have 39, 40 and 42T !

What bike did you get in the end ?

[Jbr]

35 minutes ago, splat said:

What bike did you get in the end ?

Bought a silverback siablo on promo from CWC. size 56 but the reach is similar to my size 52 reacto (which is a weird bike because the seat tube measure 54cm despite it being sold as small size 52).

Anyways, upgraded saddle, bars, seatpost, crankset and wheels. In the end it's cheaper than any of the previous options and lighter.  I'll keep the relatively crap-ish groupset for now and most likely purchase rival AXS hoods later on and move my GX to this bike and put the XTR back on the Scalpel 

Edited December 5, 2022 by Jbr

[RossTopher]

51 minutes ago, Jbr said:

I'm almost finished with my build, but man it is frustrating ! I read everywhere that GRX was "highly compatible" with shimano road groupsets. I've desperately been looking for a chainring to fit on my newly aquired XCadey power crankset... The SRAM one that came with the original APEX crank is 110BCD, but not the same as shimano (2mm difference for 2 of the 4 holes).

well guess what. If you want to run a 1x you'll have to do with a ultegra/dura ace 39T inner chainring, because GRX isn't compatible.

I bought a csixx chainring this morning, made sure when I collected that the BCD was exactly the same (I brought an ultegra chainring to compare). First disappointment, it doesn't fit on the spider, I had to use the angle grinder to remove some material, now it fits, awesome..... guess what... THE F*ING holes are smaller !!! so the bolts won't go in 😭 And now I have a grinded chainring I can't use.

Going to try take it to the guy I was using for my motorbikes parts at the time, he should be able to correct both chainrings, then I have 39, 40 and 42T !

Sorry if i am being dof, but are you needing a Sram apex chainring.

I am getting a 44t Apex chainring that my cousin is bringing from the UK later this week.

that will mean my 40t is needing a home, and i have felt your pain of finding ANYTHING that fits from 3rd party manufacturers

[ewep]

Bought a Titan Switch from hayesjohnm.

[Jbr]

7 minutes ago, RossTopher said:

Sorry if i am being dof, but are you needing a Sram apex chainring.

I am getting a 44t Apex chainring that my cousin is bringing from the UK later this week.

that will mean my 40t is needing a home, and i have felt your pain of finding ANYTHING that fits from 3rd party manufacturers

I'm not sure I understand, I had an apex crank with a 40T on the bike, but I took that crank out to put my Xcadey crank, expecting i'd be able to reuse the chainring on that crank since both are 110bcd, but no.

Do you need my 40T Sram Apex chainring or are you trying to sell me one ?

[RossTopher]

4 minutes ago, Jbr said:

I'm not sure I understand, I had an apex crank with a 40T on the bike, but I took that crank out to put my Xcadey crank, expecting i'd be able to reuse the chainring on that crank since both are 110bcd, but no.

Do you need my 40T Sram Apex chainring or are you trying to sell me one ?

Ah, no worries, I COMPLETELY missed what you were saying. 

I think I was mainly trying to empathize/assist having survived the "110bcd assymettric 4 bolt" nightmare. 

Ignore me 😂

[stringbean]

After couple of rides under the belt all I can say this is one insane machine.

[Jbr]

19 minutes ago, stringbean said:

After couple of rides under the belt all I can say this is one insane machine.

Wow !! How’s my road race bike a whole kg heavier 😂😂