Looking for affordable robust gravel bike

[Danger Dassie]

OP another option to consider is a Merida Silex. Heavily underrated and under appreciated bike, plus there’s a model in your range. 

I’ve just made the move onto a Silex 4000 and am super impressed thus far, the only limitation is the naff rim/tyre combo. 17mm rim with a 38c Rambler, but that’s easily sorted with a change of tyres, and rims later on. I’m putting it down to those Germans getting distracted by techno.  Geometry is very MTB drive with a long wheelbase and tall head tube, so stack height is relatively high. Pared with a short stem and gravel bars it feels a sweet spot for a variety of riding. 

[V18]

I'm a big fan of Titan. Strong frames and budget conscious builds. 

Silverback is my number 1 choice though. Love the siablo series. 

[RossTopher]

3 hours ago, Danger Dassie said:

Friend rides a Switch with 650b MTB tyres, they’re at least 2.0 wide.

Shot. Will let my mate know. Looks can be deceiving! 

[TyronLab]

Out of interest, I have a very robust gravel bike for sale at the moment... it's also a little more unique than most other gravel bikes you'll see, running a MTB wheelset. You'll have change left over for a carbon fork and seatpost (or a dropper) too! 😄

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/gravel-bikes/656151/specialized-sequoia

I am not above shameless plugs, especially when I have my eye on another bike and want to get this one sold.

[ChrisF]

1 hour ago, TyronLab said:

Out of interest, I have a very robust gravel bike for sale at the moment... it's also a little more unique than most other gravel bikes you'll see, running a MTB wheelset. You'll have change left over for a carbon fork and seatpost (or a dropper) too! 😄

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/gravel-bikes/656151/specialized-sequoia

I am not above shameless plugs, especially when I have my eye on another bike and want to get this one sold.

 

PERFECT for a(nother) WET Round the Pot ....

[betaboy]

Steel is real… and since when are all bikes from China?  Taiwan has a massive  bikehub (free plug) industry ! 🤭

Actually they have some of the best frame builders on the planet! Anybody ever see the workmanship on a Farr? Perfect welds, but yeah we overlook them because we look down on local. Meanwhile, if I wanted the same thing say by a small in-house frame builder like Howler in the UK, good steel machine would set me back 2000quid!

btw nice Specialized, that’s a

regrettable sale if ever I’ve seen one! 😂😂😂

no free plug.. but that’s something special, unless you want to join the herd of carbon bunnies! 😂😂😂 ( there I said it).

Did I mention steel is real, best metal for recycling. The planet will thank you.Sir.

[peetwindhoek]

7 hours ago, TyronLab said:

snipped

I am not above a shameful calling of dibs! 
 

MINE!

[Jewbacca]

9 hours ago, TyronLab said:

Out of interest, I have a very robust gravel bike for sale at the moment... it's also a little more unique than most other gravel bikes you'll see, running a MTB wheelset. You'll have change left over for a carbon fork and seatpost (or a dropper) too! 😄

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/gravel-bikes/656151/specialized-sequoia

I am not above shameless plugs, especially when I have my eye on another bike and want to get this one sold.

hahahahaha I've been purposefully ignoring that advert since it went up.

I want that bike lots

[MORNE]

17 hours ago, betaboy said:

Steel is real… and since when are all bikes from China?  Taiwan has a massive  bikehub (free plug) industry ! 🤭

Actually they have some of the best frame builders on the planet! Anybody ever see the workmanship on a Farr? Perfect welds, but yeah we overlook them because we look down on local. Meanwhile, if I wanted the same thing say by a small in-house frame builder like Howler in the UK, good steel machine would set me back 2000quid!

btw nice Specialized, that’s a

regrettable sale if ever I’ve seen one! 😂😂😂

no free plug.. but that’s something special, unless you want to join the herd of carbon bunnies! 😂😂😂 ( there I said it).

Did I mention steel is real, best metal for recycling. The planet will thank you.Sir.

Farr is, and has not been ‘local’ for a quite a while now. 

Having had one of those gravel frames in my stable, in conjunction with many other boutique steel frames, these are cheap in comparison for a reason. Which also means they are heavy AF and not that compliant at all. You cant just look at the welds and make a call.
 

Steel is not steel is not real.
There is this misconception that all steel bikes are plush and compliant and that all alloy bikes are harsh. Its a falacy. As with anything…when it comes to steel bikes and the type of tubing used….you get what you pay for. A crappy steel bike can be more harsh than a good alloy bike. 

GOOD steel is real.

im willing to bet my life that a Mercer rides better than anything on that farr website - as an example. 

i even have a hand made steel enduro bike and it gets picked up and felt up more than a taiwanese ladyboy over weekends. Bro’s are always shocked at how light it is for it’s size. Its lighter than some carbon ones out there.

too many welded-up-from-mildsteel-water-pipe frames out there riding the Steel-Is-Real bandwagon 😅

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by MORNE

[Cardio Goth]

4 hours ago, MORNE said:

Farr is, and has not been ‘local’ for a quite a while now. 

Having had one of those gravel frames in my stable, in conjunction with many other boutique steel frames, these are cheap in comparison for a reason. Which also means they are heavy AF and not that compliant at all. You cant just look at the welds and make a call.
 

Steel is not steel is not real.
There is this misconception that all steel bikes are plush and compliant and that all alloy bikes are harsh. Its a falacy. As with anything…when it comes to steel bikes and the type of tubing used….you get what you pay for. A crappy steel bike can be more harsh than a good alloy bike. 

GOOD steel is real.

...

Yeah, there's a world of difference in feel between my Fairlight, which feels balanced, and, for example, a Surly or a similar lower price steel bike, which feel heavy and 'dead'. (There's also a world of difference between the Fairlight and my carbon Lauf, which feels stiff and nervous in comparison.) 

The Fairlight was the first bike that I've owned where I could feel a difference from the very first ride.

Edited July 22, 2023 by Cardio Goth

[Danger Dassie]

6 hours ago, MORNE said:

Farr is, and has not been ‘local’ for a quite a while now. 

Having had one of those gravel frames in my stable, in conjunction with many other boutique steel frames, these are cheap in comparison for a reason. Which also means they are heavy AF and not that compliant at all. You cant just look at the welds and make a call.
 

Steel is not steel is not real.
There is this misconception that all steel bikes are plush and compliant and that all alloy bikes are harsh. Its a falacy. As with anything…when it comes to steel bikes and the type of tubing used….you get what you pay for. A crappy steel bike can be more harsh than a good alloy bike. 

GOOD steel is real.

im willing to bet my life that a Mercer rides better than anything on that farr website - as an example. 

i even have a hand made steel enduro bike and it gets picked up and felt up more than a taiwanese ladyboy over weekends. Bro’s are always shocked at how light it is for it’s size. Its lighter than some carbon ones out there.

too many welded-up-from-mildsteel-water-pipe frames out there riding the Steel-Is-Real bandwagon 😅

 

Word.  Long before the gravel curve (2015 or so) I had a CoticX built up and used it for road and everything else. It was an absolute whip on smooth flowy single track and techy bits. With oodles of acceleration. Totally in line with CX demands, which is far from the broader gravel feels by design. Despite what people think/say. 
On longer rides and fast road winding road descents, that thing wanted you to be D E D dead. 
Definitely not the ‘steel is real’ compliance that everyone bangs on about. And tbh the welds were more abstract than contemporary.

Loved the bike and it was everything I wanted at the time, but it was a very specific to purpose.

Rode a Curve Kevin for a period and that is way more ‘steel is real’ … similar Columbus tubing to what Mercer goes for.

[betaboy]

On 7/22/2023 at 7:28 AM, MORNE said:

Farr is, and has not been ‘local’ for a quite a while now. 

Having had one of those gravel frames in my stable, in conjunction with many other boutique steel frames, these are cheap in comparison for a reason. Which also means they are heavy AF and not that compliant at all. You cant just look at the welds and make a call.
 

Steel is not steel is not real.
There is this misconception that all steel bikes are plush and compliant and that all alloy bikes are harsh. Its a falacy. As with anything…when it comes to steel bikes and the type of tubing used….you get what you pay for. A crappy steel bike can be more harsh than a good alloy bike. 

GOOD steel is real.

im willing to bet my life that a Mercer rides better than anything on that farr website - as an example. 

i even have a hand made steel enduro bike and it gets picked up and felt up more than a taiwanese ladyboy over weekends. Bro’s are always shocked at how light it is for it’s size. Its lighter than some carbon ones out there.

too many welded-up-from-mildsteel-water-pipe frames out there riding the Steel-Is-Real bandwagon 😅

 

Yeah, Victor took it Farr away! 😂😂😂

It’s really just the fork that’s a killer, otherwise it’s fair, for say a Small size. Sure you can spec different tubing and come out with a different ride if you go fully custom. Do you recall Columbus once did the ML? It was basically every tube was shaped very differently and its inner profiles at the ends were varied. That I remember felt amazing from having both SL and SLX back then. Boa chi made them… has to be the best bike I’ve flown with on downhill’s, it was so solid. I’m a steel fan and if you go the other side of the spectrum with a full Cannondale which of course also was a different feel to say a top notch Allan or Vitus from back on the day. So when you mention Dave’s custom rides of course he will be using something in the upper range but I wouldn’t write off all tubing, some brands like Reynolds and Tange were looked down upon but they too had good stuff, and to further drive the point, remember True Temper? All these tubing built amazing bikes that completed at the highest level. So all steel is real in my eyes 😂🤪 if it’s going to get recycled and used again, dude it’s real from that point!

I’m impressed that you do enduro with a steel bike?👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 That’s has to withstand alot of  flex and abuse, but yeah there is a light weight weenie steel bike somewhere on the inter webs that’s pretty insane, I think If it was a sub 7! And that’s not water pipe stuff…🤭

Let’s agree we all like steel… let’s not discriminate, let’s embrace all tubing, not matter the size, colour or ethic sourcing. Let’s build a cycling culture of Steel Ubuntu! 😂😂😂

 

[MORNE]

1 hour ago, betaboy said:

Yeah, Victor took it Farr away! 😂😂😂

It’s really just the fork that’s a killer, otherwise it’s fair, for say a Small size. Sure you can spec different tubing and come out with a different ride if you go fully custom. Do you recall Columbus once did the ML? It was basically every tube was shaped very differently and its inner profiles at the ends were varied. That I remember felt amazing from having both SL and SLX back then. Boa chi made them… has to be the best bike I’ve flown with on downhill’s, it was so solid. I’m a steel fan and if you go the other side of the spectrum with a full Cannondale which of course also was a different feel to say a top notch Allan or Vitus from back on the day. So when you mention Dave’s custom rides of course he will be using something in the upper range but I wouldn’t write off all tubing, some brands like Reynolds and Tange were looked down upon but they too had good stuff, and to further drive the point, remember True Temper? All these tubing built amazing bikes that completed at the highest level. So all steel is real in my eyes 😂🤪 if it’s going to get recycled and used again, dude it’s real from that point!

I’m impressed that you do enduro with a steel bike?👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 That’s has to withstand alot of  flex and abuse, but yeah there is a light weight weenie steel bike somewhere on the inter webs that’s pretty insane, I think If it was a sub 7! And that’s not water pipe stuff…🤭

Let’s agree we all like steel… let’s not discriminate, let’s embrace all tubing, not matter the size, colour or ethic sourcing. Let’s build a cycling culture of Steel Ubuntu! 😂😂😂

 

Im a pleb, and cant really ride for chit, but yes my enduro bike does just fine, and im 90kg at the moment too.
I have a Reynolds 853 bike, a Tange prestige bike and a columbus slx bike. They are all super nice riding frames. I was more talking about the heavy steel things that some brands market as “steel is real” when in fact they are just heavy-harsh-ass overbuilt trusses.

[Shebeen]

On 7/22/2023 at 7:28 AM, MORNE said:

Farr is, and has not been ‘local’ for a quite a while now. 

Having had one of those gravel frames in my stable, in conjunction with many other boutique steel frames, these are cheap in comparison for a reason. Which also means they are heavy AF and not that compliant at all. You cant just look at the welds and make a call.
 

Steel is not steel is not real.
There is this misconception that all steel bikes are plush and compliant and that all alloy bikes are harsh. Its a falacy. As with anything…when it comes to steel bikes and the type of tubing used….you get what you pay for. A crappy steel bike can be more harsh than a good alloy bike. 

GOOD steel is real.

im willing to bet my life that a Mercer rides better than anything on that farr website - as an example. 

i even have a hand made steel enduro bike and it gets picked up and felt up more than a taiwanese ladyboy over weekends. Bro’s are always shocked at how light it is for it’s size. Its lighter than some carbon ones out there.

too many welded-up-from-mildsteel-water-pipe frames out there riding the Steel-Is-Real bandwagon 😅

 

I'm super happy with my Farr chromo*

but yeah, steel framed bikes have quite a range.

I did my first argus on a steel bike. an avalanche sirocco 90s mtb, a teenager's dream ride (ok well that was the diamond back ascent). That did the constantia greenbelt but then you could put slicks on it and do the PPA races and then the second sunday of march it was hoopla time and a lap of the peninsula.

A few years later a family friend had a peugeout rapport sitting in the garage. they let me use it for a month every year, and I was always sad to give it back. Hopefully it is still in use somewhere getting a fellow from north of the border to his gardening job.  

aluminium joined the scene from then, but I did do it on a brand new makro bottom of the range for charity, this is the only picture i seem to have of that. the 6x9s and amp from my bakkie were in that milk crate.

 

I also did it on my schwinn madison. everyone should do argus on a fixie at least once.

Suppose I'll have to do it on the Farr chromo sometime in the future, you haven't been able to convince me it's the wrong type of steel bike, just yet.

 

*except the paint, super pretty but chips way too easily