Gravel Bikes Options...

['Kaze Pete]

I "need" a gravel bike...
Not like in need it to survive a cold winter night, but I have some personal ambitions (strawberry blondes excluded) for which I require a gravel 'racing' bike.

Some requirements:

• Must be able to fit 50mm tyres. I'm firm on this one, so no 47mm clearance. Yeah I share views with a certain Dylan Johnson. 
• I do not want to go to 650B to fit 50m. Very firm on this
• Prefer Shimano to SRAM
• Not really considering Cromoly/ Alumimium / Titanium frames, so carbon it'll be.
• No need for fenders
• No need to add a Venter trailer masquerading as bags/panniers/etc
• FutureShocks, Pivot points, front shocks, suspension stems & seatposts... All sounds like something that can break, and add weight.

I have looked at Trek, @Titan Racing Bikes, Scott so far.
I was tempted to look at a Felt, but seems like the distributors went belly up (again!)

So any suggestions?

[guidodg]

Titan Racing

[ChrisF]

You can also add the following to your list of key deciders :

 

1x or 2x ?

 

I wanted top speed, but I NEED a granny gear, thus a 2x was a decider for me.  Most of the nicer new gravel bikes only come in 1x, so may quickly shorten your list.

 

Intgrated cables, i.e. through the headset, seems to be the flavour of the month.  Nice little tax come service time.  Very limited options now with cables passing outside the headset, then into the frame.

 

Giant Revolt ticked the boxes for me, in their alu version.  I do believe they have a carbon version, not sure of stock levels.

 

Merida seems to have stock in gravel bikes, both in alu and carbon versions.  Not sure of their sram vs shimano offerings.  Certainly integrated cables.

 

TitanRacing only has 1x options in their nicer bikes, same as various other brands.

[PappaWatTrap]

Following this post with an eagle eye. I “need” one as well. How about the Giant Revolt Advance? It has 53mm clearance and they look very cool. 
 

Edited 4 hours ago by PappaWatTrap

[Ruben101]

2 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

You can also add the following to your list of key deciders :

 

1x or 2x ?

 

I wanted top speed, but I NEED a granny gear, thus a 2x was a decider for me.  Most of the nicer new gravel bikes only come in 1x, so may quickly shorten your list.

 

Intgrated cables, i.e. through the headset, seems to be the flavour of the month.  Nice little tax come service time.  Very limited options now with cables passing outside the headset, then into the frame.

 

Giant Revolt ticked the boxes for me, in their alu version.  I do believe they have a carbon version, not sure of stock levels.

 

Merida seems to have stock in gravel bikes, both in alu and carbon versions.  Not sure of their sram vs shimano offerings.  Certainly integrated cables.

 

TitanRacing only has 1x options in their nicer bikes, same as various other brands.

I just had a look at the Merida options. Unfortunately, the max tire clearance on the rear is 45

[Michael S]

I very much want to import one of these and get a full groupo from Merlin for much less than what things are going for locally.

https://tideacebike.com/products/fm-gv201-noah-carbon-gravel-bike-frame?variant=42818324168887

https://www.instagram.com/p/DEcZic7sRSe/?img_index=1

I have roughly the same set of criteria you have.

Edited 4 hours ago by Michael S

[Jbr]

not many bikes have the clearance, the Giant is an option. For the Sram vs Shimano debate, I think you should really really think twice. I also prefer shimano for the road, I also don't mind my XTR on the MTB, but for gravel and with a 1x setup, SRAM is the way to go, with an eagle derailleur and a huge cassette, and the wireless shifters, (unless you really really want a 2x, then yes, go Shimano)

['Kaze Pete]

34 minutes ago, guidodg said:

Titan Racing

 
@Titan Racing Bikes, are your frames 2x friendly?
 

['Kaze Pete]

33 minutes ago, PappaWatTrap said:

Following this post with an eagle eye. I “need” ons as well. How about the Giant Revolt Advance? It has 53mm clearance and they look very cool. 
 

Love the "need" 👍
On Giant's website they refer to some 'unwanted complexity':

ADAPTABLE TO THE TERRAIN

A flip chip on the rear dropout adjusts the wheelbase short for quicker handling, or long for improved stability at speed. The long setting allows for larger diameter tyres up to 53mm.

[ChrisF]

17 minutes ago, 'Kaze Pete said:

 
@Titan Racing Bikes, are your frames 2x friendly?
 

 

Their entry level gravel bikes are 2x.

 

According to sales staff at 3 of our bigger bikeshops they dont do 2x in the higher spec bikes.

 

 

Sure would be interesting if @Titan Racing Bikes confirms it can be done ....

Edited 4 hours ago by ChrisF

[ChrisF]

14 minutes ago, 'Kaze Pete said:

Love the "need" 👍
On Giant's website they refer to some 'unwanted complexity':

ADAPTABLE TO THE TERRAIN

A flip chip on the rear dropout adjusts the wheelbase short for quicker handling, or long for improved stability at speed. The long setting allows for larger diameter tyres up to 53mm.

 

Just read a bit before "flipping the chip" ... as the rear tyre moves BACK, the brake spacer is also flipped to move the caliper back to match.

 

I still want to try this.

Edited 4 hours ago by ChrisF

['Kaze Pete]

12 minutes ago, Jbr said:

not many bikes have the clearance, the Giant is an option. For the Sram vs Shimano debate, I think you should really really think twice. I also prefer shimano for the road, I also don't mind my XTR on the MTB, but for gravel and with a 1x setup, SRAM is the way to go, with an eagle derailleur and a huge cassette, and the wireless shifters, (unless you really really want a 2x, then yes, go Shimano)

Must admit, I'm thinking more about top end speed. I know... pedaling down a mine shaft!
No road compact crankset 50/34 then?

[Jbr]

most of the people who choose 2x and don't have it by default is because they're extremely sensitive to cadence. I have 46+10-50 and I very rarely spin out, and I use my gravel bike to train more often on the road than on gravel, including sometimes some Z4 intervals on flat tar or descents. You won't have top end issues with a set up like this, if you worry your 46T will be too big for the climbs you can always go 10-53 at the back.

With SRAM 2x you set yourself up for many chaindrops though, but on the 1X I never get chaindrops.

[PappaWatTrap]

Here is an example of a carbon Titan switch built up with the new Shimano 105 12 Speed Groupo.

 

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/gravel-bikes/755843/titan-switch-carbon-xl

 

Sad I missed out in this deal

 

Is there a limit on chainring sizes for the gravel bikes? 

Edited 4 hours ago by PappaWatTrap

[ChrisF]

8 minutes ago, 'Kaze Pete said:

Must admit, I'm thinking more about top end speed. I know... pedaling down a mine shaft!
No road compact crankset 50/34 then?

 

@BuffsVintageBikes do you know which crankset Mark fitted to his gravel bike, to gain top speed ?

[BuffsVintageBikes]

He did tell me but I can't remember. I do know he hasn't ridden it since he fitted it because it's still covered in the dust of the Canola Roller that we did year 😄