Gravel Bikes Options...

[Sid the Sloth]

2 hours ago, Jbr said:

I’ve had a crux the last two years (still have it and planning to race Gravel SA’s on it in the next couple of weeks), excellent bike, but stiff AF (I also have 45mm wheels that probably doesn’t help), so when it gets rough and corrugated, the bike goes backwards. There has been days when I regretted not having a heavier more compliant bike, but more often than not I love this bike

I have never had this issue, maybe it is a function of my shallow wheels. 

[Jbr]

15 minutes ago, Sid the Sloth said:

I have never had this issue, maybe it is a function of my shallow wheels. 

Maybe also a feature of the size 54 (in combination with the shallower wheels).

What tyres did you run at Ceder ? The corrugations 10km to the finish killed me there, on the 42 pathfinders, maybe with the the 47s I would have survived. In the end I didn't suffer that much from the corrugation at Race to the sun, where I had big tyres, low pressures and inserts

['Kaze Pete]

5 hours ago, RossTopher said:

@'Kaze Pete very few bikes available in SA are going to, on paper, clear 50mm. 
many that say 45mm, will do 50.
Sofia Gomez ran a 2.2" up front on her Crux recently. she had a new tracer at the back (not sure if it was 45 or 50). The bike is specced for 47mm if i recall correctly

if you're on the lighter side, stump up for a Specialized Crux Comp, otherwise these would be my choices, size depending:
https://mellowvelo.co.za/products/scott-addict-gravel-30-2023
https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/gravel-bikes/756146/cannondale-supersix-evo-se-gravel?srsltid=AfmBOoqg0cnGQ7CDXBY3bisbCbgQbL3mkWvxZm1F23KDLbxHoWMDvYbZ

If you were considering something more relaxed, the Cube nuroad C62 and Merida Silex 7000 would be top of my list.
but hell, Mohoric won gravel worlds on a Silex, so it can't be that "unracy"

Not sure where 74kgs will put me (I haven't been this "light" in 20 year)
I have a Tarmac Sport road bike (2015 model with rim brakes, not many km though), and like the ride...
On road I prefer a frame on the stiff side.
Damn... I ride a hardtail on the gravel roads around Parys, everybody else on dual suss bikes
Only reason I'm skipping past the Crux is the claimed 47mm tyre clearance.
Maybe I should add "Not a limo ride" to my list!

This IS a sexy... bike!

 

[MongooseMan]

On 3/17/2025 at 1:38 PM, 'Kaze Pete said:

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?

If you’re gonna go full Dylan Johnson, why not add “suspension corrected geometry“ (or “suspension fork compatible”) to the wish list 😉

Edited March 19 by MongooseMan

['Kaze Pete]

On 3/19/2025 at 9:14 PM, MongooseMan said:

If you’re gonna go full Dylan Johnson, why not add “suspension corrected geometry“ (or “suspension fork compatible”) to the wish list 😉

I need something to be (ok, look!) fast, and as I've got a 26" Cotic Soul frame with drop bars. I'm busy exploring 29er shock options for that. It should  fit a 700c 40mm rear tyre, hopefully a 45mm. This'll become my "full retard" bike build

Edited March 21 by 'Kaze Pete

[betaboy]

Okay so we’ve narrowed down the bikes but I still haven’t seen good leads on a Stawberry Blonde? Just saying…..😅

[guidodg]

https://bikehub.co.za/classifieds/item/road-bike-forks/800849/bolany-gravel-air-suspension-fork-30mm-travel

 

[Baracuda]

On 3/17/2025 at 1:38 PM, 'Kaze Pete said:

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?

I had the same spec's in mind recently and after reading every review and chatting to a great many fundi's, decided on the Giant Revolt.

https://giant-bicycles.co.za/products/revolt-advanced-0-prismatic-haze-aurora-noise-2025?available%20colours=aurora%20noise&available%20sizes=s

It is one of the few bikes with 50mm+ clearance, 2x shimano, and high levels of comfort without shocks etc. It is also competitively priced - a 8.7kg bike with carbon wheels and full GRX 820 for under 80k. If one shops around, the dealers drop the price by 5%. Something similar from Trek or Specialised costs 50% more, and that is before you look at boutique brands (Open, Santa Cruz...), and I am not exactly sure why one would want to pay more. 

Based on  reviews by guys who really test a vast range of gravel bikes, the Giant is better:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Saturday at 07:36 AM by Baracuda

[MongooseMan]

On 3/17/2025 at 2:07 PM, Michael S said:

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.

Jeepers you've sent me down a rabbit hole.

Let's just say I may have some cool pics in a month or two....

[Michael S]

Just now, MongooseMan said:

Jeepers you've sent me down a rabbit hole.

Let's just say I may have some cool pics in a month or two....

Awesome. Think I am pulling the trigger on one as well! Seems to be great value compared to what you need to buy an off the rack bike locally.

Especially if you import the parts and get some second hand stuff.

These guys seems to have rebranded the frame as well.

https://www.statebicycle.com/collections/carbon-all-road-gravel-bikes/products/carbon-all-road-v2-team-edition

[MongooseMan]

Just now, Michael S said:

Awesome. Think I am pulling the trigger on one as well! Seems to be great value compared to what you need to buy an off the rack bike locally.

Especially if you import the parts and get some second hand stuff.

These guys seems to have rebranded the frame as well.

https://www.statebicycle.com/collections/carbon-all-road-gravel-bikes/products/carbon-all-road-v2-team-edition

Yeah, full thread here: https://chinertown.com/index.php/topic,4724.0.html
And a video by Patrick Lino here: 

And some big boy tyre pics here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHDR2fvKP44/

[Furbz]

On 3/18/2025 at 4:46 PM, Sid the Sloth said:

I have never had this issue, maybe it is a function of my shallow wheels. 

Nail. Head.

Deep wheels look sexy but lack the compliance of shallow wheels.

In every test we've ever done the ENVE AG25 wheels knock the snot out of everything else when it comes to comfort 

[Jbr]

the state hasn't changed, and Drew Dillman who was sponsored by them last year (now rides lauf) said they advertise it with clearance for 2.2 because he ran 2.2 on them (so it works although there's probably not a lot of margin for mud), but the official clearance is still the same. Kind of the same story as for the crux, that does take a 2.2 front and 50 rear, although officially the clearance is 47.

[Bub Marley]

On 3/17/2025 at 3:54 PM, Furbz said:

i can get you a Parlee Taos?

https://parleecycles.com/products/taos

This looks like a hardtail with drop bars. However the fact that it’s factory standard like this intrigue me. You don’t have that hideous looking rigid fork that most people put on where they do a drop bar hardtail conversion. I’m curious as to how this thing actually rides and what is the goal of the bike. Looks like a full on race bike but the geometry looks more adventure type. 

[Shebeen]

On 3/17/2025 at 1:38 PM, 'Kaze Pete said:

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?

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0614/8826/7429/files/AV_Roam_Main_Features_1_MB.png?v=1740989862

[Sid the Sloth]

On 3/18/2025 at 5:03 PM, Jbr said:

Maybe also a feature of the size 54 (in combination with the shallower wheels).

What tyres did you run at Ceder ? The corrugations 10km to the finish killed me there, on the 42 pathfinders, maybe with the the 47s I would have survived. In the end I didn't suffer that much from the corrugation at Race to the sun, where I had big tyres, low pressures and inserts

Sworks pathfinder 42. More compliant tyre than the pro. I also run lower pressure than you I think. I also have the mirror saddle which is softer.