Gravel roader VS road bike

[Charl Dreyer]

Good day, I am new to the group but glad I found you. I use to cycle during Willie Engelbrecht and Andrew McLean era so it has been a long time since and it seems that a lot has changed. I don't even see Hanson bikes on the market anymore and that is why I need your assistance please? 

I am looking to get back into it but not serious racing even that I know myself, I always push myself to the limits. 

I was wondering what to look at w

hen buying a bike as a good entry level bike and why not buy a gravel roader with a a set of road bike wheels? 

Please give me your honest opinions? 

Regards

Charl

[Guest Mike Dewing]

Welcome.. 

so you can buy an endurance road bike and set it up with carbon road wheels and a wider tire more tread lite gravel wheels(probably alloys the bike came with🤷🏼‍♂️) clearance is quite good these days. 

Or buy a gravel bike, in my opinion you mad to not look at the new outer cycles Rora 1 or 2.. and you can put some skinnier tires on that as well for road probably🤷🏼‍♂️. Or 35/40/45 and just ride that for everything 😅 I’m going to do that one day I think🤣

gravel is awesome and gravel bikes are awesome.. get one.! ☠️
 

 

Edited November 23, 2025 by Mike Dewing

[Prince Albert Cycles]

My first question to you would be ; where do you intend riding , are your roads safe , do you have options besides riding on the road . 

[Charl Dreyer]

Roads here in Mosselbay is in good condition but when going out there is a lot of nice gravel roads meeting up with tar roads. 

[Charl Dreyer]

On 11/23/2025 at 11:42 AM, Mike Dewing said:

Welcome.. 

so you can buy an endurance road bike and set it up with carbon road wheels and a wider tire more tread lite gravel wheels(probably alloys the bike came with🤷🏼‍♂️) clearance is quite good these days. 

Or buy a gravel bike, in my opinion you mad to not look at the new outer cycles Rora 1 or 2.. and you can put some skinnier tires on that as well for road probably🤷🏼‍♂️. Or 35/40/45 and just ride that for everything 😅 I’m going to do that one day I think🤣

gravel is awesome and gravel bikes are awesome.. get one.! ☠️
 

 

Thanks for the the welcome and insight. I just looked at the Rora and it seems like a very nice bike and package,was not aware of them. What is your thought on the Avalanche Roam carbon Fibre for basic the same price? 

[Guest Mike Dewing]

4 minutes ago, Charl Dreyer said:

Thanks for the the welcome and insight. I just looked at the Rora and it seems like a very nice bike and package,was not aware of them. What is your thought on the Avalanche Roam carbon Fibre for basic the same price? 

The Avalanche frame looks pretty cool, Personally I would rather have the Shimano GRX..  the ltwoo groupset on the Avalanche is Chinese.. I believe it’s hit or miss, it’ll either be pretty good unproblematic or will break and be a nightmare very quickly🤷🏼‍♂️.. I wouldn’t take the gamble.. and I like an alloy gravel bike.. 

[Guest Mike Dewing]

15 minutes ago, Charl Dreyer said:

Thanks for the the welcome and insight. I just looked at the Rora and it seems like a very nice bike and package,was not aware of them. What is your thought on the Avalanche Roam carbon Fibre for basic the same price? 

https://www.cyclelab.com/product/1018817-bike-gravel-carb-slvback-se:-series-gr-cf-11-my26?utm_campaign=23284210285&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=&utm_term=&adgroupid=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23274919650&gbraid=0AAAAADRhh0W5MVsInOLoPivf4YwxEEsEX&gclid=Cj0KCQiAoZDJBhC0ARIsAERP-F8-8tSVebd3YrK6iec4BFB0NQNowZv17JC29P8b2F5H9pD_PwC0RS4aAjamEALw_wcB
 

if you must have carbon I think I would rather get the silverback with apex groupset.. 

[Super Sywurm]

There is the carbon Merida Silex 4000 for R36000 at the moment.  

https://bike-addict.co.za/products/merida-silex-4000-2025

[Charl Dreyer]

13 hours ago, Mike Dewing said:

The Avalanche frame looks pretty cool, Personally I would rather have the Shimano GRX..  the ltwoo groupset on the Avalanche is Chinese.. I believe it’s hit or miss, it’ll either be pretty good unproblematic or will break and be a nightmare very quickly🤷🏼‍♂️.. I wouldn’t take the gamble.. and I like an alloy gravel bike.. 

Thank you very much, that's is why there is people like you to educate people like me which is outdated. 

I want to avoid a speed trap like that please and stay away from the Chinese products. 

[Guest Mike Dewing]

1 minute ago, Charl Dreyer said:

Thank you very much, that's is why there is people like you to educate people like me which is outdated. 

I want to avoid a speed trap like that please and stay away from the Chinese products. 

Look the rora may be new but it’s made by the Lynne guys and they know their stuff and build quality components. That being said it’s a new bike so can’t tell you if it will fall apart in 5 years.. I don’t think it will.. quite the opposite actually.. I want one over pretty much everything right now.. 

 

but you can do Merida, Scott, Cannondale, trek, there’s bikes in that price range from all of them.. just have to look at what wheels groupset headset bars etc it comes with.. but anyone would be pretty good for anyone buying them.. and ones going to jump out at you.. buy that one..🥳🤘🏻

[Charl Dreyer]

Thank you very much I will certainly look into them. Which group sets and rims should I avoid? 

[Charl Dreyer]

1 hour ago, Charl Dreyer said:

Thank you very much, that's is why there is people like you to educate people like me which is outdated. 

I want to avoid a speed trap like that please and stay away from the Chinese products. 

What group sets should I avoid? 

Is carbon stronger than aluminum? 

[Guest Mike Dewing]

2 minutes ago, Charl Dreyer said:

What group sets should I avoid? 

Is carbon stronger than aluminum? 

Chinese ltwoo if you don’t want potential warrantee issues straight out the box. There’s probably others but I don’t of them off hand..  it happens unfortunately, or you’ll never have  a problem at all.. stick to shimano or sram and you’ll more than likely be good for a long time and the lower end mechanical groupsets are actually incredibly good now.. 

High grade carbon is lighter, stiffer and can be made into more aero dynamic shapes.

But.! At that price I would have a solid alloy frame over entry level carbon.. there are varying grades of carbon and then the way it’s laid up and resin quality.. high end carbon frame alone can cost 100k you know.. so a cheaper carbon frame is exactly that.. cheap.. and actually can be quite heavy.. 

[droo]

15 hours ago, Charl Dreyer said:

Roads here in Mosselbay is in good condition but when going out there is a lot of nice gravel roads meeting up with tar roads. 

Mosselbaai? Gravel bike for sure. There's way too much good gravel out there to limit yourself to road, especially if you're not racing.

Definitely look at the Outer Rora, IMO the best bang for buck on the market at the moment, You will find other bikes in that price range but very few with the same spec.

Groupset - GRX RX600 and up would be my preference, but SRAM Apex / Rival is also decent if you get along with the shifters (I don't, but that's just a preference thing - give it a test if you can.)

Make sure you get something with decent tyre clearance - a lot of the older bikes will only take 40c, rather aim for 45 or 50.

And test as many bikes as you can before you buy. Mates' bikes, shop demos if you can, anything to get an idea of what's out there.

[Super Sywurm]

15 minutes ago, Charl Dreyer said:

What group sets should I avoid? 

Is carbon stronger than aluminum? 

When it says Shimano or Sram, you are most probably safe, I'm not so up to date with all the group sets. 

But the Ltwoo is the reason why I did not look at the Avalance.

[Guest Mike Dewing]

🤣🤣🤣 just buy a rora 2 please and then tell us all how amazing it is.! ❤️❤️❤️