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Road-ish gravel bike suggestions?

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#21 ·
BadgerOne said:
I find gravel bikes the easiest and least error-prone bike type you can buy. Even easier than commuters. It's hard to go wrong frankly.
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Timothy G. Parrish said:
3T Exploro
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I read the first statement and thought immediately that the Exploro and the Crux (and I'm sure there are others) kind of define their own segment of the gravel bike field. Shorter, nimbler, more aggressive position.... I call them Gravel Crit Bikes and they are a lot different from the longer, slower handling, more comfortable, more stable all day Gravel bikes.
 
#25 ·
Tichytpf said:
It chec
It checks all of the OPs boxes. It’s light, fast and comfortable. If one is not regularly racing or doing group rides at 36-38 kph avg or faster it’s a good enough road bike with road tires, hell, I’ve even brought mine on a 100km 38kph ride with a group when there was an issue with my road bike, on 2.0 furious Fred’s mtb tires be it.

We also have a Grail at home, and believe it or not (sounds like you just read their marketing) it is not a faster bike. It just has less tire clearance, and you’re stuck with that special handlebar, which is comfy, but not aero. The grizl can be built up as light or lighter, given a lightweight set of bars, or even aerodynamic bars. It can take clip on aero bars, and it’s more capable in the rough with the right tires. Had it been released when we got the grail we would instead have 2 Grizls…
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Sounds like you didn't read my post. There is a NEW Grail coming out (prolly in the next month or so) and it seems like it would match OP req. better than the Grizl. And: no hoverbar.
 
#26 ·
smartyiak said:
Sounds like you didn't read my post. There is a NEW Grail coming out (prolly in the next month or so) and it seems like it would match OP req. better than the Grizl. And: no hoverbar.
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Yes, maybe more optimal; we will see. But there are very few cons with the current Grizl. Sure it steers a bit slower than most road bikes, but not at all floppy like many gravel bikes I test rode before settling on it.
Mines sitting somewhere at 8-8.5kg with mtb tires, with road tires I’m sure it’d drop below 8.. I’m certain the OP won’t go wrong with it :)
 
#27 ·
The Cervelo Aspero fits your wish list to a "T"--uncertain on what you consider high priced though. I have an extra wheel set (DT350s on Roval rims) for the road. Love it!

Cervelo is owned by Pon Holdings (who also owns Santa Cruz & several other brands). They offer a lifetime warranty to the original owner.
 
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Discussion starter · #28 ·
BadgerOne said:
I find gravel bikes the easiest and least error-prone bike type you can buy.
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yeah, given that everyone seems to love their particular gravel bike looks like this may be the answer!

Thanks all for the suggestions. Probably going to come down to what I can find locally or ship here (HI) without too much extra cost. Also considering buying a frame and building it up, looks like there are some deals to be found on the big $$ items like groupsets and wheels and shipping a frame is significantly cheaper than a complete bike.
 
#29 ·
StressStrain said:
Ibis Hakka MX. It's a great cross between a gravel bike and a road bike. 17.x lbs without the water and tools:

View attachment 2051315
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The Hakka MX is looking more and more like my next gravel bike.

To the OP, my only additional advice is to avoid Niner bikes. The brand is in a tailspin, and if you do have a problem, good luck getting any form of warranty support from them.
 
#30 ·
FrankS29 said:
The Hakka MX is looking more and more like my next gravel bike.

To the OP, my only additional advice is to avoid Niner bikes. The brand is in a tailspin, and if you do have a problem, good luck getting any form of warranty support from them.
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I'm riding a Hakka now. Seems to do great on the road and geo is more to the road side vs heavy trail/adventure on the gravel bike spectrum. It's not all stretched and has a reasonable wheelbase. HA isn't all slack at 72 degrees. I'm looking to buy a second wheelset with road tires. Also check out the Santa Cruz Stigmata (before the very recent refresh) as it has similar geometry.
 
#32 ·
StressStrain said:
Holler if you have any questions.

BTW I am not paid in any way by Ibis to promote the Hakka - I just love it. :)
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I’ve been obsessing over geo charts for a long time trying to find a future replacement for my 2017 RLT 9 RDO.

I have a size 56 RLT and it has always felt slightly big to me. The size 55 Hakka MX addresses pretty much all of little nit picks of the RLT, on paper.

At this point it really is nit picking and just wanting to perfectly dial in my fit. But the slightly steeper STA, slightly shorter reach and TT, and the longer seat tube is actually appealing.

I want to do some basic bike packing next year, and the extra front triangle space would be nice.

The Hakka MX also comes with the Enve fork that I just put on my RLT after the stock fork cracked.

The Enve fork rides so much nicer that the stock Niner fork.

So to have it come stock on the new bike is a nice bonus.
 
Discussion starter · #37 ·
#39 ·
wolfmw said:
Looking to potentially modernize and streamline the fleet by replacing my older (but very light and full Dura-Ace) road bike and hacked together gravel frankenbike with one bike. n+1-2 = more garage space.

Would be ridden on mostly "roads", but surfaces that vary from fresh smooth, flat tarmac to very steep, sh!tty, rutted out abandoned gravel roads. Not planning to ride on actual singletrack, I have enough other bikes for that.

Looking for something that:
  • is light (<20 lb with appropriate wheels/components)
  • has good ride quality to absorb some vibration, but not interested in suspension (or am I?)
  • responsive enough to not feel like a dog on smooth pavement
  • can support up to at least 700x45mm tires, more clearance for more options preferred
  • has 2x drivetrain to cover range from fast roads to steep rough climbs (change my mind)
  • is comfortable enough for long (4-6 hr) rides
  • isn't stupid expensive

Does such a thing exist? Or should I just stick a more MTB-ish "gravel" bike and keep the road bike?

I see a lot of things I would have called gravel bikes (or cyclocross, or hybrid, or a few other names over the years...) being marketed as "all-road" or "adventure" bikes now. Seems more like what I'm after than a hardtail with drop bars but they're all over the traditional "road bike with 30mm tires" <-> "XC hardtail with drop bars" spectrum.

What's the new hotness out there these days?
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Based on the above, you're kind of asking a lot of the class IMO. Many of the do-it-all utility gravel bikes tend to be 1x, pushing 20+ pounds. The racier types tend to be capped ~38c clearances, and are less concerned with off road ride quality. A good comparison (in my mind) is the gravel bike vs cyclocross ala Specialized Diverge and Crux. First one is a road-type bike made for gravel pursuits, the second is a bike made for racing that has been appropriated for gravel. Another good example is the Lauf Seglia vs a 3T Exploro; one is 'classic' gravel, the other is meant to go fast on gravel.

Based on what you're looking for, going with a Diverge-type bike is probably your best bet. I've a had a few in the past, they're terrific bikes. But the roadie in me always found them a bit odd on trail stuff, so I always moved on from them. I repurposed a Sirrus X into a flat bar graveler, couldn't be happier with how it's turned out for me. And that's what's key; what is going to tick enough boxes for you. Good luck!!!
 
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