Advice / help buying a road bike and a gravel bike ,please
Discussion
Hi
I have been away from road cycling for around 8 yrs and want to get back in to it now .
Lots of things have moved on especially it seems is the cost .
Keeping it simple I would like some advice on what sort of bike you would look at if
1 : you had around £2500 to £3 K to spend on an rd bike , I dont mind second hand and also not sure if I want disc or not although I will be wanting to keep this bike for a long time , so thinking discs may be a better choice just due to it seems all rd bikes are now going disc . The bike will be my best bike and I will want to use it for more endurance type riding but also would like to be able to push along when needed , but would also like it for climbing ? ( so I suppose im really saying an all rounder ) . But I do like the carbon wheel look and would like it to have carbon wheels if poss .
Canyon ribble or giant seem the most popular but im open to anything really , it seems like you can order a decent new bike for very similar money as a second hand one , I am putting this down to Covid and global supply issues with some companies giving waiting times of nearly a yr from ordering WTF !!
I wont be using the bike in bad weather or heavy rain etc and will mainly be using it abroad in Spain , so disc brakes are not a must but are they worth it ?
Im not over concerened on being ultra light but the lighter the better as I want to be climbing some hills / mountains and taking it abroad for cycling holidays .
2 : I am looking for an " gravel " or cyclocross bike to use as my main hack toy in the UK and was thinking about spending around £1000 to £1500 on something , I wont be using it on UK roads much more bridal paths and south downs type terrain . What sort of make etc would you recommend please .
I am all a bit lost with it all to be honest and the market seems very strange not much really cheap stuff then all compressed and again buying new again would seem the sensible option IF you could get them . I dont really want to wait a yr or until things become " Normal " again if they ever will .
But I seem to be just going round in circles .
Many thanks for any advice or replies
D
I have been away from road cycling for around 8 yrs and want to get back in to it now .
Lots of things have moved on especially it seems is the cost .
Keeping it simple I would like some advice on what sort of bike you would look at if
1 : you had around £2500 to £3 K to spend on an rd bike , I dont mind second hand and also not sure if I want disc or not although I will be wanting to keep this bike for a long time , so thinking discs may be a better choice just due to it seems all rd bikes are now going disc . The bike will be my best bike and I will want to use it for more endurance type riding but also would like to be able to push along when needed , but would also like it for climbing ? ( so I suppose im really saying an all rounder ) . But I do like the carbon wheel look and would like it to have carbon wheels if poss .
Canyon ribble or giant seem the most popular but im open to anything really , it seems like you can order a decent new bike for very similar money as a second hand one , I am putting this down to Covid and global supply issues with some companies giving waiting times of nearly a yr from ordering WTF !!
I wont be using the bike in bad weather or heavy rain etc and will mainly be using it abroad in Spain , so disc brakes are not a must but are they worth it ?
Im not over concerened on being ultra light but the lighter the better as I want to be climbing some hills / mountains and taking it abroad for cycling holidays .
2 : I am looking for an " gravel " or cyclocross bike to use as my main hack toy in the UK and was thinking about spending around £1000 to £1500 on something , I wont be using it on UK roads much more bridal paths and south downs type terrain . What sort of make etc would you recommend please .
I am all a bit lost with it all to be honest and the market seems very strange not much really cheap stuff then all compressed and again buying new again would seem the sensible option IF you could get them . I dont really want to wait a yr or until things become " Normal " again if they ever will .
But I seem to be just going round in circles .
Many thanks for any advice or replies
D
Have you considered buying one bike with decent tyre clearance, along with 2 sets of wheels, and using it for both purposes? A lot of road bikes are moving towards being comfort / endurance focussed, and there's a fair bit of crossover in the technology - for example the specialized roubaix (road endurance) and diverge (gravel) both have the futureshock front damping.
Unless you're going all out to do the absolute most difficult off-road rides along with the purest road rides where you need absolute speed and nothing else, it might be a fair compromise?
Unless you're going all out to do the absolute most difficult off-road rides along with the purest road rides where you need absolute speed and nothing else, it might be a fair compromise?
I've got a relatively new gravel bike (with 28mm road tyres) and a 15 year old road bike (carbon, 8kg, decent wheels, aggressive position and geometry).
The road bike feels a lot quicker but is actually only marginally quicker. It's a conscious decision to take the road bike instead of just jumping on the gravel bike, the gravel bike is more comfortable and easily keeps up on club rides (unless I leave the gravel wheels on!).
I reckon a single road bike or all road bike with 28-32mm road tyres and a spare set of wheels with gravel tyres would be the way to go.
The road bike feels a lot quicker but is actually only marginally quicker. It's a conscious decision to take the road bike instead of just jumping on the gravel bike, the gravel bike is more comfortable and easily keeps up on club rides (unless I leave the gravel wheels on!).
I reckon a single road bike or all road bike with 28-32mm road tyres and a spare set of wheels with gravel tyres would be the way to go.
Doesn't that 'feels quicker than it is' mean road bike is more fun to ride on the road?
That was my experience when playing gravel for a short time. less fun than my winter trainer (same wheels) and far less than aero carbon bike.
Also - I've walked rather than ridden South downs, but doesn't the mud mean you'll need the fattest of gravel tyres to get by? Bridleways I was fine with 35mm gravel kings, though often wanted suspension...
For all rounder road bike I'd consider giant TCR as you said, or specialized tarmac (my choice) used. Looks like sl6 ultegra disc can be got for 2500. Or Ribble endurance / canyon ultimate new for a bit more.
I'd personally go to the giant/spesh shops and see what you like riding on.the mail order ones are harder to make right choice when it's been a while. And to deal with the delays...
That was my experience when playing gravel for a short time. less fun than my winter trainer (same wheels) and far less than aero carbon bike.
Also - I've walked rather than ridden South downs, but doesn't the mud mean you'll need the fattest of gravel tyres to get by? Bridleways I was fine with 35mm gravel kings, though often wanted suspension...
For all rounder road bike I'd consider giant TCR as you said, or specialized tarmac (my choice) used. Looks like sl6 ultegra disc can be got for 2500. Or Ribble endurance / canyon ultimate new for a bit more.
I'd personally go to the giant/spesh shops and see what you like riding on.the mail order ones are harder to make right choice when it's been a while. And to deal with the delays...
Edited by Dnlm on Monday 13th December 22:31
The current crop of Trek road bikes really blur the line between 'Gravel' and 'Road' bikes. There isn't really an "industry standard" for Gravel bike geometry and gearing really, so I'd be looking at something like a new Trek Émonda, or a Domane with it's IsoSpeed decouplers. Plenty fast enough, plenty of road smoothing, and good tyre clearance.
I have a rim-brake Émonda from 2015, so I'm restricted to 25mm tyres, but they're excellent bicycles.
I would very much like a new 'Gravel Bike' but a) can't afford one, and b) there aren't many available right now with all the supply issues. I'd be going more toward the "road bike with fatter tyres" route than the more focused rough terrain capability of bike sold specifically as a "gravel bike" anyway. The new bike market is a minefield at the best of times, but now more so when much of what is listed in manufacturers ranges turns out to be 'Sold Out' when you actually try to track one down...
I have a rim-brake Émonda from 2015, so I'm restricted to 25mm tyres, but they're excellent bicycles.
I would very much like a new 'Gravel Bike' but a) can't afford one, and b) there aren't many available right now with all the supply issues. I'd be going more toward the "road bike with fatter tyres" route than the more focused rough terrain capability of bike sold specifically as a "gravel bike" anyway. The new bike market is a minefield at the best of times, but now more so when much of what is listed in manufacturers ranges turns out to be 'Sold Out' when you actually try to track one down...
It would be helpful if you gave some sort of steer as to how much you think that you will be riding, perhaps by reference to what you were doing 8 years ago, to get better tailored advice.
My first thoughts are (allowing for me mis-reading or misunderstanding your post):
My first thoughts are (allowing for me mis-reading or misunderstanding your post):
Petrolhead67 said:
... you had around £2500 to £3 K to spend on an rd bike ... so I suppose im really saying an all rounder
That budget sounds plenty to me (others will think it is peanuts). You can get a decent bike, supply chain issues permitting, at Decathlon or Halfords (Boardman) for a grand. You won't get carbon wheels, but unless you are chasing speed and very fit (see point above about how much / what pace you are riding) they are only for looking at.Petrolhead67 said:
I wont be using the bike in bad weather or heavy rain etc and will mainly be using it abroad in Spain , so disc brakes are not a must but are they worth it ?
If you are only using it "in Spain" you are not going to get fit enough to enjoy it. Disc brakes are not essential, but on big mountain descents might be nicer. Would need to up the grand to a grand and half I think - try PlanetX.Petrolhead67 said:
... I am looking for an " gravel " or cyclocross bike to use as my main hack toy in the UK ... more bridal paths and south downs type terrain .
I am not a gravel bike person (yet) but what you are describing sounds like it might be better suited to a MTB. Again depends on distance, pace etc.Thank you for all your great replies .
First off sorry if my post was a bit misleading or hard to read , I don't always fully explain things properly through writing and , my punctuation etc is poor .Which means i have been told it hard to read or fully understand what I am asking .
I have come from a triathlon background up to Ironman then went Ultra running for the last 7 yrs , my fitness has always been ok ( for me ) alhough I dont like fast scary stuff like big mountain biking or hard fast mountain decents .
I am the wrong side of 55 now so not looking for super fast race everyone , only myself .
I didnt explain very well and am scared now of riding a rd bike in the UK on our roads , so the road bike will be just for Spain .
By your replies it actuals teaches me or tells me what I think I want and like you say it very hard now with so much choice and marketing saying this X bike would be best on Y tarmac gravel etc .
I think my best bet will be to go for one bike in the UK and then like said buy another set of wheels .
So Im thinking more trail as I mentioned Southdowns and north downs ways and downs link as well as all the bridelpaths etc around surrounding area , all mostly flatish . I do like the look of single 1X up front .
The alloy bikes seem good value compared to carbon , is carbon worth the extra cost ?
I have been to some bike shops but stock is so limited even with colours etc , I do quite like the Giant grail but there only one in the country and that miles from me and shop wont transfer it down for me to see .
How wide is enough for tyres do say 40s really make much difference to 33s , ive been riding around on 23 then 25s on rd bikes ? but think 33 ish may be a good place to start say 28 wheels and tyres if i do do some rd stuff and then 33 plus for trail stuff ?
I think with ref to rd bike I will just hire one in Spain until I save up some more pennies .
Thank you all again for your replies and any more advice really does help me
First off sorry if my post was a bit misleading or hard to read , I don't always fully explain things properly through writing and , my punctuation etc is poor .Which means i have been told it hard to read or fully understand what I am asking .
I have come from a triathlon background up to Ironman then went Ultra running for the last 7 yrs , my fitness has always been ok ( for me ) alhough I dont like fast scary stuff like big mountain biking or hard fast mountain decents .
I am the wrong side of 55 now so not looking for super fast race everyone , only myself .
I didnt explain very well and am scared now of riding a rd bike in the UK on our roads , so the road bike will be just for Spain .
By your replies it actuals teaches me or tells me what I think I want and like you say it very hard now with so much choice and marketing saying this X bike would be best on Y tarmac gravel etc .
I think my best bet will be to go for one bike in the UK and then like said buy another set of wheels .
So Im thinking more trail as I mentioned Southdowns and north downs ways and downs link as well as all the bridelpaths etc around surrounding area , all mostly flatish . I do like the look of single 1X up front .
The alloy bikes seem good value compared to carbon , is carbon worth the extra cost ?
I have been to some bike shops but stock is so limited even with colours etc , I do quite like the Giant grail but there only one in the country and that miles from me and shop wont transfer it down for me to see .
How wide is enough for tyres do say 40s really make much difference to 33s , ive been riding around on 23 then 25s on rd bikes ? but think 33 ish may be a good place to start say 28 wheels and tyres if i do do some rd stuff and then 33 plus for trail stuff ?
I think with ref to rd bike I will just hire one in Spain until I save up some more pennies .
Thank you all again for your replies and any more advice really does help me
loskie said:
That looks very nice. As an aside, why do gravel bikes generally go for such heavily flared bars and brifters? Position of the levers looks odd to me.
David_M said:
loskie said:
That looks very nice. As an aside, why do gravel bikes generally go for such heavily flared bars and brifters? Position of the levers looks odd to me.
Road bike bars tend to be under 500mm wide, sized "for aero" and to be comfortable over endurance race distances. They're matched to rider size and shoulder width usually. MTB bars have got wider and wider over fairly recent years. 700mm plus not unusual even on "stock" basic bikes. Wide to the point where modern MTBs can't follow retro MTBs through gaps in trees, occasionally.
"Gravel" bikes need to walk a line between the two extremes. Hence the lower portion of the drop is flared quite heavily. Shoulder-width comfort with hands on the tops of the bars, a wee bit wider when on the hoods, and the big flare gives you greater effect for the application of the same amount of steering effort when flinging a bike around off road. Without wanting to teach anyone to suck eggs, try pushing on an open door to shut it, first from near the hinges (short handlebar) then push right on the edge of the open door (wide handlebar) to see how much more movement and control you get for the same application of effort.
It's similar to the reason why true "Gravel Bikes" have different geometry to road bikes with fat tyres. Comfort and handling response tuned more for tighter turns on looser surfaces, whereas road bikes tend to take wider corners on (generally speaking) smooth and well-made surfaces. You can take any bike off the tarmac onto gravel and dirt. I often ride my road bike on byways and bridleways. But you're always going to get better results when you start with a frame and components tuned to be more focused on that task, rather then pressing a less than ideal bicycle into service. "Gravel Bikes" are often mocked as a bit of "Emperor's New Clothes" tech. And that's a fair criticism for "Gravel Bikes" that aren't much different from road bikes. By the same token, though, putting drop bars on a MTB frameset is just a likely to produce a bike that will disappoint. As gravel bikes have matured and feedback has been analyzed and used to tweak frame geometry and component design we're seeing more bike sold as "Gravel Bikes" that are actually worthy of the name. You can even see the focus changing within the gravel bike genre too. Some models in the Trek Checkpoint range are, according to Trek UK's description, more "race focused" while others feature far more in the way of mounting points for bikepacking luggage so are more focused on being comfortable and reliable workhorses for multi-day excursions. The difficulty now, with so many variations on a similar theme, is to find the right bike for you, focused on being good at what it does AND matching the type of riding you do.
snobetter said:
£3k for a road bike you'll struggle to find a bad one. Try what you can and buy what feels / looks good, don't get too caught up with "the best deal".
Good advice. My example? I set my heart on a Cervelo R3 (or perhaps R5) and found one in the right size fairly local. Great service at the shop, they built the bike for me (I needed a smaller frame than the one they already had built on the shop floor) and let me take it out. But I didn't get on with it. Too "twitchy" at the front end, no confidence in the handling. They tweaked a few things for me, different stem, seat post, etc, and we tried again. Even after a third ride on it I couldn't see it ever working for me. After that I thought I needed a Bianchi in my life, but no joy with that either. So I switched to a shortlist of a few other brands and models. I found my Trek Émonda while in a shop looking at Cannondale and Giant bikes. the lad in the shop (the owner's son) almost press-ganged me into test riding the Émonda (it was the Émonda's launch year so I knew little about it beforehand) and within a couple of laps around the block it was clear that the fit was right, and it's road manners were impeccable. The only issue was that the in-budget model was green, so I "had to" find an extra £500 to move up to a higher spec model with a red frame. If you can still get test-rides these days it's the way to go about buying. I'm convinced that you'll "know" the right bike when you ride it... I Have found a few " good " companies that hire rd bikes in Spain as well as a Canyon one and De Rosa rd bike local to me , so going to try to hire and ride as many different models as possible .
I suppose this is a big issue with test rides etc and trying to make sure I buy the right model for me , hopefully I can find some places that will let me try out their bikes , before I bite the bullet . I don't want to make a mistake , especially if they all ride so differently .
I like the look of some trek stuff as well as that kinesis thanks for link , I do like the look of the flared bars .
But there are so many companies , then all the reviews etc , I get totally lost how can you choose .
How did you guys choose when buying ?
I suppose this is a big issue with test rides etc and trying to make sure I buy the right model for me , hopefully I can find some places that will let me try out their bikes , before I bite the bullet . I don't want to make a mistake , especially if they all ride so differently .
I like the look of some trek stuff as well as that kinesis thanks for link , I do like the look of the flared bars .
But there are so many companies , then all the reviews etc , I get totally lost how can you choose .
How did you guys choose when buying ?
the reviews befuddled me with information overload if I'm honest. You have a generous budget which you can probably pare down a bit and spend the excess on future upgrades.
TBH if you know what you want the bike for and stick to the main contenders you probably can't go far wrong.
I bought online through the UK cycle to work scheme, I should have bought from LBS so maybe narrow your search down by what you can buy physically, locally.
TBH if you know what you want the bike for and stick to the main contenders you probably can't go far wrong.
I bought online through the UK cycle to work scheme, I should have bought from LBS so maybe narrow your search down by what you can buy physically, locally.
Firstly your biggest issue will be stock/availability
Other than that - wahay, its new bike time!
Im a pretty committed cyclist and during the pandemic took advantage of ridiculous second hand values to rationalise the fleet
As of today I essentially have only 2 bikes. Obvs thats actually 4 but another 2 are on the way, honest
Hardcore road bike with aggressive geometry and a gravel bike
Road bike is ace, proper weight weenie racing snake with sharp handling to match and I love it
Gravel bike is a lot slacker and upright, I have 2 wheelsets for it
Off road I run 43mm GKs and its super comfy all day long
On road I have tubeless 32mm GP5000s with mudguards as its ostensibly my winter bike which I can switch over in a minute or two and its equally lush and comfy
Dare I say it, and admittedly my 'winter' wheels are decent, but Im not sure its that much slower than the best bike, esp without mudguards, and is a lot more comfortable. For the price of my winter wheels you could easily have got some low end carbon however I went for an established brand and known reliability
Having said that Im very fortunate to have both, the sense of theatre I get from TdF spec road bike is just lovely.
Cheers
numtumfutunch said:
Firstly your biggest issue will be stock/availability
Other than that - wahay, its new bike time!
Im a pretty committed cyclist and during the pandemic took advantage of ridiculous second hand values to rationalise the fleet
As of today I essentially have only 2 bikes. Obvs thats actually 4 but another 2 are on the way, honest
Hardcore road bike with aggressive geometry and a gravel bike
Road bike is ace, proper weight weenie racing snake with sharp handling to match and I love it
Gravel bike is a lot slacker and upright, I have 2 wheelsets for it
Off road I run 43mm GKs and its super comfy all day long
On road I have tubeless 32mm GP5000s with mudguards as its ostensibly my winter bike which I can switch over in a minute or two and its equally lush and comfy
Dare I say it, and admittedly my 'winter' wheels are decent, but Im not sure its that much slower than the best bike, esp without mudguards, and is a lot more comfortable. For the price of my winter wheels you could easily have got some low end carbon however I went for an established brand and known reliability
Having said that Im very fortunate to have both, the sense of theatre I get from TdF spec road bike is just lovely.
Cheers
This is exactly what I’m looking for , my road bike in Spain that even if it isn’t as quick still looks great and makes me feel quick and can pretend I was a great cyclist, going around all the routes that some of the cycling trading teams use , but 5 times slower . Plus I enjoy the Rd cycling loads , just sadly not in the UK Other than that - wahay, its new bike time!
Im a pretty committed cyclist and during the pandemic took advantage of ridiculous second hand values to rationalise the fleet
As of today I essentially have only 2 bikes. Obvs thats actually 4 but another 2 are on the way, honest
Hardcore road bike with aggressive geometry and a gravel bike
Road bike is ace, proper weight weenie racing snake with sharp handling to match and I love it
Gravel bike is a lot slacker and upright, I have 2 wheelsets for it
Off road I run 43mm GKs and its super comfy all day long
On road I have tubeless 32mm GP5000s with mudguards as its ostensibly my winter bike which I can switch over in a minute or two and its equally lush and comfy
Dare I say it, and admittedly my 'winter' wheels are decent, but Im not sure its that much slower than the best bike, esp without mudguards, and is a lot more comfortable. For the price of my winter wheels you could easily have got some low end carbon however I went for an established brand and known reliability
Having said that Im very fortunate to have both, the sense of theatre I get from TdF spec road bike is just lovely.
Cheers
It good to hear about your gravel bike and how great it is as well as some info of tyre sizes etc .
I want this to be an exciting and enjoyable time looking and then buying , but I am reluctant to spend a lot of money ( for me ) on something I can’t first try out , I don’t mind paying to hire a few different brands , but what with the current “ world situation “ that seems very unlikely?
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff