Cheap gravel type bike

[ssray]

bought this (yesterday,but I've been on a ferry to Dublin since 0215)

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/road-bike-triban-rc-...



I wanted a gravel type bike for a while, but when I went to see the he local shop and suggested a budget,he said can you double it?? I said no.

They are currently £249, it's not a proper gravel bike, but it's going to do a bit of road work and we have lots of canal paths, I'm not looking for a out and put cyclo-cross bike(not Flexi enough) I was surprised I was a size small, not ridden it yet as it's in the back of the car

[Fundoreen]

Good idea, If I had the room I would buy several more bikes as they are quite good value at the moment.

[GraemeP]

If you’re going to use in an environment for gravel bikes (or some of the more tame trails mountain bikes would use), I’d seek out a second hand bike with disk brakes. Genesis or something else build on these shores would be a good bet?

[ssray]

So far I've only been out 3 times and only a few miles each time, I'm kinda unfit (again)
It's much more comfortable than my trek hybrid, I was concerned that being a unfit 55yr old that any drop bar bike would just kill my neck, back etc but it's quite good.
It's much better at dealing with bumps etc, not much if any wider tyres than on the trek.

I just need to get out and go further now

It's only got one front cog, if I keep up with this cycling lark I'll get the next step up one that has a larger range of gears and carbon forks

[frisbee]

A lot of drop bar bikes don't actually have any drop to the bars. So you get a similar torso angle to a flat bar bike but a lot more hand positions.

[Zigster]

I’ve looked at that gearing on that Decathlon bike and I hope you don’t live anywhere hilly. Other than that, it seems a bargain.