(yet more) Gravel Bike recommendations

[Indie66]

Mrs Indie has a lovely, light, reliable (but 10 year old) drop bar road bike that she rides regularly with friends. On Sunday a new member of the coffee & cake group turned up with a Giant Liv devote advanced and now her ‘old’ bike is very much out of favour and she ‘needs’ a disc braked, gravel bike … our local Herefordshire lanes are properly cut up so it (mostly) makes sense. Her existing aluminium frame won’t take any more than 25mm tyres so it looks like we’re shopping. My own bike fleet owes more to perceived eBay/Facebook bargains than diligent research so I have some questions for the Hive mind…

She doesn’t have a cycle to work scheme so it won’t be new but I’m hoping a lightly used (covid) bike will pop up so would anyone have any recommendations for drop bar bike(s) I can look out for that would be most suitable for 90% road use in a 48 – 50 cm frame size that would take a 32(ish) mm tyre. Thanks.

[gmackay2]

Try having a search for one of the women's specific Boardman ADV's like this:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126627014715?_nkw=board...

here is a smaller frame one:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/176532218509?_nkw=board...

^^^^^This era of women's ADV bikes comes with TRP Spyre brakes which are far batter than the ones fitted to these newer versions like this one:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116288261043?_nkw=board...

So I would look for examples like those in the first 2 links rather than the last one, purely because of the brakes.

Otherwise, the kit is largely the same:
9spd sora
carbon fork
own brand wheels with G one tyres.

Other option might be a women's specific Specialized Diverge.

Edited by gmackay2 on Wednesday 21st August 11:21

[random_username]

How tall is Mrs Indie?

I have a lightly used (but non COVID) gravel bike that I have been meaning to sell for a fair while which might fit the brief - it's pretty much the same as :

https://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-malt-g2p-tiagr...

Size 53cm which would suit 5'4 to about 5'9 or so

[stargazer30]

You don't "need" disc brakes. Not unless you want to stop on a steep descent quickly in the rain. Having said that they do allow for wider tyres and all gravel bikes have them. Try to avoid cable actuated discs though, those can be worse than rim brakes, stick to hydraulic.

A used boardman ADV 8.9 will see you good or any bike of similar spec - aluminium frame, hydraulic discs and a decent tyre clearance. If the Mrs is used to road bike, best stick to a 2x gear setup, 1x is less hassle but you loose a bit top end speed. Just make sure she knows it will be slightly harder to pedal than her roadie due to the extra weight and drag from the tyres.

[Indie66]

Thank you for the very helpful replies. Now all I have to do is find a Boardman in an 'acceptable' colour !

Mrs Indie is just over 5ft tall (but perfectly formed!) so anything over 50cms will be too much of a stretch, sadly.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Indie66 said:

Thank you for the very helpful replies. Now all I have to do is find a Boardman in an 'acceptable' colour !

I have one in orange. Think it looks great.