Thinking of giving a gravel bike a crack

johnny

johnny

I'll tells ya!
Staff member
So I'm thinking a gravel bike might be in my future.

I want to start riding to work again, which is about 85% bike path and 15% dirt track and flat single track - about 15-20km each way depending on which route I take. My shoulder is still pretty fucked and might be for another year yet. I think the riding position of drops (thumb forward and arms at shoulder width) will be much more comfortable for me than flats. I also figure that a lightish bike with thinner wheels will be more forgiving on the old knees than an XC bike will.

Lastly, I feel like trying something different. I don't foresee a lot of bike packing or long gravel grinds in my future , but certainly won't count it out either. There's no shortage of interesting places to ride around the ACT that would suit a gravel bike.

I'd like to keep my purchase below $2k if possible and I don't mind if I'm not running the specciest gear - SLX is fine, prob don't want to drop too low below that, but will consider options. I'd also like to consider suspension on the front as I don't think the shoulder will like too many jolts. Happy to buy new, happy to buy second hand, however the Canberra second hand market is pretty lacking, so will probably have to go new.

Any thoughts on what I should consider or how I should approach a purchase like this? My first thoughts are going to a shop and sitting on one...., night do that tomorrow.
 
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Crazy thought: Have you considered monstercross with a hardtail and either retro fit some drop bars, orrrr, maybe some alt bars like surly corner bars? The latter uses flat bar controls but gives a flared drop bars feel.
surlybikes.com

Surly Corner Bar | Dropbar Mountain Bike Handlebar

The Corner Bar allows you to try out a drop-bar hand position and ride experience while running your current mountain shifters and brake levers.
surlybikes.com surlybikes.com
 
@johnny i got a surly for the boss. Goes alright, good for doing wheelies but I built it up with flat bars, dropper and a trail wheelset. my casquette collection doesn’t warrant a drop bar and a hazy IPA tho.
Would avoid getting a suspension fork, esp if trying to keep it below 2k.
I looked at the norco search range and also bombtrack. really wanted to get a bombtrack, those things look awesome - ask @leitch about his. But the surly came in a frame only option and I had a load of old xc stuff that bolted on so went that route instead.
IMG_6191.jpeg
 
Polygon just released a new gravel bike. The Polygon Bend. Maybe worth checking out?
 
I got a Kona Rove a few years ago. At the time it came with 1x SRAM rival, cable discs, but with some nice tyres (rate the panaracer gravelking) its been a nice commuter. Run tubeless to try and avoid the roadside debris punctures.They go around 2k I think.

Kona 2023 Rove Dl Kiwi Green

You’re looking for a smooth ride across mixed terrain. Fun is the main goal. You’re a fan of steel. You have discerning taste but aren’t caught up in trends. You want a bike that looks good, rides great, and will last you a lifetime. You’re the person that buys a great product at a great price...
www.yarravalleycycles.com.au www.yarravalleycycles.com.au

Only times I wanted suspension I realised I was way past gravel biking territory into rocky and rooty singletrack. If you’re tracks need suspension I’d say just ride a mtb. I would like to try a carbon fork and/or bars. But can’t bring myself to spend more money on the dirty commuter
 
I run a carbon fork on my hard tail
mtb with some gravel wheels to commute to work. Does the job and easy to covert back to a mtb for other duties.
 
johnny said:
(Snippety). I also figure that a lightish bike with thinner wheels will be more forgiving on the old knees than an XC bike will.
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No. wheel/tyre width & bike weight have little effect on knee friendliness. Appropriate tyre tread, and more crucially how you use your gears to keep your cadence in a suitably low-load range play a much bigger role. Mashing hard at low cadence on a too-high gear is what buggers your knees, and you can do that just as badly on pizza-cutter roadie tyres as on fat lumpies.
 
I went with a Merida Silex as I wanted something with good stack height as I’m not too flexible, I would have a look on Gumtree or marketplace and grab something that someone brought during the pandemic and never used it. I paid around $1100 for mine and lady I bought it from only rode it about 4 times before giving up and getting an e-bike, all I had to do was wipe the dust off it.
There’s plenty out there, cheap too, if you’re worried about your knees maybe something that’s running 2X to help with that
 
We have three of them there gravel bikes at the moment... and we've killed two along the way... The Specialized Sequoia was the best, steel frame, great tyre clearance(ie... suspension), frame rode so well - but frame cracked and they stopped makin them, the Diverge it was replaced with.... it's not great. We have a Giant Revolt, and it is so smooth (we were doing 25 km each way commute, and the built in frame give is amazing!) We also killed the original frame on the revolt.... so, we now have a slightly newer frame... but, smooth... Smooth. The final one is a trek domane, it's a bit more road focussed and is faster with it's skinnier tyres... but, the Revolt is the best.....

We actually agree with everyones comments above this (we would love to ride a surly again).... You're more than welcome to come and take one of the fat slugs gravel bikes for a long ride.... but, we is in sydney... so, prob no help.. Oh, and the Diverge is just crap... avoid that one...

S
 
Labcanary said:
Crazy thought: Have you considered monstercross with a hardtail and either retro fit some drop bars, orrrr, maybe some alt bars like surly corner bars? The latter uses flat bar controls but gives a flared drop bars feel.
surlybikes.com

Surly Corner Bar | Dropbar Mountain Bike Handlebar

The Corner Bar allows you to try out a drop-bar hand position and ride experience while running your current mountain shifters and brake levers.
surlybikes.com surlybikes.com
Click to expand...
I do like the idea of the monstercross bikes, but I've just spent around $8-9k building a bike. Don't think my marriage could withstand another bike build (the problem in this equation is me, not her!).
 
The Duckmeister said:
No. wheel/tyre width & bike weight have little effect on knee friendliness. Appropriate tyre tread, and more crucially how you use your gears to keep your cadence in a suitably low-load range play a much bigger role. Mashing hard at low cadence on a too-high gear is what buggers your knees, and you can do that just as badly on pizza-cutter roadie tyres as on fat lumpies.
Click to expand...
After doing hard commutes for years in Sydney on an SS jump/street bike, I am pretty up to speed on all of the above - my knees fucking hate me now. My approach is just trying to make a more efficient bike so I can go faster for less effort when I commute. So tread, wheel weight, overall bike weight, etc. is something that I'd like to max as much as I can within my constraints. I do get that tyre width/friction is likely negligible when it comes to how much energy is needed to make the bike go.

If I get an XC bike, I'm going to want to spec it out like an actual MTB, and I already have a full susser trail ride and an HT trail bike. I could convert the Stache into something for commuting, but I want to go for a different rising position to see if it's easier on the shoulder. I'll be sitting on a bike tomorrow, maybe it won't be much different on the geo of a gravel bike, but I'll give it a crack.
 
Do you want a faster bike for commuting or a versatile bike for everything?

I had a Kona Sutra LTD and will regret selling it for the rest of my life. The thing was unreal. Genuinely capable on dirt and happy to roll on forever loaded up.

Sutra LTD (Kona in general) pricing has gone nuts, good alternative is a Breezer Radar X although it’s still above your budget.

If you want more road bike orientated, a Norco Search S would be easy to find second hand
 
An entry-level Giant revolt is $2.3k new. Noting your shoulder, the jump to a carbon frame is $4.5k.
Giant's Revolt X with a Rudy fork, is $6.2k.
Alternatives are Canyon Grizl, $4.9k with a suspension fork, and they appear to be sold out of their Al range.

The best bet is to scroll FB marketplace, there have been a few listed recently
 
I could loan you my On-One which is set up as a commuter with a SID fork on the front.

Would give you an indication of what a light duty mtb could do for you.
 
caad9 said:
I had a Kona Sutra LTD and will regret selling it for the rest of my life. The thing was unreal. Genuinely capable on dirt and happy to roll on forever loaded up.

Sutra LTD (Kona in general) pricing has gone nuts
Click to expand...
That’s a good distinction on the Konas. Sutra is more gravel bike / tourer leaning towards mtb. While the Rove is gravel bike / tourer leaning towards road bike. The LTD models are typically more $$ but better equipped.
 
Build up a set of light weight wheels for one of your mtbs. Stick on some gravel tyres and away you go. Canberra is not hilly so bike weight on a commute is largely irrelevant.

Spin everywhere at high candence.
 
IMG-9670.jpg

fast commuter on Tubeless 30mm tyres. will take a 32mm CX tyre too. This model Cannondale is endurance road. V. fast and comfortable and has a flat topped carbon bar that is surprisingly easy on wrists/shoulders. Also super light. Edit: Not 2k though.

IMG-7219.jpg

alloy/carbon CX commuter on 43mm tyres.
IMG-6974.jpg

Gravel/ monstercross SS commuter...yep, on Ardents. wearing out some old tyres

I do big km's and all good capable commuters on gravel /paths for the last 5 years.


If interested in a build/ 2nd hand and under 6 foot, i have an alloy frame/ carbon fork CX that takes 45mm tyres with SRAM 10 speed i am going to sell? Built but not ridden. ADL though.
IMG-9115.jpg
 
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