Hi folks! I am a newbie to gravel and have an opportunity to get a bike and start exploring - I’ve been a road cyclist for 15 years and have been itching to expand where I can get to and the adventures I can have.
I need a gravel bike that is fast, because that’s something I really gravitate to (speed) but I know about 1/100000 less than most people seem to on here about the tech side of bikes. Basically I want a bike between better than basic, but not crazy-you-only-buy-this-if-you’re-amateur-racing-or-super-fancy. Something I can rely on for years that is FUN.
There are about 1,000,000 options out there so my ADHD mind is getting bogged down and a bit paralyzed re: next steps.
I would recommend looking at a previous generation Crux. With the release of the Crux 5 the previous gen still has stock around for clearance prices (not sure if that’s universal) and you’ll get a highly versatile very enjoyable bike. Fast enough that all the Specialized athletes were riding them until a month or two ago.
Unless you’re looking for a specific name for the downtube, you may want to take a look at Marin Headlands 3. Spec includes 3 Sram Rival 1x, great tire clearance and all for $5k. Upgrade the wheels and it’ll likely go as fast as you can crank it.
No specific recommendations, as I don’t know what your gravel looks like, but I would stay clear of race bikes, and think more about comfort, as that will likely be faster, unless your gravel is buttery smooth.
If your gravel is rough, something with bigger tyres would be sensible. If your gravel is smooth, or you’ll do a lot of tarmac to link up gravel sections, the big tyre trend may not be worth pursuing (bear in mind though that it doesn’t need to be that rough for bigger tyres to become an advantage).
Forget aero, and go for something designed to be comfortable. It might not feel fast from the point of view of being snappy/ultra reactive, but it will help you zip over that rough ground faster.
with that in mind, something like a Crux suggested by Jase could be a good benchmark. Or, if you fancy something a bit different, versatile and old school in appearance look at things like the Fairlight Secan.
Thanks @JC1979 - your insights are much appreciated. It will be gravel that is pretty smooth with tarmac linking it up (Eastern Townships, etc in Quebec) so if Crux is a good benchmark, then I’ll keep looking into that. But am open to other recommendations! So will check out Fairlight too. I am in Canada though, so not as easy to get my hands on all the bikes, because, less stuff here generally.
I’ve been very happy with my latest generation Trek Checkpoint as a really good all rounder - big tyre clearance, in frame storage for spares, not to much complicated integration and just a pleasant all round ride. I’ve used it all the way from 500+ km ultras to just blasting around local gravel tracks and fields and it’s never let me down
Started on a Giant Toughroad GX (aluminum, an awesome tank of a bike that I completed maybe my most challenging ride ever on). Moved on to the Giant Revolt Advanced for a couple of generations. Then picked up an ENVE MOG, which I stuck with for years because I couldn’t possibly imagine a gravel bike making me any happier or feeling any better than that MOG. Curiosity got the better of me and I recently purchased an Orbea Terra Race, which is their ‘racey’ and ‘aero’ gravel bike. I fell in love with this bike from the first pedal stroke. It’s got pure road-race bike efficiency and nimbleness on pavement, and it feels just as good on unpavement, too. It’s a bike that I would gladly ride (and have ridden) purely paved epics on, just because it feels so nice. A lot of my long gravel rides are 60 miles of unpaved glory, sandwiched between 15 paved miles out and 15 paved miles back. I wanted a bike where those 30 miles of out-n-back would be fast, frisky, and fun. The Terra Race is definitely just that bike. I couldn’t be happier with my purchase.
As a nice bonus, Orbea does free custom paint, and you can choose your cockpit 'n crank dimensions, as well as choose from a selection of wheels and other parts, and the pricing is excellent. My Force 1x13 bike, equipped with a top notch cockpit and their best set of carbon wheels came to a little over $7000. Not a small amount of money, but a cracking deal compared to most other brands (and most importantly, money be darned, the bike is a ton of fun).
Room for 50 mm tires or wider - you might start racing, you might start bikepacking. Either way, you’ll want clearance for wide rubber. It gives you options frames with more limited clearance close off.
Find a bike that has a decent number of accessory mounts. Triple bottles, top tube bag, maybe rack eyelets? Mounts add a little weight but increase the versatility of a bike dramatically. They’re worth it. More brands should include them.
If you want something you can rely on for years, look for threaded bottom brackets, brake hose routing that does not enter through the headset, and separate bar/stems. This may be hard to find now. This gives me the sads.
Think about metal. Carbon is great, but metal might help meet your better-than-basic-but-not-crazy price range (exception: Ti) and are often highly durable. I’m on year five with a Trek Checkpoint ALR I built up with other parts. Mostly love it. Downsides as you know: heavier, less options for aero.
I wouldn’t stress too much about fast for a frame. As you know, fast comes from you (your fitness and also your fit). Focus on a frame that fits your other expressed values and gets you in an efficient position that doesn’t harm your ability to produce optimal power (another vote for separate bar/stem rather than one-piece). That said, take extra time with tire choices. Find a tread pattern that really works for your local dirt and riding style, and if you have several good options that’s the time to look at stuff like rolling resistance. Wheels? Yes, you should have some.
What’s your budget for a new bike? That will determine a lot of what you would want to look at.
Decathlon has some very solid gravel bikes around $2000 CAD. Unless you have something quite specific in mind, they will likely serve you well for a long time. In general, if you care about value for money, I would stay away from bigger brands like Specialized and Trek. They spend a fortune on advertising, and that gets paid for by the amount you spend on your bike. A company like Canyon will be much better value, but you likely won’t be able to try one out beforehand.
If you’re near Montreal, Quebec City or Gatineau, those cities all have several great shops that could point you towards a solution. This is a pretty good time of year to buy a new bike, since many shops are clearing out inventory.
While many people on here love to suggest bikes that cost similar to a nice used car, you can get a very fun, very fast bike for a lot less than that. You certainly don’t need to spend $10k (or $5k) to meet your described goals!
Hey @Michael_Lock thank you so much for the in-depth and fun read - and great advice, this is a bike that I’ve heard really good things about from a few sources now. It really sounds like what I am looking for. The fact that you have the BEST COLOUR and your bike looks like it desperately wants to go for some spins doesn’t hinder its likability either. Cheers!
Thanks @Dolphin ! I really appreciate the advice! Canyon seems like it has some great options so I am definitely checking out their fleet (is that a term? lol)
I love my Canyon Grizl! It makes me smile every time I ride it. 45mm tires are great around town where the tarmac isn’t perfect and I love linking up fire roads and easy dirt.
I’ve done longer gravel rides but unless you know the trails are going to stay within your comfort zone, I’d often prefer my hardtail for comfort and safety. I don’t have a big tire gravel bike, but I can imagine they’re good for bigger adventures off-road, able to manage the unexpected.
There was a thread a while back about what gravel tires folks here were running. With all the talk about 2.2 inch tires being faster in the media, I was surprised that most folks were running the same thing: 45c tires with light tread. It seems that for most of us, our rides are a mix of pavement and gravel. A tire like that is the best compromise and works pretty darn well on both.
Indeed, however I would argue that if new to gravel, 45c is a good option and starting point, but that they should get a bike that can accept at least 50c, maybe 54, to allow for the running of bigger tyres. Better to have the option of fitting wider tyres and not end up doing so than not having the option and wishing you could.
