Hey all, I’ve got an interesting conundrum I’m trying to solve that the community might be able to help me with. I’m looking for a new gravel race bike… but one with more endurance than aggressive geometry. A bad skiing accident left me with nerve damage in one leg and I’ve come to learn the racier geo leads to nagging injuries due to muscles compensating, etc. etc. Long story, can get into it if necessary, but key thing is I’m looking for a more upright gravel bike that’s fun to race and has at least a 50mm tire clearance.
My current bike is the 2023 Canyon Grail CF SL 8.0. One full season of training/racing on it left me with about 8 months of PT to get back properly riding – so that’s the baseline of too aggressive (stack-to-reach ratio of 1.44:1).
The first gravel bike I had was a 2019 Specialized Diverge Expert, which I rode with no issues for three years (stack-to-reach ratio of 1.6:1).
After spending a fair amount of time comparing geometries on bikeinsights.com, I’m zeroing in on some options – Giant Revolt, Trek Checkpoint, Rodeo Labs Trail Donkey, Otso Waheela, and the Salsa Warbird (doesn’t match tire clearance, but have an in on great deal). Maybe the Grizl?
If anyone has ridden these, I’d love to hear your thoughts on them! And if anyone has other ideas for bikes that fit what I’m looking for, I am all ears. Thanks all!
Hard to make recommendations without seeing you on a bike. Others can chime in about the bikes you listed, That said, sounds to me like you may want to bite the bullet and get a custom build, perhaps in Ti. That way you can to teh seat angle you need with the slack (69/70/) head angle, and still run 50mm tires. Yeah, it’ll not be cheap. But beats being in PT.
I don’t race, more like bimble around back country gravel roads., but I had a Checkpoint which had a geometry which allowed me to ride all day without discomfort. I traded it for a Curve Ti which is like riding around on a sofa. Next level comfort. If your budget permits, seriously, try Titanium.
An update on this: Ended up going with the Otso Waheela C. More upright geometry and more adjustable bars should help a good bit. Depending on whether it comes in time, might be able to ride it in an 85 mile race at the end of the month, which would rather quickly inform me as to whether I’m on the right track with things.
I am currently riding a Grail. Was the different geo the deciding factor for you? I wish I had gone with the Grizl, or had done a little more research because the Grail is def a rough ride.
Presumably you have gotten a good bike fit? That’s where I would start. Probably not what you want to hear, but speaking from experience: If you find you have a physical issue that is exacerbated by off-the-shelf geometry, custom can do wonders. My DeSalvo Builder’s Special is the best gravel bike and the best road bike I’ve ever owned, simply because an intelligent human being laid out the geometry for my strange proportions and riding tendencies. Framesets are qualitatively similar in price to (say) a Warbird — except you get to have a fun experience and get a frame that fits you like a glove.
I appreciate the feedback! Hadn’t heard of DeSalvo bikes before, I’ll definitely check them out. And I have gotten a bike fit since I have the somewhat unusual injury, which was a big part in narrowing it down to the frame geo itself as the culprit. Learning to manage this particular issue has been quite the adventure over the years
The different geo was probably the biggest factor in the decision, I’d say. Some other significant factors that I went into the decision included tire clearance (53mm tires being a bit more cush than 42s) and the adjustability that the Waheela allowed since it doesn’t have a proprietary cockpit and whatnot like the Grail and Revolt.
Can’t speak to your biomechanics, but having just got a new gravel bike I can give some broader thoughts. After 3 years on a Focus Atlas, I have moved to a Santa Cruz Stigmata for the following reasons and have found it noticeably more comfortable:
