hi all,

any suggestions on a good gravel/adventure bike?

I’ve seen the Genesis CDF30 vs the Light Blue Robinson.

I’ve seen on other posts that the Light Blue Robinson may not be able to fit 45″ tyers with mudguards. how much of a deal breaker is this?

The only real requirement for me is that it’s steel (I’m into sustainability and carbon and aluminium use too much embodied energy)

I’d hope for that price I’d get X10/X11 AND hydro disks but you seem to get one or the other… any suggestions on this would be great.

Pref UK but European is fine… Def not US (air miles thing)…

thanks

Simon

The Robinson has a max tyre size of 700*32C according to their site.

I reckon 40c is the minimum for a “that sort of bike” IMHO

Steel and “gravel”, have a look at the Jamis Renegade series, there are 2 steel bikes in the range. I have the cheaper one and love it!

Pref UK but European is fine… Def not US (air miles thing)…

they’ll all be made in Tawian, so don’t let the location of the design office sway you.

they’ll all be made in Tawian, so don’t let the location of the design office sway you.

Yep, true for almost all but the upper end of custom bling. Even then, almost all of the components will have travelled.

Specialized sequoia.

Or go full custom if you can’t bear to have it come here on a plane

Interesting conundrum given your environmental concerns when almost certainly any stock bike you buy will have been manufactured and assembled in China, regardless of brand/ stated country of origin. If that’s the priority then you’re probably limited to a steel frame from a UK, small-scale builder.

By 45″ tyres assume you mean 45mm with ‘guards? That’s a big ask for any frame with 700c wheels, the compromise being a longer wheelbase, slacker frame angles and more stable handling – OK for laden touring but less for whipping the local singletrack

if you can’t bear to have it come here on a plane

Ship. Very few bikes are delivered via air freight. My gnarmac bike was. 🙂

Well, if you will go and fetch it…

Cotic Escapade and build it up to your required specification .

Pref UK but European is fine… Def not US (air miles thing)…

What groupset are you going to put on it, is there one made in europe?

It seems crazy to be picky about where the frame is shipped from when you’ll be happy to stick a groupset, and everything else, on it that was made in the far east

What about Ti? Then there’s always ‘The Thread’:

Tripster ATR finally built up – lush!

Maybe Enigma Ecroix. Ti or Steel

http://www.enigmabikes.com/bikes/versatility/enigma-ecroix-st/

I’ll just butt in here to say that I had never come across the Light Blue before, and I’m quite impressed.

When I’m next in the market…

I quite like the look of Bombtrack bikes.

One of theirs is steel with lots of clearance

In Review: Bombtrack Hook EXT – Cyclocross Geometry with Mountain Bike Aspirations

Thanks, indeed an environmental conundrum. I like biking though so may need to look over it… the trade-offs we try to make eh?

Seems such a shame that a sport that ties itself so much to nature is so destructive of it…

The advice here (as ever) is impeccable so thanks to all

and yes, I did mean 45mm.

@ Matts

I think I have read somewhere that titanium is appalling environmentally. Although it is abundant, the resources to extract it and turn it into shiny bicycles are huge. Against that, they should last for ever (subject to the ever changing standards of the bicycle industry)

Surely second hand is the best option from a sustainability perspective

Fargo has the clearances and I’d imagine is one of the more readily available second hand options that does (?Singular Gryphon ?has mudguard mounts). One on ebay just now. Rides just like dovebiker says.
Bombtrack Beyond might suit otherwise but I don’t think 1x or hydro as built.

There is also a Fargo on eBay at the moment too. Second hand is definitely the way to go if you have environmental concerns. Recycle the cycle!

For larger tyres, I was personally rather taken with the Genesis Vagabond.

Surely second hand walking is the best option from a sustainability perspective

Non?

Walking isn’t a very good option for a bike ride.

It depends how steep it is

Shand will have something ideal for you. I’d check them out. Long ish wait though

Kona Sutra Ltd … (mine will be for sale once the wait mentioned above is finally over)

I don’ think that a cdf will take 40mm tyres. Or if it does it won’t have alot of room left over for mud. 45mm with mud guards just no way. I think the bikes that get near are the specialized AWOL, Specialized Seqouia and Kona Sutra LTD. The AWOL might work for you It looks like its 1×11 and hydro. I wanted a road bike that could go off road, not a rigid off road bike. I think the AWOL would work well as an offroad bike

But 35mm and 38mm seem fine to me, round here, for my uses. Your mileage may vary

I do have a photo of the chain stay to tyre gap on a CDF with 35mm tyres if you are intrested

OP either you don’t own a car and therefore the emissions from making you a bike would still keep you quite low in foot print in world terms

Or you do own a car. In which case the emissions of making a bike that you say keep for 10 years are back ground noise

I quite like the look of Bombtrack bikes.

One of theirs is steel with lots of clearance

https://www.cxmagazine.com/review-bombtrack-hook-ext-cyclocross-geometry-with-fat-27-5-tires-adventure-gravel

Like. Also the Bombtrack Beyond. Bit spendy though

rather taken with the Genesis Vagabond.

+1 Sticking with the Vagabond personally, but wouldn’t call it a gravel bike so much as an ‘ATB’. Is basically a (27lb stock build) cromo 29er rigid mtb with drop bars. I love it.

AWOL works for me

My Amazon will take 1.75″ tyres (44.5mm). Ti, though so not the steel you were looking for and though a Dutch company, the frames are actually manufactured in the Far East.