New job means I could commute a few times a week come Spring. Bristol to Portishead. About 12 miles. Road on way out, back lanes and gravel on the way home.
Prefer aluminium frame, dropped bars and hydraulic brakes.
Short list is;
Sonder Camino Al Apex 1
Vitus Substance VRS
Boardman 8.9 Adventure
Any others worth adding to the list?
I'd take a look at the Arkose: https://www.evanscycles.com/brand/pinnacle/arkose-3-2021-gravel-bike-915761#colcode=91576102.
I love my 2019 Arkose, but I actually think the Boardman looks like a better bike this season. Worth a test ride though.
What’s missing from my list?
Stock availability?
The Al Camino does ride very nicely though if you can get one
Polygon Bend R5? Ticks all boxes (£1250 with Go Outdoors membership card, £1260 at Millets/Blacks) with added bonus F&R racks and a dropper? Reviews are thin on the ground at this point.
I found an (owner-listed) weight in the comments of that review (25lb with pedals, spare tube, bottle cages)
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^ just don't expect to fit a front mudguard to the Merlin's.
singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/new-bike-day-guess-the-bike-edition/#post-11410307
Kona Rove?
I've got a Vitus Substance VR2 which is a slightly cheaper version of the VRS. Same frame but in blue plus a different group set. Mine is Shimano GRX 2x10. Can't fault it tbh. Only thing I think it could benefit from is the dropped bars being more flared out for off-road stuff, but most of my riding on is commuting so its not really an issue.
I would have gone for the 2x10 VRS but it wasn't in stock when I was buying so went for the VR2
Something from Planet X?
£700 gets an alloy framed Apex bike, with mechanical or £1300 with Rival & hydraulic.
The carbon Free Ranger's and Ti bikes are dearer, but at £1600 good value with Rival compared to the alloy bikes with Apex you listed.
I'm an Arkrose fan, but a mate of mine got the Polygon and can't believe the value. And most of his riding is done on Ti bikes, he likes his luxury normally.
Wife has a flat bar Camino. Very nice bike for the money.
Seems a little more forgiving than my £900 mechanically braked Specialized Diverge, which, also because it was cheap and , in spite of brakes, is actually a good fairly comfy bike, even on the odd 40 mile commute.
The brakes are the key spec item to look at on these bikes (wheel clearance as well if you want big tyres and mud guards). I looked for ages for something similar and couldn't get what i wanted without creeping up toward £1.5k.
In the end i bought a second hand but as new Norco Search. Shimano hydraulic brakes are a huge step up over anything cheaper. The carbon fame is also a massive improvement on my previous cannondale alloy road bikes. Not sure why anyone would want a dropper on a bike like this.
Also looking to get a gravel bike at some point. What existing bike in the stable to people use least after adding a gravel bike to the collection? I need to get rid of either an aging hard tail or aggressive geo carbon road bike to make way. I can see myself barely riding either tbh.
With Topcashback and a cashback offer that ends tomorrow on my bank account, I'd be all over that Polygon R5 at Go Outdoors, if only it was 2x instead of 1x (shame as there is a 2x version of this bike, but not through Go Outdoors).
I semi-regret not pouncing on one of those Boardman ADV 9.0s when they were £1600 before BC discount in autumn 2020, now £200 more expensive and stock has been very rare this year.
The 700x50mm tyre clearance on the On One Free Ranger sounds great, but my one try of SRAM double-tap for an hour felt very alien in 2017.
I need to get rid of either an aging hard tail or aggressive geo carbon road bike to make way. I can see myself barely riding either tbh.
both.
ref. Merlin Malt GRX
^ just don’t expect to fit a front mudguard to the Merlin’s.
Mine came with different forks and the requisite mudguard mounts. I have SKS mudguards front/rear on it... (and the rear axle handle doesn't foul the stays)
I would say that it's less 'gnarr-gravel' bike and more 'road bike with slightly knobby tyres', especially compared to some of the options above. Think you are limited to 700 x 40c.
Specialized Diverge? Takes 650b & 700 wheels. I have the E5 Elite which the 2022 model would put way above budget, but I got a 2020 model, admittedly when Bike24 were still delivering to UK, for just under your budget. There may be some options available? Great as a road bike. Put the right tyres on and its great off road too.
Only thing I think it could benefit from is the dropped bars being more flared out for off-road stuff
Swap them for some Ritchey Beacons - you won't regret it.
Not a fan of single chainrings then? Do you have any specific reasons, or just a general dislike?
Thread hijack, I'd like the same as OP, but steel framed?
but my one try of SRAM double-tap for an hour felt very alien in 2017.
I'd give it another try, especially coming off Shimano it's very intuitive. The little click is like pressing the little lever, the big click is like pressing the big lever. I swap between them all the time and TBH barely notice.
Not a fan of single chainrings then? Do you have any specific reasons, or just a general dislike?
Wasn't directed at me, but IMO it's SRAM pushing their tech at the wrong niche. I want a low gear for getting up steep off-road climbs when I'm knackered, a road-like top gear, and short jumps between them to keep a consistent cadence on road. 2x11 just works so well for that.
YMMV. Mines basically a CX bike, more upright bikes with bigger tyres might feel better suited.
Wasn’t directed at me, but IMO it’s SRAM pushing their tech at the wrong niche. I want a low gear for getting up steep off-road climbs when I’m knackered, a road-like top gear, and short jumps between them to keep a consistent cadence on road. 2×11 just works so well for that.
Very much my view - a lot of club mates bought 1x gravel bikes for winter club rides and very few felt the gearing was right. We do now have very well attended gravel rides and a lot of riders now on n+2 or 3 😁
Not a fan of single chainrings then? Do you have any specific reasons, or just a general dislike?
1x doesn't give me the range that I need and use on my usual road rides, that I'd want a gravel bike to do in addition to giving me offroad options.
Roughly, the Polygon Bend R5 with 38T chainring and 11-42 is 23.5-89.8 gear inch range.
My Cube Attain GTC Disc has 34/50 rings with 11-34 and is approx 27.0-122.7 gear inches range, 50/13 and 50/11 get use on the safe hill descents in the western South Downs and 34/34 has had plenty of use this year after gaining weight and losing fitness.
I tried 1x on my old Voodoo Wazoo, but back then I didn't have a turbo and the 34T chainring with 11-30 left me redlining down ~6% descents and knackered knees climbing the local ~20% wall that was part of my exercise routine back then, switching back to 2x with original 24/38T chainrings solved both of those issues.
I'll have to try SRAM double-tap again, but I just couldn't get my head properly round it during that hour on a Boardman CX bike on a turbo in Halfords, a few months before I got my Cube.
Swap them for some Ritchey Beacons – you won’t regret it.
I did, swiftly went back to the 100% better venturemax bars
a lot of club mates bought 1x gravel bikes for winter club rides
this always mystifies me, why buy a gravel bike and then just use it on the road as a winter bike and grumble about the gearing? if you're only going to ride it on tarnac get a road bike with clearance for guards and proper gearing to ride in a group with.
I've had this conversation with colleagues who sell gravel bikes as "winter bikes" and customers with unrealistic expectations of 1 x typical gravel bike ratios
Cannondale Topstone? That's what I got a few years ago (I have the cheapest Sora version but £1200 should get you one with hydraulic brales). It's great for commuting down the Portway / River Avon Trail between Avonmouth and Bristol, and way more capable off road than I expected.
Edit: I forgot about bike price inflation, RRP for the Tiagra version is £1,650 now!
Cannondale shot their prices up earlier this year. I was was looking at the Topstone 1 or 2 and was about to pull the trigger but over one weekend the 2 became the price of the 1 and the 1 went to 2k which meant spec wise they were no longer competitive.
I have 1x on my gravel bike but would probably prefer 2x.
All great suggestions. Thanks.
I accept 2x would be better for the road elements but 1x is a bit more ‘I’m not really a roadie’.
2x is also useful for off-road or if you're carrying bags with you - you get extra gears at both ends of the range
My Planet X Free Ranger is superb!
I often ride from Surrey into London and like you, hop on to a bit gravel on the way home. It's been faultless and the bike is well priced.
EDIT: I believe Planet X have a bit of a sale on ATM.
Swap them for some Ritchey Beacons – you won’t regret it.
+1, they're ace especially the short drop - game-changer on descents that suddenly get steep/rough.
I'm not a roadie, nor do I want my gravel bike to be a road bike, consequently 1x suits me fine (42 front and 11-42). Can get up pretty much any hill that I can on my MTB, and spin out at 30-32mph.
2x is also useful for off-road or if you’re carrying bags with you – you get extra gears at both ends of the range
It would be difficult to get extra gears at both ends, but you do get extra gears in the middle, so don't have such a pronounced jump between gears as on 11/12sp. That jump isn't much of an issue on a MTB, but is occasionally noticeable on a gravel bike.
1x suits me fine (42 front and 11-42). Can get up pretty much any hill that I can on my MTB, and spin out at 30-32mph.
Spinning out at 100rpm or thereabouts?
I've had a camino which was nice, then i splurged on a fairlight secan which was lovely but not quite the correct fit. Currently have a planet x freeranger and it lovely to ride, i did build it with grx 2x but really happy with it.
I accept 2x would be better for the road elements but 1x is a bit more ‘I’m not really a roadie’.
Get a 2x gravel bike and wear XC baggies while on the road. Your bike will be better and you'll be even less roadie.
I nearly bought a planet x tempest but I am in between medium and large on their charts and even though they said go bigger rather than smaller I still wanted to try before I buy so I bought a Whyte Dean For £1400 and am very impressed with it, very comfy on the rough tracks and GRX 2x10 gives much more range rather than 1x gears, it seems to built to a high standard and seems a good quality bike if I had one criticism I would like it a bit lighter (11 kilos) only notice the weight in the garage though and still a good hill climber
It would be difficult to get extra gears at both ends,
Comparing a standard 1x set up build: 40T chainring and a 11-42 cassette with e.g a GRX600 46/30 with 11-34 cassette you'd surely get gears at both ends and less big jumps in between?
Comparing a standard 1x set up build: 40T chainring and a 11-42 cassette with e.g a GRX600 46/30 with 11-34 cassette you’d surely get gears at both ends and less big jumps in between?
Sorry - I read the original bit the wrong way round. I thought you were claiming 1 x had more gears! I'm an idiot!
Get a 2x gravel bike and wear XC baggies while on the road. Your bike will be better and you’ll be even less roadie.
Ensuring you also have minimum 38c tyres don't forget...
Spinning out at 100rpm or thereabouts?
If 100rpm is the equivalent of spinning like a bu99er, then yes.