Hi all,
Currently riding a jeffy pro race.
Looking at adding another bike (N+1 and all that)
I did a 30 mile loop today (Woburn, rushmere, bridleways) and while the jeffsy pedals great, there is no escaping its a long large 160mm bike. Great when you are in the mood or right place, but bridleways and flat trails it ain't the most inspiring.
I keep getting drawn in by 'gravel bikes', but unsure if a short travel XC bike may be just as good for random 30mile adventure rides of just out the door and see where I end up. (Flat bars seem nicer than drops?)
Was looking at some of the fully rigid genesis stuff but looks a bit more bike packy biased...
I had a whyte 901 previously, and that wasn't a huge amount better than the jeffsy pedal wise, Still quite long and not that 'spritely'. I'd like something fairly efficient to pedal.
Would probably be looking more XC less trail i suppose? Also something with a bit of a lower spec to not just trash in the sand/mud paste around here!
Or just try a gravel bike type thing for a bit?!
Doing long road miles and the odd bridleways explore seems to be what they are designed for (no gravel around here just lots of mud)
But really I'm quite clueless.
Suggestions and advise please!
Likewise not too keen on drops, so flat bar gravel bike.
It's so nice to be on something faster than an xc MTB when you're on the tarmac.
It's the bike I ride most.
APF
Depends on the riding. If it's 90% generic bridleways, doubletrack, gravel roads and that kind of thing, definitely a gravel bike. They can handle the rough depending on tyre choice, but they're not much fun when it gets too techy in my experience. They are fantastically versatile machines for general riding though and mixing stuff up.
If the riding is more on the fun side, definitely a fast XC bike. They're not much slower with a fast set of tyres, the main issue is forks bouncing and not having that direct power when climbing. But you'll be quicker over the rough stuff and smiling more.
Agree, for riding mostly bridle way, fire roads etc, a flat barred gravel bike would be great.
I have just switched back to an MTB from a 'tracklocross' bike and after 2 months I am already missing the spritely feel of what was closer to a gravel bike.
I have an XC bike (Scott Spark 900 RC) and it’s a superb bike for up on the South Downs etc and I want it to ride the KAW (despite it being promoted as a gravel bike ride).
I’ve recently bought a gravel bike (Mason Bokeh) and its great for mixed riding - road, bridle paths etc, but I don’t enjoy riding it on anything rougher as I get shaken to shyte.
This could be down to it having 700 wheels and 38 tyres, 650b with more rubber would be better suited to trails but I want my Spark for that.
I enjoy both bikes (I also have road bikes) and they are for different types of riding in my opinion.
Had a couple of gravel type bikes and a couple of XC bikes. The best ones for me for that kind of longer distance and marathon stuff was my XC bikes.
I had a hardtail (Cube Reaction GTC) and a full sus (Scott Spark 900RC). Did the Hope Pre Peaks on them both and various other events and they were both great! The Cube was a lot cheaper to build, but it was so light (even without remotely trying to save weight!).
The gravel bikes I've had/tried were good, but not what I was after. I think if you're used to flat bars and mountain bikes, the light XC bike makes more sense. Maybe going the other way on drops is far more familiar to roadies (just more capable on rougher ground).
This is my current FS bike.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51062768543_8863b3b3dc_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51062768543_8863b3b3dc_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
Also a Jeffsy Pro race, which started out as enduro-lite at 150mm front and rear (29er) with an air shock but has since gone a bit more enduro with a 160mm fork and coil rear.
To supplement it, I did the gravel bike thing for a 18 months:
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48266037212_66f229ef1e_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48266037212_66f229ef1e_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
Did 10 mile road commutes to work, 40 mile gravel/local byway stuff, light offroad etc and it was mega quick on the road, and yet still fun down mild offroad.
Sold the gravel bike back in October as I wanted a hardtail to replace it that could do the local riding that I do through the very depths of winter, as well as proper winter MTB enduro trails, and also handle long big summer rides with a change of wheels tyres, and maybe even a bit of bikepacking - less road too as I no longer commute to work (for obvious reasons...).
My HT replacement can be found in my Titanium Pinion build (150mm 64.5 HA hardtail) - it's not going to be massively light but it will be reliable, completely weather proof and capable of doing both local light offroad with some light tread tyres (tempted by some plus rubber...) and also enduro bashing with some proper MTB rubber.
The choice between gravel and XC hardtail really comes down to how much road use you'll be doing. The gravel bike will be very very good at road stuff, sitting at 20+mph on the flat with a slight tailwind is easy - but if you want something for less road and more light offroad, with longer rides, then a HT might bet better.
I have a gravel and cyclocross bikes also did have a 26" rigid MTB which I sold the other week I fined the gravel bikes way quicker and riding from home up on the Cotswolds much nicer as said above just depends how much road you have on your loop only thing with gravel bikes can not go to mad downhill gets a bit hairy otherwise great bikes ride mine a lot in Wiltshire loads of Byways which are not to rough.
OP. I've got a Giant Anthem 29er and it is perfect for what you describe. I bought it as an alternative to my Spesh Enduro and it's been amazing the last year in lockdown.
Done some brilliant peak District rides from home, with perhaps 40-50km of good proper off road with a hideously swift 20-30km of road/ bridleway to get there in the first place.
Altrincham to Macc, up the Car n Fiddle, across to 3 shires, Gradbach, Roach end and home.
Jacob's ladder ~80km from home.
Macc Forest, charity lane, Buxton, Hayfield etc and home.
Did a road loop on it averaging just over 17mph over around 40km, which is phenomenaly fast for me for a full suss bike with knobblies.
I think I've done 8 or so metric ton rides on it, all with 40-50km off road and it's been ace. It flies.
For balance, I also did Cadair Idris on it, which wasn't so good. Too twitchy and fragile feeling. Not good.
Also did the peak lord of the loops, which I think was around 110 km with allegedly 4000m of climbing. Most of it was great, but the tricky tech bits were not fun (walked bits of cavedale) so it definitely has its limitations, but if you've got a jeffsy then you're covered for that angle.
For easy stuff it's magnificent though.
Probably not what you are looking for as an end result but more of a proof of concept:
Bike on the left in this photo:
Was my n+1/parts bin build and I have done a few rides on it and it is really good fun. Old kinesium frame I had from my old bike, + some 30 quid chinese forks off of FB, and you feel really one with the bike and it flies. Just wish it was a 29er and not 26"...
Just for the sake of pictures.. my FS and my "gravel" bike (Saracen Levarg FB)... also have an aggro hardtail, all of them have their place.. the gravel bike is just a rocket though
I was in a similar position (main bike a Orange Stage 5) and spent ages trying to decide between XC MTB and GB. Went gravel with drops in the end and have not regretted it at all, in fact it's my most used bike!Just replaced my second hand original with a sparkly new bike and that's the one I day dream about upgrades and accessories tbh, not the Stage.
I also sold my road bike as the GB covers that for as much as I need so use it for everything from road rides up to Dales off road. Any rougher than that the MTB comes out.
Saying all that, if you plan to stick flat bars on I'd just go XC.
I used to say they wasn't much difference between a gravel bike and an XC MTB but the difference is more noticeable than I remembered.
The MTB I built up is rigid and weighs 10kg but it simply doesn't feel as sprightly on road or gravel.
I do prefer flat bars though so if I was building up the best bike for me for road and gravel with the odd bit of single track it would be a flat barred gravel bike rather than an XC MTB.
As I have built up an MTB I just ride more off road and stay off the road and gravel more where I am having more fun so it worked out well.
While a gravel bike will allow you to ride tarmac and tame offroad quicker due to the more aero position, I'd be quite torn between something like the Boardman ADV 9.0 and an On One Whippet. I'd probably go Whippet, it looks such a fun bike to me with loads of tyre clearance, plus it would give me something wildly different from my road bike.
I'm not going to recommend what bike.
What I would say it's having two very different bikes works well for me. I plan different routes in different places. I have very different experiences when I ride them.
I've just bought an On-One Whippet for exactly the sort of riding you describe, as an alternative to my 145/160 Aeris. Have a spare set of 120mm Revs I can put on it to make it a bit more MTB if needed.
I've got a Marin DSX1....only had it a few months so not done anything too technical on it. I love it though. Quick on the road and feels really capable on the bits of singletrack that I've done.....not been on anything steep though!
I've been looking at the Whippet and the Bootzipper - they both seem like bikes I'd enjoy. I've not ridden enough bikes to really understand the difference that geometry and frame material will make: how would the bikes differ from each other in everyday riding?
At the moment PX are offering them with SRAM SX. I've never used SRAM, but SX is called 'entry level', a description that puts fear in my heart. Do I have anything to worry about?
Finally, what is a 'bootzipper'?
Thanks for all the replies!
With regards to last post about Sram SX gear- its junk. Just SRAM releasing something budget to keep up with marketing hype.
My partner has it on her bossnut and it's poor quality and knackered after less than a year of use
I'd avoid if possible
That's kind of what I thought Jake, thanks.
I assume that GX is better?
Are Planet X flexible about this sort of thing? They claim that each bike is built specifically for the customer, so would they do a GX build if requested?
I'd know what to do in the old days: Brant, Brant, Brant.
@easily
a Bootzipper is a rigid MTB Planet X sell.
They're pretty decent, I'm selling an XL frame and fork because I just don't do the type of riding to use it (and I could do with the space!).
I built mine up single speed and it was actually pretty like for a big steel frame.
As said above SX is crap NX and GX is great.
SX shifter and derailleur may not be great but everything else is fine
Gravel bike if you're happy to just to sit and pedal for extended periods of time, XC hardtail if you know you're always looking out for things to use as jumps or drop off.
I did a 30 mile loop today (Woburn, rushmere, bridleways) and while the jeffsy pedals great, there is no escaping its a long large 160mm bike. Great when you are in the mood or right place, but bridleways and flat trails it ain’t the most inspiring.
I use to live in Aylesbury, and regularly covered +40 miles in/around the Chilterns - up as far your way as the Dunstable Downs. Had a 456Ti built light. If I was still down there, I'd have a gravel bike and have the 456Ti built a bit 'stronger'.
What I would say it’s having two very different bikes works well for me. I plan different routes in different places. I have very different experiences when I ride them.
That's me now. A gravel bike, a trail HT built with lighter wheels/fast tyres and a FS built for full-on Enduro and the like. Where I live I've plenty of route options for all three.