Which Carbon Gravel...
 

[Closed] Which Carbon Gravel/Adventure frameset?

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...with flatmount brakes and thru-axles?

There's the Niner RLT at £2,300, and the chinese stuff at tuppence ha'penny.

Is there anything in between?!


 
Posted : 09/06/2017 9:27 pm
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I've got a Chinese road disc frame (Deng Fu R04) and it's bloody good. Can't imagine a Niner being 2k better.

To answer the question though, Trek Boone?


 
Posted : 09/06/2017 10:07 pm
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Tripster AT?


 
Posted : 09/06/2017 10:09 pm
 PJay
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If you specifically want carbon, On-One have the Bish Bash Bosh and Space Chicken (available as complete bikes or framesets); I don't know what they're like though.


 
Posted : 10/06/2017 7:22 am
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Picked up a Bish Bash Bosh a few months back and other than being concerned about crap building up in the odd hole under the BB which the cables run out of I'd say its a very well finished frame and feels great fun on what it is intended for - think someone posted a pic of a more recent version which had rack mounts on the rear - earlier ones didn't so be careful. Think space chicken is 1x only - ok if that is your thing but isn't mine - but check I might be wrong


 
Posted : 10/06/2017 7:48 am
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(ignore - missed Crabon requirement, as the Capt did.)


 
Posted : 10/06/2017 8:17 am
 jonk
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I have a bish bash bosh, great bike but doesn't have flat mount brakes.


 
Posted : 10/06/2017 9:01 am
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Ive just built up a Genesis Datum frameset. It has just come back from the NC500 where is was fabulous bike to ride.


 
Posted : 10/06/2017 9:07 am
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^^^^^and i missed the flatmount bit


 
Posted : 10/06/2017 9:09 am
 PJay
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The flat mount standard is new to me (a quick Google shows that it's a new road only standard) and I don't know much about it or what it's suppose to offer over post mount.


 
Posted : 10/06/2017 9:27 am
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Focus Paralane is only gravel(ish) flatmount carbon bike can think of and available as a frameset but pleased to be proved wrong

- think that it looks like the limited market with early adoption of disk and hence postmount seems to mean that manufacturers will be waiting a while to switch to flatmount - meanwhile gravel bikes will look ugly at the coffee shop

edit Ridley x-trail seems to be available as a frameset


 
Posted : 10/06/2017 9:32 am
 PJay
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The [url= http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/open-upper-gravel-bike-49277/ ]Open Upper[/url] is a carbon gravel frameset with flat mount brakes, but at €4,500 it's more than twice the price of the Niner!!

Oddly they don't seem to be fans of the flat mount system:

We don't like how the bike industry keeps “inventing” new standards, so we always investigate if they are an improvement before we use them.

Post-mount brake calipers work very well, and the main argument for flat-mount is that it looks better (sigh) while a significant drawback is that the front brake always requires an adapter for mounting, adding weight and reducing braking efficiency.


 
Posted : 10/06/2017 1:50 pm
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I don't know much about it or what it's suppose to offer over post mount.

Unfortunately genuine benefits are irrelevant, it's the new standard, you'll struggle to find a hydro road groupset with post mounts now so you're buying a bike/frame locked into obsolete spec (as you can't get adaptors to fit flat brakes to PM frames).

Is the GT Grade flat mount and available frame only?


 
Posted : 10/06/2017 2:24 pm
 PJay
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Not all new standards are long termers (we seem to have come back to threaded bottom brackets from press fit) but I take your point.

I'm interested in building something gravelish to replace my rigid hardtail (which has essentially been a gravel bike for years) but I know very little about road kit. A drop bar Swift kind of intrigues me but a complete bike may be more cost effective.

I take it that you can't use road levers with mtb callipers?


 
Posted : 10/06/2017 2:59 pm
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I take it that you can't use road levers with mtb callipers?

You can. I bought a flat mount Shimano 105 groupset and substituted BR-R785 calipers which look (and I believe essentially are) identical to XT calipers.


 
Posted : 10/06/2017 8:29 pm
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What would be a mountain bikers cross bike...?


 
Posted : 10/06/2017 11:13 pm
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Norco Threshold


 
Posted : 11/06/2017 10:01 am
 PJay
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You can. I bought a flat mount Shimano 105 groupset and substituted BR-R785 calipers which look (and I believe essentially are) identical to XT calipers.

That's useful to know, thanks!


 
Posted : 11/06/2017 3:20 pm
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Is the GT Grade flat mount and available frame only?

No, and I don't think so. On the other hand it's a superb gravel bike for pretty much the same price as the Niner frame...
You can also find Ultegra post-mount disc groupsets. I don't think 105 is available with post-mount but the new Tiagra discs are also an option. It's not deal breaker IMO.


 
Posted : 11/06/2017 4:17 pm
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Did you get sorted with anything?

These look interesting:
https://handslingbikes.com/collections/cyclocross-frames/products/handsling-cex-cyclocross-disc

Not a fan of the big logo, but they do offer custom paint 🙂


 
Posted : 12/07/2017 11:04 am
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Any use?

http://www.workswellbikes.com/PRODDUCT/ROAD/ALL/Gravel/2017/0323/112.html

My racing bike is a workswell and it has certainly lived up to it's name. You've got a blank canvas if you want to do your own design on it too!


 
Posted : 12/07/2017 12:46 pm
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Hmmm - I'm playing a game of spot the difference with the workswell and handsling. Haven't found one yet...


 
Posted : 12/07/2017 12:56 pm
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Handsling:
[img] ?v=1494875705[/img]

Workswell:
[img] [/img]

The difference is the paint & marketing 😆

Workswell offers tax free shipping via the netherlands too 😈


 
Posted : 12/07/2017 1:09 pm
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Exactly - identical apart from the rounding in the table 🙂

Oh - actually the weights differ with the Miracle one. Significantly so.


 
Posted : 12/07/2017 1:11 pm
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Any use?

http://www.workswellbikes.com/PRODDUCT/ROAD/ALL/Gravel/2017/0323/112.html

My racing bike is a workswell and it has certainly lived up to it's name. You've got a blank canvas if you want to do your own design on it too!

Thanks for mentioning them... looks interesting! May I ask roughly what yours cost, nathb..?


 
Posted : 12/07/2017 1:34 pm
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$500 landed with no fees inc headset, bottom bracket, spare hanger, di2 cable stops, carbon seatpost and seatpost clamp.


 
Posted : 12/07/2017 2:01 pm
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Thanks... looks very tempting.

Have has my eye on the Bowman PilgrimsX but in all honesty I can't really justify it, especially if I can get the 'workswell' for half that.

Cheers!


 
Posted : 12/07/2017 3:04 pm
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I think I might give the WorksWell one a go.
They've given me a choice of 3 bottom brackets: 112-49-BB30, 112-52-BSA, 112-56-BSA
I prefer threaded, all else being equal, but does it impact on q-factor?


 
Posted : 13/07/2017 8:43 am