Steel gravel / touring frame recommendations.

Sounds to me like you’ve already decided 🙂

Funnily enough I’ve been looking at Diverges cos I hardly ever load my Kona up, and could’ve gone lighter and more roady really. But I like the bombproof of steel.

Anyone know the weight of a Diverge frame?

The full bikes seem a pretty similar weight to the stock  AWOL, but take narrower tyres.

Similarly, a Disc Trucker frame is pretty much exactly the same weight as a Croix De Fer, but  takes bigger tyres…..

A lot of the weight in a dedicated tourer will be in the wheels – you don’t need to build them up heavy for ‘allround’ use, but you’ll generally get a frame with greater luggage capacity and the ability to fit bigger tyres……..

Low riders on the back allows you constrain the luggage you actually take.

Low riders on the front are remarkably good – I used some for some light touring a couple of years back. Problem I had was when extending the gravel tour to full off-road tour, along long distance paths especially Dava Way e.g. – where you track along two tracks, with grass built up in the middle and at the sides, the low riders kept crashing into the verges.

Similarly, a Disc Trucker frame is pretty much exactly the same weight as a Croix De Fer, but  takes bigger tyres…..

Often thought about bigger tyres for my CDF, currently got 35mm with guards which is pretty much the max. However did find a web page where a chap was using 650b wheels, judging by his results I think 54mm G-One Bites should be do-able which is definitely as big as I’d ever want to go! Will have to try that sometime.

I thought I had decided, but just discovered that the Niner RLT 9 Steel uses a push fit BB 🙁

I like the Kona Sutra Ltd, but you can’t get a 2018 frame here in the UK.

Plug (but relevant to thread, so hopefully that makes it OK…)

Blue Sutra LTD for sale

You could consider something like this?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/fsa-pf30-threaded-adapter-b3167-/rp-prod129936

Should be fit and forget, although worth noting that it may not be removable (over one’s might be)

I fitted one of those in the Diverge as I got hacked off with the crappy Praxis BB.  I have ordered a Hope one as I was reluctant to push one of those into the new Niner (I bought it anyway!)

Time will tell whether the Hope is creak free otherwise, I will push one of those in.

I went and did the Tour Divide last year on my 29er inbred it’s the hardtail I ride all year round, the frame cost me £129, it never missed a beat, super comfortable with 2.4 conti’s in and Reba on the front, got 3 trips planned for this year and the inbred will be my bike of choice.

I ended up doing a Niner RLT 9 Steel build and I have done a short review

https://onemanandhisbike.com/niner-rlt-9-steel-review/

1. Scrap the push fit BB.  Manufacturers know, we the consumer hate them and they are crap.  A steel frame should have a threaded BB.

Very much this, especially on a touring bike!

Marin 4 Corners perfect for touring.