Sub £900 gravel bike?

Size large – best bike for the cash?

Mostly used in the road with occasional trips down smooth bridleways, disused train lines, round reservoirs etc

No need for “bikepack life” photos and frame bag attachments 🙃

Decent range of gears

Not fussed if Shimano or Microsoft – probs 8/9/10 speed at that price

What can you show me?

I got a genesis CDA20 for that kinda money (750 iirc).

Nice to ride, worst bit about the spec is heavy wheels. Brakes aren’t brilliant but are fine once they bed in and you need to spend a lot more to get onto hydraulics.

If you have some old non boost qr 29er wheels knocking about (I did) then with the wheel upgrade it’s really quite capable.

Kona Rove?

https://www.konabikeshop.co.uk/rove-al-dl-2022.html

Genesis Vagabond was/is perfect for this application. Price has gone up recently though ☹️ mine was £750 (reduced from £1k) a few years ago.
<p style=”text-align: left;”>Second hand?</p>

Ive got one of these. Very happy with it. One thing i did do was change the cassette when i got it to a 32-11.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/p/vitus-substance-2-gravel-bike-microshift?color=silver&sizeStandard=L

Wiggle have a sale on at present. I’ve no idea what this bike’s like, but it’s available in large with a sizeable discount.

https://www.wiggle.com/p/ridley-kanzo-a-apex1-disc-gravel-bike-2022?color=greyblack&sizeStandard=L

I bought a pinnacle arkose 2 for £750 in a sale and it’s great. I just need to get back on it and continue ticking off the canal/old railways, woods, tracks, parks, towns, cities and trails that are on my doorstep.</p>

Are you buying new or used? The Pinnacle can be found pretty cheaply second hand without many miles on

Any of the Merlin cycles range?

I’d go for a used bike with hydro brakes at that budget.

Boardman ADV 8.9, Vitus, Pinnacle, Ribble… probably some “bigger” brands as well.

The Boardman is a particularly good bike.

Ragley from crc/wiggle is £1200. Keep an eye out for any more sales promotions, they had 10% off bikes a few weeks ago

edit – sorry, I thought you were asking for circa £1000, not £900. Either way, I’d be looking for a bike with hydraulic brakes, due to the cost of the inevitable upgrade

Either way, I’d be looking for a bike with hydraulic brakes, due to the cost of the inevitable upgrade

Personally I’d say it’s not a deal breaker.

I’ve done 7000+km on my Vagabond on Spyres with no issues. Ultimate power is maybe lacking, but they’ve always stopped me.

https://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-malt-g2p-tiagra-gravel-bike-2023-197427.html

£700, so some spare for upgrades. I’ve got the older G1X model (frame looks the same) with Sram Apex and it’s been fautless.

TRIBAN Gravel Bike Triban RC 120 Disc Brake – Green

£599.99

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/_/R-p-312397

Might give this a go at £600 – can it be beaten new?

Or

https://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-malt-g2-claris-gravel-bike-2023-197226.html

I’m looking at the women’s version of that Triban or the Merlin as possible bikes for my wife. Currently her MTB is a bit basic and fairly heavy and she likes drop bars having tried them.

I think the Merlin is edging it slightly just I like Shimano stuff.

I got a Genesis CDA off eBay this year for £350 which included a £50 set of DMR V12 pedals now on the DH bike. Looked like it had barely been ridden, lockdown purchase I guess. Pretty basic bike, but I’ve ridden it loads and for enjoyment per £ it’s best bike I’ve got. Quite a few similar price gravel on eBay and worth taking a punt at that price

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155726531626?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=9urp2JLbSY6&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=AokR6U4JQpe&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=MORE

The Merlin looks better than the Triban, and the Ridley PJ posted better still

I’ve got the boardman 8.9adv, I picked it up second hand but had only been used a couple of times for just £600. Very pleased with it.

I have the Vitus linked above. I didn’t think I’d like gravel riding and wanted something cheap to try it out so ended up with this. Turns out I actually love gravel riding, I have added some GRX 810 cranks and a advent x drivetrain, all in this cost about £180 as I found some bargains but truthfully the bike was fine as it was.

Drop me a pm, am just up the road in Barnsley and have a bike that might fit your needs

I’d go for a used bike with hydro brakes at that budget.

Boardman ADV 8.9, Vitus, Pinnacle, Ribble… probably some “bigger” brands as well.

The Boardman is a particularly good bike.

Definitely ^^this^^ £900 should score you a used tiagra/rival/105 (Maybe older GRX600?) hydraulic equipped bike with an aluminium frame and carbon fork of you shop about. You won’t get that new currently.

IMO hydraulic brakes are well worth it over cable discs, upgrading after the fact is more cost and ball ache (trust me) and eventually you’ll come to recognise cable discs have their issues/limitations.

My CX bike is using cable discs, mostly on cost basis (what I had in the spares bin) and because they only need to be useful for about an hour at a time. The gravel bike see’s more year round use, longer rides and generally covers more miles, better brakes are worth it in that instance.

https://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-malt-g2p-tiagra-gravel-bike-2023-197427.html

£700, so some spare for upgrades. I’ve got the older G1X model (frame looks the same) with Sram Apex and it’s been fautless

I’ve that bike.

It’s OK. Very much at the road end of things, narrow tyres (35mm + guards, 40mm *just* without and quite low front end. Mines missing fork mudguard mounts. Odd handlebar shape. Over geared if you have any proper hills or off-road or carry luggage. Oddball arrangements of mounts on rear triangle so you cannot remove the axle with a rack on. Merlin’s customer service attitude sucks.

Nice colour.

It’s done a few thousand miles now, mainly on road. I’ve lowered the gearing, added a better handlebar. It’s taken commuting, pottering and short tours in its stride.

I like it. But wouldn’t buy again – I would want 40-45mm+ tyres with guards, more stack, a much lower gearing and someone who’s actually ridden the bike before they put it on sale.

Bit over budget but 15% off ex-demo Sonder Camino using code AKLONG15

https://alpkit.com/products/camino-al-demo-bike-black-large-apex1-hyd?_pos=5&_fid=e15bfc7cc&_ss=c

Definitely ^^this^^ £900 should score you a used tiagra/rival/105 (Maybe older GRX600?) hydraulic equipped bike with an aluminium frame and carbon fork of you shop about.

And leave change for a nicer wheelset. Going rate for the Boardman is £500-600.

OP does your username suggest you run a bike refurb project? Would have thought you’d be all about secondhand bikes :D

I’ll sell you my mint Ragley Trig for less than £900! ;)

@matt_outandabout

I am interested in your comments as I’m looking at getting the Claris version for my Mrs

I think it being towards the road end of the gravel bike spectrum won’t be a huge issue tbh but I also noticed Merlin saying they have tweaked the geo and these are now v3 for the Malt

is yours the current geo or a v2?

thanks for any input

apologies for jumping in OP

@chakaping bike mechanic. Not wanting to work on a second hand hik tbh as have enough in the day lol

The worst thing about my old bike were the cable discs – ok when in the drops, almost lethal when on the tops. If (when) I look for another CX/gravel bike hydros will be top of my wants.

Vitus substance 2 ordered 👍

£431!!

Oh thanks for the heads up!

Just ordered one for the Mrs

Enjoy your new bike!

Good bargain that Vitus!