Looking for a gravel/do it all/drop bar bike. Something like a Whyte Friston which I recently had a very brief fling with.

Preferably 1×11, Sram hydros, carbon fork, good tyre clearance, not a Cube or PX for under £1400.

Any suggestions?

Or if anyone knows where there’s a Friston in 52/orange that would be ace?!

What “all” in this situation? Replacing mountain bike or road bike?

https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road/grail/2019/grail-al-7-0-sl.html

£50 over for SRAM 1x

£50 under for Shimaon 2x

There is a thread about them, I have the carbon and it’s just about a full road bike replacement for me (for what I do none of that club crap just going for rides)

Loads of choice out there,but whatever you go for ,get two sets of wheels.

,but whatever you go for ,get two sets of wheels.

I was going to buy a second set for the grail for the first 4-5 months, then I realised I didn’t need them, hasn’t really stopped me doing anything. Get the right tyres is the other answer, I think the right G-Ones are a containing some sort of field distorting magic – my boss chucked a set of the 35mm on his CX bike and he is 1-2kph down on his 30-40km ride to and from work. I’m probably that off my peak on smooth roads, anything crap and potholed I’m up

From road through to mild rocky peaks/Pennines type stuff. Something half way between a road bike and an mtb, but not a hardtail.

I did see the grail thanks but it looks like they’re due due for a few months and their sizing seems as odd as Whytes.

Fargo or Stooge Gravel Bastard?

Nah mike,for me having a slicked up set of road wheels (plus extra cassette and chain) is great and has changed the way I plan my rides now.

I did see the grail thanks but it looks like they’re due due for a few months and their sizing seems as odd as Whytes.

Yeah but in true STW fashion spend the extra get the carbon 😉 Sizing is right if you follow the size guide calculator and ignore the letters (it’s the first small bike I’ve ever owned)

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What’s the verdict on the hover bar then Mike ?

Works, yep it works, you hold it and pedal really… Just got to stop people looking at it 😉

As said with the wheels I would have had a second set if I felt it was slowing me up, it just isn’t really, tour of the borders was the key for me didn’t really feel held back by the rubber

If you want to ride anything remotely rocky then you’ll want something that will take as fat a tyre as possible and keep in mind that they aren’t a MTB replacement, just a more capable drop bar bike.

Haven’t ridden one but the Merida Silex looks interesting I thought.

I have Diverge, it does road rides, trails and sometimes both. With slicks it’ll do club runs fine. Wont get hydro brakes and 1x for 1500 though. Its a bit limited in tyres 38mm is as wide as I’ve got but its at the roadbike end of the gravel bike spectrum. If you need 45mm tyres what you really need is a mtb.

. If you need 45mm tyres what you really need is a mtb.

If you need 45mm tyres then you need a Vagabond. (I don’t need a HT because I have a Vagabond.)

not a Cube or PX for under £1400.

Any particular reason?

There’s a lot of PX haters (some of which is undoubtedly justified) but there’s no escaping that some of their bikes are very good indeed, and the value for money is mostly excellent.

Alternatively, at that budget, it would be worth either getting something lightly used, with a good spec, or starting off with a (again, used?) frame and carefully building up a well spec’d bike using used parts.

Wilier Jaroon at CRC £1400

Hydraulic brakes and mounts for mud guards etc. Not light but the steel frame is certainly attractive.

Build something, exactly how you want it…

im just starting a build around a Fearless vulture, hope wheels and hope/Thomson finishing kit. Sram force 1×11 hydro g/set. A few Gucci parts and should come in between £1200-1300, with a bit of clever parts buying? (Still more than my initial £1k budget though)

I built my own on a shark traverse frame and nice tubeless wheel set – think it was £350 on eBay and there’s still some there.  Really nice bike, head angle noticeably slacker than most cx or road type bikes.   My whole build, 1×10 with bar end shifter, avid bb7 brakes and bits from the garage came in at about £550, so I bet you could make something really special for your budget

I’ve had a giant revolt for 4 years and it’s been spot on.  Not the lightest but tough as boots and the chainstay design and carbon fork make it pretty smooth.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/ns-bikes-rag-gravel-bike-2018/rp-prod160389?mx101=n

Hard to look past, especially when it costs just a touch over £1k. Full carbon fork, hydro groupset, thru axle F&R, plenty room for wide tyres. Not bad.

Ticks most box’s for a grand

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/hybrid-bikes/boardman-adv-8-9-mens-adventure-bike

I’ve never ridden one

Depending where you live / if they’d post there are still a few 2018 Giant Toughroad SLR GX 0’s around … think the 2019’s are just in stock but may be over budget.

Pinnacle Arkose 4 but not due in stock until end of Jan

I’ve just ordered a Merida Silex 400 which is the 2 x 105 version and negotiated it down to £1400, the 300’s 1x but mechanical brakes, the 600 is Hydro but a bit over budget.

RWYH… Take a look at Genesis Fugio… It’s a very versatile bike, copes with everything I have thrown it at, including some of the downhill runs at FOD.

Would agree with others, to be truly versatile you will want two wheelsets, 650b x 50mm and a 700c x 38-42mm

Recommending what you own; I love my Vagabond. It’s not a CX/Gravel bike, its like an all-mountian CX bike. Less picky about line choices and clatters through rough stuff more like a hardtail.

Not light though.

I wouldn’t go down the two wheelsets route, it still ends up a faff and a winter road bike needs guards not just slicks. 2x £750 bikes is far more use than 1x £1400 bike and second wheel set. That way you have a winter bike with guards, a winter gravel/Cx, and with the guards off a summer gravel bike.

You mentioned Whte Friston in Orange … not sure what size you are

https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/whyte-friston-2018-bike

I had a Friston in a 54 and it was biblically heavy. Like 12kg, no reason for a rigid drop bar bike to be that heavy.

I now have a Trek Checkpoint and it’s better in every way.

Some interesting options there, thanks. I can’t get the quote function to work so you’ll have to bear with me.

I fancy a gravel bike (or whatever the correct term is) instead of a ht as I’ve tried that before and always ended up taking the fs. I ride my fs all year round through all weathers but it has to be spotless before I can put it away. Something like the Friston would be ideal for getting out on for a couple of hours on a Sunday morning or even the odd hour of an evening and I wouldn’t have a problem parking it in the garage covered in shit after a ride.

I’ve always secretly fancied a road bike but the thought of being stuck on the road puts me off.

Apart from my first bike, I’ve picked the frame and built my own up but like hooja I always end up over budget.

jmatlock, I didn’t weigh the Friston but there’s no way it was 12kg. Whyte have it listed as 10.3kg but either way it didn’t feel heavy.

With regards to not fancying a PX or cube there’s no hate they just don’t float my boat. I did have a carbon XLS a few years ago but I really struggled with toe overlap on it (which really puts me off buying something without chucking a leg over it) so ended up getting rid of it.

witterings, unfortunately that’s a 54 and I’d need a 52 in the Whyte.

I’ve seen a Whyte Gisburn in 52 which pushes the budget up ever so slightly 🙂

Looking around for £2k there’s some very nice looking bikes out there like the Silex mentioned above and the Orro Terra C but neither look like they’d take a 650b.

Which brings me back to the Gisburn??? The threaded bb is a bonus too.

Looking around for £2k there’s some very nice looking bikes out there like the Silex mentioned above and the Orro Terra C but neither look like they’d take a 650b.

Why do you want 650?

I don’t want it, but the option to run it would be a bonus.

What’s the magic number with regards to tyre clearance on 700c, around 45mm?

Well I’m happy on 40mm 700c, done everything I’ve asked of it really, it’s not a mountain bike so happy with road sized wheels, I did see canyon have 650b in the small sizes bit I think that is about sizing and foot overlap etc.

Looking around for £2k there’s some very nice looking bikes out there like the Silex mentioned above and the Orro Terra C but neither look like they’d take a 650b.

Do a bit more research and apparently they’ll take a 650b Schwalbe Big Apple @ 2.35″ and they’re threaded BB .. I rang Merida with a few queries and that was one of them 🙂

The 6000 can be had at Tredz for just under 2k with their offer code.

Thanks witterings, the plot thickens!

The 6000 can be had at Tredz for just under 2k with their offer code.

Thanks witterings, the plot thickens!

If I’ve helped blow your £1400 budget out the window I’ve done a good job (how the F do you post smileys in this forum) … My original budget was £700 for 2nd hand bike and I’ve ended up spending double (another smiley needed).

If you do decide to go that route, have absolutely no idea where you’re based but if it’s anywhere near Surrey / Hampshire I’ve ordered mine through Owens Cycles in Petersfield.

They get you in for a proper fit before they order and if you don’t like the tyres or the stem needs changing for a perfect fit they’re happy to swap it all out.

I just use the smilies off my phone 🙂

i was looking at 2nd hand bikes on eBay last week and the budget has slowly crept up. Did you go for the Silex in the end? Really tempted by one and the numbers read right in the medium for me.

Did Merida definitely say it was a threaded bb? Just found this review and it looks press fit in the pictures

Merida Silex 6000

I’m up in sunny Bolton so unfortunately nowhere near them. If I do go down the Silex route I may give them a call as after a quick look Tredz seem to be the cheapest 😬

Have sent you a PM with the details … if it doesn’t come through foe any reason let me know !!

PS Smileys from an iphone don’t show up on here either!!

PS .. If you do go for one I’d recommend a fit prior to order as they do come up large … theoretically I was on the cusp between small / medium although it was probably always going to be the small …. having sat on a small and having been properly measured by them with bike fit software I’m actually right on the border between small and XS  so if you’re close on sizing less might be more 🙂

Just ordered a cannondale topstone another option.

Sonder Camino Al? Apex or Rival1x11 with hydros both well under £1400, not ridden one but look good to me

Someone suggested the Fugio, which I was going to suggest.  Deals on 2018 still around.

£999 in medium

*edit – is that spec correct?  Naked weight listed over 13kg, which is about the same as my Vagabond replete with steel fork, rack and guards 😳

Here’s another option, decent spec ti for under £2k.

Daily Grind – Trail

Ive been drooling over their Instagram feed for a few months now.