Originally Posted by
chas58
I hear ya. That is one reason I went Canyon. About $3K for 17.4lbs (its about 16.4 with my road wheels/tires). That and it is friggen fast and comfortable.
Availability aside, the Grail looks to be a great bike, but probably also its' not how I would go. It's geometry seems to be more road-gravel than gravel-gravel. I like the wide drop bars of the Warbird, and am not that enthusiastic about the "hover" bars on the grail. I like that the Salsa has plenty of eyelets for setting up a long haul rig. Also, I'm looking for something that I know will be comfortable after the first 100 miles, and that's tougher when I can't test ride - particular for the Grail design, which has an unconventional cockpit that can't be adjusted. The Grail is a deal, but I'm still leaning Warbird.