TheBlackPumpkin

Curious on anyones thoughts on this bike. I am looking to buy my first non-entry level bike at around 2-3.5k budget. Grizl 7 is extremely attractive for a lot of reasons, I'm willing to learn and am pretty mehcanically inclined so the whole direct to consumer thing doesn't put me off too much. I have however recently heard the Canyon Grizl 7 has a plastic bottom bracket that has to replaced relatively often and not cheaply. Is this something I should actually be concerned about?

Alternatively, other suggestions? Definitely want a gravel bike, mostly riding low-moderate intensity trails and want to use it for paved as well. It's also worth mentioning I'll be riding at around 300 lbs. I realize this is over most rated limits, in my experience (started riding at 550) that's not typically an issue on frames if you ride carefully and you know, don't violently crash. I also have a set of 36 spoke 650b velocity Dyads that would be nice to be able to use on whatever I buy as well, but I realize that may not be viable on whatever bike I end up with

Eds0123

How about Salsa bikes? Salsacycles.com, check warbird and or cutthroat there, a bit more expensive but you can use both 700C or 650B on both frames,

Maelochs

A few companies make indestructible thread-together BBs for pressfits ... I use Wheels Mfg but there are others. I hear Shimano bb 72-41b pressfit bottom bracket is a good replacement and is pretty cheap.

My main comment is .. . Wow, congrats on the weight loss and keep going. I wish i could drop pounds like that, or even a fraction. You certainly are ready for a new bike.

There are a few bikes out there with a sort of cartridge front dropout which allows one to swap between 700 and 650 without changing the geometry, but if you have wheels you want to use and you like the Canyon, and don't mind wrenching a little ....

TheBlackPumpkin

I'll give Salsa a deeper look. I should've mentioned I'm not really into Carbon frames due to how brittle they're made to seem by anyone I know that has one. Additionally alloy frames tend to have higher stock weight limits so while I have experience ignoring weight limits I tend to try to go with whatever is higher when I can.

Thanks for the kind words. It's been a long road, don't let my short post fool you lol. I started the struggle in I believe like, 2016. Stayed around 450 for several years, got into the gym 3 times a week last april and dropped another 100 but was also aided by Wegovy. I'll look into what's involved with replacing the bottom bracket and how viable a long term solution it is. I'm still learning. I'm generally weary of buying a bike if I have to do too much to it off the shelf just to "get it riding". I'm also being put off just by how many proprietary Canyon components there are, so.

50PlusCycling

I went with a steel bike, I built this All City Space Horse. I wanted a strong frame for rugged use and for bike packing, and after a few thousand kilometers, I’m happy with it. It’s well made, rides beautifully, and accepts common, off-the-shelf parts.

veganbikes

Salsa is a good idea: https://www.salsacycles.com/bikes/20...go-ti-frameset would be a pretty nice set up and you can build it up how you want.

Carbon is not brittle it is quite durable. It can get damaged like a lot of bikes but if built properly it is not really much of a concern unless a significant crash or some intentional damage or you buy unknown low end crap that is poorly manufactured. Would I want a full carbon bike, personally no but not because carbon is a poor material I just prefer titanium or steel for the frame.

TheBlackPumpkin

I'll keep this in mind. Buying a titanium frameset did occur to me. The problem is I'm talking going from a entry level Specialized roll to a mid range bike. Titanium frameset, by the time I have it fully built up, we're talking what? Another 1.5k on components, wheels, etc. I mean don't get me wrong that'd be ideal and it may take longer to hit my target weight than planned but titanium custom builds look about twice my budget.

veganbikes

It will be more expensive but you can build the bike to suit your needs.

You could spec something with some nicer wheels, and a few other nicer components and then go for say Microshift Sword for the drivetrain and upgrade down the road. It will cost a bit more but you will have a bike you can hold onto for a long long long time. You could also go for a complete build from say Lynskey who has some stuff on sale or Litespeed who might also do the same (they have share an origin story to some degree from what I recall). In the end if I know what I want I will save up a little more to get it but in the case of say Lynskey I can get a pretty neat Ti bike on sale for 300-500 above the budget and it could have electronic shifting which isn't bad.

Maelochs

People make a big deal about frame material, but really a well-designed and well-manufactured frame can be made from any number of materials.

If you are looking to shave pounds off your bike .... well, carbon fiber. if you are looking for affordable and durable, aluminum with a CF fork or steel with steel is probably your best bet. (Side note---there are plenty of Chinese CF frames which are of good quality and a good price---but you have to shop wisely and also them buy all the components and assemble them yourself.)

Also, the frame material won't affect weight loss .... you can burn the same amount of energy on any bike ... just you will go a very tiny bit further or faster on some.

I'd say, get a good sturdy bike---steel or aluminum or even CF---that doesn't cost a ridiculously huge amount but spend enough to get the good stuff. You can always buy another bike later and spend even more on it.

I have a coupe fairly light CF bikes, and a few aluminum bikes, and a steel bike ..... each rides a little different, each has its own joys .... the frame material really makes no difference. I built the CF bikes from bare frames, but parts were a Lot cheaper ten or even seven years ago. When I wanted a specific type of bike---discs, capable of carrying a fair deal of weight (besides my own considerable mass) , but not a full touring rig--- I got an aluminum Fuji Sportif, with a CF fork, cable disc brakes, and 105 running gear. it is a wonderful ride--I like it as much as my favorite lightweight CF Wunderbike, even though it weighs at least ten pounds more, road-ready. It is just a good bike to ride.

The only thing about it which would make it unsuitable for your needs is no tire clearance---so I am not recommending it. I am just suggesting that what matters is budget, fit, and applicability for intended use (I couldn't get the CF version because I needed to mount full racks and panniers.) Neither Ti, aluminum, steel, nor CF are better or worse ... and a good Al frame can be about as light (and depending on who welded it, more durable) than Ti.

Also ... it might be good to have a Grail bike still out there to dream about ..

alcjphil

When I decided to buy a gravel bike I wanted to go with one that has plenty of tire clearance. The grizl comes equipped with 700 x 45 tires and has room for even wider. At 160 pounds, my weight isn't any sort of problem. The bike was very easy to set up, I only had to make small tweaks to derailleur adjustment, and setting up tubeless only took me about 20 minutes. Fun bike to ride, I ended up riding it more than I thought I might. when I bought it, Covid was at its height and wait times were reasonable. As far as your weight goes, I would worry less about the frame and more about whether the wheels are up to your weight

Maelochs

Rack mounts on the fork but no rear rack mounts?

That is a beautiful bike ... well, not a Huge fan of the color, but I love the bike ... but no rack mounts?

In any case ... i don't want and certainly don't need another bike but now I sort of want one .....

alcjphil

There are mounts for a proprietary rack. You can't see them in the picture. I bought it because of the colour. In fact I was considering a higher end model but didn't like the colour. My winter jacket almost matches the bike

TheBlackPumpkin

For what it's worth I have a relatively large amount of experience riding wheelsets well above what the industry claims they can hold. Generally speaking if you ride conservatively, don't drop down curbs, large rocks, etc, it's not much of a problem. It does however make things wear far more quickly and if you wreck much more likely to destroy the bike completely.

But yeah ultimately I think it's going to end up just coming down to getting a fit and buying what actually fits me. The bikes are all so similar in a price range components wise that it mostly seems like it's going to come down to fit/geo, material desired and any applicable mounts, etc. I've got a LBS here in the Denver area that does proper fits and sells Salsa, Trek, think a couple others so they may have something that works for me and if not, at least I'll know what to look for. Thanks everyone.

alcjphil

There are people who sit on their bikes like a 100 pound sack of potatoes and there are people who are as light on their feet as a ballerina. The sack of potatoes riders destroy wheel no matter how light they are. However, 300 pound ballerinas float over the roads
I am a 160 pound ballerina

TheBlackPumpkin

So, I ended up getting a bike fit, partly to inform my current riding but mostly so I buy the right bike in the future size wise. I've narrowed it down to the Felt Broam and a Lynskey GR300 Complete with SRAM Apex AXS XPLR 1x12.

Obviously, very different price ranges, I'd be buying both outright obviously. The Lynskey currently is 3800 after shipping, normally much higher but I gather Lynskey has sales often, generally very large ones so there's a chance I get it cheaper when I'm actually ready to buy. The Broam though is basically half the current sale price of the Lynskey. To be clear, I don't think I really NEED the Lynskey. Titanium is nice for obvious reasons, I've recently been sold on wireless shifting due to the reduction in maintenance and ease of adjustment / shifting quality improvements but ultimately it's the frame that drives the cost up with this one.

Ultimately I know I'm just going to have to decide if what I want is actually worth the cost increase to me. But figured it'd be fun to get other peoples takes.

veganbikes

Good a fit is super handy!

Go for the Lynskey. You will be happier in the end and have way more options to customize from the get go eliminating the need to spend extra to buy a new part to replace another part. I would probably upgrade to Rival or Shimano GRX and the Adventure fork and then aesthetically go for the etched logos as it will be easier to clean and look really nice.

The Broam 30 isn't terribly spec'd (minus maybe a slightly more road oriented gearing) but the color is not one I would choose. As a former Felt dealer employee I was never really impressed with their gravel offerings. Not bad bikes but not really as gravel informed as I would want. I always think of Felt as road, track and tri specific especially more in the race category and that is not a bad thing it is just not going to inform gravel bikes as much.

TheBlackPumpkin

Oh yeah the adventure fork is planned. Idk if I'll spring for the etched but I'll keep it in mind. GRX isn't DI2 unfortunately or I would consider it. What's the functional difference between apex and rival? Everything I've read indicates it just a couple hundred grams lighter and frankly aside from weight having debatable utility I doubt I'm going to care weighing 300-350 myself.
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veganbikes

Good good. The etched is not needed but is nice and will last forever. The GRX isn't Di2 which is quite nice I will grant you but not crucial. In terms of Apex it is a budget groupset that is designed to be 1x only and certainly less compatible throughout the upper levels of SRAM AXS. It has been a little while since I compared the two but I recall there might have been some other odd compatibility issues at the time. I think Rival looks better overall and is not a huge cost upgrade but being able to use more common SRAM parts is nice.

TheBlackPumpkin

Thanks that's very good to know. It does appear to be the case that Apex has some compatibility issues that basically require new hubs and the lot if you decide to upgrade so that's definitely worth the extra like $150 or whatever for Rival so I'm not having to swap an entire groupset if I want to change something.

Aparrently power meter setup is also more difficult with Apex, not sure why though I've never used a power meter but probably will down the road eventually.

As for the Shimano vs SRAM question in this case the wireless is the main selling point for me. Even if it were DI2 and DI2 weren't massively more expensive the full wireless appeals to me heavily since I do all my own mechanics. Just less to mess with, less to go wrong, etc. BUT, I will definitely pay extra for Rival.. the Etched I'm gonna have to think about if another 10 hours of overtime is worth it. With any luck I may have this bike forever so the etching might be worth it given that.

veganbikes

The wireless isn't bad it was generally an easy set up to functional but for me I had some other issues that caused it to be a bit of a headache but I am a Shimano person and have been for a while so moving to SRAM is new thing. However on a new set up it will probably be easier and the app like the E-Tube app is pretty easy to use.

I haven't really used a power meter on any of my regular bikes but my e-bikes have them built in and it is nice to know but nothing that has really been needed.

In terms of other upgrades get them now, you may regret not having them later. When I got my Co-Motion Cascadia I said no to the stainless dropouts and to a Dynamo set up and I do regret that and cannot go and change it (though I did get a dynamo set up but I wish I had done the SL set up to make it easier). I know it is money and sometimes at the moment big money but in the long term it is pennies when you have the bike you want that will last a long long time. You want to look at and ride that bike all the time and say "damn that was a good decision"

alcjphil

I would say the the debate between electronic shifting and mechanical has already been decided by the component manufacturers, The newest setups are going to always be electronic. However, the argument that mechanical shifting requires more maintenance is more up for debate. My most recent bike has GRX 11 speed shifting. Apart from a very small adjustment during break in, I haven't touched it since. Of course, I had to adjust from Campagnolo Ergo shifting to Shimano, but that was about me, not mechanical VS electronic. My Campagnolo shifters stay in adjustment for years, and cables last, lets say much longer than my bar tape. I keep a couple of sets of official Campagnolo cable sets in stock, but I have yet to have to replace any even because of a cable break. I almost never have to make any adjustment of any of my mechanical shifting systems. However, a software update can render your electronic system obsolete

Maelochs

I second this. A bike (particularly a Ti Lynskey) is a lifetime investment. Amortize the up-front cost over the rest of the miles you will ride throughout the rest of your life and the up-front cost is minimal.

Personally I wouldn't pay extra for etched logos, because I don't like logos, but if I did ... certainly. Any other add-on or upgrade .... if I might want it later, it will be cheaper now.

I have looked at a bunch of Lynskeys over the years---never pulled the trigger because i have too many bikes already .... but they are definitely bikes you ride forever. In fact, I have a friend who got one about a year back, and he agrees ..... Whatever options you choose, you won't be disappointed when you go riding.

My friend's gravel Lynskey ....

Trav1s

What about a Jamis Renegade? With Al, CroMo, and CF options it covers many bases and options.

https://www.jamisbikes.com/renegade/

I love the idea of a Ti frame, that's serious $$ and a big jump into a bike that could potentially not be what the OP needs. My logic is to ride as different bikes and narrow down what works and does not work. Some day Ti will be in the stable but not until after I have done the riding research.

TheBlackPumpkin

As I said I've been to a professional fitter and know the bike will fit and part of the service is once I get a bike they will adjust it to spec. I haven't looked at the geo tables on what you linked but I'll take a look at some point.

I do an absurd amount of research before I buy *anything*. Ultimately as far as ride characteristics go, frame material doesn't matter as much as some people seem to think it does especially when compared to geometry. Titanium is the choice for a lot of practical reasons; longevity and durability being the primary ones.

Do I NEED a titanium frame and wireless groupset? No. I don't think anyone does, I mean even pros ride almost exclusively full carbon everything. At the end of the day it's just about what you need + your budget + what You're willing to spend on what you want.

From everything I've learned over the last month or two of reading and watching YouTube, talking to people irl, after a certain price point in gravel literally anything you get will be mint. I know there are small idiocincractic differences in features on bikes even with the same groupset. But I mean at that point you start getting into a lot of stuff that either A is a matter of preference or B doesn't actually matter and people just anecdotally claim it does.

In terms of A I haven't ridden enough bikes let alone with high end group sets to be like "ah I don't like how spongy this SRAM shifter is compared to DI2" or "insert some other random preferential bias here"

And that's fine, I don't begrudge anyone their preference. I'm just saying if it all comes down to what I "need" I'd ride the roll until I hit my ideal weight and thatd be the end of it. But half of this is about fun.

mstateglfr 

With a 40mm tire, the Lynskey has 75mm of trail in their L and XL sizes. That, to me, is a lot of trail for a drop bar gravel bike that has a max tire clearance of 45mm.
If that is what you want and like, cool. I just want to make sure you are aware, since it is on the higher end of trail for gravel bikes and you are an admitted research nerd.