Explosive

Hello - this is my first post here and its going to be a long one so sorry in advance. I see a lot of good info on this forum and so i wanted to run some stuff past everyone and just get opinions and hopefully narrow my pickings down to a few.

I'm currently looking into "gravel" bikes, i'm on a MTB at the moment and while the bike is fine i find i'm using it for purposes other than intended(longer distance, trying to maintain/hit speeds and just for fitness in general). Keep in mind during this that i have said mtb and if the going will be rough i'll be dragging it out so the extremes dont really apply here (the guys running gravel and cross bikes down singletrack).

I'm looking for an all around road bike, but i ride a lot of rural areas as well so there could be some hard pack dirt, loose ground gravel, packed ground gravel etc. I'm honestly not sure how much i would run actual dirt roads, up here in the midwest they're plenty and i like the idea but i'm not interested in the super rough stuff i'd take the mtb for that. I'm mostly looking at paved trail systems, park trail systems, some of which may be a packed dirt. Horse trails which are around here often loose fine gravel sometimes rutted from the horse shoes. But basically i want a hearty road styled bike that can handle something beyond pavement when i find myself there. I will be using this for probably 70% pavement and also a lot of indoor trainer during the winter months or short time/bad weather days as well however i plan to setup a dedicated rear wheel with a trainer tire so no biggie.

My budget is in the $1500-$2500ish range, honestly i feel for what i want im realistically looking around $1500-2100 since i dont feel i need to have a carbon frame. I know i want at least a 105 groupset, but i honestly dont know i feel the ultegra justifies the price bump i see with it i think the 105 is perfectly fine from what research ive done. I know i want disc brakes as well, drop bars are a must. On my mtb i hated my 2x10 drive and converted to 1x but for this bike i think i'm going to want a 2x regardless of the cassette range. Beyond this i dont really know half the specs i'm looking at ie brake performance between different sets, differences in the oem equip tires. So i guess i'd like to run a few bikes past everyone and see if i'm on the right path for what i described as well as any key points/features i may have missed that could dramatically make one better than another by far. These arent really in any specific order. The Grade 105 was topping my list for a while until i found the Scott and the Domane ALR 5.

Scott Speedster Gravel 10 - First off the thing looks great to me, the price is right in my range, my concern and confusion is the mixing of ultegra and 105 parts, does anyone know the reasoning behind this? Concerning ? Carbon fork like about all alloy frame gravel bikes ive looked at, looks like a carbon seatpost ? overall they show 23lbs and seemingly nice overall but im a little put off by the component mixing. Couldn't find reviews on this specific bike anywhere

https://www.scott-sports.com/us/en/p...l-10-Disc-Bike

Grade 105 - Fits the price range nicely, 105 groupset, hydraulic brakes, nothing really jumps out to me beyond my own knowledge here it seems like a nice bike. wish they had listed a weight

Grade 105 - Enduroad - Pavement - Bikes - 2017

Jamis Renegade Exploit - Kinda strikes me as a niche brand or something similar but i have a local dealer. Hits my groupset, dont know enough about brakes etc, seems a little on the heavy side in comparison to some others. Other considerations i have seen some conflicting reports of poor customer service from Jamis so thats worth considering. Also seems like you're paying for a name, a little pricey for what i'm able to see in spec.

renegadeexploit

Trek Domane ALR 5 Disc - I recently discovered this while looking at the crockett and find i like it a lot, but i'm confused as it appears more road only than anything, i do understand the seat post concept. It's got a 105, price isnt bad and it seems very roadbikeish but that may just be the tires fooling me. I'm only discounting the crockett from this list since its a 1x. Would likes some thoughts on this bike specifically as it intrigues me for some reason.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...olorCode=black

Only other thing would be the Salsa Warbird 105, its sharp but like jamis feels like you're paying for the name and awesome purple color(love it). But at a MSRP of $2300 i'm not sure anything sets it apart?

WARBIRD 105 | Bikes | Salsa Cycles

I left the specialized diverge out intentionally, due to the suspended head tube deal, same with the cannondale slate, like what i see but dont need suspension fork and not sure i want the lefty with this type of bike anyhow.

If you made it this far thank you lol, I'm looking at so many things which appear so similar i'm going in circles at this point and just need some outside views. I imagine i'm missing something as i'm no expert but maybe not and i just need to go for what i find most attractive. If you have recommendations i'm all ears, however this buy will be at a LBS so i have to keep dealer availability in mind so i can test ride.



The final thing i have which is the route i really dont want to go, diamondback. My MTB is from them, no real complaints at least not to any components they made. I have an account on the corp page, i could get their top level gravel bike, carbon frame, ultegra pieces for something just over $2k. My mtb from them is heavy as a truck. I see their carbon bike is in the area of the other guys alloy stuff. I'm aware of the Asian manufactures and how a lot of frames are made in the same plant etc. While my current experience with DB wasnt necessarily bad, its just kind of meh, seemingly heavier bikes and absolutely obnoxious branding on the product. Just wanted to put this in with mix so if i'm being stupid about it you can say so lol. Honestly i just went DB with my MTB to get the fox fork for the price, nobody else had offerings with an air fork. I do hate the brakes and wheels though.

Barrettscv 

Those are all versatile bikes that perform well on pavement or gravel, depending on what tire you select.

Knowing your weight and having a detailed description of the kind of gravel that you intend to use the bike on is important. A heavier rider on soft gravel and hilly routes is going to require a bike with room for a 700x36 or larger tire.

A lightweight rider on firm gravel might prefer the Domane over the other models, especially if the bike is also going to be used on pavement on a regular basis as you stated.

Donto

I was going to suggest you look at DB. I just bought the Haanjo Carbon Comp ($1670), in the pix it weighs in at 20lb 14.8oz. I'm not complaining! Good luck with your search.

tangerineowl

I think the Domane would have the closest look/weight/ride to your roadbike feel.

For your riding surfaces, if the Domane can fit 32mm tires, then I think that's all the width you'd need.

Explosive

So I'm a short stocky guy, right now working to loose weight so about 200lbs at the moment started around 215-220 and maybe 5'4" on a good day. Part of why I want to pick up one of these bikes is to allow me to put the bike on a trainer in the winter. I had time to ride consistently this spring and racked up about 900 miles quickly and the weight was coming down slow and steady as I wanted. Can't help but feel though that I'm fighting all kind of rolling resistance on the mtb, big 27.5+ tire, fork absorbing some power when I stand and pedal hard, brake rubbage etc, not the most comfortable body position either on longer pavement rides and find myself trying to place my hands in places drop bars would accommodate nicely. I'd just like to move faster as well. I had been doing 25-27 miles daily on the mtb at around 16mph on a good day maybe 14.5-15 with a breeze( I discovered wind is the devil)

I've wasn't always this heavy, I probably won't be as light as I once was I'm shooting for 165-180 but realistically if I can maintain 170-175 I'll be happy. Coming out of high school I was about 165 but I was hitting the gym every other day and constantly active. Plan is to cycle/diet down to about 170 then cut back on the cycling and get back into the gym and see if I can bulk some more eventually level around my goal weight. So I'll never be "lightweight" by a cyclist standard. I start looking thin once I'm deep into the 170s so I don't want to go too crazy.

As for surfaces it will be a lot of pavement on purpose as right now I'm just trying to get out on the bike and grind. Common dirt for me would be the horse trail which is a fine crushed limestone and hard pack dirt path think two track and maybe some super hard pack dirt road. Our dirt roads really vary rd to rd but I would avoid the loose rds on purpose for now. If I joined some group rides once I feel up to it that could change.

Explosive

They're hard to ignore when you compare components vs cost I just think I want to try a "name" brand this go round

Barrettscv 

I'm also a Clydesdale cyclist, I was 240 but I've gotten down to 220 and plan to go lower.

I have several bikes. Three are for various gravel rides. I also don't enjoy unnecessary heavy feeling bikes with knobby tires. I try to use the lightest and fastest rolling bike that will work safely on the worst gravel I expect to travel over.

I'm using a 700x30 Schwalbe S One on most rides that include gravel, this tire is about 32mm wide. I find that with some caution when the gravel gets soft, I can cover most roads in Illinois and Missouri with a slick tire this size. The benefit of a smaller tire is radically improved performance on pavement. It's very rewarding to keep pace with road bikes on racing tires and then be able to cross over firm gravel with stability and speed. If I know most of the gravel is going to be deep and badly maintained, I'll use a different bike with larger tires.

In you case, you can use the MTB on deeper and softer gravel. I would test ride the Madone.

Explosive

This is my thing, I want something fast enough to hang with "road" bikes but when I hit the end of the pavement I want to just keep pedaling down the path. The paved stuff is where I feel like I'm really giving up my performance on the knobbie 27.5+. Of what I posted above the speedster, grade and domane were my main considerations with the jamis trailing just from a value standpoint.

Anyone thoughts on the mix match components Scott is using? This kind of stuff is where I'm unfamiliar as I come from the car world and don't know what interchanges on bikes like tire size. I understand it's a width issue but have no idea what width for what terrain and determining what bikes will accept what width

Barrettscv 

The Scott uses a mixture of mid-range Shimano components. These components will work well together. The Ultegra is a little better than 105, but not by much. Mostly the finish is better and it might be a little lighter.

Since both the Domane and the Scott are aluminum, they really need to be test ridden. Highly engineered aluminum frames can perform well, but heavier aluminum frames can be harsh riding. It's been my experience that the better aluminum frames perform as well as mid-range carbon frames, but that low quality aluminum frames can be disappointing.

Explosive

Anything specially to look for or certain way to ride on a test ride to feel them out ? Or just see if it feels like it's accelerating well/putting the power down ?

Lazyass

I like this better than any of the others posted. Thru axles, Future Shock, flat mount discs and 105 for $1800.

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/me...ecompe5/128909

curttard

Well, everyone who has ridden the Diverges with Futureshock seems to consider it a big positive rather than any kind of negative, but in any case, what about the 2018s without Futureshock (lower models) or one of the 2017s?

Also, check out Fuji Jari and Raleigh Roker.

Barrettscv 

First have the bike shop weight the ready to ride bike. It should be less than 22lbs for a midsized model. If either bike is more than 24lbs, I'd look for a model that has a lighter frame.

When you test ride the bike, put maximum psi in the tires and ride the bike at speed on a pot-holed road. The bike should feel moderately smooth. If your aware of the surface defects in the road, reconsidered the purchase. The bike should feel smooth, not harsh.

I recently purchased a mediocre gravel bike with a low cost and heavy aluminum frame. The ready to ride bike weight about 26 lbs for a model with 105, thru axles and hydro brakes. I installed Clement MSO tubeless tires and kept the air pressure low. It rode like it was made of cast iron. I had a full return privilege and returned it after 10 days and about 200 miles.

Explosive

i guess that i think about it i probably dont need to worry so much on a do it all but more as a fits all, i could just setup an extra set of wheels with some say 28 wide road tires right ? So i suppose i want to make sure its just capable of taking a wider tire should i wind up liking deep/tough gravel stuff. Seems like that would make the most sense and allow me to keep more speed on the pavement while being stable on rougher stuff when im on it.

birru

So I have a Jamis Renegade Expert carbon which I freaking love, but I also tested the Exploit and thought it felt great. It certainly didn't feel like a pig and it's more versatile than the carbon model.

I'd take another look at the Specialized Diverge if you can get a deal on a 2017, which did not use the Futureshock system.

If you have a Performance Bike near you call around to see if they have any 2016 or 2017 GT Grades Carbon with SRAM Force. It's an exclusive build for them (cheaper BB and FSA crankset) but otherwise a great bike. A friend of mine picked up a 2016 locally (did not show as in stock on their web site) and they practically gave it away, at the bottom end of your budget scale. It's also a really, really nice bike.

The Breezer Inversion Team and Pro also look like great bikes on paper. Steel, yet pretty light. I've never seen them in person though. If you can find one locally it might be worth throwing a leg over one.

Explosive

I have to ask, did the carbon model really jump out as that much better ? Per their listed weight we're talking 2.75lbs and my current bike is 31.9 i weighed it last night. But for $700 is it really that big a difference ? Obviously i could just ride them but for that being the only major difference i have to wonder.

birru

The weight difference isn't nothing and I do like the ride of the carbon model more overall. Maybe not quite as "lively" feeling, but it does a good job of muting a lot of road chatter. When accelerating the carbon Renegade just feels like it wants to GO. It's more fun to ride and I think looks cooler to boot. I can't objectively say it's worth the $700 premium, but it's the bike I wanted.

Explosive

I can get that, while i dont piss money i am willing to spend a little more for the bike i "want" even if its not the most cost effective. Big part of why i'm not looking to go diamondback this round.

curttard

Fuji Jari 1.3, $1969 but I bet you can get it cheaper at Performance.

105, hydraulic discs, flat mount, thru axles, fender and rack mounts, up to 42mm tires. Listed at 21.56lb.






Raleigh Roker Comp, $1700 with corporate discount.

All carbon, SRAM Rival 1x, thru axels, post-mount SRAM hydraulic discs, fender mounts, up to 42mm tires. Listed weight 19.95lb.

Explosive

hadnt even looked at the fuji ill take to take a look, appears we do have a performance bike which id never known

Lazyass

With all the bikes that have thru axles now, I wouldn't even consider one with skewers. I suspect in a couple of years no disc bike will have skewers, except for cheap bikes.

Explosive

I didn't even think about that, this complicates the trainer plan lol

ATPAH

Our priorities differ, but I'm shopping the same price range, so we're looking at many of the same bikes. FWIW, I do see the value in the Renegade Exploit between the steel frame, hydro brakes, and carbon seatpost, it's certainly cost competitive. I'm primarily looking at it along with the Diverge and Sequoia, which my LBS carries. I'll ride the bikes before making a call. The Haanjo has a tempting spec, but it's geometry looks a bit too aggressive for my taste.

Lazyass

You can get an adapter to use it on a trainer.

https://robertaxleproject.com/wind-trainer/

Explosive

Yea I see the Kurt traxle now, got a once maybe twice used Kurt with the mat and riser block and orig box and dvds etc for $180 on Craigslist the other day guy said it was the second time his wife bought one and didn't use it, score for meeverything's mint