Help finding a gravel frame
Long story short…I infected a fellow Army officer with the gravel bug. He bought a “budget” bike a year ago, and he has been steadily logging the kms and incrementally upgrading things. It’s got GRX600 level components (FSA crank) on the drivetrain but low end cable operated FM disc brakes. He bought a set of take off wheels from me at the beginning of the summer…and now he’s searching for hydraulic levers to mate to a set of GRX400 FM calipers I’ve got on my bench that were never mounted to a build I was doing last year. Tonight we were talking about continuing to upgrade a frame that supposedly fits 42mm tires (it does with 2mm clearance at the chain stays, which makes me nervous), or buy a new frame and rebuild the bike on that frame, or buy a whole new bike. I told him a frame might be a better (most economical) option.
So, here we are. His budget is 1000€, give or take few ducats. I’m gonna start looking. But opinions/ideas are welcome. Current frame is Al. He’s not fixated on a material, per se, but I’ve told him it should at least clear a 47mm x 700c. 650b is not as important, but it could give future options. Send ideas, please.