Originally Posted by
Phoenixfly92
I'm aware they have different geometries, I'm not sure exactly how to pick based off of it though. I picked these based off knowing I want a fully internally routed bike. My current bike is a 2022 Specialized SL7 in a 52. I want this bike to be able to both road and gravel. Maybe get into a gravel race or potentially cyclocross. I'm 5ft7in and 35yo and generally pretty fit and been riding bikes since I was 4. So responsive is good but I'm also new to dealing with climbing and bigger descent's having just moved from Florida to Seattle. So any help based off geometry would be very helpful.
If you want a bike that feels/reacts/turns similar to your SL7, then compare geometry between your SL7 and the bikes you mention, then narrow the list down based on what is most similar.
Trail, stack, height, wheelbase, chainstay length, front center measurement, bottom bracket drop- these 7 measurements, pretty much in the listed order, will be the main measurements that impact how a bike feels when riding compared to other bikes.
- You will almost for sure want a bike that has at least the same stack and reach as your SL7, and likely want a bike that has a slightly higher stack and slightly shorter reach. Gravel bike riding position is often a tough more upright compared to a paved road bike, though there is no firm rule.
- You will almost for sure end up with a bike that has a higher trail than your SL7 because AR/Gravel bikes usually have a slightly slacker HTA and slightly slacker fork rake. Again, this is generalizing. But if your SL7 has 58mm of trail then an AR/Gravel bike with 64mm or so of trail would still make for a similar steering feel while being a bike more stable at speed.
- The AR/Gravel bike will have a longer wheelbase because the front center and chainstay lenghts on AR/Gravel bikes are both longer than an SL7 type bike. Just know what your wheelbase is and look at what all the wheelbases are for the bikes you are considering. Maybe eliminate a bike if the wheelbase is crazy long compared to the others.
- BB drop is something I really care about, but sometimes others dont. A higher BB drop number means the BB is lower to the ground and the feel is usually that you are riding 'in' the bike instead of 'atop' the bike. Modern gravel geometry typically has BB drops of at least 70mm and often 73-78mm to account for the larger tires(which prop you up higher than road tires) and because a slightly lower BB helps a bike feel more stable and planted when riding downhill on looser surfaces.
What I didnt list is head tube angle and seat tube angle because the bike's trail figure takes head tube angle into account, so that measurement on doesnt hold a ton of value. Seat tube angle wasnt mentioned because I know smaller bikes inherently have steeper seat tubes and since I dont ride em, I really cant say much on that. An offset seatpost and sliding the saddle on its rails will easily account for 1.5deg of seat tube angle differences though, so you can still get into a similar/same position as your SL7 in the end.
Hope the above helps.
I will say that choosing which bikes to consider by requiring they have internal cable routing seems...more on the vanity side of things than the user side of things. You are eliminating a lot of really good titanium options with that requirement, and one of those frames may fit how you like a bike to feel when riding better than any of the bikes you listed. It also seems very 'cart before the horse' since I would think how a bike feels when riding be the primary criteria and if a couple hoses and cables are routed thru a stem and headset would be secondary criteria.
Just something to consider.