bOsscO

Looking to get a new bike this year and have narrowed it down to two options;
1. All (the bells and whistles) Landyachtz aluminum adventure bike with carbon fork. Custom built with 1X12 speed (10-50) SRAM Rival e-Tap AXS, hydro discs, Easton EC90 carbon cockpit, 650b Easton wheels, all the mounts. Link here https://landyachtzbikes.com/bike/ab1...bike-frameset/
2. Nothing; bare bones Specialized Crux Comp carbon frame/fork with only water bottle mounts. Comes with SRAM Rival 1 drivetrain, hydro discs, Specialized cockpit, DT Swiss wheels. Link here https://www.specialized.com/us/en/cr...=336163-205813

Roughly the same price for both. The Landyachtz will be heavier but weights unknown. Plan is to use it for both group road rides and gravel rides. Not sure which one to choose.

Elvo

This one:
https://us.vitusbikes.com/blogs/stor...ke-of-the-year

bOsscO

If I could only get on board with dropped seat stays & pressfit BB.

SoSmellyAir

Why are you against dropped seat stays?

Also, there are plenty of gravel bike frames with threaded bottom brackets. I looked at an Ibis Hakka MX before getting a Santa Cruz Stigmata.

bOsscO

Im just not a fan of the look of dropped seat stays; personal preference.
Yes both the Landyachtz and Spec have threaded BBs. I do like the Ibis Haka MX but they're in short supply here and cost 10-20% more.

SoSmellyAir

bOsscO Is LandYachtz a small independent frame builder? Or is the frame premade, as implied by: "We only made 100 of these beauties for 2022 ..."

Instead of dropped seat stays, I would be more concerned about the dropped chain stays on the alloy frame you are looking at. That is quite a big bend immediately aft of the bottom bracket, especially for a 6061 aluminum tube.

Tubular Hydroforming Aluminum: 5 Things To Keep In Mind | (millsproducts.com)

bOsscO

Thanks Smelly. They do both custom frames and premade frames. The bike I'm looking at is one of the 100 premade frames with a custom build kit

mstateglfr 

Is there a 3?

That landyacht bike is interesting. Haven't heard of the brand, no idea abiur service and quality. The steel version of the frame you are considering has goofy geometry- like a crazy reach for the XL. Since that's the size I ride, I would probably dismiss the brand based just on that- goofy geometry shows they don't have a grasp on things. It's not like that geometey would fit others.

As for Specialized...the bike is probably really nice, but with like 50 legit brands to consider at this point, choosing that brand is like choosing an overpriced Accord in a lot full of EVs, sports cars, and 4x4s.

SoSmellyAir

I would not buy a premade frame of which only a total of 100 were made.

mstateglfr 

Why not? Black Mountain has existed for years by selling a small number of frames in each size and then taking delivery of a new batch as the current inventory sells.

If this small brand buys 400 frames at a time, what's the concern?

SoSmellyAir

My concern is that the AB-al frame has an uncommon design featuring dropped 6061 aluminum chain stays having a relatively tight bend immediately aft of the bottom bracket, and 100 samples (of which a number is still unsold) is not sufficient to vet this design.

AB-al Frameset • Landyachtz Bikes

If it turns out that this is a tried and true alloy frame characteristic, then I apologize that I had raised this concern in my ignorance.

tFUnK

Feel like the Crux will be better during roadie duty. But you should get the one you think you'll enjoy more. For me and the type of riding I do, the boring and less unique Specialized seems to work better. My buddy likes to talk smack to me about my mass production bikes, but I don't really hear him because he's always getting dropped on his small-label bikes.

bOsscO

Thanks for your input mstateglfr
Is there a 3 (rd option) yes I suppose there's all sorts of options within the 50 legit brands you noted (Salsa Warbird, Norco Search, etc) I'd just narrowed it down to the two to help me not go insane with too many choices.
I'm a 49y/o dude at 6'-3" and +/-200lbs. My 'new bike' musts are threaded bottom bracket, fitting 45c tires, and I would really like a 1X drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes.

bOsscO

Haha tFUnK and a solid 'YES' to riding bikes you enjoy. One of the things I like specifically about the Crux is that it looks like a bike; round tubes, standard lines, no flashy labels.

Darth Lefty 

The longer I've been on bike forums the more I've found it strange that people come to post about their two choice bikes out of like hundreds of functionally identical bikes they could have chosen

bOsscO

Like I said I had to narrow it down as there are too many choices these days. I suppose I'm looking for advice (or emotional support) from the BF hive mind to pick the 'right' bike.

sarhog

I am entering the “titanium bike” phase of my life, so I am currently enamored with the Lynskey GR300 I’ve just assembled (for the same price range as the Crux Comp I might add, but with a bluetooth drivetrain and carbon wheels), however I think the new Crux may be one of the best “one bike to do it all” examples in recent memory.
Also, not to add a third choice, but take a look at what Canyon offers for the money…

Good luck.

SoSmellyAir

These requirements do not narrow down the choices by much. However, if you add the prohibition against dropped seat stays, then: Hakka MX - Ibis Cycles Inc.

sean.hwy

I have been trying to get a used topstone in my size with no luck. Just fixed one up drop bar for the gf. The topstone alloy bike comes with threaded BB.

This bike also comes with a thread BB and seems good value for the money but I don't see people talking about it much on the forums/redit etc..
only $1600
https://www.bikesonline.com/2023-pol...x5-gravel-bike
DRIVETRAIN


Rear derailleur

Shimano 105 RD-R7000 SS, 11-Speed

Cassette
Shimano 105 CS-R7000, 11-Speed, 11-30T

Shifter
Shimano 105 ST-R7020, 2x11-Speed Shifter

Chain
KMC X11, 11-Speed

Bottom Bracket
Praxis BSA, 68mm

Crankset
Praxis ALBA, 48-32T

CONTACT POINTS


Handlebar
Entity Sport, 121mm drop x 74mm reach x 16° flare

Stem
Entity Sport, 31.8mm

Saddle
Entity, Steel, ø7mm
WHEELSET


Rim
Alloy Double Wall, FV, 24H , 622x19, H;30mm, Tubeless Tape Instaled *

Front hub
Novatec D791SB, 12x100mm, 24H, CL

Rear Hub
Novatec D792SB, 12x142, 24H, CL

Tyres
VeeTireCo G-Sport, 700x35C, DCC Compound, Tubeless ready
BRAKESET


Brake lever
Shimano 105 ST-R7020

Brake Caliper
Shimano 105 BRK-R7020

Rotors
Shimano SM-RT30, 160mm
WEIGHT
10.3kg Size Medium (Without Pedals)

zen_

Polygon makes really nice bikes for the money, but their gravel bikes are a bit lackluster in my opinion. The Path has an absolutely massive stack height, and they used an 11-30 cassette with 105 short cage RD for some reason. I don't think anything can touch the Canyon Grizl 6 in the budget category.

SoSmellyAir

An RD-R7000-SS with an CS-R7000 11-30 is the cheapest 105 drivetrain which might still work adequately on gravel when paired with the Praxis 48/32 crankset. Swap that for a GRX 46/30 crank and one has a full Shimano drivetrain. Yes, either aluminum Grizl would be preferable, but Canyon does not sell everywhere yet.

sean.hwy

I would just sway out for grx rear derailleur and 11-40T cassette. The Canyon is press fit BB though.

I am still on the look out for used topstone 2x grx or 2x 105 in size small. I see tons of XS, MED, large for sale in nor cal. I was kind of thinking of rolling the dice with cfr696. Some people love them and other people got a bad frame and no warranty :/

Clipped_in

zen_

It would definitely be a little better if they switched back to BSA, or moved to T47 like many manufacturers are. However, the press fit BB is less problematic in alloy frames (harder for the shell to become deformed), and Canyon does use a Token thread together BB, which improves service life.

Again, I really like Polygon and recommend their road and mountain bikes often, but for some reason they just missed the mark with their gravel offering.

sean.hwy

I have a 2022 hakka. It's nice light frame with T47 threaded BB. I would bought a Crux if they had grx model in my size.