Barrettscv 

I'm fortunate enough to have a first world problem. During 2016 and 2018 I acquired a pro-level road bike with 700x25 tires, a serious disc-brake gravel bike that can fit 700x40 tires and a disc-brake Endurance bike that can fit all 700x32 tires and some 700x33 tires.

I need to cull the herd. When I purchased the Raleigh Roker gravel bike, I was completing serious Gravel rides in the Ozarks, including the Cuba gravel crisis. These events required 700x35 tires or larger, due to the soft & unstable round, river-bed gravel that was often rutted by vehicles.







I now live along the Illinois/Wisconsin border and only ride firm gravel paths. I still like the control and stability of the gravel bike, but the Endurace bike on 700x32 slicks seems to be sufficient for the gravel rails-to-trails I'm currently riding.

Will I regret not having a serious gravel bike with larger tires? I might also sell the Endurance bike and have to choose between the road bike or the gravel bike depending on the route, but I’ll have to ride either pavement or gravel but not both on any given day.

tyrion

Yes, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.

Barrettscv 

Yes, if a bike fits well and performs as expected, I always regret selling ;-)

Steve B.

Keep the gravel, put 28's or so on the endurance and use it as your primary road. If the wheels swap between the endurance and gravel, take the gravel on vacation with the extra wheels with narrower tires.

scottfsmith

Sell the gravel bike. It sounds like you will never need it.

I’ve sold many bikes and have few regrets.

Barrettscv 

Interesting! In other words, "sell the skinny tire road bike"!

Yes the Endurace bike is as fast as the road bike on most pavement and faster than the road bike if the pavement is less than perfectly smooth or it's a century ride. The gravel bike with road bike tires won't be as fast as my other bikes, but still useful enough.

mstateglfr 

I thought you moved to Italy.

If a 32mm tire is all you now need and you don't think you will want anything wider in the future, then keep the bike that fits best and sell the other.

If the gravel bike fits best, throw some 32 gp5k tires on that.
If the canyon bike fits best, then sell the Raleigh.

scottfsmith

I misread your original post and thought you had only a gravel and endurance bike.. with three bikes I would sell two, just keep the endurance bike. I’m an N-1 convert, I sold my race and mountain bikes and only have one bike now, an endurance bike. I have a separate set of wheels with gravel type tires on it for the occasional gravel ride (I never do MTB any more, too many injuries). You could start by selling the road bike and then see down the road where to go from there.

Random11

My thinking would be: keep the gravel bike and sell one of the other two. I ride my gravel bike with 700x38 tires mostly on paved roads and it's a good road bike. It's also a capable off-road bike. So keep the versatile gravel bike and keep one of the other two as your road bike. (I'd probably keep all three, but if I was to get rid of one, it would not be the gravel bike.)

katsup

You mentioned riding the endurance and gravel bike at your current home, but left out the skinny tire road bike. Therefore sell the skinny tire road bike and go from there.

Fentuz

I'd keep the gravel with 2 sets of wheel and get raid of the endurance bike as gravel i likely to be suitable for endurance while endurance is not. basically keep the 2 extreme bikes.

msu2001la

I think you answered your own question, but yes for smooth/firm gravel paths and roads around Northern Illinois and So. Wisconsin anything more than 32-33mm tires is overkill for most situations, especially the rails-to-trails paths that are pretty hard packed crushed stone. I ride those on 28mm road tires sometimes. I know some people who run 35s around here, but that's mostly just a comfort factor, and not for any added capability.

I don't know the specifics of the Endurace - but for me I'd be happy on any drop bar bike that could fit 33mm CX tires as the "maximum" for local riding.

msu2001la

Here's an example of 35mm Gravel King SK's on a Canyon Endurace, plus a few others. These look pretty tight, but might work:
FYI: Canyon Endurace can fit 700x35's on 20mm wide rims | Mountain Bike Reviews Forum (mtbr.com)

Barrettscv 

Very interesting, thanks for adding your post. Both Gravel bike and the skinny-tire Road Bike are looking less important and not needed.

SoSmellyAir

In view of your new signature, I am curious as to why you want to cull the herd to begin with. No matter which wheels and tires fit which frame, it is imperative to have at least two bikes: one to ride, and one to tinker with.

redtires

Gold.

Robert7659

I have an endurance bike and a gravel bike. With lowered handlebars it’s hard to distinguish the gravel from the endurance. The gravel bike is more versatile overall (broader choice of tire widths, more useful lower gears, higher handlebar possible). But the endurance bike is a little more nervy and exciting. I’m glad I have both.

Polaris OBark

Lake Geneva is on the border between Wisconsin and Switzerland.

tFUnK

It certainly sounds like you can get away with having just the endurance bike for now.

But if it were me and I had to pick 2 out of 3, I'd keep the roadie and the gravel. The roadie for going fast and just enjoying the speed on smooth tarmac. The gravel for anything off-tarmac; you can always throw on 33mm tires on there if you think 40mm is overkill.

Kapusta

How big of a tire will you endurance bike clear.

I am down to one bike for pavement and gravel: A Soma Fog Cutter. Basically and Endurance Road bike that will clear 42mm tires. I run slick 38s. Slick 35s also work well for everything for me.