Gravel bike sub €1500ish

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Hi
Covid 19 shopping time.

Looking for a gravel bike which will also be suitable for the very occasional audax type spin. I would like
*Shimano GRX 400( most bikes seem to have SRAM 1x or 11 speed GRX, to me a double crank with 10 speed makes the most sense in terms of functionality and durability)
*Hydraulic brakes ( a given with GRX400 I presume)
*Non carbon so I can have a threaded bb
*tubeless wheels and tyres
*off road geometry. I have an (very little used) Orange Clockwork mtb and I thought the blurb about head tube angle etc was just marketing sh1te talk but it makes a very noticeable difference for confident handling off road.

Ribble CGR Al(for some reason the 725 steel doesn't come in GRX 400 guise, I might email them though) and maybe a Norco for evans.

Any other options of thoughts?

David6330

I almost pulled the tirgger on a Ribble CGR a few weeks ago. The online configurator/bike builder is good. From memory you can spec the GRX 400 on all the CGR frames.

Ribble are one of the best value gravel bikes out there at the minute.

Macy0161

I'm happy with my Cannondale Topstone Tiagra. Alright not grx, but has a sub compact chainset and is the latest iteration shifters, and hits the rest of your wishlist.

In theory, available in a bricks and mortar shop.

Love the look of the steel and ti cgr, but they'd be over budget.

Tony04

This vitus substance is reasonably well priced. Definitely more offroad orientated with 27.5 wheels
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/ie/en/vitus-substance-vr-2-adventure-road-bike-2020/rp-prod185534

Oberkon

Planet X tempest Titanium / cervelo aspero or 3t exploro are on my list
Worth a look

TheW1zard

Boardman do good carbon cyclecross bikes

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Macy0161 wrote: »

I'm happy with my Cannondale Topstone Tiagra. Alright not grx, but has a sub compact chainset and is the latest iteration shifters, and hits the rest of your wishlist.

In theory, available in a bricks and mortar shop.

Love the look of the steel and ti cgr, but they'd be over budget.

The budget isn't fixed, I'll be getting the right bike!

I just checked and my normal STOP sign with Cannondale isn't there (its non threaded bb), it seems the 2020 Topstone has a threaded bb shell. If that allows me to use shimano bb & crank then I'll have a good look at it.

A lot of the review sites talk up the GRX shifters in terms of grip and braking power from hoods. Does anyone have actual experience of this?

I'll have another look at ribble and the 725. EDIT just checked and it works now!

I spotted the VITUS but not available in M or L.

Nearly all the Planet x seem to be carbon and/or 1x.

Halfords/boardman have nothing that satisfies OP list

byrnem31

Cube nuroad sl might be an option. I have a 2018 model and it's a well made bike. Very solid on gravel and fast on the road.

I have a Giant defy advanced 2 2020 ordered from penny farthing. Collecting it tomorrow. They done me a very good deal on my bike with cash towards the advanced. €2250 for the advanced 2 but there is a cheaper model, full carbon.

The advanced comes with tubeless 32s so you can go off road yet is fast when you get it on the road.

tombliboo83

How about the canyon grail Al 7.0? It's 1799€ but with the grx groupset

devonp

Specialized Diverge..has threaded BB , think sub compact group

and the shop in Browns barn...when/if open

https://www.specialized.com/ie/en/diverge-elite-e5/p/171309?color=264792-171309

Large bottle small glass

Couldn't get the Ribble in 725 with the GRX 400. Spent 2 months waiting for frame and when it arrived the Grx 400 was gone and not back for the foreseeable future.

Tried 2 local bikes shops, a lot of online stores all to no avail.

Came across a Genesis Fugio rolling frameset; all it was missing was shifters, derailleurs, cables and bar tape. It had mechanical calipers and discs.

Have a box of spares and just missing a front derailleur that'll fit the seat post.

I'll make/buy a 700c wheelset in time with 35mm Schwalbe g one speed but it should be rolling after I get back from a week's break.

€600 for a near new Fugio and finally putting a hole in spares box isn't a bad outcome!

cletus

Lovely looking bike. Well wear

fat bloke

Lovely looking frame, but my puny brain can't process the mtb wheels/tyres on it! Looks like an optical illusion of two different bikes!

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fat bloke wrote: »

Lovely looking frame, but my puny brain can't process the mtb wheels/tyres on it! Looks like an optical illusion of two different bikes!

It's basically a mtb with drop bars and a rigid fork.

It'll look more pleasing to you with 700 by 35 tyres.

The drive side chainstay is a bit odd looking

I'll probably stick a grx 400 on it in time.

That's the 4th bike the tiagra chainset has been on, up on 55k km or so now, still original 34 ring.

iwillhtfu

Large bottle small glass wrote: »

Couldn't get the Ribble in 725 with the GRX 400. Spent 2 months waiting for frame and when it arrived the Grx 400 was gone and not back for the foreseeable future.

Tried 2 local bikes shops, a lot of online stores all to no avail.

Came across a Genesis Fugio rolling frameset; all it was missing was shifters, derailleurs, cables and bar tape. It had mechanical calipers and discs.

Have a box of spares and just missing a front derailleur that'll fit the seat post.

I'll make/buy a 700c wheelset in time with 35mm Schwalbe g one speed but it should be rolling after I get back from a week's break.

€600 for a near new Fugio and finally putting a hole in spares box isn't a bad outcome!

Did you buy that off adverts from a guy in Waterford I think I had my eye on the very same frame. It's lovely, well wear

Large bottle small glass

https://www.rosebikes.ie/rose-backroad-al-grx-rx400-2686987?product_shape=roasted+olive

From what I can see this ticks all the boxes of OP list. 13 weeks wait though.

Can't customise like you could with other Rose bikes but a decent bike for the price.

I'd still prefer the 725 Ribble I think

CramCycle

Large bottle small glass wrote: »

https://www.rosebikes.ie/rose-backroad-al-grx-rx400-2686987?product_shape=roasted+olive

From what I can see this ticks all the boxes of OP list. 13 weeks wait though.

Can't customise like you could with other Rose bikes but a decent bike for the price.

I'd still prefer the 725 Ribble I think

You can customise the Rose bike, you just have to send them an email with any other changes you want that aren't available. They are far busier than they ever were before but when I ordered off them a few years ago you couls ask for anything they sell that isn't offered, and they will simply add on the difference in price between the two ie if you spec Dura Ace instead of the 105 listed, they will charge you the differnce in cost price of the two which seems reasonable to me, you can even get a reduction on some parts as well. Not sure if they have the ability to do this in current times anymore.