which bike?

Tombo2001

I've been looking for a while for a gravel, found these two available in the market place?

Same price: Is one materially better than the other?

https://www.cannondale.com/en-eu/bikes/road/gravel/topstone-alloy/topstone-2

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/ie/revolt-advanced-3

CantGetNoSleep

The Cannondale is slightly better spec but alu frame. The brakes are not as good on the Giant and overall components are an older model but the frame is full carbon

Tombo2001

nThanks

I would feel the older model shouldnt matter a huge amount, its only one year older.

But its a carbon bike with weaker spec versus an alu bike with better spec. Ive never been on a carbon bike so I dont know to what degree that outweighs the inferior components.

magicbastarder

depends on how rough you want to treat it, maybe? if it got a knock, you'd be less paranoid about damage on the alu frame, possibly.

grogi

magicbastarder wrote: »

depends on how rough you want to treat it, maybe? if it got a knock, you'd be less paranoid about damage on the alu frame, possibly.

Unless you compete, carbon gravel doesn't make sense. Those bikes get much more beating than road bikes, one falls much more... What brings comfort and dumping on a gravel is tubeless tyres and maybe carbon seat post, not carbon frame.

I do however value Giant frames much more than Cannondale... That's not objective, just personal experiences with dreadful pf30 bottom bracket...

Both lovely looking frames imo, and dare I say it better looking than some of their road options but I wonder about the pricing really. 2k for a 10 speed alu bike when you can get a alu road bike with full 105 for about 1600 and similar tyre clearance. Geometry wise are they far off CX or endurance models? Wider bars maybe?

No idea about grx vs Tiagra/105 though , very little difference I'd imagine?

Peregrine

What the hell? The Cannondale was around €1550 three months ago. Lovely bike. Nearly bought one myself but €2000 is a lot for a GRX 400 alloy frame.

Edit: Wow, they really increased the price.
https://www.reddit.com/r/BikeMechanics/comments/lyv7gj/cannondale_announced_a_new_canadian_price_list/

Peregrine

Canyon Grail 6 (€1500), Orbea Terra H40 (€1800) and Merida Silex 400 (€1700) all have similar components to the Cannondale Topstone 2 but are a lot cheaper with that new Cannondale price. Stock can be an issue though.

If you like the colour of the Topstone 2, have a look at the Rondo Ruut Al 2. No hydraulic disc brakes on that though.

Tombo2001

Peregrine wrote: »

What the hell? The Cannondale was around €1550 three months ago. Lovely bike. Nearly bought one myself but €2000 is a lot for a GRX 400 alloy frame.

Edit: Wow, they really increased the price.
https://www.reddit.com/r/BikeMechanics/comments/lyv7gj/cannondale_announced_a_new_canadian_price_list/

Thats my big gripe with the cannondale - that the price increase isnt even on last years model, its this model but they just put the price up considerably. I had a test ride on it, it handles great, I felt the handlebars were a bit oversized; that was the only issue I had.

The flip side is that there is little or no stock available, and i suspect that when stock does come available that these price increase will be across the board. Shipping costs have risen considerably.

Fernagx

This would be my choice for your price budget:

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXTEMV3RIV1700BW/planet-x-tempest-sram-rival-1-titanium-gravel-bike

ED E

grogi wrote: »

I do however value Giant frames much more than Cannondale... That's not objective, just personal experiences with dreadful pf30 bottom bracket...

Hambini wasnt a fan of the Cannondale frames he got, not Canyon bad but not Look good either.



Not sure which is worse for supply/demand atm, the Irish housing market or the global bike market.

grogi

ED E wrote: »

Hambini wasnt a fan of the Cannondale frames he got, not Canyon bad but not Look good either.

You have to take the 'dyslectic.engineer' with a pinch of salt...

His bottom brackets are indeed a feast of engineering and produced with tightest tolerances, but his rants are designed to be his advertising/publicity.

Peregrine

Never had a problem with Cannondale. I'd buy Cannondales over Giants personally!

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Thats my big gripe with the cannondale - that the price increase isnt even on last years model, its this model but they just put the price up considerably. I had a test ride on it, it handles great, I felt the handlebars were a bit oversized; that was the only issue I had.

The flip side is that there is little or no stock available, and i suspect that when stock does come available that these price increase will be across the board. Shipping costs have risen considerably.

It's a great bike and was decent value for money at €1550. I'd never pay €2000 for it though. I don't know much about the Giant Revolt Advanced 3 except that it seems like a fairly standard entry level carbon gravel bike and that it looks gorgeous!

360 Cycles has the Topstone 2 in medium and small.

Are you limited to any shops, bike to work etc.?

Tombo2001

Fernagx wrote: »

This would be my choice for your price budget:

https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXTEMV3RIV1700BW/planet-x-tempest-sram-rival-1-titanium-gravel-bike

Lovely bike, but (i) is it not better to test ride first and (ii) I will be using the BTW scheme = am assuming this wouldnt extend to Planet X? (I might be wrong).

Tombo2001

Peregrine wrote: »

Never had a problem with Cannondale. I'd buy Cannondales over Giants personally!



It's a great bike and was decent value for money at €1550. I'd never pay €2000 for it though. I don't know much about the Giant Revolt Advanced 3 except that it seems like a fairly standard entry level carbon gravel bike and that it looks gorgeous!

360 Cycles has the Topstone 2 in medium and small.

Are you limited to any shops, bike to work etc.?

Yeah there are a few better value bikes out there - for example this one is available for I think 1799, I would say its on a par with the Cannondale for spec.

https://www.kellysbike.com/en/o-gravel-c703/soot-70-p57995



360 let me take the Cannondale for a test ride, I am a Large so they dont have the Topstone 2 in that size afaik. Not limited to any shop - I had planned to use BTW but at this stage am thinking a second hand option might be better.

smacl

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Yeah there are a few better value bikes out there - for example this one is available for I think 1799, I would say its on a par with the Cannondale for spec.

https://www.kellysbike.com/en/o-gravel-c703/soot-70-p57995



360 let me take the Cannondale for a test ride, I am a Large so they dont have the Topstone 2 in that size afaik. Not limited to any shop - I had planned to use BTW but at this stage am thinking a second hand option might be better.

The bike that got me back into cycling was a Kellys sport hybrid, great bike at a good price and still going strong as my shopping / pub bike. I like the idea of having a dropper post in there, would definitely use it for off road descents.

Jonesy101

grogi wrote: »

Unless you compete, carbon gravel doesn't make sense. Those bikes get much more beating than road bikes, one falls much more... What brings comfort and dumping on a gravel is tubeless tyres and maybe carbon seat post, not carbon frame.

I do however value Giant frames much more than Cannondale... That's not objective, just personal experiences with dreadful pf30 bottom bracket...

not sure how true this is, high end downhill mountain bikes are carbon so obviously get loads of beating and much harder falls than any gravel bike

grogi

Jonesy101 wrote: »

not sure how true this is, high end downhill mountain bikes are carbon so obviously get loads of beating and much harder falls than any gravel bike

In competition environment it makes perfect sense - every inch of performance matters. High end riders need high end bikes. When the frame gets damaged, it gets replaced.

In recreational cycling it doesn't matter that much - the performance gains are not that big, while the risk of expensive issues is. It's fine of course if you can afford to properly asses carbon frame condition and replace damaged one.

deco36

I bought a vitus energie cx bike from chain reaction a few months ago and can highly recommend it. Changed the tyres to 40mm wtb gravel tyres and it will go anywhere. Only downside is that it is now around €1500 instead of the €1250 i paid before xmas.

cletus

grogi wrote: »

You have to take the 'dyslectic.engineer' with a pinch of salt...

His bottom brackets are indeed a feast of engineering and produced with tightest tolerances, but his rants are designed to be his advertising/publicity.

I've often wondered about him. A lot of the tolerances he complains about are probably quite acceptable from an engineering point of view, and certainly I would think the majority of people cycling these bikes wouldn't notice, I'd imagine.

Tombo2001

deco36 wrote: »

I bought a vitus energie cx bike from chain reaction a few months ago and can highly recommend it. Changed the tyres to 40mm wtb gravel tyres and it will go anywhere. Only downside is that it is now around €1500 instead of the €1250 i paid before xmas.

The concern I'd have with this is not having tested the bike first - was that an issue for you?

deco36

Tombo2001 wrote: »

The concern I'd have with this is not having tested the bike first - was that an issue for you?

Did quite a bit of research in terms of what i wanted and the vitus was the best bike for what i wanted to spend. Looks better in the flesh than it does on the website.