Quote:
Originally Posted by robt57
Wonder how many got 'distributed' @ sale price. That is a great start to coin saving gravel build for sure.
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I agree about the great price! I'm less in agreement about this being an ideal gravel build.
Sure, you can venture onto dirt roads with 28mm tires. Or use 32 mm tires if you are okay with minimal mud clearance. But that's not ideal for a true gravel bike.
I think this bike is most at home in these settings:
- Fast-moving group rides, but not actual racing (i.e., with minimal spacers and a low stem position)
- All-day cruising on pavement and chipseal (due to the somewhat generous stack height for each size, combined with the bike's comfortable ride and ability to take 28-32mm tires).
- Country roads that include a combination of pavement, chip seal, and short sections of smooth dirt roads (not trails).
For mostly-dirt rides, I would choose a different bike. When I hear "gravel bike" I think of a bike with a longer wheelbase, slacker front end, slower steering for stability on bumpy descents, and ability to take at least 40mm tires for occasional forays onto forest trails.
This bike rides like a road bike. It's not race-bike sharp/twitchy (like my CAAD10), but it definitely has road bike handling, not gravel bike handling. It's sporty, but not overly so. None of these qualities are negatives for this kind of bike. They are all positives qualities for the kind of bike it is (i.e., a nice road bike for non-racers and not a gravel bike).