Change frame or New bike? (Looking for Northeast Gravel Rider feedback)

[jcs7282]

I had a Midnight Special until I wrecked the frame in a cross race back in December (my fault entirely, not the frame's).

It was a great bike that I rode on pavement, gravel and singletrack. It has awesome tire clearance and I found it very stable and comfortable. Mostly I ran 650x48c Gravel King SKs. Even on the road, it's not too hard to zip along at 18-19MPH on chunky tires and I liked having the extra cushion in the woods and rough roads.

The only major downside is it's heavy, but, it's also pretty cheap (relatively speaking, compared to other new complete bikes) so it's hard to knock it for that. If you go the Midnight Special route, I think you would like it.

But, that Zank looks awesome too...

[Mzilliox]

you will be a fool not to message Hilltopper as soon as you get this. Ill bet it works in your budget

[NHAero]

I haven't regretted every step that put fatter tires on a bike for off-pavement. My current jam is my old Litespeed Unicoi MTB, with drop bars. I run Continental 26x2.2 Race Sport Speed Kings on it, they ate light, they roll great on pavement, and except for serious mud, they are wide enough for single track without having knobs. I air them to 30 psi on trails and 50 on the road. I'm slow anyway, and riding on my usual routes I'm maybe 1 mph slower on this bike than on a pure road bike weighing 7 pounds less with 25mm tires. And it's nice having some front suspension and a bit of give in the rear from the Moots YBB rear end.
So that's another way to go, and old MTBs that were once very high end are really cheap now.

[sparky33]

Keeping things on a lean budget is a trick, especially when you consider that the worthwhile jump to disc brakes renders your wheels and brakes obsolete.

The Midnight Special immediately came to mind when you mentioned value-oriented gravel bikes. The specs are smart and reviews are all positive: rides well, versatile and hard to kill. Frameset + new brakes + classifieds wheels + your old parts maybe?

As the original owner of Hilltop's Zanc, I'd say it is a good choice only if you like fun and want a bike that does everything well. Zanc's aluminum compares favorably against all unobtanium rides out there.

More generally, Paceline Classifieds is the right place to be if you are looking to buy a terrific used bike from a reasonable seller. Spare parts can sometimes be had for little more than the trouble of asking

Also, fatter tires will make you life better in every way.

Originally Posted by jcs7282

I had a Midnight Special until I wrecked the frame in a cross race back in December (my fault entirely, not the frame's).

It was a great bike that I rode on pavement, gravel and singletrack. It has awesome tire clearance and I found it very stable and comfortable. Mostly I ran 650x48c Gravel King SKs. Even on the road, it's not too hard to zip along at 18-19MPH on chunky tires and I liked having the extra cushion in the woods and rough roads.

Originally Posted by Hilltopperny

[CNY rider]

OP, I think last year's Farmer's Daughter was an anamoly. We had torrential rain for a couple of days before. It rendered some of the trail sections unrideable as they turned to knee deep, pudding consistency mud.
I brought my mountain bike and still had trouble with those sections.

I generally ride upstate NY dirt roads on 700X35 Conti Cyclocross Speed and they are more than adequate. If FD is not a mud bath this coming year I expect those tires to be just right.

[dmortimer]

I decided this was all academic without some money to spend and a convinced spouse. So, some audio gear is on eBay and I had a convo with my wife.

We'll see how much money I can raise.

The zanc is tempting but I can't spend money I dont have (we are just getting out of debt after a number of years - so I am very cautious and downright ponderous with big purchases).

[slowpoke]

Late to the party, but I would highly recommend looking at Black Mountain Cycles' Monster Cross / Monster Cross Disc (MCD) offerings.

They're in the same price range as Soma, but with lighter tubing and well thought out mounts. Sure they're not as blingy as anything custom, but I've read nothing but praise and delight for Mike Varley's bikes.

[Ken Robb]

How about a dirt-cheap-cuz-nobody-want-em 26" mtn bike?