Gravel Bikes Advice Required

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
Steviemoo2001
Posts: 1
Joined: 23 Jun 2019, 10:11am

Gravel Bikes Advice Required

Post by Steviemoo2001 »

Hi,

Looking to purchase a mid-price gravel bike for camel path, riverside use etc.

Decided I want SRAM Rival1x, both for functionality and aesthetics

Narrowed it down to two bikes, both available for £1,400

One is the Pinnacle Arkose X from Evans & the other being the Boardman ADV 9.0. Links below to both bikes

I don’t know enough about the wheels, seats and general components to say which I prefer so looking for your advice. To my untrained eye they are very similar

Sure people will have their opinions. However let me say, this is right at the top of my budget, so no good suggesting alternatives if they cost more


https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-ar ... DUQAvD_BwE


https://www.cyclerepublic.com/boardman- ... 68QAvD_BwE
rfryer
Posts: 809
Joined: 7 Feb 2013, 3:58pm

Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required

Post by rfryer »

I've been delighted with my Vitus Energie, see https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=129518&p=1347416&hilit=Vitus#p1347084. Rode 130 miles on it yesterday! Why pay more for bikes that don't seem to be offering anything extra?
Bonefishblues
Posts: 11009
Joined: 7 Jul 2014, 9:45pm
Location: Near Bicester Oxon

Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required

Post by Bonefishblues »

reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required

Post by reohn2 »

Bonefishblues wrote:Or same spec, cheaper:

https://www.alpkit.com/sonder/bikes/son ... draulic-V2

I went to my first go to,seatube angle.It's daft.
That said I couldn't find any geometry figures for the Op's suggestions :?
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
dim
Posts: 348
Joined: 12 May 2019, 5:59pm

Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required

Post by dim »

£1400 on the used market could get you something pretty decent, such as a Mason Bokeh, or a Whyte Wessex etc
rotavator
Posts: 987
Joined: 6 Jun 2016, 9:50pm
Location: North Wales

Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required

Post by rotavator »

reohn2 wrote:
Bonefishblues wrote:Or same spec, cheaper:

https://www.alpkit.com/sonder/bikes/son ... draulic-V2

I went to my first go to,seatube angle.It's daft.
That said I couldn't find any geometry figures for the Op's suggestions :?

Arkose'e geometry here: https://static.evanscycles.com/production/pdf-media/sizing-table/Pinnacle_size_and_geometry_guide_arkose_19.pdf. Seat tube angle 73.5 deg
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required

Post by reohn2 »

rotavator wrote:
reohn2 wrote:
Bonefishblues wrote:Or same spec, cheaper:

https://www.alpkit.com/sonder/bikes/son ... draulic-V2

I went to my first go to,seatube angle.It's daft.
That said I couldn't find any geometry figures for the Op's suggestions :?

Arkose'e geometry here: https://static.evanscycles.com/production/pdf-media/sizing-table/Pinnacle_size_and_geometry_guide_arkose_19.pdf. Seat tube angle 73.5 deg

That seatube angle is even dafter at 73.5 degrees across the sizes :?
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
slowster
Moderator
Posts: 4629
Joined: 7 Jul 2017, 10:37am

Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required

Post by slowster »

There are probably more owners of this type of bike, especially the brands mentioned, on the Singletrackworld forum. In fact there's a very long thread just on the Arkrose here, with contributions from the bike's designer who is a STW member.

As for the 74 degree seat tube angle, I guess that that is one of things that tends to differentiate gravel bikes from what would generally be classed more as touring bikes. However, I suspect it only really matters if it's not possible to get the saddle in your preferred/'correct' position as a result of the steep seat angle. I have a bike with a 74 degree seat angle and a Brooks leather saddle, and despite the fact that Brooks's short rails prevent the saddles being pushed as far back as most other saddles, I still have my preferred position. I don't know how typical my experience is, and maybe I am unusual. For anyone wanting a gravel bike which doesn't have such a steep seat tube, the Spa Elan looks like the answer, since it has a 72.5 degree seat angle but with the same 440mm chainstay length typical of a lot of gravel bikes (which I suppose does raise the question why have such a steep seat angle if you can get adequate tyre/mudguard clearance with a slacker 72.5 degree angle, but I think some of the latest gravel bikes are designed with clearance for even wider/taller tyres, e.g. 29 x 2.1, so maybe some of those frames have to have a steeper seat angle).
mnichols
Posts: 1465
Joined: 22 Apr 2013, 4:29pm

Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required

Post by mnichols »

reohn2 wrote:
Bonefishblues wrote:Or same spec, cheaper:

https://www.alpkit.com/sonder/bikes/son ... draulic-V2

I went to my first go to,seatube angle.It's daft.
That said I couldn't find any geometry figures for the Op's suggestions :?


May look daft but I've got the ti Camino and it's awesome. By far my favourite bike. On the owners forum everyone loves theirs
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required

Post by reohn2 »

mnichols wrote:
reohn2 wrote:
Bonefishblues wrote:Or same spec, cheaper:

https://www.alpkit.com/sonder/bikes/son ... draulic-V2

I went to my first go to,seatube angle.It's daft.
That said I couldn't find any geometry figures for the Op's suggestions :?


May look daft but I've got the ti Camino and it's awesome. By far my favourite bike. On the owners forum everyone loves theirs

I have long thighs :wink:
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Bonefishblues
Posts: 11009
Joined: 7 Jul 2014, 9:45pm
Location: Near Bicester Oxon

Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required

Post by Bonefishblues »

reohn2 wrote:
mnichols wrote:
reohn2 wrote:I went to my first go to,seatube angle.It's daft.
That said I couldn't find any geometry figures for the Op's suggestions :?


May look daft but I've got the ti Camino and it's awesome. By far my favourite bike. On the owners forum everyone loves theirs

I have long thighs :wink:

I don't :(
mnichols
Posts: 1465
Joined: 22 Apr 2013, 4:29pm

Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required

Post by mnichols »

reohn2 wrote:
mnichols wrote:
reohn2 wrote:I went to my first go to,seatube angle.It's daft.
That said I couldn't find any geometry figures for the Op's suggestions :?


May look daft but I've got the ti Camino and it's awesome. By far my favourite bike. On the owners forum everyone loves theirs

I have long thighs :wink:
,

I'm 6'1, with a 34 inside leg in trousers if that helps. I'm not sure that the leg length makes that much difference, ive got loads of seat tube showing. I actually went to the factory to by a different bike, but when i sat on the Camino i fell in love with it. I don't know what it is about it but it's such good fun to ride
mnichols
Posts: 1465
Joined: 22 Apr 2013, 4:29pm

Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required

Post by mnichols »

mnichols wrote:
reohn2 wrote:
mnichols wrote:
May look daft but I've got the ti Camino and it's awesome. By far my favourite bike. On the owners forum everyone loves theirs

I have long thighs :wink:
,

I'm 6'1, with a 34 inside leg in trousers if that helps. I'm not sure that the leg length makes that much difference, ive got loads of seat tube showing. I actually went to the factory to by a different bike, but when i sat on the Camino i fell in love with it. I don't know what it is about it but it's such good fun to ride


They are based in Nottingham with shops in the Lakes. If you get chance go and sit on one

I've got the titanium though, not a big fan of alu. I find it a bit harsh

My friend just got a nice 2nd hand PlanetX. Very nice, and they have some bargains
ChrisF
Posts: 665
Joined: 22 Mar 2014, 7:34pm

Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required

Post by ChrisF »

I bought a PlanetX 'Space Chicken' a few months ago. £1299. Silly name but a great gravel bike that meets your spec.
Chris F, Cornwall
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required

Post by reohn2 »

Regarding steep seatube angles(SSA).
There's numerous threads on the forum of people not being able to get their saddle back far enough or needing their saddle as far back on the rails as possible even with a layback seatpost(which can cause saddle rail breakage due to the cantilever effect on saddle rails),to achieve KOPS,more so if using Brooks saddles,all of which is due to SSA.
Both bikes the OP is asking about and the Camino have enough room behind the seatube to allow at least a 1 degree slacker seatube angle.If the rider doesn't need the saddle so far behind the BB no problem s/he can slide it forward on the rails or use an inline seatpost,but for those who do it's a godsend.
The effects of not being able to achieve KOPS by not being able get the saddle far back enough is more pressure on the knees and more weight on the hands,all of which is made worse on anything less than a smooth road,on gravel or rougher surfaces it's just made ten times worse.
I'd suggest anyone thinking of buying a "gravel" bike to first take a look at Spa Cycles own brand bike range for well thought out geometry designed for comfortable days in the saddle with neutral steering to match.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
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