Gravel Bikes Advice Required
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- Posts: 1
- Joined: 23 Jun 2019, 10:11am
Gravel Bikes Advice Required
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
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
Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required
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?
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- Posts: 11009
- Joined: 7 Jul 2014, 9:45pm
- Location: Near Bicester Oxon
Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required
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
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required
£1400 on the used market could get you something pretty decent, such as a Mason Bokeh, or a Whyte Wessex etc
Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required
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
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
Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required
rotavator 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
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
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required
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).
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).
Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required
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
Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required
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
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
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- Posts: 11009
- Joined: 7 Jul 2014, 9:45pm
- Location: Near Bicester Oxon
Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required
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
I don't
Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required
,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
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
Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required
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
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
Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required
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
Re: Gravel Bikes Advice Required
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.
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
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden