161: Entry-Level Gravel Bikes

Come along and spend the next hour with us talking about gravel bikes, adventure biking, bikepacking, bike camping, entry-level gravel bikes or just playing bikes. Cutaway USA offers premium cycling apparel born in the blue ridge mountains. Cutaway is an industry leader using innovative fabrics combined with clean, bold designs. Make sure to visit their website to see all the jerseys, bibs, neck gaiters, and cycling apparel and gear. Check out their website at https://cutawayusa.com When you reach checkout use the code GTD20 to take 20% off your entire order. That offer is a special discount just for our listeners! Entry-level gravel bikes Step 1 - frame material Aluminum, steel or carbon - but finding carbon at a lower price point might mean some corners were cut in the components to get the overall price down. Best bet is to focus on steel or aluminum. Step 2 - components prioritized Top-tier frame with low-end components will perform worse than a mid-tier frame with mid-tier components Groupsets can be tricky to upgrade so make this a priority Wheels may be expensive but they are easiest to upgrade Saddles, seatposts, stems and handlebars are much lower in cost and easier to upgrade. Step 3 - specific components Disc brakes - hydraulic vs mechanical Tubeless compatible at a minimum, set up tubeless is good 1x VS 2x - A 1x drivetrain uses a single chainring with a wide-range mountain-bike-style cassette to simplify the drivetrain and save weight. A 2x chainset offers two chainrings, and thus offers twice as many gears, however, the spread of gears is usually similar. Step 4 - 650b or 700c wheels and tires? The advantages and disadvantages of 700c vs 650b-sized wheels have been long debated and will continue to be discussed for a long time. Looking for on- and off-road versatility will be best served by the lower weight and better obstacle rollover of 700c wheels. Rougher terrain will find that the increased tire size and volume of 650b wheels offer a significant advantage in grip and comfort. Many gravel bikes will be able to accommodate both wheel sizes, giving riders who invest in a spare set of wheels the option of 'two bikes in one’ - a 700c wheelset set-up with fast-rolling tires for the road and a 650b wheelset with large, knobbly tires for more adventurous riding. Let’s look at some specific entry-level bikes First, let’s define entry-level. We don’t mean cheapest. We mean the first level of bike that will perform in a manner that you can feel confident riding an event or long day on the bike. Bike: Felt Breed 30 Gravel Bike Link: https://feltbicycles.com/products/breed-30-2020 Bike: Giant Revolt Advanced 3 Gravel Bike Link: https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/revolt-advanced-3-2020 Bike: Specialized Diverge Elite E5 Link: https://www.specialized.com/us/en/diverge-elite-e5/p/199974?color=322136-199974 Bike: Salsa Journey Link: https://www.salsacycles.com/bikes/2019_journeyman_apex_1_700_black Bike: Trek Checkpoint ALR 5 Link: https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/road-bikes/gravel-bikes/checkpoint/checkpoint-alr/checkpoint-alr-5/p/32557/?colorCode=tealdark Bike: Cannondale Topstone 3 Link: https://www.cannondale.com/en-us/bikes/road/gravel/topstone-alloy/topstone-3 Bike: Canyon Grail 7 Link: https://www.canyon.com/en-us/gravel-bikes/all-road/grail/al/grail-7/3093.html Bike: Kona Libre Link: https://konaworld.com/libre.cfm Bike: Jamis Renegade S4 Link: https://www.jamisbikes.com/bikes/adventure-gravel/allroad-adventure/renegade/