Gravel Bike Frame or F+F only purchase….

[sevenfourate]

Thinking of building a Gravel bike up myself. The obvious place to start would be a Frame or F+F……

Ribble, Merlin, Spa, On-One……There’s a few Sonder Camino frames around (Just been voted ‘Adventure bike of the Year’ by Cycling Weekly)……and all are possible candidates for purchasing.

Don’t ‘need’ Ti or all Carbon Fibre for my riding. And I’m imagining maybe £2k-£2.5k total build - yes I understand it will be way more expensive per-se building myself. So Aluminium frame with Carbon forks, or all Steel would work just fine ?

Anywhere / any other manufacturers I must consider ?

 

[All uphill]

You could have a look at Temple; their latest bikes are very good.

My advice is to buy the one that looks best to you.

Enjoy the process!

 

[bluenotebob]

My gravel bike has an aluminium frame with carbon forks.

It's made by KTM in Austria - and the model is X-Strada 20.

It's a wonderful bike and I'm only annoyed to have found it late in life.

I've littered the forum with photos of this bike - I'm sure you'll have seen it - but if you want a photo posted here, let me know.

 

[sevenfourate]

My gravel bike has an aluminium frame with carbon forks.

It's made by KTM in Austria - and the model is X-Strada 20.

It's a wonderful bike and I'm only annoyed to have found it late in life.

I've littered the forum with photos of this bike - I'm sure you'll have seen it - but if you want a photo posted here, let me know.

Too blind to see it - was the songtitle I believe 🤣

From that you might gather; I don’t remember seeing yours. But hell yea: let’s see some inspiration please !!

 

[sevenfourate]

You could have a look at Temple; their latest bikes are very good.

My advice is to buy the one that looks best to you.

Enjoy the process!

Superb.

I have been on their website before. Not for a while though; and they’d completely slipped my mind. So thanks 😉

 

[Jameshow]

Unless you want the fun / hassle of building up or want something outside the box I'd suggest that you get a ready made bike??

How about Paul milnes bikes specialist cx / gravel builder in Bradford.

 

[sevenfourate]

….you want the fun of building up: and want something outside the box…..

Absolutely you understand me 🤣🤣🤣😎😎😎

 

[fossyant]

Have you thought about used. Even an u trendy CX bike.

Got this for a bargain 18 months ago.

 

[All uphill]

Superb.

I have been on their website before. Not for a while though; and they’d completely slipped my mind. So thanks 😉

I forgot to say that they were good to deal with when I bought a frame and fork from them. A neighbour has had a similar positive experience with them.

 

[All uphill]

Have you thought about used. Even an u trendy CX bike.

Got this for a bargain 18 months ago.
View attachment 756172

Have you cleaned it in those 18 months?

My gravel bike has an aluminium frame with carbon forks.

It's made by KTM in Austria - and the model is X-Strada 20.

It's a wonderful bike and I'm only annoyed to have found it late in life.

I've littered the forum with photos of this bike - I'm sure you'll have seen it - but if you want a photo posted here, let me know.

They look good, Bob.

What is it you like so much?

 

[fossyant]

Have you cleaned it in those 18 months?


They look good, Bob.

What is it you like so much?

Don't ask. That was the 400 yard bog of doom that took us half an hour to get out of on day one of the KAW. It's spotless currently.

 

[bluenotebob]

But hell yea: let’s see some inspiration please !!

Here you are:

 

[bluenotebob]

What is it you like so much?

I think it's that the bike is up for everything. All weathers and all terrain (apart from seriously deep mud).

Longest distance so far is just over 91km - we would have gone further but night was falling. So a 5 or 6 hour-ride without any pain (back, arm, shoulder or wrist).

I like to share my rides across all my bikes (currently six of them) - each of them is expected to do at least 100km a month (and they don't get their Xmas bonus if they fail) but quite honestly I could go out on the KTM every day. I've had to rein her in - and decided to ride another bike instead. I am wondering about relaxing this 'rule' for 2025 and seeing just how far the KTM would go in a year .. she's done over 2150km since I bought her in February this year - but could quite easily have doubled that.

Only two minor downsides ... not as fast on roads as my carbon road bike (which you'd expect) but certainly not slow .. and won't go uphill as fast as my road bike (because she's a bit heavier) ... but speed isn't really important to me.

 

[rualexander]

Genesis Fugio available as a frameset in steel (Reynolds 725) with carbon fork.
https://www.freewheel.co.uk/genesis-fugio-frameset-vargn22330
Can't see it listed on the Genesis website anymore though so maybe currently out of production?
I've got the base model, aluminium frame, carbon fork version, the Fugio 10, and it's been a great bike so far, had it two years.

 

[sevenfourate]

I think it's that the bike is up for everything. All weathers and all terrain (apart from seriously deep mud).

Longest distance so far is just over 91km - we would have gone further but night was falling. So a 5 or 6 hour-ride without any pain (back, arm, shoulder or wrist).

I like to share my rides across all my bikes (currently six of them) - each of them is expected to do at least 100km a month (and they don't get their Xmas bonus if they fail) but quite honestly I could go out on the KTM every day. I've had to rein her in - and decided to ride another bike instead. I am wondering about relaxing this 'rule' for 2025 and seeing just how far the KTM would go in a year .. she's done over 2150km since I bought her in February this year - but could quite easily have doubled that.

Only two minor downsides ... not as fast on roads as my carbon road bike (which you'd expect) but certainly not slow .. and won't go uphill as fast as my road bike (because she's a bit heavier) ... but speed isn't really important to me.

Looks really great !! Easy to see why you love it so much 😍 Thanks very much for the pics 🙏

My one ‘worry’ about getting a Gravel bike is also that it would effectively cover the purpose of two if not three of my current fleet of 5 riders.

I enjoy owning / tinkering / riding different bikes almost as much as actually getting out amongst it. So that’s not necessarily only a good thing as-such.