Gravel Bike Frame or F+F only purchase….

[StuAff]

You forgot about Kinesis.....

Also, you might not 'need' titanium, but you do want it, even if you don't know it yet. If the budget stretches to £1249 for the frame and fork, this is a ridiculously good bargain. My Litespeed (nicked) was £1500 in 2015.....

 

[sevenfourate]

You forgot about Kinesis.....

Also, you might not 'need' titanium, but you do want it, even if you don't know it yet. If the budget stretches to £1249 for the frame and fork, this is a ridiculously good bargain. My Litespeed (nicked) was £1500 in 2015.....

Now off to have a peek. Ta !

I’m well aware and eluded to differentiating between ‘needing and desiring’ in my initial post. Just depends how balls-deep I want to go I guess.

I’m not even truly sure of the riding attributes of a Ti frame if I’m honest though…….

 

[bluenotebob]

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.

Yes - it might and it's something for you to think about.

I bought the KTM specifically for long-distance canal towpath rides and rides on gritty/sandy Voies Vertes. Both can be done on either of my flat handle-barred MTBs .. but the drops on the KTM mean I can go much further without any discomfort (I reckon on a max of about 60km on an MTB - thereafter I struggle).

That's worked out very nicely and I've visited more 'new' places this year than I have previously, thanks to the KTM. But she insists on nicking rides off other bikes - because she can do them (and do them quicker than either of my hybrids or MTBs).

One of my hybrids has opted for semi-retirement (just does 1000km a year, quite happily) and I think that may happen to one of my MTBs next year too.

If you can be disciplined enough to "only" use a new gravel bike for new rides/different surfaces, then you'll be OK. But I confess to having failed to exercise that level of discipline.

But do think about that ... a gravel bike would mean you could go much further on a ride than an MTB or hybrid would permit - and that's perhaps the justification for spending the money (and of course, the build project).

Bon courage!

 

[rualexander]

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.

Good point.
I've not ridden my road bike and barely ridden my mountain bike or touring bike since getting my gravel bike.

 

[StuAff]

In the last few years, the Litespeed and now the Tripster have definitely done far more mileage than the Viner- discs, wide tyres, mudguards just make more sense much of the time, let alone winter, and titanium does clean easy. They're the touring option as well. But every time I ride the Viner, it still feels special. It's the n+1 rule not n-1 or n=1…

 

[vickster]

My gravel is a Sabbath AR1 Ti <<
Now SRAM Apex 1x (previously Rival 2x which is now on the 🦄 )

 

[All uphill]

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.

Thanks. Very tempting...

I like the idea of your bikes having targets; make them earn their keep!

 

[Gunk]

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.

I completely agree and I say that from experience, I’ve built a number of bikes up from a bare frame and the costs just run away. If you do want to build up a bare frame, Its cheaper to buy a complete donor bike than individual components, I did this recently, used everything off the donor bike and then sold the frame.

 

[PaulSB]

Now off to have a peek. Ta !

I’m well aware and eluded to differentiating between ‘needing and desiring’ in my initial post. Just depends how balls-deep I want to go I guess.

I’m not even truly sure of the riding attributes of a Ti frame if I’m honest though…….

I ride a Kinesis ATR V3. This is my second and when the first was written off in an RTC I didn't hesitate to buy another. It is titanium and outside the budget you posted. The main benefits of titanium are:

Comfort
Shock absorbing
Easy to keep clean
Natural silver is a great look
It's a frame for life

The only downside to this bike is it doesn't accelerate the way my carbon bikes do. I don't know if this is general to titanium or just this specific bike. Once up to speed it's easy to maintain but on a group ride I have to be careful not to drop off. If I do closing a 30+ yard gap is extremely difficult. I have to anticipate the group accelerating and make sure I respond.

 

[Jameshow]

I completely agree and I say that from experience, I’ve built a number of bikes up from a bare frame and the costs just run away. If you do want to build up a bare frame, Its cheaper to buy a complete donor bike than individual components, I did this recently, used everything off the donor bike and then sold the frame.

But buying parts isn't buying a bike..DAMHIK ...

 

[Jameshow]

I ride a Kinesis ATR V3. This is my second and when the first was written off in an RTC I didn't hesitate to buy another. It is titanium and outside the budget you posted. The main benefits of titanium are:

Comfort
Shock absorbing
Easy to keep clean
Natural silver is a great look
It's a frame for life

The only downside to this bike is it doesn't accelerate the way my carbon bikes do. I don't know if this is general to titanium or just this specific bike. Once up to speed it's easy to maintain but on a group ride I have to be careful not to drop off. If I do closing a 30+ yard gap is extremely difficult. I have to anticipate the group accelerating and make sure I respond.

Notorious for cracking too though...

 

[Jenkins]

You forgot about Kinesis.....

Also, you might not 'need' titanium, but you do want it, even if you don't know it yet. If the budget stretches to £1249 for the frame and fork, this is a ridiculously good bargain. My Litespeed (nicked) was £1500 in 2015.....

I was going to say something similar and then recommend Planet X

 

[geocycle]

The problem is there are gravel bikes that are nearly mtbs and gravel bikes that are more or less tourers, others edge toward road and audax. Choice might logically be guided by how you see using it and crucially where. Then again, some just look ‘right’!

 

[All uphill]

I was browsing ebay and saw a Temple frame and fork on offer for £500 and another complete bike that has clearly had a major collision for £350.

Putting the two together would be very appealing to me if I had the space for a new bike.

 

[PaulSB]

Notorious for cracking too though...

Everything is notorious for cracking from what I read. I guess I'll meet someone one day who has a cracked aluminium, carbon, steel, titanium bike.........in the meantime I'll carry on riding.