Hi all!
I'm lucky enough to own a nice Rove LTD at the moment with 650b 2.1 tires. I like the bike a lot, it's got a 2x drivetrain and it's fun to ride.
I've always dreamed of owning the Sutra LTD as a dedicated Bikepacking bike. Bigger wheels,bigger tire clearance, a few more mounts, better weight bearing set up, more upright position, ect.
I have the opportunity to get one, for a great price…
I have used the Rove before on some bikepacking trips and it's been fine!
But I do want to get into longer trips, maybe in other continents as well, and some people told me that large Tire clearance, 29ers and upright position is a game changer for those longer trips. My trips are usually a mix of road and gravel. But I do come from a MTB background abd I do enjoy a smooth ride with big tires.
Ultimitelty, something like a Mason ISO 2 would have also been amazing. But with the weak CAD exchange and shipping/duties, it would be ridiculously more expensive than a Sutra LTD.
Has anyone every been in this position? Any thoughts?
N+1…. ? 😅
by bessikapedale
2 Comments
I have a Rove myself, although it only fits 47mm tires. I would not buy a Sutra as it’s just too similar. My next N+1 will be a flat bar rigid MTB. If I where in Canada it would probably be a Panorama Boreal. But that’s me. This is you and your money.
Personally, I think the Sutra is going to be more versatile over a wider range of terrain than the Rove. In terms of position/comfort I think they’ll be pretty similar, but the Sutra will be much more comfortable on terrain with its larger tires and more off road Geo.
I was really in this same boat of gravel vs something less road oriented and went with a Taiga Exp, and then a GMX and haven’t really missed having a gravel bike. I don’t notice the supposed efficiency loss, and the big tires and MTB geo really allow you to go places with confidence you don’t feel on a gravel bike.