Built this Grail AL SL 7.0 up over the winter. Bought it relatively cheaply as it needed a lot of maintenance. Eventually went a bit overboard with a SRAM Force 1×11 groupset and ERE Tenaci GR20 with tubeless Schwalbe G-ones.
I really liked the idea of a gravel bike, but on my first few rides I kept thinking I didn’t see the appeal of it. I felt like it wasn’t capable enough off road, and not that exciting on road.
Now that I’ve ridden it for about 500 km’s I really appreciate the stability and comfort on road allowing you to truck on at decently high speeds with confidence. And even on some flowy smooth MTB tracks it held itself up quite well.
Anyway, it took some time but I really enjoy riding this beast now. Any tips to really get the most out of this bike are welcome. Should I take it on a bikepacking trip?
8,9 kg as it sits, not bad for an alloy gravel bike in 2XL right?
by Always_Highdrated