Which would you choose?
I'm looking for a gravel bike for my 13mile flat gravel commute and hilly gravel long rides. I prefer two-by (I've got a roadie mentality) but am open to one-by.
For the commute, I plan on getting the Ortleib Quick Rack L, which can be connected to rear rack eyelets on carbon bikes and strapped to the seat post. If there are no eyelets, I would have to get the through axle.
I don't see lots of comments on the new Giant Revolt Advanced 2, it looks like the best-priced carbon two-by ($2.8k)!
It's cheaper than the Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon on sale ($3k), with an additional speed (12s vs. 11s), lighter, and more tire clearance! But it has this D-fuse seatpost that people don't like.
But the Lauf Siegla is just as good, if not better, at their price points ($2.6k base, +$700 power meter, +$100 13s). Groupset is one-by, but wireless!
But I am concerned about the SRAM transmission, which seems slow to allow shifting under load. I can avoid this by upgrading to the Weekend Warrior E1, which is a 13s. But then I'm out $3.4k… oh dear…
And if I get the Lauf Siegla, it is tantalizing to upgrade to the Weekend Warrior for the power meter. Plus the grit fork for $400? I never intended to get suspension, but people seem to really like it. Do I even deserve suspension?
Bay area gravel terrain = mostly hilly, with a flat commute.
Surface = mixed dirt, gravel, fireroad, some singletrack, but many rides stay on fireroad/gravel rather than extremely technical singletrack.
Bike implications = go with a “gravel/adventure” bike, not just a road bike with slicks. Prioritize tire clearance, comfortable geometry, good gearing, brakes.
by Dirt_Win
23 Comments
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Take a look at the Ari Shafer which has big clearance and hitting your price point.
Also the Argon 18 Grey Matter is one to look at and under your $3k budget.
The better reason to upgrade the Lauf (which is the one you should get) is that is has better wheels too so the value jump is pretty massive. The best value Siegla is actually the Race with Force/XO and carbon wheels but I understand it’s pricier. The Weekend Warrior is absolutely worth the value over the core though.
I’ve got the D2 Force on a Lauf Seigla (with the suspension fork) and SRAM recently upgraded the firmware to allow for faster shifts. Even before that I never noticed it as “slow” – a lot of my riding is either up or down, so I’m not typically shifting more than one or two gears at once. People do seem to like the E1 shifters and brakes better.
The suspension is great – highly recommend. It doesn’t have rack eyelets, but does have a good amount of other mounting points for your non-commute riding.
My road bike is Shimano 2x and I haven’t really noticed huge gaps or anything going to 1x and the 52 on the rear is nice for some of the really punchy sections.
Grizl CF6 by canyon. 2799. Axs wireless shifting. Good bike. Great at that price point.
I have the Giant, but from 2023, similar if not identical specs. Great bike, big value and fit my needs (use for bikepacking, wanted 2x). But as others have identified, the Lauf has better wheels and the stock Giant wheels really suck. I swapped them for some Mavic Allroads…still alloy but a noticable difference in the ride. So new wheels (Giant) or new drivetrain (Lauf) definitely make either over $3k
Lots of people around lately slamming Laufs without even understanding the concept of design (2x was never a goal). And, Spec is now copying the solid carbon driveside chainstay. SRAM’s new 13 speed 10-46 nearly obviates the need for 2x, especially for stronger riders (perhaps not if one rides mostly road). Also, upgrading the crank to a power meter is only $200.
I absolutely love my Lauf but probably wouldn’t commute on it, just because it’s a bit more aggressive position. The distance wouldn’t be a problem at all, I simply want a slightly more relaxed feel for a commute.
Also the lack of mounts is a downside for commuting.
I love both brands. I went with the Revolt due to better dealer access as it’s important to me. I prefer GRX mechanical. I have a 2019 revolt and love it so much I upgraded last month to the advanced 0. The revolt fits decently sized tires…. A tiny bit less clearance than the lauf…. The Lauf wins on extremely rough gravel and dirt. The Giant is faster on easy gravel.
I don’t think you can go wrong – I have the Revolt, but actually kind of want a Lauf. I am a sucker for the 2X, though, highly recommend if you’ve got a lot of hills. I also use an Ortlieb Quick Rack and it works really well – rock solid on commute days, but can be removed in ~10 seconds. That with the $500 Favero Assioma (one side) will get you a power meter bike for less than most other builds. While some of the 1x’s might nominally offer a better climbing gear, it’s gonna be a big jump between gears relative to the 2X. Will warn you that the stock (as of 2 years ago) FSA cranks on the Revolt are kind of junk – very heavy.
I got my propain on sale for just over $3k with AXS and Zipp XPLR wheels.
The best one is the one that feels and rides the best for you.
I was doing all the on-paper spec and price comparison. Was set on buying Specialized Diverge Al. But when I tried various gravel bikes (both Aluminum and Carbon), I didn’t like how Specialized felt at all.
On the other hand, I really liked how Trek Checkpoint rides. Not an expert, so I don’t know why or what caused the differences. But I ended up buying what felt right to me, which is Checkpoint.
For the Bay area, I would recommend the 1x mullet setup. There are some steep sections in the headlands and mount tam.
I have a Seigla with the grit fork and I don’t find it _that_ useful for the trails in Marin. Sometimes I wish I had the regular fork. The grit can be squishy (with no lockout) on climbs and on the pavement going to and from the trails.
Rival E1 was redesigned to have same ergonomic feeling as force for the brake levers. I have it on a recent build and it’s noticeable. Not extremely so, but noticeable. Quite nice!
Great comparison. I’ve been looking to get into gravel at the same price range and I’ve never heard of lauf till now. Thanks a ton!
I had Lauf True Grit AXS before they came up with Siegla and loved it. Used it for commuting and riding up to 100km in mixed terrain (Switzerland). This was a perfect bike that I only had to sell when moving countries.
Seigla Race is crazy value, I was planning to get the weekend warrior, but my girlfriend talked me into the race and she was RIGHT.
A used otso waheela c
Why no Grizl?
Seigla 13s get an axle mounted tailfin, and yea do the fork it is like riding on a cloud.
Check out Otso Waheela C. Or, overall, check Marketplace/Pro’s Closet for a smoking deal on a used one that someone changed their mind on. Best value for sure. Bring to a local shop for a tune up and bingo.
Grevil F5
Go to your local bike shop, ride a few, and pick one you like. You’re really overthinking this purchase considering it’s for your 13mi commute….