I’ve been getting more into gravel riding over the past 2 years, and I’ve finally decided to pull the trigger on an upgrade from my ~2013 cyclocross bike. My budget is roughly $3.5k. I’m looking for something that could perform well in gravel races (I’m probably not gonna podium but also I’d like to try to go fast) while retaining at least some bikepacking functionality. I know that racing and bikepacking are nearly in perfect opposition, so I was trying my best to optimize for speed within the set of bikes that still retain mount points, good tire clearance, and wouldn’t be unbearably uncomfortable for a 2-3 day trip (i.e., probably not a Cervelo Aspero).
That said, do any of these stand out as a clear best pick? Or worst pick? Or are they all fairly comparable? I know there are some notable differences (e.g., electronic shifters on the Specialized), but I'm not sure any of them push me over the edge.
- Salsa Flyway C GRX 610 for $3500
- Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon for $3600
- Giant Revolt Advanced 1 for $3200
- Trek Checkpoint SL5 AXS Gen 3 for $3500
- Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3 GRX – 1x for $3100
Also, are there others that I ought to consider? I had thought about the Canyon Grizl, but the direct-to-consumer model scares me off. Perhaps I just need to test ride these and choose by vibe?
by yacobguy
3 Comments
I’ve got an older Diverge. I like it. Definitely will work for your mix of uses. Your looking at a compromise when you intend to race and bike pack with the same bike.
yeah, I don’t know. Crux will be faster, but I don’t know how much.
Check out the Otso Warakin.