Hey y’all! Wondering if people will share their opinions please on these two new Gravel bikes I am looking at.
First, I ride casually, on the weekends. I want to spend equal time on- and off-road; there are lots of compacted gravel and dirt roads near me I want to ride. I have a road bike now, but its 25mm wheels and its slicks don’t do dirt and gravel like I want.
First, the Salsa Warbird C GRX 600 1x:
https://www.salsacycles.com/bikes/2024-warbird-c-grx-600-1x
$3300 USD MSRP but a LBS has one for $2800.
Warbird C GRX 600 is a carbon gravel bike with a few tricks you won’t find anywhere else. The frameset features our gravel race geometry, a perfect blend of stability and comfort that only comes from decades of gravel riding experience. Our Class 5™ VRS (vibration reduction system) cuts chatter — and fatigue — from rugged roads that would otherwise beat you up.
OTOH, the Canyon CF SL 7:
https://www.canyon.com/en-us/outlet-bikes/gravel-bikes/grail-cf-sl-7/3095.html
Actually a mix of GRX 600 and 800 parts and an FSA Crank.
If you need to shake up your riding routine, then gravel is the answer. The lightweight Grail CF SL 7 is a hugely versatile bike ready for all your year-round off-road adventures, and comes complete with Shimano’s GRX810 gravel groupset.
I’m leaning toward the Canyon, but would appreciate any feedback / other ideas you all have for a gravel bike in the same price range, available new in the US. Cheers!
Edited for clarity.
Idk man that canyon looks a bit unusual. Unless I’m missing something on the pictures, I don’t vibe that double handlebar thing going on. The salsa looks like the more understandable bike but I think they’re both pricy.
What kind of riding are you planning to do on it?
The Canyon is a previous year’s model, on sale and luckily, in my size. Here’s the current one, without the funky bars: https://www.canyon.com/en-us/gravel-bikes/performance/grail/cf-sl/grail-cf-sl-7/3575.html?dwvar_3575_pv_rahmenfarbe=R119_P01
I ride alone and with small groups, on streets and dirt paths and in one place, on real gravel. I ride about 12 - 15 MPH on average, between 10 and 50 mile routes.
I’m open to cheaper ideas too.
I bought my wife a used rocky mountain solo and she loves it. Also got a lot of compliments this weekend from others that tried it out. It’s a lesser known brand but I have no complaints about it so far.
Gotcha, thanks