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New Bike, Need Advice...

3K views 38 replies 10 participants last post by  Lombard 
#1 ·
Hello All,

I’m in a bit of a pickle. I’ve been given permission from my wife to purchase a new bike, and my budget is anywhere from $3k-$5k. I ride in the Midwest US and primarily on road / limestone railway trails, however since I’m spending this much on a bike I’d like to also have the tire clearance to run larger tires to do some of the gravel races / rides that are becoming more popular across the area.

Ideally I’d be purchasing an ‘endurance’ type bike and run 28s to 32s half the time but has clearance to put on 38s+ for the gravel races and other type rides, potentially a couple bikepacking weekends, etc. Really I guess I’m looking for my unicorn..

Some questions that have been bugging me late at night....
(1) Does this bike exist? If so, what is it!??
(2) I like the idea of Di2 or etap, but is it worth it?
(3) Anything else I should consider as I narrow down what I’m looking for?

I’ve done research for months on the following bikes, but I can’t pull the trigger / make a final decision as all have something ‘wrong’ with them, so hoping this post will pull in some good advice!

Open U.P., Santa Cruz Stigmata, Orbea Terra, Canyon Endurace (but this wouldn’t give me the tire clearance needed), Specialized Crux, Scott Addict Gravel, Jamis Renegade, etc.....

Thanks much in advance. Cheers.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Check out Norco's Search and Search XR.

They are really well designed and can run standard 'road' wheels, and 38-40mm on 700c rimes, and in the case of the Search XR, run 650b' with up to 50mm tires. And because they are not a "premium" brand, you aren't paying extra for the logo on the downtube.

I've been on a Norco Search since 2015, and this year, I decided to upgrade to a Search XR.

Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

https://roadbikeaction.com/video-norco-search-xr-ultegra/

Norco Search XR Carbon Review, Force 1 - BIKEPACKING.com
 
#8 ·
Check out Norco's Search and Search XR.

They are really well designed and can run standard 'road' wheels, and 38-40mm on 700c rimes, and in the case of the Search XR, run 650b' with up to 50mm tires. And because they are not a "premium" brand, you aren't paying extra for the logo on the downtube.

I've been on a Norco Search since 2015, and this year, I decided to upgrade to a Search XR.

Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

https://roadbikeaction.com/video-norco-search-xr-ultegra/

Norco Search XR Carbon Review, Force 1 - BIKEPACKING.com
Thanks for the suggestion, the Norco looks like quite a nice bike. Will check this one out more and add it to the possible list!
 
#3 ·
$3-5K will get you a lot of bike! In fact, $2-3K will probably get you all the bike you need. Gravel bikes! Yes, there is a vastly increasing field here and for good reason. They are nearly as fast as road bike and can go off-road with ease! Two that especially stand out are:

Jamis Renegade
GT Grade

I like these because they have external cabling and have full Shimano groupos, not a cheaper crankset like some other brands. Disclaimer: I own a Jamis Renegade Exploit (Reynolds 631 CroMo) and love mine! The Jamis will accept 40mm tires. The GT will only accept 35mm tires.

As far as Di2 or Etap, I personally don't think it's worth the extra $$, but that's just me. In fact, I have bikes with 105 5800 and Ultegra 6800 and can't tell the difference - they both shift flawlessly.

Naturally, you will get many opinions here. You best bet is to read reviews, then go to bike shops and test ride lots of bikes to see what wows you and what feels best. Find a shop that is willing to spend time to fit you properly.

Online reviews here:

18 of the best 2018 gravel & adventure bikes — super-versatile bikes that are at home on lanes, potholed streets and dirt roads | road.cc
 
#5 ·
^This.^
 
#10 ·
Sometimes it is just fun to get something that you don’t quite need I guess... I also want to get a power meter and I’m sure that’s a better use of the money then Di2.

Re the warbird, I love the bike but for some reason I can’t get over the externally run brake cable. I really like the clean look of minimal cables showing.
 
#11 ·
If you ride in the dirt mostly, then electronic shifting means never or rarely needing to change cables or futz with the shifting due to dirt in the housing.

Worth it ?, dunno, it's about $500 more for the Di2 Ultegra group as opposed to mechanical. I recently did an 8050 Di2 upgrade and like others have stated, once you try it you never want to go back to mechanical.
 
#13 ·
That looks like a pretty nice bike.

The more research I've done recently, for the price, the value seems pretty good on the Jamis Renegade Elite. Doesn't have Di2, but has most everything else and many people are raving about the American Classic wheels. Also seems to have the clearance needed and some rack availability if I get a few chances to go away for the weekend. May be the winner, but as always it'll take me another month before I feel it's the right choice...almost too many options.
 
#16 ·
I'd strong suggest that you do not try anything carbon on wheels. Di2 seems doable but frame specific is required. Aluminum or steel frame gives you steady performance when you on bike-packing way. You can find many from branded on the market. As for the clearance I think it is constrained by fork. I know that one of the GT gravel bike have that but need double check. An bike-packer is saying here to you.
 
#29 ·
choose to get the fastest bike that ticks most of your boxes (Canyon?), touring a couple of times a year shouldn't be a main factor, IMHO. Or go custom, talk to a builder and tell them what you want and they will build it for you. That's what I did. Got a very nice titanium bike 10 years ago that has been raced off road, ridden 250 miles non stop, (okay food and dumps excluded), and even been overnight camping. I will never sell it but I am looking at upgrading the drive train, again. Might go back to single speed for the spring.
 
#31 ·
CX bikes ride and handle differently as they are designed to be swift handling at low speeds with high crank clearance. Being able to accept the same tires as a gravel bike doesn't make them the same any more than it makes a hybrid a CX bike.

Of course you can use them in similar roles - but you can use a MTB for all those roles as well.
 
#36 ·
Guys, guys, settle down. It's not like the folks here invented these terms and sub categories of bikes. They are essentially correct that what we call gravel bikes, are a variation on a cyclo-cross bike, in this case maybe not designed for racing. Nobody's in-correct in defining mt. bikes as Freeride, All Mountain, Downhill, Cross Country, etc.... all just sub categories to better define intended use. We've always been OK defining road racing bikes as Criterium or Stage Race even though those terms have now fallen by the wayside it seems.
 
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