Thinking of a mid range "special" bike... Gravel?

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Thinking of taking advantage of the newly unlimited C2W scheme.

Have a Boardman Pro hardtail from a few years ago (last of the 26" wheel) that gets infrequent use out with pre-teen kids.

However, have had a hankering for a "nice" bike for a while. Steel or Titanium, no aluminium or carbon.

Something that can do a bit of everything. Summer commute to the train station, light blue trails with the kids (such as Queen Elizabeth Country Park), rides to the pub. However, also something I'd like to hang on the wall for the vast majority of the time it won't be being ridden! Got enough 'beater' bikes cluttering the garage!

Any recommendations? Clean lines, decent kit, up to £2.5k, maybe a little more for something nice. Frame is everything... Wheels pretty close. Everything else a doddle to improve over the years.

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Have been idly looking for options...

Ribble CGR Ti looks good, decent spec for the dosh, configurator doesn't list 650b wheels, but sure I could spec them.

Reilly Gradient looks superb, however pushes the budget a tad...

Anything else to consider? Struggling to find a high end steel that isn't custom and tonnes of dosh.

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Matt London said:

Have looked at the Damavand Peak Huey? It’s pretty good as long as you don’t overspeed it with your mates in the back!

ps off. Git!

Hope you're well bud?

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Thanks for the suggestions - they're helping me realise what I want!

I would like (and will probably run the majority of the time) proper 650b compatibility.

ISO disc mounts are out - it really ruins the 'specialness' with adaptors, etc.

Clean (not necessarily internal) cable routing.

So far, I think I'm down to two on the shortlist:

https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-cgr-ti-sram-... seems a hell of a lot of bike for the money.

Or

https://www.reillycycleworks.com/products/gradient...

Which is a couple of hundred quid more, not quite as good a spec - but if I'm reading things right is made down the road from me in Brighton.

Really struggling to find anything steel I really like. Cotic's Escapade is the closest - but no info on what steel equals gas pipe in my mind, and specced up with Hope it's the same price as the Ti CGR.

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Secan looks awesome - going to enquire if they support C2W. 853, with Grx800 and Hope 650B wheels is pretty much bang on the money.

Planet X - I won't go there. Bad experience a number of years ago, but they lost all likelihood of a further sale to me. Shame, as it's a great saving (only seemingly losing slick cable management for a big saving).

Mason's are stunning - I love them. However, an extra £1k realistically. This really would be a bike to spec up to standard after purchase, but not sure I could actually get on one to begin with!

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woots787 said:

The other,alternative is to get a custom frame from someone like Rourke or vernon baker. No cycle to work saving though but doable for your money.

No near 40% C2W saving, and 'my money' is far less!!

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Matt London said:

Sway said:

ps off. Git!

Hope you're well bud?

All good thanks Sway.

I was looking at a custom Ti frame from Enigma about three years ago. They are somewhere in Sussex so that may be a bonus. The only reason I ended not getting one is my dodgy back made it a bit of a gamble that the bike would sit dormant.

Glad to hear that squire - and hope the back is gradually getting there?

Yep - there's a little cabal of Enigma, Reilly, Hunt, and a few more all based in Sussex which makes a visit much easier (although, a bit like Ali G, I'll point out it'll mean a trip into the moderately scary, and definitely inferior East side... .)

Had a few unexpected things to sort over the next couple of months, so this is going to take a slight back seat - but have really appreciated everyone's inputs/suggestions...

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Matt London said:

A very very good friend (former Londoner) of mine (Sussex now) refers to a certain kind of person from there as East Sussex C***s!

Apparently, it’s not an uncommon sentiment!

As hopefully a decent (if lapsed!) acquaintance, who is also originally from London and now Sussex based - I could not possibly confirm or deny such notions.

All I'll say, is them lot in Lewes are bloody odd, and as for that Brighton, well... A city full of contradictions.

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Usget said:

How about a Charge Plug 5? Mate of mine has one and it's lovely.

http://www.chargebikes.com/plug-5/

Cheers - don't know how I've missed the existence of that!

It's on the list!

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Maxington76 said:

I can definitely vouch for the gradient. Similar to you, it seems, I wanted a ‘special’ gravel bike, steel or ti, and plumped for the Reilly. It really is quite lovely. Fast enough on the road and a hoot in the local forest. Bought it from their base in Brighton, Mark and his colleagues are really good to deal with. All positives from me.

Crikey, I feel honoured your second post in over a decade was for little old me!

Thanks - seeing as I'm based very near Chichester, I think I really should make the effort to go across and see them. It does look just right aesthetically to my eyes.

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Mildy necrotic post resurgence...

Life threw a few curve balls - so purchase was delayed.

However, I'm now looking at three months minimum working from home (and aiming that even once all this turns back to normal, I'll be WFH the vast majority of the time) - so a bike is back on the agenda to help keep me sane.

My Boardman HT has done some decent service - can't really fault it.

Mate leant me a Tailfin rack and top bag - just utterly stunning, even in the all alloy spec.

I've decided on a Gradient. Budget is a tad more flexible... 😉

So, spec time.

Brushed frame, polished logos. Grx600 groupset.

Thoughts on Hope Fortus versus Hunt 4Seasons (both 650b)? - always ran Hope hubs "back in the day"...

Or, I could split the voucher and grab a frameset then full Thomson cockpit/grx800/Hope everywhere for another couple of hundred quid?

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Daveyraveygravey said:

A colleague at work has a Reilly and loves it. It's road biased though, so not an escapade as far as I know. He went a bit spendy on it too, nearer £3.5k. I don't think you'll get a Mason under £3k either.

Yeah, budget has "shifted"...

Currently working on £3200 for the Gradient with Hunts. Expecting somewhere around £3500 to swap some bits out for Hope via Reilly.

If I went frameset, then spendy with Merlin, it'd be £3800 with grx800 instead of grx600 and full Hope/Thomson Elite...

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Update!

Can you tell I'm a tad bored today?

Reilly got in touch - great chap to chat with.

I'd looked at Wiggle, and saw I could get a Force 1x etap group for the same price as I'd seen for grx800 mechanical... Pricing up the rest of the kit at Wiggle, and it was looking like a significant upgrade for pretty much zero extra cost.

However, Cyclescheme won't let you process two vouchers. Bugger.

Reilly called, and spoke through a few bits.

They do a "Hope upgrade pack" for a very reasonable price - plus I get to pick colour - get in the basket.

I'll be going GRX, just waiting on an email showing the difference between 600 and 800 (both mechanical). He explained quite why Sram are so cheap on Wiggle - they can sell them for a good few hundred quid cheaper than Reilly can buy them...

So voucher going in as soon as I've had the email (I think we all know that I'll be getting grx800...).

Then, trip over to have a bike fit...

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That. Is. Bloody. Lovely!

Reilly won me over, mostly as they're very local to me.

Plus, in the safe non-judgemental corner of PH that this is, I slightly prefer it's looks...

However, really glad you love it - it's filling me with confidence.

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I'm not - couldn't stretch quite that far (and there's a fairly chunky additional wait).

So, brushed frame with polished logos. Classy...

Which I'll then ruin with bright orange Hope bits!

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Voucher ordered and approved - just waiting for it to be sent through...



Spec:

Reilly Gradient size M brushed with mirror graphics
Shimano GRX800 1x
Panaracer Gravelking Sk 43mm
Hope upgrade (inc Five20 wheels, headset, BB and seat clamp)
Finishing kit (inc bars, stem, seat post and saddle)

Just need to arrange the bikefit at Reilly, and pick the colour of the Hope bits.

Leaning towards orange - should be fairly clean I think with a Ti frame and everything else being black except for tan sidewalls?

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Crikey, what a saga...

Voucher got delayed heavily by work. All sorted a couple of weeks ago.

Only for comms from Reilly to fall off a cliff. Just disappeared without trace.

I know things are challenging right now, but it really didn't fill me with confidence.

So, gave Enigma a call. Spoke to the owner (Jim) who was utterly superb. Fit drawing done in under 24 hours, and a couple of times over the last couple of days I've had a call within five minutes of sending an email. They've also done an amazing job finding a way of matching the spec I'd had quoted from Reilly, but with a much nicer frame.

So, order is in! Now to suffer the wait (expected to be a couple of weeks).

Full spec:

Enigma Etape
GRX810 (42t/11-40)
Hope (orange!) headset/seat post clamp/20five wheels
Panaracer gravelking SK 32mm tyres
Enigma finishing kit

Cannot wait. Frame appears to be significantly more refined in design/tubing than pretty much anyone else I can see at similar money.

https://www.enigmabikes.com/pages/enigma-etape#bik...

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d8mok said:

I was just about start a similar thread on here about buying a Ti gravel bike with Reilly , Enigma, Genesis , and mason (alumimium Bokeh)

I really can’t decide. I need it sooner rather than later so decided I’d go a genesis today but called the shop selling them at a discount and was met with the rudest person I’ve probably ever spoken to in a shop. So killed that idea off.

The others seem to have 2-3month waits. Is this the case?

Reilly - pass. As said, they've gone complete radio silence.

I couldn't afford the Ti Bokeh, so didn't get in touch with Mason as that was the aim.

Enigma have been superb. In 48 hours I've had a virtual fit, full custom build quote and order placed. They've got frames etc. in stock. I've gone for Hope bits, but they're quoting a couple of weeks for delivery.

Really can't recommend Enigma enough based on current experience. I've gone for the Etape rather than the Escape - speaking with them, they're right that for my use I really don't need 45c tyres (and in fact they'd be a hindrance on most of my riding).

35c without guards is enough for me, although I'm getting it built with 32c Gravelking SKs. Tapered headtube and slinky dropouts appealed to my inner tart.

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Cheers Andrew!

D8mok - just had order confirmation through. Assuming Hope have the 20five wheels in stock (orange rs4 centrelocks) then the bike will be delivered in 10-12 days...

I'm like a kid at christmas.

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d8mok said:

Update from me.

Ordered the Enigma frameset.

And then hammered the usual websites to buy bits ready - GRX 800 , Easton ec90 bars , USE Ti seatpost , Hunt wheels , etc. Worked out about £500 cheaper than buying it as a full bike and with slightly better spec.

Get in! Very nice...

I'd have done similar - at one point I had a SRAM AXS build figured out, then work/cyclescheme told me I couldn't do two C2W vouchers at the same time.

They emailed today to let me know of a slight delay on my bike - Hope have only just restarted wheel building, and have a bit of a backlog. So as I had a bit of cash burning a hole, I've asked them to use the time to swap the stock saddle for a Brooks Swift.

Need to get in touch with a work colleague - he used to work for USE/Exposure. Hoping he can still wangle a deal...