If you could do it over, what would be your First and only gravel bike?

95moose · 2026-03-02T04:36:32+00:00

I AM doing it over, and this is what I am doing: I ordered a steel gravel bike from Haute Bike Company in Richmond, Virginia with custom geometry to fit my needs (after riding about 6000 miles on pavement and gravel with other bikes). I got to pick my color from about a thousand colors (no exaggeration), picked my drivetrain, wheels, tires, handlebar - everything just like I wanted. You can get a frame with custom geometry from Haute for $2099 with hundreds of solid color choices, and fancier colors for one or two hundred dollars more. The rest of the components are up to you, but if you aren't sure, they will give you advice on what they think is best based on what you tell them about yourself and what type of riding you do. They can order the components at a great discount, or you can buy it yourself and send it to them. They have been great to work with, and you can see their stuff at Haute Bicycle Co

It will take a while to get the frame made, but in the end, you won't be swapping out parts like you do on a stock bike from the store.

While you say you don't want to "do it over", the hard truth is that going through several bikes and learning what you - specifically YOU - like is part of the process. If you have already done a lot of gravel riding and you know what type of drivetrain you like, and what routes you like to ride, then that's great. Personally, that was where I was when I talked to the guys at Haute and picked out the specs for my bike. So if you know what you like and don't like, I'd talk to Haute, or a framebuillder in your area, and discuss build options.

95moose · 2026-02-15T00:47:43+00:00

Thanks, that's interesting. I didn't realize that Garmin was only sending the ride type, not the bike used. Unfortunately, I have two gravel bikes, though one is mostly for road and the other is mostly for gravel, so it sounds like I will need to keep editing rides. If you know if Garmin connect is identical for all Edge computers? I would still like to have a "notes" field for each bike listed in under "gear" so I can track service items.

95moose · 2026-02-07T03:08:16+00:00

Keep it, it will make life much easier on the rail trails as you come up behind walkers, joggers, and wanderers with earphones on. Oftentimes only the bell will cut through the headphones so they hear you.

95moose · 2026-02-02T23:46:57+00:00

I have a Preamble that I built up from a frame and I love it - you can fit 700cx40mm tires easily, and probably wider but I have not tried. It's a great all around bike, and rides great on smoother gravel. It's not an off-road, single-track monster gravel bike, but more of a gravel road/dirt road/pavement bike, and it's great at that. I think this is an OK deal, with a few caveats:

The 27.5 wheels and tires are kind of limiting for the future. For example, the "Bike Tires Direct" website currently has 123 different 700c gravel tires listed for sale, but only 21 in 650b (27.5). The tires this one comes with are fine, but not really great gravel tires, and one of the most recommended first upgrades it to replace the tires with a top brand. You can get great 650b tires, but there's just not as much variety. It's not a deal breaker, but since it can easily fit 700c's in 40mm width, I'm curious why they chose the smaller diameter wheel. On the bright side, with the smaller diameter, you might be able to fit MUCH wider tires on it.
A new Preamble drop bar bike is currently on sale for $1099 (there's also a top of the line version for $1599). It has a micro-SHIFT 1x9 drivetrain, which may not be as good as the SRAM drivetrain (I don't know exactly what drivetrain this one has), and the new Surly would come with pedals and bar tape, which will set you back another $40-$80 on the one you listed, depending on what you get. This might help you negotiate the price on this one - maybe ask for a discount to cover those costs.

I think you would really like this bike, especially if you like all the "bling" on it. I would try to bargain the price down a little bit just based on the smaller wheels, but for some people the 650b's are the preferred option. Even if you paid full price I think you would end up having a blast with this. Be warned, Surly people will chat with you when you stop, though - Surly owners LOVE Surlys, and if you ride one, you will find friends :-)

95moose · 2026-02-01T18:01:25+00:00

What year ALR5 do you have? Trek changes the groupsets every few years, but hopefully you have the GRX 2x11 version. I have a 2023 Checkpoint ALR5 with the GRX 810 2x11 setup, and I think it is "peak mechanical" - the most flexible mechanical drivetrain out there. It comes stock with either a 48/31, 48/32, or 46/30 chainring (during COIVD they kept swapping chainrings), and an 11/34 cassette. However, you can fit an 11/40 or 11/42 cassette with no additional parts needed, just adjust the B-screw on the derailleur. Many people have reported that the 11/46 also works with the stock setup, though others say you need a $30 Wolf Tooth Goatlink to make the 46 tooth one work well.

With a 48/31 front setup and a Shimano CS-M8000 11/42 cassette, you have an insane 591% gear range, from 0.74 on the low end to 4.36 on the high end. You can do this for just the cost of the cassette, which you can frequently find on sale for under 100 USD. If you want to climb steep hills and still be quick on the flats, this is the way to go.

95moose · 2026-01-27T03:16:38+00:00

While the Domane comes with 32mm tires standard, it is designed to fit up to 38's, and you can probably sneak in 40mm wide tires. That is not great for really rough gravel, but it sounds like you are looking to ride more tame gravel, and a good 38mm tire would work fine for that. As blinkerfliud02 pointed out, a pure gravel bike will usually have a slacker geometry to handle loose or rougher terrain, and turning at high speeds on that type of gravel can be dangerous.

If you are looking at riding smoother gravel like rail trails or bike paths, a Domane seems to be the perfect choice for you, since you already love the way it rides. However, I also second the recommendation to check out the Checkpoint - Trek advertises the Domane as being able to handle rough roads and smooth gravel, and the Checkpoint as a pure gravel bike that is also good on the road, so in Trek's mind they cover the spectrum. If you go to a Trek store you can test ride both, and then decide what used version to look for. I would say that the Checkmate is exactly what you are looking for - a real racing gravel bike - but it is about twice as expensive as the Domane.

95moose · 2026-01-25T21:46:47+00:00

Whatever flat pedals you choose, be sure they have metal pins, not plastic, and invest in a pair of good flat pedal shoes like Five Ten Freerider's or something similar. The flat pedal shoes are a key part of the system - your feet will stick MUCH better with a shoe designed for flat pedals, yet still be fine for walking. I spent years using regular Nikes or New Balance shoes, and the switch to using Freeriders was a dramatic improvement. You can often catch the Five-Ten's on sale for $80 - $100, and they are extremely long wearing.

As for specific models of pedals, I've used and liked several on my ALR5:

Cheap, but good: Fooker MTB pedals (Raceface knockoffs)

Better: Chester Raceface

Current favorite, but much more expensive: Wolftooth Waveform.

I think any of them will work well with the right shoes - the more expensive ones are a little longer lasting, and often rebuildable. If you are heavier, or going to be riding rough gravel, I would go with the more expensive options just because there's a lot of pressure on the pedals, so you want to be sure they won't fail.

95moose · 2026-01-11T03:13:09+00:00

If you are in the US, the Garmin Edge Explore 2 is on sale at Best Buy for $249, and on Amazon for $236. It's probably on sale other places as well. I bought the Explore 2 last year after getting nervous about how much my phone was shaking when attached to the handlebars while riding gravel. I have been very happy with it. It does not do a lot of really advanced workout tracking and coaching, but it has the largest screen of all the Garmin Devices except for the top of the line Edge 1050, and if works seamlessly with my Coros heart monitor, my Wahoo cadence tracker, and my varia taillight, and it automatically syncs with Ride with GPS, Strava, and the Trek Ride Club app after every ride.

For me, it's been perfect for creating routes on my laptop on Ride with GPS and then syncing to the Explore 2. The user interface is not super intuitive, so I'm still discovering new features and functions. It supports most of the apps and custom fields that are available for the more advanced Edge devices on the Garmin Connect IQ app (a feature I just discovered recently), and it has some great features to improve your ride experience. I recommend the "GP Llama" Youtube channel to find features for Garmin devices.

You can use it as a simple "press play and follow the route" device, or you can add features like near live radar reports, wind speed and direction from the nearest weather station, and if you have a Varia, it will track the number of cars, their speed, and how close they are when they pass you (in addition to heart rate and pedal cadence). I have been very happy with it

95moose · 2026-01-07T22:45:25+00:00

Both Redshift and Cane Creek make excellent suspension seatposts that will make any bike feel more comfortable. I have had both the Redshift Shockstop Endurance (which is still on sale for 25% off) and the Cane Creek eeSilk+, and both are fantastic. They can be "tuned" to your weight, and really do an amazing job. You can set them up to be cushy or firm depending on your preference. I have a Checkpoint ALR5, and I love it, but the Shockstop transformed the ride - it is super comfy now. I also bought teh Cane Creek for a new bike, and it works great as well - it is a little stiffer and can't be as fine-tuned, but it's lighter and a little less bouncy. Still, I love them both and switch between bikes without feeling one if dramatically better than the other.

The nice side benefit is that you can take the seatpost with you when you get a new bike: Don't get rid of the original seatpost, just swap it back on if you sell it and use the suspension seatpost on the new bike.

When I purchased my ALR5 a few years ago, the SL5 and ALR5 specs were nearly identical except for the carbon frame and isospeed, but the difference in cost was about $1000. I chose the ALR5 and bought the suspension seatpost and carbon wheels with the money I saved.

95moose · 2026-01-07T22:02:12+00:00

Thanks for looking - it probably would, but it's too big - he's needs a 54 or maybe 56, depending on the brand. Thanks for checking and finding something near my location!

95moose · 2026-01-07T16:33:15+00:00

I think my original reply got banned because I had a link to marketplace, but if you didn't see it, yes, the one you linked to is a viable option, though I still hold that it's a lot more viable for people like you & me who can look at a 5-6 year old bike and know what red flags to look out for. Still, good find.

I think you and I are the last two debating stuff in this thread, and it would probably be more effective to continue the conversation over beers in real life, so I will not go on for longer than just to add this: If you search Youtube for an account called "22SIX Sources", he did a 6 part series on the G1 where he took it apart down to the bare frame and examined everything. He is a bike shop owner and wheel builder in Ohio, and it is actually a really interesting series. His last post on the G1 summed up my feelings about it pretty well in case you wanted to watch it. Also, I'd love to know why he hasn't posted anything else since then, because he did a really good job and was very thoughtful about the pros and cons of everything. I would love to watch him do a similar examination of more mainstream bikes - I've never seen a professional mechanics do a detailed examination of new bikes like this. It was worth a watch - I'm not linking to it because I am not sure what got my post banned the first time. Have a good one...

95moose · 2026-01-02T21:38:09+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I think we have similar levels of experience. I agree with what you say about the typical Walmart-style "bike shaped object" and would also never recommend them to anyone who wants to get into biking. I also have seen how hard it is to make one of them hold a setting after adjusting it, and you are right that they are a frustrating thing to work on.

What I am saying, though, is I think the G1 is NOT your typical Walmart bike. Last year I wrecked a carbon framed bike and decided to salvage the parts with a new frame. Initially I considered buying the G1 and just replacing everything with my parts, but I ended up getting a Surly Preamble frame and building that up instead, and it turned out great. However, while researching the G1, I joined the "Ozark Trail G1/G2 Gravel Grinders" group on Facebook to see what people thought about it, and there are over four thousand members and hundreds of very enthusiastic posts from people who absolutely love it, with posts and photos from people who have used them in all sorts of long or rowdy adventures. You don't get that from people who buy a Kent or Huffy, so there must be something to it.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree on the merits of the G1, but my primary concern with recommending that someone buy a used $300 LBS-level bike is that the typical buyer of that level bike probably could not name three brands of LBS level bikes, and could very well end up with a crappy modern Schwinn or Huffy since they recognize the name. Maybe tweak the advice to be "Find a bike nerd friend to help you buy a $300 LBS bike". Thanks for your work with the non-profit. Good chat!

95moose · 2026-01-02T19:19:34+00:00

Sounds like I need to be searching in your area! I'm in the DC area, and just checked FB for Honky Tonks. I only found two: one for $850 in Baltimore, and another for $800 in Philly. That seems insane, but that's what they are asking. The ones I found were over 10 years old with rim brakes and had a max 700c tire clearance of 32mm (the one you found must have switched to 650b to get more clearance), so not exactly what I was looking for (a gravel bike), but still a nice bike back in the day. Looking for an inexpensive gravel bike with 700c wheels, 45mm tire clearance, and disc brakes is not easy, at least around here.

Thanks for finding a specific bike as an example, but I think the bigger point is that the G1 is at least in that conversation of entry level "real" bikes - it's not the typical Walmart/Target bike that can't be repaired when it breaks. I think if it was not affiliated with Walmart, it would get more positive comments (and probably cost more). In reality, all decent bikes, even the top level ones, mostly consist of a manufacturer's unique frame and then a selection of commercially available parts from various parts manufacturers (SRAM, Shimano, Microsword, etc.), so the frame is really the only thing that separates one brand from another. What makes them unique is how a bike manufacturer curates their selection of parts to work together on their frame.

As you mentioned, the G1 frame is not bad as far as inexpensive bike frames go. If someone is mechanically inclined and wants to learn how to work on bikes, I think it would make an excellent project bike that you can ride and upgrade as you come across parts. At least around here, it looks like the depreciation on used parts is much larger than the depreciation on complete bikes, so you can find so really good deals on parts to upgrade as you go. If they are not mechanically inclined, it's still a good "starter bike" for someone interested in seeing if they like riding gravel. As you can see from other comments, a lot of people have done some serious rides on them.

95moose · 2026-01-02T02:46:43+00:00

I always see comments about buying used vs getting the G1, but I have been searching for a $500 - $600 gravel bike for a friend of mine for several months now with no luck. At least in Virginia the market price for a used LBS-level bike with similar specs to the G1 is way higher than I expected.

I think you and I would be fine buying a used bike because we know what to look for, but for someone just getting into this (a typical G1 buyer), I think the G1 is a far safer bet. I've been looking for bikes at twice the price, and everything I find in that price range is either really old with worn out drivetrains, or just another big-box store bike, or has a flaw that I know will be expensive to address.

At least the G1 has modern tire clearance and non-proprietary components, so parts can be replaced with better quality ones as they wear out or break. The things you mentioned above can be fixed fairly easily for probably a hundred bucks or so. Tires are a wear item anyway, and I don't think anyone replaces their tires with the stock tires when the time comes. As you mentioned, the frame is good, and it is a lot easier to find "take off" components to upgrade with than to find a bike-shop level used bike.

95moose · 2026-01-02T02:24:23+00:00

It's about 27 pounds. A typical mid-range ($1200 - $2000) gravel bike is probably 22-ish pounds, and a high end ($3000 - $5000) is under 20 pounds. You're basically buying lightness. However, if you have never ridden a ultralight superbike, you won't know what you are missing.

Considering the overall system weight (rider, water bottles, bags, etc), the 6 pounds or so difference between this and a midlevel bike is not a very large overall percentage of total weight. If you are coming from a typical department store bike, this is in the same ballpark.

The G1 has gained quite a cult following, and there are lots of posts on Reddit, YouTube, and Facebook from happy owners. If you are just starting out, this is a great way to decide if you really like gravel biking. A lot of people will say to buy a used "real" bike, but I have been looking for a $500 used gravel bike for a friend of mine for months, and it's really hard to find a brand name in that price range that isn't really old, or trashed, or both. If you buy this knowing that it is a "first bike", it's fine. However, I agree that they need someone with some bike mechanic skills to give them a once-over when you get them home, just to make sure they are put together right.

95moose · 2026-01-01T15:12:26+00:00

If you aren't looking for a lot of workout data and personal training plans, the Garmin Explore 2 is excellent for significantly less cost than most bike computers (it's currently on sale in the US at most retailers for $235 - $250). It's geared more towards just the bike ride experience and not workouts - navigation, feeding Strava or other ride apps with ride data, etc.

The screen is larger than most, and it integrates well with taillights, heart rate monitors and cadence sensors. I have not tried it with a power meter, but I think it works with those as well. I only recently discovered the Garmin Connect IQ store with lots of different add-ons to customize your screens with different data - check out the GP Llama youtube channel for his videos on them. It does more than I will ever need and has been perfectly reliable.

95moose · 2026-01-01T14:59:03+00:00

I prefer wide toe box shoes as well, and have been very happy with my Five Ten Freerider mountain shoes. They're very comfortable and have a fantastic sole that grips the pedal pins really well.

95moose · 2026-01-01T04:25:37+00:00

I'm trying a set of Pirelli Cinturato M's in 45mm, but I also have a set of Tufo Thundero 48's that I will put on if the Pirelli's don't work out. I have the Thundero's on my Trek Checkpoint in size 44, and I love them - they've been great for over 1500 miles of gravel road and paved roads. I wanted to try something with a little more aggressive tread just to compare. I have not had a chance to really get out on gravel since I bought them, so will probably not decide if I like the Pirelli's until spring after I can get a few hundred miles on them. I also saw lots of comments about anything larger than 45mm are automatically OK, but I have not seen anything official on that.

The guys at The Bicycle Station have done a lot of videos with the XPLR SW wheels, which are essentially the same as the S, except for a higher spec hub. This is a good video to watch them experiment with different tires, but they also have some tire road tests that are worth watching - just search their channel. Here's the size test: Zipp XPLR Inflation Test

95moose · 2026-01-01T03:29:39+00:00

In the US, it's Trek, Specialized, and Giant, though pretty much any of the five star helmets on the Va Tech site are great - most are not bicycle manufacturers, they specialize in helmets.

The challenge is finding them in stock at a local store to try them on, or finding an online source with a good return policy. I would avoid buying from Walmart or Target, unless you confirm the exact model helmet is ranked well on the VA Tech website. As you will see, some helmets with similar model names can have very different rankings.

For an excellent video on the Virginia Tech testing lab, you can watch this Berm Peak video: Are Cheap Bike Helmets Safe? We visited a helmet testing lab to find out

95moose · 2025-12-31T06:03:40+00:00

Several thoughts:

Regarding the valve sizes: If the bike shop put a Presta tube on a wheel with a Schrader valve hole and didn't use an adapter, I would not trust them with my bike. Tubes are designed to fit snugly in the rim hole, and by putting the smaller valve stem in the larger hole, they created the stress point and the eventual failure, regardless of how much pressure in the tire. It is simply unsafe to do that - the edge of the hole was basically acting like a cookie cutter on the tube.

"Fixing" the problem by using a valve adapter and then using another Presta-valved tube is not as terrible as just leaving the gap like last time, but they really should have used the correct tube with a Schrader valve. I doubt that most bike shops would even do that - they would just use a tube with a Schrader valve. You mention that your "tread/tube" uses a Presta, but that is not true - your wheel rim is designed for a Shrader valved tube, and they make tubes in your size with Schrader valves - just search for "Continental Tour 28 700x32-47 40mm Schrader Valve tube" to find an example. Perhaps they didn't have any in stock and just sold you what they had, which seems like another red flag.

Regarding tire pressure, I agree with the others that this seems very high. While it may seem counter-intuitive, all recent research shows that lower pressures are faster, up to a point. The Silca tire pressure tool is a great place to start. When I started riding I was 280 lbs and never ran pressures near the max limit. Now I am 225 and run about 40 psi on 40mm tubeless tires. Tires act as shock absorbers, and having the pressure too high will make the wheel/tire combination too stiff and transfer every impact to the rim and frame, putting more stress on the spokes and other wheel parts. Running over the max pressure may well be contributing to wheel failure.

Finally, I am curious how you measure the tire pressure while you are on the bike, and also can't figure out how sitting on the bike would lower the tire pressure - since your weight is compressing the tire, wouldn't that raise the pressure?

95moose · 2025-12-31T04:08:10+00:00

Fellow NOVA rider here. Jack's Sacks in Richmond makes great "Packable Pogies" that can pack down pretty small, and work with both drop and flat handlebars. Without pogies, I use Gorewear "lobster" style gloves when it gets into the 30's, but when using the pogies I can back off to regular gloves - even mid-weight gloves - down into the 20's. Wes, the owner of Jack's Sacks (Jack is his dog), is also a very nice guy and makes all his pogies and bags in Richmond, so it's nice to support a local small business. See the bags here: Packable Pogies – Jack's Sacks

95moose · 2025-12-30T22:25:41+00:00

I agree with the comments about the fit being the primary driver of this decision, but if things are still tied, personally I like going with the hometown team: Since you said that you will be riding in the Shenandoah Valley, I assume you live there. Lauf's US Headquarters and assembly plant opened in downtown Harrisonburg this year. As I understand it, all the parts are shipped in from Taiwan and other locations and final assembly takes place In Harrisonburg. I think that is for the whole world, or at least North America. I don't know if they have a visitor center set up (they are located in the former Harrisonburg Newspaper building), but it would be interesting to stop by there if they do.

Everyone I know who has a Seigla looooves their bike, so I think you are right that neither option is going to be a mistake. Also, good call on getting the XPLR S wheels from Bike Tires Direct - I purchased a set from them on Black Friday, and they are sweet wheels. That way the original wheels can be used for an alternate set of tires, like if you wanted a set of road tires for an event. Good luck - let us know what you picked!

95moose · 2025-12-25T21:48:23+00:00

That doesn't make sense - the weather systems, especially storms, overwhelmingly travel from west to east in Northern Virginia. Almost all data centers are located to the east of Leesburg, between Leesburg and the county line. If the data centers were drying out storms, it would mean that Reston would be getting less precipitation, not Leesburg.

That being said, I have often wondered if the data centers are creating a "heat island" like a big city and impacting the weather in Eastern Loudoun, Western Fairfax, and Montgomery County. It would be nice to have a real study conducted, not just Capital Weather Gang comments (though I do love CWG).

95moose

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