b0rderline

I am looking for all around bike with drop bar. Bike that can handle not only gravel but also moderate singletrack. But finally bike that is rigid, fast and effective on the road. The weight and price are similar (3k). What would You recommend? Or maybe there is even better bike for me than these two?

dgodave

Cutthroat looks like a mtb with mods in the road direction.

Slate looks vice versa.

But I'd guess that with slimmer tires the Cutthroat could a be a quite acceptable road machine. All this is just based on what I can see from pictures tho.

b0rderline

So maybe i should choose salsa warbird carbon which seems to stand right in the middlle betweeb mtb and road bikes. But the only drawback is that I won't be able to fit a suspension fork in it (and i could do that with cutthroat).

MRT2

Is there a reason you need all this capability in one bike, rather than two? These bikes are not cheap. You could buy two bikes; one for road use and one for trail use.

Also, is there any reason you want a carbon fiber frame? There are a lot of choices for a lot less money in Steel or aluminum. Kona Rove, Specialized AWOL, Salsa Vaya or Fargo, Trek 720. Even the Surly Straggler or Troll.

dgodave

Hmm. I am biased toward versatility, and away from performance... to a point. That draws me to the cutthroat. Would be good to get some feedback from people who use it exactly like you would tho.

b0rderline

Yes, the reason is very simple - I don't have the space to storage 2 or more bikes. And the carbon frame? I have read a lot about comfort that carbon frame offers, and comfort is definitely what I seek apart from all around speed

MRT2

If you are looking for comfort, why not go with a steel bike?

dgodave

I like these words: “Cutthroat is a huge step forward in terms of what a fast, efficient bikepacking bike looks like." from the Salsa site.

I'd have ride it to know what they really mean tho.

b0rderline

Is steel bike more comfortable than carbon one? If so, what steel bike would You recommend?

MRT2

I already made a few suggestions. Frankly, I think N + 1 makes more sense, particularly since you are talking about a budget of more than $3,000, but a steel gravel grinder should be available for $2,000 or less.

MRT2

Question for OP. What is your cycling background? How often do you ride, and what sort of riding do you currently do? What bike is this replacing? What are your current likes and dislikes about your current ride? If you do not currently own a bike, what is the last bike you owned?

b0rderline

I am rather recreational gravel biker, but I drive a mix of terrain from road to moderate singletracks (but definitely not in the high mountains).
I usually ride 3-4 time a week, mostly in weekends (i do not travel to work by bike). I really like to go off road and find new gravel tracks where I can really feel the speed.
I have bought Trek 8.5 DS recently but i am not happy with it. With Continental Top Contact II 1,6 inch tires it is rather fast on the road, and very capable on the off road, but it feels kinda heavy and it is very long. I thought that will be good for the comfort and stability but in the end does not make my happy But the real problem is this hands numbness. I have bought shorter adjustable steam and bar ends and still have this issue. So I am looking for something with drop bars to relieve the numbness.
So to sum up, I am looking for fast bike that will be comfortable and can handle all the roads I want to explore.

cruiserhead

GT Grade Carbon is very good and the 105 equipped comes just under your price point.
Rides very nice and good all arounder. It comes with the pro-compact gearing which is great.

b0rderline

Very nice looking bike, but these skinny tires are making me quiver about comfort. How wide tires can i fit in this bike?

Hill-Pumper

GT says 35c, but depending on frame size, more. There is more then just tire size to comfort though, factors such geometry, frame material, and such all help. I have a Grade Carbon 105, and it is one comfortable ride even on the 28c's that it came with. I will most likely go with a 32-35c gravel tire for my more off pavement rides though.

b0rderline

I am exploring the idea of steel bike and I found Konda Sutra Ltd very interesting. You say that this will be more comfortable than Cutthroat? And how about power efficiency? I am thinking that carbon bike will transfer more power to the wheels than steel one, am I correct?

NormanF

You should look into the Salsa Deadwood - same build as the Cutthroat but with more affordable cro moly steel and a lower price point.

NormanF

Carbon is more comfortable than alloy. But steel is real and is built tough for all kinds of conditions. The new Fairdale 2016 Weekender Drop can take up to 45 c tires so you don't have to worry about skittish handling on hard pack terrain and gravel roads.

dgodave

Totally unsuitable for road riding.

I love my Krampus, which is like a flat-bar Deadwood. But would never want to do long road or even gravel rides on it unless I changed out the wheels.

NormanF

The max you'd want is 40 c tires which is about right for all-around riding.


Keep the fat tires for the rough roads and particularly challenging gravel rides.

Tim_Iowa

In my experience; steel can be way more comfortable than carbon, but heavier. Carbon is "comfortable" only when compared to aluminum alloy as a frame material.

Steel can flex to absorb light impact and damp out small vibrations (aka road buzz). Good steel doesn't noticeably rob power, but its weight can still be noticeable vs carbon.
Carbon doesn't flex, so it can't absorb impacts. However, carbon does damp out road buzz.
Alloy (aka aluminum) can't flex or damp out vibrations. But, it's pretty light and pretty cheap.

Any flex in the bike--including front or rear suspension, wider tires--can improve comfort but robs power. You have to decide where to compromise.
Bike suspension (front or rear) induces lots of power loss but gives lots of absorption. In my opinion, a front suspension fork isn't worth its weight except in high-impact riding/jumping like technical mountain biking.

If you want comfort for rough roads, go with steel.
If you want the lower weight of carbon, you'll need to spend more time out of the saddle if you want your butt to survive. Absorb some impact with your knees instead of your sitbones.

I ride both steel and carbon bikes on gravel and dirt roads. The steel bikes are more comfortable, but my carbon bike is faster (especially when climbing). For a long ride (>50 miles), I prefer my steel bikes.

For a responsive steel frame for gravel riding, avoid touring bikes. Touring bikes are great for carrying a load over distance, but they are built with heavier tubing which removes much of the flex. A little flex is what you want for comfort.

b0rderline

thank You for the comprehensive answer - very informative! So You basically saying that instead of Satura I should look for Rove ST? Or maybe You can recommend other steel gravel bikes? They are much cheaper than carbon ones and aluminium Slate, but Slate has very interesting Lefty Olivier suspension which can still make it the most comfortable bike of them all.

dgodave

What about Ti?

Tim_Iowa

Titanium seems to have all the advantages of steel but with a weight that rivals carbon. And a price that exceeds both, which is why I own no Ti frames.

Titanium seems awesome if you can afford it.

dgodave

I had a frame builder tell me to hang on to my old 94 Ocoee, as that sort of high quality domestic Ti tubing is extremely expensive these days. I find it a makes a fantastic do-it-all bike. But I'd prefer bigger than 26" wheels.