I second this and everyone else who also agrees ... is correct.

Seriously, the Contend looks like a great bike. I did some examination a while back into the Defy (the Contend's predecessor) and the Contend also. Getting the SL frame is the important bit, so you are covered there.

If I were you I might go to a few bike shops, ask around, see how they treat you. The benefit of buying at a shop is they Should set you up on a bike which fits, and would fine-tune the bike to your needs, and would give you free follow-ups to re-tune the shifters and anything else that needed adjustment.

But--------some shops will sell you whatever is on the showroom floor and try to convince you it fits, and will not set it up right, and will not tune it up for you later.

If you are going to pay the extra money to buy through a shop, get your money's worth.

As for gravel---it ought to work. If you plan to ride a Lot of gravel and might want wider tires, you might need to keep shopping. Otherwise, it ought to be able to handle almost anything. The taller head tube might help you keep your weight back for more stability on gravel, in fact.