Recommend me a steel CX/Gravel canti frame!
#1
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Recommend me a steel CX/Gravel canti frame!
So I wanted to ask the expertise of this forum. I currently own, what I would classify as a cheap CX bike. It's a Diamondback Steilacoom RCX which I got for $600. It's served me well, and has had upgrades (seatpost, stem, wheels), but every day I look at it and have a feeling of "meh". That mehness is amplified when I ride it and get juddered by it's horrible stiff aluminum frame.
I have a steel road bike that I absolutely love, and it's making me want to covert my DB into a steel CX/Gravel bikes, perhaps with some light touring capabilities. So I thought, I could strip the DB for parts (it has nice ones, 105 level Shimano and the like), put the parts into a new build on top of steel frame. I will do the build myself, I'm a competent wrench and built up my Ritchey road bike. My budget is limited, I'm thinking no more than $700 for the frameset (frame + fork + headset). The DB has a cantilever brakes, and I'm not interested in buying a new wheelset, so the frame should take cantis. I'll probably need to buy a new crankset as the DB has a BB30 one.
I'd like a bike that can take at least 700x35 tires (oh and 700c wheels, obviously).
I have another request, and that is that the frame not be orange. This is for marriage harmony. Shouldn't be a problem right? Right?
I've been looking around and a few obvious choices come up.
Surly Cross check:
Cross-Check | Bikes | Surly Bikes
OK... this comes in. Orange! Darn it. OK, also comes in black, but I'm not a fan of "murdered out" look, and the DB is black.
Soma Saga:
Saga Frame Set | SOMA Fabrications
Seems to be more of a touring frame, but perhaps OK for gravel/CX? Thankfully only the disc version comes in orange.
Soma DoubleCross:
Double Cross | SOMA Fabrications
Almost perfect, but again, I'm going to complain about the color, my Ritchey is grey, so I'm more interested in something that looks different. Shame.
One left field choice that came up recently through a Google search is Black Mountain Cycle's Cross bikes, which are out of stock right now, but apparently new stock is arriving on a ship and they come in pink (no) and British Racing Green (yes please).
Black Mountain Cycles: Cross Frame Info
Am I missing anything obvious? Advice is welcome.
I have a steel road bike that I absolutely love, and it's making me want to covert my DB into a steel CX/Gravel bikes, perhaps with some light touring capabilities. So I thought, I could strip the DB for parts (it has nice ones, 105 level Shimano and the like), put the parts into a new build on top of steel frame. I will do the build myself, I'm a competent wrench and built up my Ritchey road bike. My budget is limited, I'm thinking no more than $700 for the frameset (frame + fork + headset). The DB has a cantilever brakes, and I'm not interested in buying a new wheelset, so the frame should take cantis. I'll probably need to buy a new crankset as the DB has a BB30 one.
I'd like a bike that can take at least 700x35 tires (oh and 700c wheels, obviously).
I have another request, and that is that the frame not be orange. This is for marriage harmony. Shouldn't be a problem right? Right?

I've been looking around and a few obvious choices come up.
Surly Cross check:
Cross-Check | Bikes | Surly Bikes
OK... this comes in. Orange! Darn it. OK, also comes in black, but I'm not a fan of "murdered out" look, and the DB is black.
Soma Saga:
Saga Frame Set | SOMA Fabrications
Seems to be more of a touring frame, but perhaps OK for gravel/CX? Thankfully only the disc version comes in orange.
Soma DoubleCross:
Double Cross | SOMA Fabrications
Almost perfect, but again, I'm going to complain about the color, my Ritchey is grey, so I'm more interested in something that looks different. Shame.
One left field choice that came up recently through a Google search is Black Mountain Cycle's Cross bikes, which are out of stock right now, but apparently new stock is arriving on a ship and they come in pink (no) and British Racing Green (yes please).
Black Mountain Cycles: Cross Frame Info
Am I missing anything obvious? Advice is welcome.
Last edited by dr_lha; 02-24-16 at 04:06 PM.
#2
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I really like the looks and specs of the Black Mtn. I think someone on the forum has one. I've been trying to justify one for a couple of years, just not enough "gravel" around here.
#3
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Yeah, now you say that I think it was in the steel appreciation thread that I became aware of the brand. I'll admit it does look like it hits the spot.
#4
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Those BMC bikes look pretty legit for the money. All the reviews I've found on them are quite favorable too.
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I love my soma double cross; it is a fine riding bike.
#6
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#7
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btw I think I can rule out the Macho Man due to the lack of rack mounts.
Last edited by dr_lha; 02-24-16 at 06:16 PM.
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#10
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I caused a problem, didn't I? 
Why not just get this whole bike for $700?
All-City Macho Man Bicycle - REDUCED!

Why not just get this whole bike for $700?
All-City Macho Man Bicycle - REDUCED!
#11
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The surly ogre framesets (offroad touring) have both canti and disc mounts...wish more cross/gravel framsets came that way. The only one I've seen recently was the origin 8 cx700, but alas, it has been discontinued

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I bought my Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross frame in 2012 and thoroughly enjoyed riding it for 3-1/2 years. I recently sold it to a friend who is now loving it. Hated to see it go, but had to make room for my new AWOL. I highly recommend it.
Mike Varley knows how to design a bike. He is also a pleasure to communicate with when buying a frame. I bought mine based on Guitar Ted's endorsement. He still has his and reports on riding it from time to time. Plenty of room for 45mm tires and it handles great while gobbling up miles of gravel roads.
Downstream of Hungerford Lake dam by Benny Watson, on Flickr
Mike Varley knows how to design a bike. He is also a pleasure to communicate with when buying a frame. I bought mine based on Guitar Ted's endorsement. He still has his and reports on riding it from time to time. Plenty of room for 45mm tires and it handles great while gobbling up miles of gravel roads.

#14
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I caused a problem, didn't I? 
Why not just get this whole bike for $700?
All-City Macho Man Bicycle - REDUCED!

Why not just get this whole bike for $700?
All-City Macho Man Bicycle - REDUCED!
#15
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#17
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#18
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#19
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As for the SwissCross, I was referring to frameset price.
Last edited by dr_lha; 02-25-16 at 06:01 AM.
#21
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BTW I scored myself a cheap Shimano crankset, so that's one more piece of the puzzle (as my steel frame will need a 24mm crankset, obviously). Clearly the way to avoid wifely issues is to buy things one small piece at a time, assemble in secret in the basement, and then just start riding it as if you've had the bike all along. "What do you mean, my bike's alway's been orange!"
Last edited by dr_lha; 02-25-16 at 10:25 AM.
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I can vouch for the Soma Saga canti version as a gravel bike. I have ridden mine extensively on unpaved roads and trails, including a 400-mile loaded tour on the GAP-C&O Canal trails and unloaded trips along the New River, Virginia Creeper and American Tobacco trails. My Saga is currently equipped with Clement LAS 33s, which measure 36 mm wide on my Dyad rims, and it could probably handle 40 mm tires. This has been a great bike for me and it's a bargain. You can buy the frames on Soma website right now for $480 and even less on on-line sites.