andy_p

I'm thinking about buying/building a carbon-framed gravel bike. It'll be my first full-carbon bike, and I want to be sure it's the right thing. I'm pretty big - 6'5" and 195lb, and not very gentle with my bikes. Do I need to look for an especially durable frame, and if so, what should I go for?

Also, I currently have a very retro 90's rigid MTB - alu frame with steel forks. It rides really nice - very responsive, but forgiving over bumps. Can I expect something similar with a carbon bike?

Thanks in advance!

msu2001la

I don't think there is any issue with your size/weight on a carbon frame. There are lots of guys out there racing CF Cyclocross bikes that weigh more.
For reference, Cannondale lists the maximum rider weight for their carbon SuperX at 300lbs + 30lbs of luggage. Those frames are pretty tough and built to withstand the abuse of CX racing. Even their ultra-lightweight Supersix Evo Hi-Mod lists a max rider weight of 275lbs.

Your bigger concern is the wheelset. At 195lbs, I would avoid low spoke count carbon wheels. Zipp has a 200lb rider weight limit for the 303, and 185lb limit for the 202, for instance. HED has a 195lb rider weight limit for their aluminum Ardennes+ wheels. Stock wheels probably have higher limits, but you should confirm before purchasing.

It's hard to compare the ride of a new carbon CX race bike to a 90s MTB. There are a ton of factors that will affect it beyond frame material (like geometry, gearing, components, handlebar style, etc). I have ridden both aluminum and carbon CX race bikes and can tell you that the carbon ones typically feel much smoother. Both frames are very stiff, but carbon will mute a lot of vibration and road buzz.

Seattle Forrest

I have a carbon gravel bike. Saturday I did 30 miles of mostly dirt and gravel roads on the side of Mission Peak and over Old Blewett Pass. There were some blowdowns covering the road, most of them with branches and full of needles and I had to push the bike first then crawl through the hole. Almost got off and walked the first few miles of the descent because of the loose gravel, lose rocks up to fist size, kind of awful, but I was glad not to actually have to walk. In other words I'm not especially gentle with it either. I'm shorter but very similar in weight to you.

andy_p

Thanks for the detailed answer! Sounds like I should be good to go, as long as I'm careful about my wheel selection. I do seem to get through rear wheels pretty regularly....

I'm thinking it would be nice to have a gravel/adventure-ish style CF frame, that I can convert into a relatively decent road bike by swapping out the wheels. Would this work? What would be the compromises I would have to make?

Wilfred Laurier

I am 6'4 and took a ride on a buddy's Jamis Renegade last week - he only had the L (58cm) and not the XL (61 cm) - and it was actually not too uncomfortable. I suspect the XL would be a good fit. My buddy's bro was riding it and he is taller than me and had no problem on the L size frame for about 100km of riding that day. I am not too crazy about the design of the Renegade carbon frames, but I have not heard abut them assploding so my concerns are probably unwarranted.

GlennR

Full carbon.... I just got a Cannondale SuperX and it's pretty tough. It's a very solid feeling bike and so far it's a lot of fun on the trails and on the road. I', 5'11" and 200lb and have no problems with it.

Mine has Sram Rival 1 CX and was well under $2000 out the door with changing the rear cassette to a 11-32 and RD to a mid cage.

msu2001la

One of the great things about CX style bikes is you can run wider/knobbies on them when you want to go off-road, but can also run regular road wheels and 23/25cm tires for paved.
I do this all the time with my CX bike, and it works great as a road bike during the off-season. So well that I got rid of my road bike, in fact.

I now have 3 sets of wheels for my CX bike. The stock wheels have 33cm knobby clinchers that I ride in the fall for race training and winter/spring for foul weather commuting. I have a set of road wheels with 25cm road tires for summer road riding. And I have a set of lightweight tubular race wheels with 33cm knobbies glued to them that I use for CX race days and some limited training in the fall.

The compromises are that the geometry of my CX bike is a little longer and taller than racy road bikes, so a little less aero riding position, but really not all that different than something like a Roubaix or Synapse. The other main compromise is gearing, as my CX bike is geared a little lower than my road bike was. It isn't an issue for me, I have an 11-23 cassette on my road wheels and an 11-28 on the CX wheels, but frankly I could run either and be fine.

If you race, ride in fast groups or ride lots of big mountain decent at high speed, you're obviously going to want a dedicated road bike that has zero compromise on gearing and aero. For the rest of us, using a CX bike with road wheels is an easy way to get dual use out of a single bike.

jfowler85

When I made the carbon leap, two things impressed upon the most were:

1) Carbon soaks up a certain frequency of vibration that neither steel nor aluminum absorb. It was weird for about 2 weeks. Not any better or worse than my steel or alu bikes, but different indeed.

2) Carbon frames are incredibly stiff and strong. My carbon road frame weighs much, much less than my alu cx frame, but it feels every bit as stiff and transmits power fantastically.

I wouldn't worry too much about accidentally buying a carbon frame that can't handle your riding weight. If anything many cx frames have more material in certain parts of the frame to account for the cx abuse it is designed for.

Best of luck - get disc brakes if you can.

andy_p

Thanks to everyone who took the time to write a detailed reply, much appreciated!

Strangely enough, this popped up on bikerumor today. Not sure if there are cheaper ways to achieve the same result, and I'm just being swayed by the shiny shiny, but it looks well designed.

vinuneuro

I looked at CX bikes, and imo the dedicated 'gravel' bikes ride better unless you're actually riding a CX course. Below are ones to consider:

Specialized Diverge
Ridley X-Trail
Cannondale Slate
Domane SLR

I rode many bikes over almost a year and finally decided on the Diverge, it's the gold standard in this category imo. As a bonus even the carbon frames have fender AND rack mounts.

Tim_Iowa

I'm 6'1". 225 lbs, and I have a Foundry Auger disc carbon cyclocross bike that I use for gravel riding, commuting, and bikepacking.
I ride it VERY roughly; I don't hesitate to bunny hop stuff or jump around in the dirt.
In fact, one time my foot came unclipped and I landed HARD on the saddle. I bent the steel rail of my Brooks B17, but didn't do any damage to the frame. (I bent the B17 back into shape but now it has a residual creak).

I put fenders on my bike (the Auger is a rare carbon bike with fender mounts), to protect me and my riding buddies from mud and spray off the road. I believe the fenders do a good job of preventing the downtube from getting hit by much kicked-up gravel, too.

fietsbob

NB, the Pros get a New Carbon bike every year , maybe your plan, also.

Seattle Forrest

Full carbon + gravel = fun!

andy_p

Nope, I intend to get a bike that will last me a while.

fietsbob

Good Luck .. dont seek 'stupid light' ( be careful , watch out for the rock chips, to the Carbon, that will happen riding gravel)

I put together 2 bikes this week riders shipped in to be tour ready when they fly+Bus to get Here .

1 an older Trek OLCV .. they will of course be on the Paved Oregon Coast route.

andy_p

I'm not after stupid light. Durability is a priority, but I think with the right frame and care, a carbon bike could do what I want. Are there any steel bikes out there that can do something similar? (Reasonably light gravel/adventure bike)

Wilfred Laurier

Lightweight steel bikes are the absolute worst option for a big rider. You are much more likely to suffer from excessive flex (esp. with a large frame) and durability problems with lightweight steel than with a well made aluminum or carbon frame, IME.

Seattle Forrest

Yeah, good luck. You're going to need it. Carbon fiber is so fragile it'll explode into a million pieces if you look at it, the shrapnel will tear your eyes out. The first time you ride it the saddle will come loose and you'll be sodomized. Any technology that came out after 1970 is evil.

fietsbob

Then buy it why do you need hand holding?

Bloody Tour d France was held over gravel roads for decades .. steel was the material then.

Wilfred Laurier

Ah, yes.. the old 'it was good enough for grandpa...' argument.

Even purpose-built racing cars used drum brakes into the 50s - do you request the discs be replaced by drums when you buy a car?

fietsbob

My 1968 SAAB 96 split the difference Drum brakes on the rear , setting the parking brake on a Hot disc guarantees warping it ,
not so with a Drum Brake .

And It had Disc Brakes on the front.. great fun when I lived at the top of a Mountain..

Twin double leading shoe Motorcycle front twin drum brakes were a thing of Marvel..

one of My friends in my old home town had a C&V 500cc single cylinder BSA racing Motorcycle ,

that was often used to teach humility to the owners of 4 cylinder 750 Honda Owners

andy_p

Because "I think" is not really enough when splashing out on a new bike, and I am grateful to the forum members who have shared their experiences so I can make an informed purchase. I'm open-minded enough about my bike plans to consider other frame materials - I'd appreciate any advice.

fietsbob

Gravel specific bikes is a trendy new niche market .. get a Bike and ride it where ever you want to go, You dont have to be pushed around by peer Pressure.

A Mountain Bike/29er ? Dual sport Hybrid, Cyclocross race bike Touring Bike , any can be ridden past the end of the paved roads ..

Have a Clubby series of Gravel Grinder events you want to compete and Win, Riding in or just go out in the countryside?

Skinnier tires operate at Higher PSI wider, lower..


Portland Oregon has Half the state population And, Over 100 Bike shops to go Try Bikes in Person.

Wilfred Laurier

All this is true - but if shopping for a new bike (as we all like to do, I bet even you, fietsbob, although probably not as much as OP), why not spend some time comparing the bike made specifically for your intended purpose? And why not consider the most 'advanced' materials and construction?

Edit:

Also, I disagree with your description of gravel bikes as a 'trendy new niche market' - these are bikes that are more versatile than what was available ten years ago. We aren't talking fat bikes and fixies here, but relaxed geometry 'road' bikes that can have wider tires and fenders mounted, and isn't that what us (you) luddites have been squawking for for years?

andy_p

I am moving across the Atlantic (again...), and my bike collection will be reduced to my steel touring bike and my full-sus. This gives me a pretty sweet opportunity to get N+1 (and +2) just right. With the right frame, it seems I could make myself a lightweight, responsive, yet durable bike, that could cover anything from fast road rides to XC singletrack (with a wheel swap). It does open some questions about brakes though... ;-)

Edit: and yes, I spend a lot of time pushing bikes beyond what they are supposed to do. I have a very respectable broken parts collection.