First World Problem - Advice?
 

The road bikes that I ride outside are an Emonda SL and a Domane SLR, both with Dura Ace Di2 drivetrains, and both adapted to one-handed operation by Trek's engineers. The Emonda has SRAM hydro rim brakes (long story), the Domane is a disk setup, so no wheel trading between the two. Both have the highest level Aeolus wheels.

This Spring, when I picked up the Domane, I built up a second set of adventure wheels with 40mm gravel tires. I've had a blast exploring areas that had previously been off limits, and am looking to do more. My only qualms are the awesome P1 paint job on the Domane, the Dura Ace 30 tooth limit on the cassette, and the narrow clearance with the big tires and DA front derailleur that is fixed by the offset on the Shimano GRX (gravel specific) group set.

I am weighing two options: (1) Convert the Emonda back to a two-hander and sell it, move the set-up on the Domane over to a new Emonda SLR disc or like kind frame, and set up the Domane with a GRX 815 Di2, with the thought that I would run it mostly with the big tires, but could put the road tires on for endurance rides; (2) Leave the Domane as is (it is awesome), and do a build on a gravel specific frame with the GRX drivetrain. Other than nostalgia, the utterly unique SRAM - Shimano brake shifter mash-up, and a 2 plus pound weight advantage over the Domane, the Emonda is probably expendable at that point and could likely find a better home.

Like I said, first world problem, but would welcome your thoughts.

I'd lean toward option 2 sort of. Certainly as you've ridden more you know better than before how to equip a new bike for your current level of fitness and potential.

I only do road cycling on paved roads and trails. I thought I have a bike set up for different route conditions and other stuff. However I haven't wanted to ride anything but my newest bike lately and haven't found anything the other bikes are superior for. Maybe stability, but that has a dulling effect on responsiveness. Perhaps the older bikes being five more pounds has a bearing on the way I feel toward them when riding now that I have lighter.

So in your question I miss if the two bikes you end up with are going to be for distinctly different purposes. IE. One road the other gravel. That is a big enough distinction where I think I'd actually use a different bike. But there isn't any place here for me to do much more than a mile of gravel. There are some places I might do cyclocross type riding on dirt, but that's not quite me... yet. I do have casual interest.

I don't know that I'd worry about the wheels and tires being interchangeable. If I'm going to ride road, I'd want my road bike. If I want to ride gravel, I'd want my gravel bike. I can't think of when I'd want my road bike to have gravel wheels or my gravel bike road wheels. Certainly maybe if some components like cassettes and chainwheels can be used on either bike might give some interchangeability of gearing for any one ride . So GRX might work for both, though I've not looked at what GRX gearing offers for purely road riding.

I'm not nearly at that kind of level with my riding and fitness, but it's not going to stop me from offering advice for what it's worth..
Converting a non-gravel bike to a gravel bike is a compromise.
I'd build frame-up. That way, you get what you need, not "what will work."
You may want a 35 tire, but a 30 is all that fits the frame.. you get the brakes you like, you get the cockpit sent-up you need.

It would be like me buying a secondhand Cannondale Quick, putting drop bars on it and calling it a road bike.. it may look like a duck, but it's still an albatross.

N+1 always.

My input is that you might consider, for off-road, something with front suspension. How much travel would be ... minimal but a function of how 'off' the 'road' may call you.



Sorry, the best answer - not always a poster's listed options - is almost always N+1. :love:
+1 for :thumb: [MENTION=484593]JLDickmon[/MENTION].

While this 50+ Forum isn't the best location to get a volume of experienced results, :p

And based on a limited sample size, :rolleyes:

The consensus, it would seem, is .... you need a new bike.

For gravel bike with 35-42mm tires, CF frame is an extravagance. Nice, but unnecessary. Aluminum or, heck, even some vintage steelies can work.
My choice would be: Al frame, discs for gravelly descents, slack HTA, 42mm with fenders, drop handlebars. Shimano or SRAM.
Ever hit washboard surface on gravel roads, = maybe light suspension, for a dedicated, mountain roads/heavy graveler.

Wish I had a pic of a dream bike.
Lots of options, including steel from smaller-ish builders.
Here in the PNW = many good builders.
www.co-motion.com has several models to choose from.
www.curtlo.com will build your dream
Custom Bicycles | Rodriguez Bicycles and Tandems in Seattle - check a Phinney Ridge.



The world is your oyster. Buy local.

Colorado.

Ambrosia – Myth Cycles = Durango
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I can relate to your questions. I have several bikes and were purchased for fairly specific purposes. My thoughts might be a little different but here goes.

I have road, mountain and gravel bikes. I think it would ultimately be best to have a gravel specific bike that lets you run at least 40 tires and the equivalent of a 46/30 crank......or in your case maybe a 1x with a pretty large gear on the rear. For a while I ran a 46/34 crank but some of our longer, steeper gravel roads in NC worked me over pretty good. I’m really enjoying the easier gears that the 46/30 provides. It would also be nice if your gravel bike had mounts for fenders and also for racks. I’ve purchased a second set of wheels for the gravel bike so I can easily and quickly put on wheels/tires for road riding. That produces a really flexible and versatile setup. But, even with the road wheels it’s several pounds heavier than my road bikes and not a bike I’d want to use on a epic road ride.

My newer road bike has disc brakes which I wanted for riding the descents out your way and the steeper more descents in the NC mountains. It’s a great riding bike but it’s a couple lbs heavier than my rim brake bike with equivalent gearing. While I can still climb I’m definitely a little slower, which is very discouraging to me. Where I’m headed is suggesting to look at what might give you the lightest road bike you can put together with the gearing and braking you need for riding one handed for your road riding. I’m not sure how you get there with the bikes you have but it sounds like you have some good options. Good luck figuring all that out!

Thx, jppe.

I'm leaning toward very much toward doing a gravel specific bike. The Domane fits a 40mm gravel tire as it sits, but the Dura Ace group set has me on a 50 - 34 crank and 11 - 30 cassette. It's a great setup for the road and climbing is fine (I still do okay with the 34/28 on the Emonda), but steep and soft can be a challenge. A GRX 2x 48 - 31 on the gravel bike with a 11 -34 cassette should fix that.

When I first picked up the current Domane, I thought the extra couple of pounds over the Emonda (and my previous Domane) might be an issue for long climbs, but my time to the top is pretty much unchanged. I'll hold onto the Emonda long enough to make sure that feeling holds.

A gravel specific bike does sound like the best option. The Domane set up doesn’t seem ideal and maybe a bit ‘just because you can doesn't mean you should’!

100% agree. The Domane would be a good All-Road bike - but it's not a proper gravel bike. It'll do light gravel but anything rougher will impact the joints of those ISO thingy. Someone tried it in another forum - Domane as a gravel bike and while it worked OK in the beginning but he found in the end he had issues with the ISO - something about the hinges or bearings wearing into the frame.