teejaywhy

Considering a new bike for taking along on our travels. Retiring and we have a truck/travel trailer and will be hitting the road to tour the country (USA/Canada) and see the sights. We like to take our bikes for short to medium excursions primarily pavement, but also gravel/dirt roads and trails.

We currently have both mountain bikes (hardtail 29'ers) and nice road bikes (carbon/Ultegra). We usually take the mountain bikes which seem to be the most versatile, but sometimes, I wish I had the road bike. On the other hand, it seems necessary to bring along the full kit for road biking which sometimes is just overkill for hopping on the bike for a tool around the campground. I have the capability to transport four bikes, but really don't want to do that. Which brings me to the idea of something that could give me flexibility to ride gravel and light trails as well as putting in some miles on the pavement. Is the solution a flat-bar fitness or gravel bike?

Further background: Our mountain biking is quite limited to gravel/dirt roads and VERY mild trails. Not really seeking out technical single-track or downhill rides mainly cause I'm a giant wuss. The hardtails serve us well and do ok for road riding (can lock-out front fork suspension), but kinda heavy and with 2.25 knobby tires, not the best for longer rides. We do road bike rides weekly at ~30-35 miles with several century rides throughout the year. Really like the comfort and speed available from the road bike setup but they are just not versatile enough for the travel/camping bike.

Could it be possible have one bike to satisfy the urge for both types of riding? Some sort of flat bar hybrid or gravel bike perhaps... Flat pedals... mid size tires ~38-40mm... Lighter than the MTB... Can ride without the "kit"... Comfortable and efficient for 30-40 mile road rides... Not "too expensive..." Alum frame(?) $1-1.5K ?

Research yields some choices:
"FITNESS BIKE" These seem to be a hybrid bike with a bit more performance. Most brands offer something in this line but with a few exceptions, typically with low end components.
"FLAT BAR GRAVEL / ADVENTURE BIKE" Finding some interesting offers that have better components, but typically with a 1X drivetrain and perhaps tires a little bit wider that what I was thinking...

I am not opposed to a 1X drivetrain, just unfamiliar with them. My hardtail MTB and road bike have 2X drivetrains. The 1X chainwheels seem small... I would like to achieve comfortable road speeds at a reasonable cadence. The use would be mostly paved, with some smooth-unpaved with road type inclines (not some single track hill grind).

The other thing is, I'm not sure how to evaluate the frame geometry...

Help me with the pros and cons!

Examples:
FITNESS BIKE
Trek FX 4: $1050 Deore 1X (2020 model had Tiagra 2X)
Spec Sirrus. X 4.0 ($1450) 1X Deore, 38mm tires - looks very interesting
Canyon Roadlite 6: ($1100) 2X 105, 30mm tire, great price but odd geometry? agressive?
Cannondale Quick 1 ($1600) 2X 105, 32mm tires, very nice... Quick 2 ($1100) with 2X Sora

"GRAVEL" BIKE
Spec Diverge EVO
Marin DSX
Salsa Journeyman
all with 1X drivetrains, 40-45mm tires, bit heavier

Can I simulate the highest gear of the 1x on my road bike by calculating the gear ratio and choosing something similar? Just to see how fast I'm spinning at 16-18 mph ? i.e. 40-11 (3.64) max on the 1x vs 50-14 on the road bike (3.57)

THANKS for your thoughts!

bOsscO

You're probably best to go see what's in-stock/available in your size at your LBS. Start there.

blakcloud

Any bike that has can fit a 32 mm tire or larger would work from what you describe. Not just any 32 mm but a lightweight or supple casing tire would be something I would factor into the price. All the bikes you listed would work just fine. Just something to note, the Trek FX4 has some wacky front propitiatory front thru axle, that may not be compatible with your rack to carry your bike. If you are putting them in the trailer or have a rack that holds by the wheels you will be fine. Other than that I think it is a great bike.

I would be less concerned about 1x or 2x. This debate has been discussed ad nauseam on this board so you can spend a day reading about it but again you won't find a problem keeping your speed in the range provided by a 1x setup.

I do agree with the poster above, your problem will be availability and you may have to choose something that isn't perfect. Good luck.

guachi

My solution - a drop bar bike with the ability to mount larger tires. Get a second wheelset. In my case, it's a Domane each for me and my wife and they can mount 38mm tires.

The other, lesser-used wheelset doesn't even need to be that good, really

teejaywhy

Zeroing in on the Canyon Roadlite 6. Very nice build for $1100. (finding stock is another issue, but I'm in no hurry)

As I said, I don't know how to evaluate geometry, especially when you throw in the flat bar into the equation. Judging by the published specs, this bike would seem to be very agressive.
https://www.canyon.com/en-us/hybrid-...ometry-section

Does this seem unusual for a "relaxed" fitness bike? Thoughts?

rurugger

The gearing on the Canyon seems pretty tall, and in general it looks much more like a flat-bar road bike, than a mountain/gravel bike. I'm very happy with my Marin DSX - Deore 1x drivetrain with 51-tooth for all the steep climbs, clearance for 2.1 tires, internal routing for a dropper (which I added and it's awesome). Check it out if you can find it in stock.

Maelochs

I wouldn't call it "relaxed" but it isn't abnormal.

Top tube on a flat-bar bike is going to be longer than on a drop-bar bike by a few inches, and the rest of the numbers look normal .... sort of long chain stays and wheel base for greater stability on shifting surfaces but a pretty quick steering (72.15-degree head tube.) It doesn't list rail but I'd assume the bike is normal, overall .... not super-twitchy but not a tank.

To make it more "relaxed" you might want to get a stem which angles up a good bit .... looks like that bike will have you stretched out and reaching down for the bars. Not sure about the actual bike, but I don't see any room for spacers under then stem, so you couldn't raise the bars up much.

However, if you are used to riding drop bars and riding low and stretched, no problem.

Rogerogeroge

I think you need to decide if you want a flatbar or dropbar bike. You can call it gravel, or whatever you want. By 'fitness' bikes, that seems to be hybrid frames (same geo as the lower end ones) but with skinnier tires, a carbon fork and a 2x crank. Either style should give you much more relaxed geometry than your road bikes and significant advantages to riding your hardtails.

Both styles (hybrid and gravel) should give you plenty of clearance to add fatter tires. If you're travelling around into the unknowns, I think it's best to prepare for the 'worst' (roughest) trails you'll ride. Don't get any front suspension. I take it you're not riding super steep trails, but a 1x or 2x configuration will give you the needed min/max gears. But 1x drivetrains do have larger jumps between gears. Consider the biggest tires needed and the gearing needed, I think you'll find options in both styles.

Personally, if I'm riding more than three hours I want dropbars for the variety of hand positions.

And it doesn't matter what style of bike you ride, you can wear lycra with a flatbar or baggy shorts and shirt on a dropbar bike. I used to go full lycra on MTBs, but now I'm sometimes wearing baggy shorts, and the best thing I've discovered is to wear some loose Underarmour shirts instead of jerseys that cling to me and gain a couple of pounds of sweat. Only downside is no back pockets, but my baggy shorts hold a couple of gels and my backpack holds the rest if I'm MTBing. Break all conventional wisdom, do as you wish.

PeteHski

The Roadlite is not really suitable for off-road riding. It's more of an urban commuter bike with limited tyre clearance (32 mm max I think).

From your description, a Canyon Grail would be more in line with your mixed riding. Up to 42mm tyre clearance.

https://www.canyon.com/en-us/gravel-...road/grail/al/
https://www.canyon.com/en-us/gravel-...d/grail/cf-sl/

These would make great road, gravel/light trail bikes, especially with 2 sets of wheels/tyres for road/off-road.

Iride01 

Seems like you need to consider where you plan on traveling with your travel trailer. You already have some bikes, so maybe get a bike that fills a specific type of riding that they don't. Then take the bike from your stable that best fits each trip.

livedarklions

The premise of the OP is that's not possible.

The OP is taking a long road trip where OP and spouse are going to do a variety of riding. They don't want to carry the 4 bikes on the rack they have, why would they want to add a trailer?

mdarnton

If the FX4 thru axle is the same as my FX1, it is a normal quick release but with closed dropouts so that you have to screw the end off and pull the QR out before the wheel will come off. If that is the case, front racks that hang on a longer QR will work once you remove Trek's fixed in position QR nut and replace it with a normal one. I did this right away anyway, since it is faster to get the wheel off.

Steve B.

My Cannondale Topstone aluminum 105 does what you describe. I have a set of wheels with the hill cassette - 11-34 on it as well as the 43mm gravel/semi knobby tires. Then I take along the 2nd pair of OEM wheels with a road cassette - 12-25 that has road tires, 30mm. I use these wheels when I know I'm on asphalt.

But as an earlier post stated, go visit some local shops to see what they have in stock (if anything) or can get. I've read of folks ordering bikes and expect them next February or later, such is the inventory these days.

livedarklions

This is why I generally can't answer questions like this--to me a 1x drive is a total deal-killer because it never has the high gears I want to ride in.

livedarklions

I loved my 2017 FX 3. The derailleurs aren't as good as the ones you list, but the 2021 is a double (2017 was a triple), and a lot of fun on the road. It's fine as a light gravel bike, 32 tires and you'd be good to go. Shifts are loud but reliable. Only thing I don't like about it are that the handlebar grips are proprietary Bontrager brand for no good reason I can see.

teejaywhy

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Some good info here.

This quest first started with the gravel bike idea. Which in my mind is just a road bike with bigger tires and perhaps more relaxed fit. The popular marketing for gravel bikes is just silly, ripping single tracks, bombing downhills, etc. Stupid. That's what mountain bikes are for. But gravel roads, rail trails, etc, I get it. Heck, I take my Roubaix on a dirt canal bank all the time (28mm tires). Eventually I hit on the idea of a flat-bar gravel bike. Not a lot of offerings, but most are moving to a 1X drivetrain. Not a dealbreaker, but it's unfamiliar territory. My rides would be mostly pavement, with some MILD off pavement. That's what lead me to the "fitness" bike offerings. Flat-bar road bike ?

Marin DSX indeed. On my short list. 45mm tires might be a bit large. Does the 42-11 top gear give a comfortable ~18-20mph cruise on flat pavement? Or is that too much to expect from a flat bar upright ride?
Some other "flat-bar gravel" offerings include the Specialized Diverge EVO (nice but $1700!), Salsa Journeyman w/2X Sora drivetrain is interesting, Giant Toughroad seems to be discontinued...
Others?

Sums it up well, thanks. I think flatbar is what I'm thinking for the type of casual riding I anticipate during our travels.

The tire size restriction on the Roadlite could be an issue. I will have to look into that. But not interested in a drop bar, nor hauling about multiple wheelsets.

Certainly, if our trip involves traveling to attend a gran fondo event or something like that, the road bikes will be loaded up. Otherwise the MTN bikes are with us. Just thinking there could be something in between that could straddle the line for 95% of the rides. Lighter than the MTN bikes, more relaxed than the road bikes. Obviously, something like that is a compromise, but that is the nature of the beast.

DETarch

Have you considered modifying your mountain bikes to be lighter/more efficient? If they're hardtails, you could replace suspension forks with light carbon forks, then swap knobby mtb tires with large volume smooth tires. Something like the Schwalbe G-One in a 2.25" width would be much lighter and faster rolling that a traditional mtb tire, but still provide plenty of cushion vs. road tires. Swapping in a few key carbon bits for lighter weight/damping could further improve the ride. I'd do a handlebar and seatpost. I had a Specialized Chisel set up this way for mixed gravel/paved riding and really enjoyed it.

Just another thought since stock on complete bikes is difficult to come by. And cheaper than new bikes!

Maelochs

For mixed surface/gravel/packed dirt, 35-45 mm tires should be fine. No need to bring two sets of wheels---tires come on and off pretty easily. Bring some 32s-38s for pavement and the widest you can fit for soft trails .... or just ride 38s, you aren't planning on racing.

Most 1x systems are more designed for soft surfaces and hard terrain, as far as I can see, not pavement, but according to the chart here (https://www.bikecalc.com/gear_speed) you should be able to manage a comfortable 20 mph

Rogerogeroge

Do you realize that 12 speed cassettes for 1x drivetrains comes with a 10T on back? That can give you a pretty high gear.

PeteHski

No need for multiple wheel sets. That was only if you wanted to optimise for both road and off-road on the same trip. One set with say 38-40 mm tyres would be pretty versatile on any surface. But the limited clearance on the Roadlite frame would restrict your tyre choice for off-road use to 32 mm. It might work for you, but it limits your options. With the Roadlite you would basically then have 2 road bikes in your stable, one with drops and one with flat bars. A gravel bike (with flat bars if you prefer) would give you the compromise between road and off-road performance in one bike that you appear to be looking for.

livedarklions

​​​​​​My favorite gear combo on flat ground is 53x11. That's a much higher gear than I can get with any 1x I'm aware of.
I'm so atypical in my gear use that my preferences aren't really relevant in a general discussion of the merits of 1x vs. 2x.

ofajen

FYI, with a 40-11 on 700x38, you’ll have a cadence of about 54 at 16 mph and 60 at 18 mph.

Otto

Metieval

Just go for a salsa journeyman, cannondale topstone type gravel bike. They are sit up casual enough to get by with street clothes. Swap jersey pockets for feed bags or handle bar bags.

650x47 wtb byway tire. Wider flared bars.
Put on a dual sided spd/ flat pedal. For your 40 mile ride throw on your spds. For tooling through the camp or to the store whatever shoe you want.

Maybe look at the Haro Beasley.... but honestly

I think you'd be better served with a 650x47 gravel bike.

I've ridden a hardtail 29er with 700x40 Donnelley MSO tires before. Not too bad but then I built/painted a 1991 hybrid into a super sweet 10s (11-36) XT paired to 44t chainring smooth rolling machine. it was fun enough I put a couple 60 mile rides on it. Just dont do it in Altra running shoes... ouch.
It was the only bike I couldn't bring myself to sell doing my n-1 thing. So my nephew rides it. I basically told him it was a $1,000 build. Which I guess.... I mean in 2005 those wheels were $900 wheels. The HS-11 hydraulic rim brakes are super smooth. I owned the crank and wheelset going in. And I think I have $700 invested.

Rogerogeroge

Spinning a cadence of 90 in a 53x11 (with a 700c wheel) is almost 35 mph. If your cadence is 120 then you're over 46 mph.

Even if you go with a 46 x 31 on front (a common GRX combo), then your speed is 30 mph at a cadence of 90 and over 40 mph at a cadence of 120.

If you can spin a 53x11 on the flats..... well, I don't think you can.

livedarklions

And? I never said I spin. My cadence is unmonitored, but I think it's usually in the 60s. In the flats, I'm generally going about 20-24 mph. It's an old-fashioned style of riding that's damned efficient if you're capable of it.

I'm a 60 year old man with very strong leg muscles trying to ride fast over long distances. This works for me, and I'm not particularly interested in your logical fallacies "proving" it can't. Point is I need a gear combo higher than a 1x offers, why would it be worth your time to try to convince me otherwise? I want my 53t chain ring, I just don't want to take big hills on it.