I think I'm going to slowly build up a gravel/commuter bike. My SS Bianchi all of a sudden leaves me wanting gears. That's the only bike I have that I'm willing to lock up outside, so it has to fit that category.

I think I'm down to two framesets. Cinelli Zydeco and the carbon Nashbar frameset. Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

2016 Cinelli Zydeco | Aluminum Cyclocross Frameset

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/s...psqnuj6uwp.jpg

Nashbar Carbon Cyclocross Frame and Fork

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/s...pskcfxhqwz.jpg

I mean having too much work isn't the worst position to be in...

Cinelli is a cinelli, but I'd want steel (old cinelli??) or carbon for gravel.

They paid up - but they've created a structure where payout is not able to be calculated. Not an accessible metric for payout anyway.. :D

Oooooh: 2015 Lynskey ProCross Frame and Fork
$1600 in the cart.

It hit while I was at work, so the Ranger is OK. The yard looks to be a mess, mainly leaves and crap literally everywhere. I had to clean out the gutters again because they were so choked up. Mrs. LAJ hasn't planted yet, so everything good is still in the greenhouse. Yard art got hammered, but some is meant to look weathered. Tons of damage on the way home, so I was expecting worse.

How about you? It seemed pretty erratic as to where it chose to hammer folks.

The Okapi of bikes. :innocent:


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...0px-Okapi2.jpg

The Cinelli is too pretty to lock up outside.

No panniers or anything?

I can't see myself using panniers, but should I? I tried to find something with rim brakes but couldn't. I'm open to any frameset suggestions.

Stolen.

We didn't really get hit. We were about to start our little league game when the clouds rolled in. We were ready and sent the kids home and went to Upslope for a beer.

Cubs game got rained out. Double header today at Coors. Game 2 might not happen.

Dunno - I used to commute with a backpack, but if I had to do it again, and had a dedicated bike, I think that I'd go to panniers. Then again, not having done it, maybe the additional weight swaying under me would get old fast and I'd go back to a backpack. I'd like to leave the option open, though.

Srsly?

You clearly have good taste in bikes, yet you're here asking us if we think you should go for an unbranded Nashbar frame over a Cinelli?

:foo:

Cinelli 11 times out of 10, by a mile.

I use the messenger bag. I don't think I'd need panniers.

But BF told me carbon is best. And it's $600.

But I think Cinelli bikes are Italian sexy.

From a utilitarian standpoint, the Nashbar frame is better because it's lighter and cheaper and presumably has a better ride.

If you care at all about how the bike looks or is perceived by others, and the price difference is insignificant in the grand scheme of things, get the Cinelli. Everyone loves a Cinelli.

Edit: So do bike thieves, so if you're locking it up outside take that into consideration as well.

I'd be curious about the tire clearance on the Cinelli. Classic cyclocross bikes are designed for 32mm tires (maximum width for UCI events) which may not be as wide as you'd like for a gravel grinder.

It may well take wider, but if your setting out to build a gravel bike, I'd want something that could take at least 40mm tires with room for mud clearance. So I'd check the tire clearance on all of the frames you're considering.

Cinelli is up to 42mm.

$450, actually. It's 25% off today.

If you're locking up outside, why don't you just go for the built up nashbar CX bike?

This. As awesome as all Cinelli frames are, if he's after purely utilitarian that is less likely to get stolen, he should just snatch the built Nashbar CX bike.

The quality of the ads on my computer has improved recently after following several of [MENTION=178937]sbxx1985[/MENTION]'s links :).

Unrelated, but did you enjoy Jazz Fest at all? Saw lots of friends posting about it; made me jealous.

I like the Cinelli, as well. I don't think it will be safe locked up.

The club ran a couple different gravel events last weekend, one option being 90, the other nearly 200, and it had over 75 participants. Gravel is becoming bigger by the minute.

Yikes. I haven't shopped at Nashbar before. Is 25% off everything, including sale items, a common thing?

I want to build it with Campy.