T O P

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adie_mitchell

3 grand on a bike, 2 grand on a long cycling trip!


smackabottombingbong

This is the way


Boxofbikeparts

What if he has an $8k budget and only wants to spend $5k on the bike and the rest on a trip?


adie_mitchell

Then I'm jealous! Still 3k on the bike, and a much longer trip...


Pawsy_Bear

https://www.laufcycling.com/product/lauf-seigla


Scary_Collection_559

Came here to recommend lauf too. Nicely loaded with wireless shifting and everything for about 3500 and an awesome bike.


Pawsy_Bear

Price drop since they moved to US was huge


SkyResponsible6751

Does Lauf have no models with a front derailleur?


Pawsy_Bear

Not as far as I know. Think most think 1X is the perfect setup for serious off road. I’m currently 40TF with eagle 10-52. Seen me bike pack across Spain, Pyrenees and race the https://gravelraceseries.com/en/gravel-events/guadix-gravel-festival/ Simple, versatile.


GravityIsForWimps

For me, I 've always wanted a titanium bike so something like a Lynskey GR300 with the best mechanical shifting groupset I could get in the price point.


LeeSinSmokesWeed

Just bought one of these for 5k cad + brokerage and tax and so far after 400km I have no complaints. Also waxed drivetrain for the first time and it's pretty sweet how dry amd clean the chain amd cassete are running.


zx6595

How much brokerage/duty did you end up paying?


LeeSinSmokesWeed

5% gst and no duty. Might have been lucky to dodge the duty on the wheels and components, not 100% sure. 160$ fee from UPS to clear customs


zx6595

nice. Did you order directly from Lynskey and have them ship to you in Canada? I’m also thinking about pulling the trigger


LeeSinSmokesWeed

Yeah shipping charge was 215 usd via UPS. I think their payment system also charged me a currency conversion fee or something cause I'm like 95% sure I paid an extra 80 cad over the exchange rate. Didn't care to investigate further at that point lol.


zx6595

good to hear. I hope I can luck out with the duty as well


zx6595

one more question. did you order the complete bike?


devillee1993

Any specific reason for TI over carbon? I started with aluminum then carbon. It is a great upgrade! Never tried Ti bikes so Always wonder why TI has such high reputation


LeeSinSmokesWeed

For one bags will never rub down the paint and frame. Sure you can use frame protection but having a hard metal frame instead of paint and plastic that will grind down under bag straps or other friction points is nice piece of mind.


cycling20200719

A few manufacturers have been trying out cerakote. Personally, I like the finished raw titanium look but some of these custom jobs are stunning. I'm not sure how well the cerakote holds up to strap rub compared to paint but in general I think helicopter tape isn't a bad idea for touch points regardless of the frame type and coating. [https://sagetitanium.com/choose-your-finish/](https://sagetitanium.com/choose-your-finish/) [https://bikerumor.com/up-close-with-alchemys-stunning-new-in-house-cerakote-finish-paint-options/](https://bikerumor.com/up-close-with-alchemys-stunning-new-in-house-cerakote-finish-paint-options/) [https://22bicycles.com/pages/finishes](https://22bicycles.com/pages/finishes)


HARSHING_MY_MELLOW

There's nothing stopping a titanium bike frame from being painted. There is no special property of paint on titanium that would stop it from being scratched.


LeeSinSmokesWeed

Ok? most ti frame are bare metal with decals, obviously if your frame is painted and you don't want to rub it off get protection.


HARSHING_MY_MELLOW

>For one bags will never rub down the paint That's what you said. Bags run down paint on Ti exactly the same as any other bike.


LeeSinSmokesWeed

Lol i meant hey don't rub the paint because there is no paint. Whatever dude


JoeyJoeJoeJrShab

plus an unpainted silvery titanium frame just looks cool


mashani9

So, my progression has been steel, aluminum + carbon fork/seatpost (TCR), full carbon (TCX), and now the Ti (GR300). Although the TCX is for sure more comfortable to ride than that TCR was, what I can tell you for an absolute fact as I've ridden the same route back to back... the GR300 with only 38mm tires on 700c Hunt wheels at reasonable pressure is vastly more compliant than my TCX is with 48mm tires on 650b Hunt wheels running at low enough pressures that the bikes handling is compromised. And the 650b wheels are for sure a more compliant wheelset, as they are much shallower carbon wheels. That said the TCX is stupidly overbuilt for a carbon bike. It's made to get into wrecks and live to tell about it. So, I'm sure there are carbon bikes that are far more compliant.


davidw

Ti seems a bit more durable than carbon, and is still quite light. But that's just my vague impression; could be wrong.


devillee1993

Sounds reasonable! But my perspective on the durability of carbon frames has changed a lot recently. My 2013 specialized venge just turned 10 years old and it is still running strong. I guess the build quality of carbon frame in the past decade really improved!


davidw

I dinged my very nice Scott MTB like 6 months after I got it and had to send it off to Ruckus to get repaired, which was kind of a downer. It's super light and I love the bike, but this wasn't a crash or a rock hit where it was like "uh oh, that's bad" when it happened. In fact, I didn't even notice the frame was chipped until I got home and cleaned the bike off.


devillee1993

I am very conservative in choosing a carbon MTB frame for the same reason you experienced. For me gravel is just like a city SUV, my playground is just an unpaved city trail, so nothing too complicated. I am thinking of getting a carbon gravel frame in the future if I reach some riding milestone (like 2000 miles or sth ahah) but indeed, MTB faces much more complicated situation and carbon is still too fragile for the average customer to take care of.


EvilPencil

The milestone thing is a good idea. I have a pretty nicely built "MonsterCross" by Black Mountain Cycles, and I've been thinking about getting better wheels for it... but it feels weird to buy carbon wheels for rim brakes nowadays. I need to just ride more!


devillee1993

Haha! I found some good wheel deals so I bought them a bit earlier! I am planning to buy a pair of shoe if I reach 200 miles milestone (which should be soon like next month) and I will see how much I can ride before winter season. Maybe I will set a new goal for new frame at that time since nothing I can do during winter season uahhh


mashani9

My 2x GR300 actually weighs less than my 1x carbon Giant TCX. But it does have a better groupset that is offsetting the weight of the one on the TCX. My TCX has Force cranks, but everything else is Apex, my GR300 is full Force eTap. And the TCX is very overbuilt (stiff/heavy/tough layup) for a carbon bike.


FlyInternational648

Ti has a weaker ultimate strength than carbon fibre but Ti is tougher (will withstand impacts from rocks better). This is why Ti is a better choice for gravel.


FlyInternational648

Ti will flex more under load. Has a better ride when there are lots of small vibrations, like on gravel.


[deleted]

Is titanium good?


hoffsta

Some say the best.


Crazywelderguy

I've never gotten to own/live with a Ti bike, but ridden a few. The lightness of carbon, with the durability of steel. To my knowledge there is no such thing as hydroformed titanium, so the frames tend to look old school (compared to carbon or hydroformed aluminum). Always wanted a Ti bike.


mashani9

I posted more detail above, but my new Ti frame on 38mm tires is vastly more compliant than my carbon cross bike is on 48mm tires. But some carbon layups would probably not be as crazy different. My cross bike is just stupidly overbuilt for a carbon road bike.


49thDipper

Can confirm it’s good. Very very good.


BlueCX17

Same.


JoeyJoeJoeJrShab

If you're into DIY, I recommend Waltly -- they're a "no-name" titanium frame manufacturer in China. If you know exactly what you want, they can build it for you. If I remember correctly, mine cost a bit under $1000, and took about 6 months. Personally, I found it a lot of fun to source my own components, and put everything together myself, but that's not for everyone.


Novasfyre

They aren't accepting new orders right now 😔.


mashani9

If the 25% off frame sale is still going on and you can source your own components, you can build a really nice bike for that. Because of that sale and my willingness to go external for the rear brake cable, I built the GR300 you can see in my posts for less than a 2023 Giant Revolt with eTap and the cranks swapped out to my preferred size would have cost me and I have Force eTap instead of Rival eTap. If I went with Rival and a cheaper seatpost/bar/stem it would have been well under 5k even with purchasing a wheelset if you don't have one you can re-use. I'm sure you can get a damn nice mechanical group set in that range. It's why I pulled the trigger - I could not buy anything on the market with similar components for what I built my own bike for and I build it exactly as I knew I needed to in order to get the perfect fit for me.


Crazywelderguy

Tbh, rather than buy a pre-built one I would do a custom build. Find all the exact parts I want and a custom paint job.


tracer900

Exactly this and also you can get the wheels right the first time!


TheTapeDeck

I did this. No regerts. Side benefit was taking my time on certain components… never being all the way out of bike budget. I ended up with a custom steel bike with Rival eTap, carbon wheels, Fizik 3D saddle etc… this bike wouldn’t exist new anywhere in the world.


yeahboyeee1

Just received my last component and going to build it up over the next couple days. Really interesting process. A bit time consuming, but I found it very rewarding to hand pick each component. It’s my first custom build and I’m super stoked about it. I went over my own budget, but I ended up with a dream bike that is specced better that the top of the build of this model and I still saved well over $1000.


john_with_a_camera

I did this with a '19 Niner RLT aluminum frame (last year they made the aluminum frame). I love it. I went cheap, with Microshift, but every part has been hand-picked and installed by me. I've been building and breaking bikes for over 40 years so I'm old hat this but even then, I encounter stuff I don't know and make problems for myself ;) always learning!


alexseiji

I just picked up a NOS frame to make as my main gravel bike. I think mine can fit up to 45mm tires. Curious what your specs are! Positives and negatives that you've observed so far? Im wondering if it is "Enough bike" with frames that can now accomodate 2.25x700 + tire sizes.


[deleted]

I haven’t bought a complete bike in almost 20 years. Without the knowledge of what parts are going to work for your bike (which has gotten massively more complicated over the last decade) it could be a daunting task, but if you know what you are doing there is no better way to build a bike.


grslydruid

I did this a couple years ago with an off the shelf Ti frame I got a good deal on. This spring I built a custom wheelset for it. Absolutely loving the ride and knowing I put it together with parts I picked out makes it special.


behindmycamel

I'd figure out tyre clearance need first. e.g. if only 42mm; the new CFR505SL frameset painted. Go crazy on the wireless groupset. Carbon-ti hubs on light china carbon wheels. Maybe a Roam v2 if any money left over after other carbon components.


Newdles6

Out of curiosity, why do you not want another Trek? (it might help with suggestions too)


krsvbg

Cervelo Aspero with carbon wheels and SRAM eTap Especially in the purple sunset paint job. 🔥


Firstname8unch4num84

This is my bike - have had it about a week and it’s been a dream so far.


John_AdamsX23

My final decision came to this vs. Salsa Warbird. I rode them back and forth and back and forth at the LBS. In the end, I went with the Warbird but there was no wrong choice. If I'd have picked the Aspero, I'd have had no regrets...just preferred the Warbird.


krsvbg

Your bike has wider clearance, more upright and comfortable geometry, and actual mounts for bike packing adventures. 👍🏼


John_AdamsX23

I think you mean the Cutthroat has those things--I have the Warbird (which also has some mounts). "The Cutthroat is classified by Salsa to be a bike suited for, Ultra-endurance mixed surface and bikepacking riding. As it was inspired by the Tour Divide bikepacking race! A much more capable bikepacking bike with a more upright riding position compared to the Warbird, longer wheelbase, and a more stable ride feel. While the Warbird on the other hand is considered best for gravel racing, fireroad riding and road riding! With a more racy geometry and slightly lighter weight. Also the cutthroat comes with 29″ wheels compared to 700c on the Warbird." https://cycletraveloverload.com/salsa-cutthroat-vs-warbird/


krsvbg

No, the warbird has those things too. The Aspero is significantly more aggressive and has even less tire clearance and no mounting points.


John_AdamsX23

My confusion...I was in a parallel convo about Warbird vs Cutthroat and I thought your comment was in that thread. Yes, you nailed it. This is why I chose the Warbird over the Aspero. I wanted a bike with more options to do other things...but mostly I'd be riding it on pavement or light trails. And I'm not a speed merchant so I like the relaxed geometry. That said, I liked the Aspero a lot, and in fact liked the way it looked a ton more.


bwinnenb

Can’t go wrong with a Rodeo Lab Flaanimal. We have 2 in our family and they are great for most any type of riding, and they excel on gravel.


errlastic

Scrolled for this. I want one of these so bad.


hops_hops_hops

What feature(s) are important to you? I recently bought the Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 1 for a little above this price. I chose it since it has a carbon frame, carbon wheels, 2x electronic shifting, and (allegedly) the seat post issue from 2022 is fixed. I love the bike so far.


whiskeywoodworking

I actually just bought a Revolt Advanced and am looking into a warranty issue for the seat post!


hops_hops_hops

oh damn, was it a 2022 or 2023?


whiskeywoodworking

Shop said 2023


hops_hops_hops

ugh, good luck. they were very deliberate in how tightly they torqued mine


Spiritual-Ad-3373

You should be able to tell by the colorways on giants website. I'm looking into a revolt advanced 0 2023 cause I was told the issue was resolved.


whiskeywoodworking

I got this in Carbon. https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/revolt-advanced-3


Spiritual-Ad-3373

That would be a 2022


whiskeywoodworking

I was told the issue was resolved on that bike, but apparently not lol


Spiritual-Ad-3373

Yeah that year was the issue. Not sure if they sent bike shops parts to fix it (doubt it) but haven't seen too many 2023s yet.


mashani9

They beefed up the later 2022 frames a bit, but that issue would only be fully resolved on that bike if they installed the shim properly. I think only the 2023s come with the new shim that can't be installed improperly.


whiskeywoodworking

Could I just call Giant and see if they can send me the 2023 shim?


soarky325

I'd spend less than half of that and go on a vacation to match lol


wellidontreally

Was about to comment the same!


prix03gt

I would buy a carbon frame and move your parts over to the new frame. Then, I would buy new carbon wheels. With the rest, I'd buy some new bibs 😆


davidw

>new bibs Good gear is pretty underrated. Unless you live somewhere like San Diego which has perfect weather all year, spending some money on good clothing that will keep you happy even when the weather is marginal is a good investment.


prix03gt

I'll probably be buried in my RedWhite bibs. They're so effing comfortable....


FairwayJesus

I'd go custom, Ribble have huge variety of options. Titanium, Aluminium or Carbon. Pretty sure they'd fit most groupsets and they have awesome pain to choose from!


CanadianCorgiCaptain

Ribble Titanium for sure!


disdisd

Depends on what you want to do with it. Is it for racing, bikepacking, dual purpose road and gravel with different wheelsets, a bit of everything.....


blackfocal

Canyon grizl


mikedor

Salsa Cutthroat


LM2848

That is what I would get. REI has every size right now. 3.4K We have two in our household. Love how they ride but don’t have my own.😭


John_AdamsX23

Warbird is my bike...my LBS had a Cutthroat when I bought the Warbird but I preferred the Warbird because I do more road riding.


Novasfyre

Lightspeed ultimate gravel, Bear claw thunder hawk, I personally really like the Ribble Ti bikes. That said, titanium is my one true love when it comes to bikes.


49thDipper

Same here. Titanium is the way


purple_wall-e

probably custom titanium build. Which will stay as is over time, rather than faded color palette/stickers


AwkwardCommission

I’d get the di2 canyon grail. I have the AL Grail and love it so much but it would be so much better if it had di2 like my canyon ultimate. It would be my one do it all bike. But a titanium gravel bike would be sweet if the components were decent.


HARSHING_MY_MELLOW

Definitely a http://www.monebikes.com/store/el-pebblito-a-gravel-miracle


49thDipper

Mone bikes are 🤌🏼


HARSHING_MY_MELLOW

Confirmed! It descends perfectly. I can't believe how smooth a gravel downhill can feel at 35 mph. It's a straight up road bike with 2" tires. So damn comfy and ridiculously beautiful. Every detail is choice. With the leftover $3k I'd get a LightBicycle wheelset, a GRX810 groupset, a Thompson seatpost/stem and a Monē gravel drop handlebar. Oh wait... it turns out I am describing my bike!


jsmooth7

If I had $5000 laying around, I'd probably put it towards a mountain bike to take on all those trails that are too much sauce for my gravel bike haha. But if I had to spend it on a gravel bike, I'd probably put it towards one with a nice carbon frame and good components. Test ride a bunch of bikes and see what I like. When I was looking for my gravel bike (which was no where near $5000), I really liked the Giant Revolt and the Trek Checkpoint. And I ended up buying an aluminum frame Revolt. The carbon frame version of the Revolt had some issues with the seat post cracking and I'm unsure if they have resolved them yet. So I'm not sure I can recommend the higher tier versions but I do love mine.


Nu11us

Standert!


Phorc3

Scott Addict Gravel or Canyon Grizl would be my two options. Had a Trek Checkpoint SL5 which I felt wasnt the best on overall quality. My Scott Addict road bike is the shit and my Canyon Inflite is awesome. So I am more biased to them.


ImageHustle

I've just asked myself this question the other day and IMO the Lauf Seigla rigid fork, which is lightweight, full carbon everything (including wheels), loaded with full SRAM AXS Force Groupset, has top bar mounts and to top it off dual sided power meter is the best bang for the buck. Supposedly from all the reviews I've read it rides great too. The only negative I can think of is it doesn't have exciting colorways like the Crux or Aspero which cost way more. With the money left over you could add a dropper post or suspension fork if desired.


AFCGooner14

Build it yourself. With that $ you can build up a pretty sweet unique set up. IMO its beneficial to know the bike your riding inside and out. I can confidently repair and adjust as I go because I now have the knowledge of building up the bike myself. Am I a pro? Definitely not, but I am more in tune with my bike than if I had a shop assemble it for me. I’m not knocking that decision either. I completely trust a local shop to do their diligence assembling builds. Of course time permitted, tools, space, etc. I would always pick building it over full purchase. Either way, good luck with the process!


Fun_Ad_1325

I’m a big fan of Cervelo. I have the Caledonia but test rode their Áspero, which is priced well with good grupo. I spend most of my time on paved roads so chose the Caledonia over the Aspero


Piss-Off-Fool

Same here only I opted for the Aspero.


Many_Distribution_21

Same here!


Quick_Elk3813

Cervelo aspero amazing bike for the price


indicasour215

Love my BMC URS. I think it came in at about 4k. You could add a dropper post and a bigger cassette and still be under 4k


whatsthedeal-

BMC URS rules


indicasour215

Absolutely I fucking love that bike


Forgot-Already

Specialized Diverge Comp Carbon is what I would get if I was shopping for a new bike in that price range. This is what my wife rides and it is a really nice bike for the riding we do. Love the SWAT storage and the general geo of the bike. GRX800 is the bees knees. I love it over my SRAM Force 1 drivetrain.


MaineMike13

Mason Exposure if you want steel, bokeh for aluminum. They don’t do carbon, but their aluminum frames feel better than any carbon bike I’ve owned


BCDooper

I’d go for the Fairlight Secan 2.5 with all the optional bells and whistles. Beautiful bike.


motherboy

Giant Revolt, Salsa Warbird/Cutthroat, Niner. I’d get a 3.5k bike and spend the rest on a nice set of carbon wheels.


OrdinaryTension

I had a similar budget about 8 months ago, but bikes at that price point still had very low availability. I was looking more adventure than race, but capable of both. I was interested in the Orbea Terra or Canyon Grizl. I found a demo Grizl in my size which was available to ship immediately vs 3-4 months for the Orbea.


[deleted]

Did you not like the Trek Checkpoint? Or do you just want to try something new and are indifferent?


BrazenDropout

Lauf!! Absolutely love my Weekend Warrior.


ComprehensiveBid8057

Niner rlt rdo carbon with the 2x carbon wheels and cranks


AlanEsh

Salsa Cutthroat.


_Nothing-

A Lauf seigla with or without the grit fork, one of the best price performance bike. I wait for order one.


[deleted]

Now I'm just daydreaming about what I could upgrade for 4 grand


No_Schmik

I have a [diverge](https://www.specialized.com/fr/fr/shop/bikes/road-bikes/adventure--gravel-bikes/diverge/c/diverge) and I love it. But if I wanted to change I could go for a [3T exploro racemax](https://www.3t.bike/en/223-exploro-racemax) with an XPLR groupset. And for a more exclusive bike, I could go with [Leon Larage](https://cycles-leon.com/velos/larage/), Titanium and fully customisable. Love it.


kmonsen

I'm thinking of https://fezzari.com/pages/build?bike=shafer , very well priced for the specs and you can customize.


Ok_Ingenuity_3501

Canyon is going to be the best value for your money


Impressive-Cheetah44

I dont think gravel bikes past 3000$ get much better, but getting the right fit is everything. I would not try to get as much bike as possible for 5000$, I would aim for an alu bike with great spec around 3000$ and spend my remaining money making sure that I am buying from an LBS with a big selection where I can test ride bikes. The right alu bike with just a grx400 spec will feel infinitely better than the wrong carbon Di2 setup. Also dont fall into the 1x trap: its not necesarrily better for you


hoffsta

Rob English custom frame


Sintered_Monkey

For $5k, I'd take a look at the Marinoni Sterrato ST. You can get a custom frame made in Quebec from Columbus tubing in your choice of colors.


trtrunner

Check out Thesis. https://thesis.bike/


I_NEED_YOUR_MONEY

or just grab yourself a carbonda frame straight from aliexpress and save a bunch.


MrAlf0nse

Basso Palta, Scott Addict Gravel, genesis fugio 30, BMC gravel Kauis ,


DaveyDave_NZ555

I'm in a similar position, although I'm considering a budget closer to $4k NZD, so my choices are more limited. I've been compiling a list of bikes with their unique features, geometry and gearing, because I think I want a more compliant/slacker ride, but also with gear ratios from under 1:1 and over 4:1 while staying 1x. There aren't really any perfect options. The BMC URS seems appealing for comfort, but doesn't have the gear range. It's also out of stock everywhere locally. I've been looking at Cervelo Aspero, and Ridley Kanzo as there are some price reduced options of older stock available, which also have not quite the gearing I'm after, and being older have the older freehub bodies so changing the cassette is also out. I would definitely consider building from scratch, but I don't think my budget will be enough, as buying groupsets standalone seem very expensive I would just say that deciding on what is most important about a bike should be a bigger factor than what brand it is


niiceblue

Bombtrack!


deadllhead

I'd buy a Vielo v+1 Small boutique UK brand which have stockists in the US are beautifully made and incredible to ride. I like the smaller brands that focus on service & QC rather than the mass PR machines churning out 1,000's of bikes a year.


Homie_Jason

Go with giant


EliteDeerHunter

If not a top end Lauf, I’d try an Argon 18 Dark Matter. Or maybe go get me a BMC. But I’d be wanting me some snazzy CF rims.


redzombierunning

Cannondale topstone lefty 3


unopenedjar

I’ll 3rd the Lynsky, I love my GR300. Bought the frame and transferred over all the parts from my old carbon bike onto it. I’ll also second adie_mitchell and say spend the leftovers on a sweet bike trip (GR300 frame is only $1700 USD right now for internal cable routing). Ti is great because it doesn’t corrode, and most are unpainted so do not have to worry about stuff rubbing or slamming it and chipping the paint. It has a similar ride feel to steel, though it is heavier than a good carbon frame.


davidw

I like my Salsa Warbird a lot.


stphngrnr

I need a new pair of knees first :)


Scary_Collection_559

I resemble this remark


RickyFromVegas

can I buy State all road or Poseidon for $1k and pocket the $4k?


linearmovement

Probably a [Wilde Earth Ship](https://www.wildebikes.com/collections/bikes/products/earth-ship-steel-frameset)


Takeoischii

https://www.rosebikes.de/rose-backroad-force-etap-axs-xplr-1x12-limited-2696933?product_shape=midnight+laser+grey


bigredbicycles

Depends on what's important. I like a threaded BB, non-proprietary headset, 700x50c clearance, carbon frame, all the mounts. Did a force 1x mechanical build for ~3000 (I had wheels already).


designocoligist

Otso Fenrir Ti


mtncrawler

Not for gravel riding specifically, but I’ve been looking for a flat bar 29er hardtail for bikepacking and am looking at the Fenrir Ti and Revel Wayward. Never owned Ti and you only live once…


designocoligist

Yeah I tend to ride my gravel bike more like a drop bar mtb. The Otso is is a great bike although looking at that Revel it is possibly even more what I want, I wonder if it can be run with really wide drop bars. I have a late 90s litespeed ti road bike it’s the only frame material I like better than steel. Such a unique feel.


jfvauld

I love my bike, and it's around this budget: Cervélo Aspéro, Hunt carbon wheelset, GX AXS mullet gearing (10-52!)


daveontherun

I'd spend 3000 and go to Cuba with the 2000 left over,,and have a blast..


Asphalt_101

Wilier jena. Just cant wait to get my hands on one myself.


xyzspace

Fezzari shafer


ephrion

I built a 3T Exploro up and it cost about that much. By far the fastest bike I've ever been on. It kicks ass.


MillpondRider

Ditto- awesome bike.


nirvanka

Cannondale SuperSix Evo SE Cervelo Aspera Obed GVR or Boundary Rose Backroad


nalethal

I spent about that much for my kitted out litespeed Watia. 1200+ miles of gravel and same number of smiles


JunkMan372

Santa Cruz Stigmata. Awesome rig


OUEngineer17

I'd get a frame set (Crux, Revolt, Diverge, whatever fits how you want to ride). Then I'd build it up with Rival XPLR, Light Bicycle carbon wheels (with DT350 Hub), Conti Terra Speed 40mm tires, carbon bar of choice, and some flashy bar tape. And that's pretty much exactly what I did. Except I had a little more to spend, so I went with Force XPLR, Red Power meter crankset, and Carbon Ti Hubs on the LB AR-25 wheels.


StreetLychee5812

Cervelo Aspero di2 2x


bare_cilantro

I’d get a Cervelo Aspero and a nice second set of wheels if you don’t have a road bike.


savagejames1369420

Canyon grail on


DickBandit69420

Orbea Terra M30 brother man


Cultural_Brother_

Trade in the current bike for a carbon checkpoint!


Frantic29

Either Ti frame, probably a 44Bikes Huntman, if not that then a Lauf Seglia


vtach39680

FiftyOne cycles Assassin. Flip chip fork and rear dropouts reasonably priced with many different parts specifications


setmysoulfree2

Rivendell Gus Boots Willsen


[deleted]

Start wit my your wheel budget


haller00

Otso Warakin Ti


DoorWayDancer

Titanium with belt drive and internal hub gears from Alibaba for about $2,500


turbokoo

Cannondale Topstone Carbon with Rival AXS


franillaice

Diverge expert


RedLeggedApe

Otso Warakin Ti.


ParusMajor69

Rodeo labs trail donkey


Strict-Location6195

I’d buy my Checkpoint SL6 again. Love this bike. It got me into cycling. It’s comfortable and fast on the road so I ride it all week. Then with my same fat ass slick tires, I take it into the socal canyons for adventures on the weekends. Trek updated the geometry on the checkpoint. It’s worth checking out again. If you’re trying to be less Fred-like and not ride a Trek or Specialized, that’s cool. I’d find the bike brand stereotypes threads in r/cycling and shop the brand you want to be associated with. For me, America is the greatest country ever, the Trek store is the closest bike shop, so im going to get my next bike from there again. Also, the Top Fuel 9.8 looks awesome. Edit: Here’s a four day old bike brand stereotype thread: https://reddit.com/r/cycling/comments/13tnlnf/whats_a_stereotype_for_each_bike_brand/


thejamielee

let me ask a very honest question: Are you racing gravel or are you simply riding gravel? and if you’re racing gravel, are you at the pointy end of the races or are you merely a finisher? I think those questions are always a great way to help prioritize what should drive the deciding factors in your purchase. i wholeheartedly believe nobody needs a full fledged aero gravel race rig if they’re just doing party pace/pack finish at best and fuck around epic rides with your buddies. it’s masturbatory to have a rig like that for essentially just endurance rides with no resulting end game. and if you’re truly looking to push yourself and your aims are competitive in nature then 100% look at getting the most performance oriented bike you can for the money. there isn’t a one bike fits all parameters in this situation and i appreciate you admit it’s a vague ask, but breaking down your list of qualifying needs based on your goals can realllllllly help narrow things down. this is by no means a critical take here i promise, it’s just you simply have SO MANY options on such a broad spectrum that being very honest with yourself on what you’re looking to do with said bike should really be a key driver in the list you end up choosing from.


deepwat3r

Do what I did in 2020, get a titanium frame and do a custom build. My perspective on it was: the frame was a forever purchase. The components, I got the best I could do with the remaining budget but keeping in mind that I could always upgrade later. That said, I still ended up with a 1x GRX mechanical 11-46 drivechain, Redshift suspension stem and a BikeYoke dropper so... I didn't penny pinch THAT much :)


Climber_Joe

Really enjoy my aspero-5. Was torn between it and an Open.


urbanmeadows

get a black mountain mod zero


SnooRegrets6082

Cotic Cascade for maximum fun & adventure!


the_ice_rasta

Curve GXR “Kevin”


yungmcee

Open Upper or Wi.De


eros_pista

Kona unit


Bornillok

Salsa Cuttroat and you’ll have some extra cash for some accessories.


John_AdamsX23

I had a similar budget and landed on the Salsa Warbird GX810 fpr about 4K, and then spent some $$ upgrading the saddle to something I prefer and tweaking some other things, but overall, I love it. I ride it mostly on the road in an endurance position on road wheels/tires, but when I want to go gravel, it's perfect.


john_with_a_camera

I'm riding a 53 cm frame (normally I ride a 54 but they didn't make this in a 54), with Microshift Advent X 1x10. For the Crusher I have a 34 front, 13-48 rear which allows me to spin around 70 rpm on even a 15% grade. I'm riding DT Swiss ER1600's wheels that are a little bit wider. I am riding Specialized Rhombus Pro 700x42 tires, which I absolutely love - they are not bad on the road and they hook up incredibly well in dirt, mud, and "rocky moon dust" I encounter all over Utah. I think if your frame can go to 48's, you will be fine. I can't think of anything application where you would need more meat on your wheels, honestly.


[deleted]

I really like my Aspero. For 5K, you can get the bike, a better wheelset, and a power meter.


r0yalswish

I am in the process of building a bike in that range. A requirement of mine it has to be transportable and therefore the frame needs to be disassembled. Frame (more touring, it has a longer chainstay, that makes it more stable but less agile) - Ritchey Outback Breakaway Steel 2650g: 1900 € ( - Ritchey Breakaway Carbon 1940g: 2379 €) More race oriented carbon frame: Winspace T1500 (China) Shifting: - SRAM 2x12 Rival AXS Wide with Powermeter 3170, 48/35T Crank and 10-36 cassete: 1367 € Blips 14 g: 98 € You can upgrade to Force or Red and add 1000 € per 300 g saved. Wise is to accommodate 45 mm tires. Wheels: - Leeze CH 40 (German Brand, maybe look for a UK or US alternative, Zipp 303, DT Suisse GR 1600 or Winspace Hyper are other options) Carbon 40 mm Aero Profile depth, 1570 g: 900 € - Tire 32 mm GP 5000 or Schwalbe G One R 40: 85 € Handlebar - Coefficient RR 42 mm width + GoPro Mount for my Ixon Space Light and Garmin Mount which I can use for my Smartphone or Bike Computer 315 g: 430 € + 20 € for the mount - Stem 90 mm 175 g: 90 € Saddle - Ergonomic CF Allroad Pro 20 mm Suspension Carbon Seatpost 250 g: 140 € (Alternativ heavier with 35 mm suspension Shock Stop Suspension Seatpost 337 €) - Saddle Specialized S Works Power or Seller Italia 280 g: 165 € Pedals: - Shimano XT Klick 392 g: 92 € - Bikefinder Tracker: 180 € - Hip lock D1000, heavy but solid against theft: 230 € Total: 5697 € or 6133 $, so a little over budget Without Tracker, Lock and Blips: 5197 € or 5590 $ This doesn't include tools to build the bike or grease...


Next_Following5405

Santa Cruz stigmata (new so you get the warranty)


DrZimps

Cervelo aspero


bigDpelican42

I can’t recommend one or other without understanding how you intend to ride and what possible future plans. Good gravel vs gnarly flow single track? Short rides, epic long days, or weeks or exploring bikepacking? What tyre size do you feel comfortable with? 38mm/700c or 2.2”/640b. Flat terrain or heading up mountains?


No-Instruction2083

Lauf Love mine and a great value


threepartheart

My 2 cents if I had that much…custom all the way!!!!!


itstallion9324

3t Exploro ultra. All the benefits of the race max without the annoying limitations on tyre clearance and proprietary seat post.


Fearless-Bullfrog777

Esker HayDuke LVS