No cure unfortunately….you can not live with the disease. 
The checkpoint is a good buy. It has the door too, which is awesome.
The dropper was going to ride the worst because the dropper can’t flex much and still work. Don’t get a dropper unless you’re actually using the bike like a MTB and it’s a MTB.
Yeah I do not understand having a dropper post on a gravel bike as if you need a dropper post you’re in my opinion in trail that requires an actual MTB which I already have. The only downside of the Trek is that it’s heavy but I used to have a Giant Revolt Advanced and that was also pretty heavy so not a deal breaker if it’s comfortable. I also like that there’s no proprietary parts on the bike (beside the T47 BB) so I’m not stuck buying Bontrager parts.
Reading your post, my first thought is that you look too much at specs and I would put much more emphasis explaining what kind of bike you want.
A few thoughts:
- The most important bit is geometry and purpose. You write that “the Cervelo will probably be the less comfortable option …”, but that need not be true. My aggressive road bike feels much more comfortable to me than the endurance road bike it replaced. Up until that point, I was a mountain biker, so on paper an endurance road bike with a more upright geometry made more sense. But theory ≠ reality. I’m not saying your experience will be the same, but comfort on a bike is mainly dictated by fit, your preferences for a fit, tire size and your seat post.
- Ideally, you want to test ride as many bikes as you can.
- I’d focus on getting the fit right. Many bike shops will fit cranks of the length of your choice at no or minimal charge. This is money you want to invest in.
- Like you wrote, the Marin and the Cervelo are very different bikes and you shouldn’t compare them on the basis of specs. The Cervelo Aspero is one of the default choices for a faster gravel bike by people who like to ride gravel on a bike that feels like a quick road bike. As far as I can tell, it is well-liked for good reason. I’d love to try one.
- Forget about things like “heavy wheels”. At this price point I am sure all of the wheels are relatively heavy and not great. Most people look at the frame material and then the groupset. Just upgrade the wheels later, as you should when you get any of these bikes.
- Regarding 1x, the gravel community is quite split, although I think 1x is gaining in popularity. Quite likely you’ll get used to it quickly. If Keegan Swenson can win Unbound on 1x (and many, perhaps most of his competitors ran 1x as well), it’s likely alright. Not saying you have to like it better, but I’d just encourage you to be open to trying and seeing for yourself.
I have recently bought the Marin Headlands 2. Its hard to beat for the money. I have about 600km on it now. I took the dropper off and sold it before I even rode the bike and have a carbon post instead. I was unsure about 1x too but its been awesome. Its a nice bike.
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I have the same bike. I’m had it for just about a year now. I can’t fault it anywhere. I built mine up with sram axs mullet…it’s a go anywhere do anything kind of rig.
I’m looking for a gravel bike, or a do it all bike. I’m coming from triathlon and road cycling, so I don’t know much about gravel, but I hear it’s all the rage right now!
My plan is to use the bike as a daily trainer during the Scottish winters, for gravel multi-days, and for bikepacking. The bikepacking will include weekends away in Scotland and a two-week trip to Norway.
I’ve seen a Giant Revolt 0 (2024). It has an aluminium frame and mechanical GRX 12-speed for £1375.
Revolt 0 (2024) | Gravel bike | Giant Bicycles UK
Or this Giant Revolt Advanced 3 (2024), which has a carbon frame for £1874, with a similar groupset.
Which would be a better purchase? Is a carbon frame worth the extra £500?
It doesn’t have to be a Revolt; I have a budget of £2000 max!
I’d hop over to bike24.de and see what they have in store. According to my search engine, 2,000 £ are about 2,400 €.
- Cannondale Topstone Carbon (SRAM Apex 1) in size L for 2.200 €
- Cannondale Topstone Carbon (2x12 GRX) for 2,300 €
- Orbea Terra H30 (2x10 GRX, aluminium frame) for 2,400 €
- Trek Checkpoint ALR5 (SRAM Apex 1, aluminium frame) for 2,100 €
An option that is a lot cheaper would be
- Rondo RUUT AL 2 (SRAM Apex 1, aluminium frame for 1,400 €
- Rondo MYLC AL 1 (SRAM Apex 1, aluminium frame)
If you are a very short rider (frame size XS), they have a great deal on a
I’d seriously consider getting a slightly cheaper bike and upgrade to a nice pair of e. g. aluminiumn Hunt gravel wheels for less than 500 £ that weigh under 1,600 g. That’d be an excellent upgrade in my opinion.
Have a look at Planetx, the one-on free ranger in carbon or the tempest in titanium can both be had within your budget, even with AXS, if you want that.
I like carbon frames and would go for a free ranger with a mechanical groupset (either 11 or 12 speed, but deffo hydraulic brakes), and spend the extra budget on some slight wheel upgrade (eg Hope’s 5twenty wheels), plus some nice tyres.
Alternatively, Sonder bikes from Alpkit seem to get received well, the Sonder Camino especially, think it’s also within your budget. I think that frame is a bit slacker, so maybe better for gravel / touring and less as a pure road bike, but it depends on your preferences obviously.
Amazing thanks for the advice. I’ve seen this secondhand Mason Bakoh which looks good. It’s on for 2000 but if I could get it for less it could be worth it?
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That’s a great bike. I didn’t think of it since I thought it was out of your price range. Go to YouTube and search for Rides of Japan Mason Bokeh. I think it fits your bill exactly.