Interesting. I see you and iamholland are already talking about it but I was basing my thinking of the 28’s based on the Warroad specs. I’m not opposed to getting 32’s either. Still have some time to decide.
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Ha, that’s funny. Not much specific and just aligns with what we knew and could have guessed otherwise.
Thanks for asking and sharing their response. 
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Hi Everyone!
Just want to say thanks for all the input! Much appreciated. I have narrowed down to 5 gravel bikes to choose from:
- cervelo aspero
- trek checkpoint alr
- cannondale topstone
- giant revolt advanced
- specialized diverge
If you own any of these bikes can you please let me know any of your feedback regarding pro’s and cons of the bike?
Also, does any of you happen to be a bike fitter to have a look on my specs? I have done frame selection bike fit and some of the Frame size of the bike recommended to me are from 170cm and above when i’m only 165cm on a good day. Im just trying to get another view from a bike fitters point of view. I was also told to have 30-40mm spacers underneath? Would that mean the bike is too big or either small? Or does gravel bike geometry usually have a higher stack than endurance or your racing bike?
Does having that many spacers underneath the stem open up the hip angle more apart from going to a shorter crank due to hip impingement?
Im happy to give details of the numbers on each bike. Please let me know.
Many thanks!
I’m a big, big fan of my Giant Revolt advanced. Ive made some big upgrades on the bike since I purchased but even in the beginning it was a blast.
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Thanks! Love the colorway of the revolt advanced but it was all sold out here so im waiting for the 2021 range to come. Hopefully within 3 weeks time.
Any issues with integrated seat post? How is the ride for longer hours? Responsive bike? Thanks!
Thanks for the info! Most of my rides will still be on the road but the reason for gravel is to get away from cars and being able to ride in different terrain.
Is there a difference between cx and gravel bikes in terms of riders position? Correct me if im wrong but my understanding is that cx bikes, you tend to have more weight at the front end similar to a tt bike but the gravel bike its more on the back end right?
My question now is, for a bike like cervelo aspero which is somewhat has an aggressive stack and reach ratio, can have 30-40mm spacers to make it more comfortable but would it be optimal fit?
You are best to consider the actual bikes in question (regardless of CX vs Gravel labels) with their specific geometry. Labels get you only so far, and some bikes may well be closer to the opposite label. That is especially try since “Gravel” is far from settled and actually has a broad range of geometries between models from different brands.
https://geometrygeeks.bike/ is a great site that allows for comparison of bike models and sizes to get a closer look. Reach and Stack are key ones to consider for fit concerns, but they are not the only ones to consider when comparing bikes.
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I have a 2019 Checkpoint ALR 5, and it’s my do-all-the-things bike. The only cons I can think of (besides supporting a bike police supplier, if that’s a thing that’s relevant to you) are:
- the cabling around the bars is pretty spread out before it hits the frame, so if you want to do bar bags you’ll have to mash the cables around a bit, and
- the hoods seem gigantic? I don’t have small hands but they seem weirdly tall and wide.
I’m about 181cm, 84cm inseam, and I ride a 56. I feel a little stretched out, but I had toe overlap on the 54 and my bike handling’s not good enough for that to not be a problem, heh. I mostly run 32c slicks on maybe 90/10% tarmac/easy gravel. It’s comfortable, and when I accelerate fast it feels pretty snappy, but I don’t have a ton of experience with actual race bikes. I haven’t played with the adjustable dropouts at all, they came stock in the shorter position.
When I was looking for gravel bikes, I decided on the Checkpoint because it was a lot like an endurance road bike but with wide tire clearance and a bajillion frame mounts. I don’t know that it’d be a good option for the DK200, but it’s been fantastic for joyriding around my area.
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Thanks for this Chad! I have compared the spec of my current road bike to the cervelo aspero spec.
Is there a reason why a bike fitter out someone on a much bigger bike?
The top tube of my parlee altum size S is 525 whilst the aspero is at 553 in size 54
Altum STA - 557 / REACH - 364
Aspero STA - 555 / REACH - 388
My worry with aspero if I go that route is the 764 standover height. How important standover height is for safety and emergency purposes in the event you need to hop off the bike?
Im curious whats the reasoning behind the new measurements. I wonder my fitter is trying to mimic my tt position for more open hip angle?
Any thoughts Chad from fitting point of view?
Thanks for your feedback on trek checkpoint alr 5! I wish i was tall as alot of people on here so there is no issue when it comes to frame sizing.
My bikefitter recommended me size 52 or 54 which my height falls on the top end of 49 and bottom end of 52. I think I can deal with cable whilst having a bag at the front, i just want to be able to ride anywhere and everywhere and as far away from cars if I can.
Quick question, any issues on the creaking bottom bracket? This is my worry with trek bikes according to my goggle research and also my go to bike mechanic to not touch any trek bikes 
please let me know. Thanks!
Best to ask them specifically, because there are a couple of reasons.
- Trying to hit a specific Stack height, if that “matters more” than the Reach value.
- Trying to reduce or eliminate toe overlap (longer front center).
- Trying to get a longer wheelbase for more stability.
- It’s all relative. But I would not recommend a bike where a rider could not comfortably straddle a bike with at least 1" [25mm] clearance. I’d increase that as the intentions of the bike heads more towards off-road conditions.
- Based on the Stack, I think you are on the right track. Good or bad, that large frame may lead you to a shorter stem and/or shorter reach handlebar, if the goal is to keep your current effective bar to saddle reach.
- Worth asking these questions to the fitter and bring up your concerns.
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My bottom bracket has not creaked! (I did have creaking from the seatpost this year, but I brought it to the bike shop after failing to troubleshoot it myself and apparently I’d accidentally flipped the seat collar around at some point and never noticed. For months.)
I’ve read that people who wrench bikes hate Treks because they use a bunch of non-standard componentry that’s more finicky than the standard stuff, but I do not wrench bikes, so I care less about that.
Try all three and go with what’s comfortable! Trek’s size charts would put me on a 58, but if toe overlap weren’t an issue I’d be most comfortable on a 54. Be really vocal with your fitter about what feels good and what doesn’t, channel your inner princess on the pea.
I don’t think it’s been mentioned here but I’ll throw in the Felt Breed 30 as another option. I got the 2019 model and super pleased so far. Added a shockstop stem but otherwise running it the way it comes.
Bike comes with 27.5 wheels and on those it says you can clear a 2.1. You can also use 700c wheels with up to a 47mm.
One minor con is that on my 51 frame the bottle bosses were not well thought out. The stock seat tube config will only take a 12 ounce bottle. I added a couple of the BRAD bases and was able to move things around where it clears 2 bigger bottles without issue.
Also has T-47 threaded bottom bracket.
Ron
I commented above as well but I can’t agree more! I’ve got the same bike and for $2000 US is hard to beat.
On the whole geometry thing, Gravel bikes are generally more upright like an endurance road bike - designed for long days in the saddle. My revolt has me sitting fairly upright but that also means more comfort in the drops.
For long rides that ‘endurance geometry is excellent’ but it does at time feel like I’m driving an SUV rather than a sports car. That’s helped on 100 mile plus rides.
Gravel bikes, for this who don’t race, are pretty close to being a do it all bike - Im internally debating wether a new wheelset for road (aero 28mm) is more sensible than buying a second bike just for the road rides I do.
PS. The new cervelo released yesterday looks really interesting - the road bike trend of running 35mm tires really blurs the lines.
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Thanks for this Chad! I will ask my fitter regarding all these massive changes at least for me, but im sure there’s a reason behind all the data to fit me.
Do you have any thoughts on 30mm and above spacers underneath the stem? Some bikefitters are against it and would say that any bikes is not meant to have a spacer underneath the stem - basically slam that stem - low at the front. Does it affect the handling or more so for aesthetics and wanting to look like pro?
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Thanks for the info kiwi! The main reason for the gravel bike is for mainly enjoyment of riding outside and building bigger base from aerobic point of view and upcoming gravel event for the first time at 130km.
Unfortunately giant revolt advanced and trek checkpoint are both sold out for last years and this years model where I live. Checkpoint won’t arrive until November. My event is on the first week of October.
I’ll be going to a shop tomorrow to check cervelo aspero at size 51. I really hope this frame size works for me.
Worst scenario I’ll just use my roadie with 25c tyres and hoping I wont get any flats during the event.
Hopefully the giant revolt advanced comes out soon!
Thanks again!
Thanks for this info. I inquired about this today on top of trek and cervelo. Unfortunately there is no stock coming from the supplier.
Where I live as soon as covid hits thats when bikes became tissue paper. I reckon lots of people bought gravel bikes for social distancing.
Cheers mate.
[quote=“Bizikletah29, post:46, topic:37694, full:true”]Where I live as soon as covid hits thats when bikes became tissue paper. I reckon lots of people bought gravel bikes for social distancing.
[/quote]
Same story here in US - people snapping up bikes like crazy. It’s hard to find anything at the moment. Initial delays from covid in manufacturing and shipping are impacting supply as well.
Thankfully I managed to buy a new Cannondale a week after they released the new model.
Good luck on the new purchase!
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- I have no problem with that or even up to 40mm of spacers, providing the bike (or fork) manufacturer allow for it. Some will state a limit, and it’s important to follow any restrictions they state.
- Otherwise, I use whatever I need to meet the fit goal of the rider. This can include spacers under the stem, as well as stems with different rise angle and length.
- You can use a combination of spacers or stems to reach a desired bar position. The final selection is made based on available steer tube length, spacer limits, stem options and such to get the bars in the right spot.
- That is more silly bike fashion and old roadie dogma, that needs to go away. Within the MFGR limits, anything goes, IMHO. Looks matter to some degree, but the fast looking bike is crap if you can’t stand to ride it for the time and duration you want without pain.
- Great question and one that most people never bother to ask.
- Yes, it can affect handling. Bikes are designed with a typical setup in mind, and much of that comes from weight distribution of the rider. Moving the base up/down, forward/backward can impact this weight distribution. Proper turning in particular relies on sufficient weight on the front tire from the rider and their position. I don’t want to go further than the basics, because it gets interesting/messy fast.
- Additionally, the fore-aft bar position, along with bar width, can impact the input to output of steering angle of the fork, and the resulting handling from it. Equally messy other than to say that extreme forward or rearward positions are not ideal. But there is a very workable range for bikes and there is not a singular solution, as some would suggest.
Chad! Thanks for answering my queries. Your answers made me even more curious.
Since Im having second thoughts on my recent frame selection bike fit, I have booked a bike fit to another fitter who is also a physiotherapy. - he uses trek precision fitting.
The one I used before was retul and I was pretty happy with it. I think trying to replicate tt position on a road bike is not optimal which I think what my fitter is trying to do.
What is MFGR limits? I read an article that some bike fitters tend to put small riders weight at the front end as opposed to your rear end and also suggest zero offset seatpost. Any thoughts on that as a bike fitter?
If you don’t mind me asking, whats your take on bike fitting and some renowned fitting such as body geometry, retul, guru fit, trek precision fit, gebiomized with saddle pressure map?
I test rode the cervelo aspero at 51. The bike feels nimble and i have full control of the bike.
Just another question, do you recommend your clients who has hip issues like impingement or had surgeries to go shorter cranks to open up the hip angle and prevent injury in the future?
What is actually the difference between tt position and road bike position? Correct me if im wrong, in tt position you are in front of bottom bracket for better power transfer while on road, its more behind the bottom bracket right?
Will keep you guys posted after the bike fit this saturday.
Thanks again.
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