Currently, I am trying to decide on a gravel bike. To function as my daily commute bike, weekend spin and occasional mini adventure bike. The complication to the equation is that I am trying to pick a bike that my eldest son can use to accompany me on these mini-adventures. The search for a new all-rounder bike was sparked by the failure of my current ride. The chain jumped out of the back of the derailleur mechanism causing me to nearly flip the bike on a busy road. Initially, I thought that the cartridge was the cause of the problem but on further investigation, it would appear that the axel had snapped. It is an old Claud Butler Odyssey which has been useful as a daily commute but was this an opportunity to find a bike which could be more versatile?
A gravel bike would provide a daily commute, occasional off-road fun and an option for mini-adventures such as bike camping or the occasional Audax but which bike? The options and price range is impressive. For me, the initial starting point is the price. Setting a budget for the bike prevents a lot of time wasting looking at bikes I can ill afford. Next is trust in the brand and the quality of the bikes. With the decline of high street bike shops the option to go and sit on a bike has become more challenging.
In the end, I have narrowed my choice of bikes down to three models they are:
1. Grail AL 7.0 SL
2. Boardman ADV 9.0
3. Cannondale Topstone Apex 1
Each of these bikes has individual merits that make them strong contenders. I'm not going to do a review here but summarise each of the bikes and reveal which bike I decided on.
Grail AL 7.0 SL
The Grail 7.0 is Canyons less quirky and more price conscious entry level gravel bike. Unlike the opinion-dividing floating cockpit with its shock absorbing twin handlebars. The Grail AL is equipped with a traditional flared drop handlebar. The specifications fit most price points starting at roughly £1000 and top out at £4000. Every review I have read celebrates the Grails fun handling, excellent design and price.
Boardman ADV 9.0
Boardman bikes is a British bike brand which takes its inspiration from Olympic Gold medal winner Chris Boardman. The brand has grown in popularity and sophistication producing well-designed bikes with surprisingly good equipment levels. The ADV 9.0 is Boardman’s top of the range gravel bike retails for £1499 with smooth tube joints and above average components, this goes anywhere adventure bike is an attractive addition to the Boardman range.
Cannondale Topstone Apex 1
Cannondale has decided to enter the Gravel market with the very capable Cannondale Topstone Apex 1. Cannondale has adapted the very successful geometry of the Synapse endurance bike into a very capable all-rounder gravel bike. The bike features an SRAM 1x groupset, a dropper seat-post for those tricky gravel downhills and hydraulic disc brakes to provide powerful, precise braking under all riding conditions.
In Conclusion
After much thought and some anxiety, I finally decided to buy the Cannondale Topstone. There were a number of factors that helped me to decide. The specification of the Cannondale piped to the post the other contenders, the price was very competitive and love the colour. I brought the bike from Triton Cycles in London who amazingly offer a lot of there bikes at 0% interest compared to many other shops who offer finance from 15% to 20% which could add between £200 to £400 on the price of a bike.
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