Gravel bike frames suggestions

[Queen of Skulls]

I am wanting to build a gravel bike

Does anyone have suggestions for frames. And should I do rim or dics brakes?

I wonder if I could just slap some new wheels on my cheap beater road bike. It's rim brakes.

[joegal]

There is a section on here for gravel/cx. https://chinertown.com/index.php/board,21.0.html


Personally, I would not consider rimbrakes for any gravel build

[Serge_K]

i can vouch for the VB GF002.
If you use alu rims, then you can probably run rim brakes. Otherwise, you'd be mad, you'd very likely melt your resin.
I have 160 front and rear and it's not enough (IIIpro semi hydraulic brakes w Jagwire keb sl housing). I bought a 180mm adapter for the rear i m yet to install.
On the road, it's fine. But when you re going down sketchy stuff (like long, steep, and crap road), the brakes start howling. Basically you need to be able to virtually stop on short notice, from any speed, on any terrain, on any incline, whereas when you're on the road, you never have crazy inclines or hairpins because cars wouldn't be able to handle them.
Idk if full hydraulic brakes would change that.
I get howling discs when they overheat. The good thing is that they still brake. But you get embarrassed of braking because you're loud AF, and it's just supremely annoying to be loud like that.
I'm 82kg.

[TidyDinosaur]

i can vouch for the VB GF002.
If you use alu rims, then you can probably run rim brakes. Otherwise, you'd be mad, you'd very likely melt your resin.
I have 160 front and rear and it's not enough (IIIpro semi hydraulic brakes w Jagwire keb sl housing). I bought a 180mm adapter for the rear i m yet to install.
On the road, it's fine. But when you re going down sketchy stuff (like long, steep, and crap road), the brakes start howling. Basically you need to be able to virtually stop on short notice, from any speed, on any terrain, on any incline, whereas when you're on the road, you never have crazy inclines or hairpins because cars wouldn't be able to handle them.
Idk if full hydraulic brakes would change that.
I get howling discs when they overheat. The good thing is that they still brake. But you get embarrassed of braking because you're loud AF, and it's just supremely annoying to be loud like that.
I'm 82kg.

Full hydraulic is waaaayyyy better than those semi hydraulic ones... I tried the br02 and br05 brakes and they were absoluut crap compared to the 105 and Ultegra calipers I replaced them with... I regret not having done that sooner and wasting all the money and time on those crap calipers, different cables and different pads to try to get them to work.

[Queen of Skulls]

I would do some al wheels on my cheap beater bike for the rim brakes. these calpers are weird I swear I could fit 38mm tires easy.

[s3si1u]

As long as we're plugging frames that we like, here's what I ride and can recommend: https://www.ornanbike.com/r908-d-gravel_c62
Here's what I also considered and tbh I still kinda want one, just not crazy about the internal routing on gravel: https://www.yishunbike.com/product/g085-dadventure-gravel/

A value option that's ready to go: https://www.poseidonbike.com/products/dropbar-x?variant=43191079633124
I'm not crazy about the quick release situation on the Poseidon, but having owned two of them they just work. Very solid bikes. I converted one of them to thru axle with carbon wheels and full hydraulic 2x groupset and it was pretty awesome.
I'd recommend looking for a used one, they come up all the time for much cheaper.

[Queen of Skulls]

As long as we're plugging frames that we like, here's what I ride and can recommend: https://www.ornanbike.com/r908-d-gravel_c62
Here's what I also considered and tbh I still kinda want one, just not crazy about the internal routing on gravel: https://www.yishunbike.com/product/g085-dadventure-gravel/

A value option that's ready to go: https://www.poseidonbike.com/products/dropbar-x?variant=43191079633124
I'm not crazy about the quick release situation on the Poseidon, but having owned two of them they just work. Very solid bikes. I converted one of them to thru axle with carbon wheels and full hydraulic 2x groupset and it was pretty awesome.
I'd recommend looking for a used one, they come up all the time for much cheaper.

Well it would seem to me if you switch to through axel/ carbon wheels/ new groupset and brakes...... Why not go get a carbon frame and build that up?

[s3si1u]

Well it would seem to me if you switch to through axel/ carbon wheels/ new groupset and brakes...... Why not go get a carbon frame and build that up?

Sometimes you don't want carbon.  Also, I bought it as a frame set back when they still sold loose frames for really cheap.

[Queen of Skulls]

Sometimes you don't want carbon.  Also, I bought it as a frame set back when they still sold loose frames for really cheap.

I mean if its just the frame that makes total sense then.

[jonathanf2]

What kind of terrain/elevation are you planning to hit? I think adequate gearing, disc brakes and tires would be my priority. Frame material would be secondary, but I'd probably go carbon if you plan on climbing. I had a Poseidon X frame that I got down to 20 lbs. and then switched to a carbon frame that's now at 18.5 lbs. It was a noticeable difference in both performance and comfort characteristics despite just swapping over the same components.

[Tijoe]

A value option that's ready to go: https://www.poseidonbike.com/products/dropbar-x?variant=43191079633124

Price is good, but I guess you get what you pay for.  This bike weighs more than my complete 29er hardtail, with a dropper post and SID Ultimate SL fork. 
LOL, my Rockshox suspension fork cost about as much as this complete bicycle.

[Tijoe]

Back to OP's original question.

 - Can you tell us your budget?   
 - What is your plan for your gravel build?  % riding on asphalt, % gravel roads?  % trails/singletracks?

4 years ago, I purchased a Seraph Carbon Gravel frame.  It has served me well.  No problems at all with this build. (90+% Aliexpress parts.)
On this bike, I am only able to put 700C X 40s on it.  It makes a great road/gravel road bike, but I found out that on long gravel downhills with lots of washout, washboard, and chunky stuff,  I have to ride the bike so slow, otherwise it beats me up.

Last year,  I built up a 29er carbon hardtail with a front suspension fork and dropper post, larger low rolling resistance 2.0 tires, "H" style ZTTO carbon drop bars. This bike weighs a bit less than my gravel bike.   

Now I have two gravel bikes.  I discovered this year that I end up riding the 29er hardtail a lot more than my gravel bike, because it is just so much more capable of a bike.  When I know I will be riding a ride that has a lot of pavement, I will swap out the tires to narrower low rolling resistance tires.  The 29er is just about as fast fast my Gravel bike.

The main difference between the 2 bikes is that my gravel bike is 2X11 and my 29er 1X12.   The gravel bike has closer spacing between gears.  This becomes very important if you are gravel grinding in a pack.  On my 1X12 29er, I have been dropped because I shift down one gear on a climb and I find I need a gear in between what I have in the 12 speed cassette.  I loose too much momentum and speed in the lower gear and the pack rolls away from me.  If I stay in the higher gear, my rpm is too low and my legs get loaded up.