First gravel build project

[Fenrir]

Hello all,

I'd like to build a gravel bike ; I'm coming from road cycling so I'd like your inputs to hopefully make some good choices.

Some info : my height is 177cm and inseam 81cm. Given I already have a road bike (Rose X-Lite 6 2020 size 55cm) I'd like a gravel bike more oriented towards XC, singletrack, not afraid to tackle some steep downhills...
Typical envisioned sortie would be 20% paved road/ 80% dirt (or rather mud, I live in Brittany France...) paths.

- The Frameset :
I've looked at some threads and reviews and some brands seem to be trustworthy and with decent pricing (I don't want to spend too much on this build, aiming for 1300/1400€ max w/o wheels if that's reasonable) : lightcarbon, carbonda, sp cycle... A lot of options.

The Lightcarbon LCG071D seems to have good reviews (Hambini video, this forum...), good tire clearance, with paintjob options (some manufacturers only sell in black I believe ; my road bike is already all black I want some color ) so I think this might be a good option.

Here it is compared with my road bike frame : https://bikeinsights.com/compare?geometries=644f94235e3f37001b6d6b2c,643afde9b86a18001a9a03ee,

As you can see the geometry is fairly similar ; +8mm in stack and -8mm in reach, I'm wondering if it's even too similar. I don't want a replica of my road bike with fat tires, but something closer to a XC bike with dropbars if that makes sense ? I don't have gravel experience so I don't know if this is an actual concern. I'm open to other frames suggestions.

- The groupset :

The L-TWOO GRT 1x12 speed set seems a good option to keep the price down. I'm currently using Shimano so I wonder how the shifting works with the thumb lever ;  can you comfortably reach the lever frow the drops ? And from the hoods ? Would I be better off going for a Shimano GRX set from an ease of set-up/maintainance perspective ?

Thanks in advance for your insights.

Alex

[coffeebreak]

. I'm currently using Shimano so I wonder how the shifting works with the thumb lever ;  can you comfortably reach the lever frow the drops ? And from the hoods ? Would I be better off going for a Shimano GRX set from an ease of set-up/maintainance perspective ?

Have GR9 on my Salsa. The thumb shifter cannot be accessed from drops because its located way too high. If you are going to have flared bars, its even more difficult. Quality wise those shifters are strictly okay - the little down shift lever is wobbly and does not fall into place properly instead it sometimes tries to overlap brake lever (its supposed to stay under the brake lever but it doesn't). Mine is cable operated so I can't comment on hydraulic function but in general things are meh. Setup is probably the same as Shimano. The GR9 wasn't too complicated to setup and indexing went fine without any extra effort over Shimano. However the clamp band screw to tighten the shifters to handle is in a crazy inset position in a deep groove. Even when hood is fully peeled back, that screw is a bitch to tighten. Its just an unfortunate design. Small things like that that mar the experience.

The Shimano GRX stuff is going to be WAYYY better. A 2-3 year old used GRX can be found at great prices and will still be better purchase than brand new LTwoo.

Edit: actual shifting performance is great though. Can't find fault with it. Its the lack of finesse and that thumb shifter placement take away all the fun.

[00Garza]

Have GR9 on my Salsa. The thumb shifter cannot be accessed from drops because it’s located way too high. If you are going to have flared bars, it’s even more difficult.

Edit: actual shifting performance is great though. Can't find fault with it. Its the lack of finesse and that thumb shifter placement take away all the fun.

Ltwoo hydro thumb shifters can be reached from the drops. They are different than the mechanical version.
I’d suggest the GR9 11 speed over the 12. It’s just easier to tune and keep tuned.

[frnchy]

Ltwoo hydro thumb shifters can be reached from the drops. They are different than the mechanical version.
I’d suggest the GR9 11 speed over the 12. It’s just easier to tune and keep tuned.

Seconded on both counts. The GRT downshift lever is actually very well placed on the hydraulic shifters and the little bit that curves down is very comfy to use from the drops, flared or not. 12 speeds with precision is frankly too much to demand of a cheap groupset (and maybe even more expensive ones, given the behavior of Shimano and SRAM...), and I have trouble keeping my 12 speed GRT set properly indexed, it's very sensitive to temperature and cable stretch in ways that none of my 11 speed groupsets ever were.

[coffeebreak]

They are different than the mechanical version.

Good to know! How is the downshifter lever on hydros? May be those are better built that cable pull version.

[FullCarbonAlchemist]

GRX is always ideal, but if you want something cable actuated that’s cheaper, I’m pretty happy with the MicroShift Sword/Juintech F1 setup on my CFR707.

[TidyDinosaur]

I would really recommend getting a nice second hand Shimano groupset. It will be not much more money, but it will save you A LOT of frustration.

[Serge_K]

If you like the look of that bad boy, email petercycles@foxmail.com. You can also find him on the forum.
The geometry is very nice coming from a road background. I also have a VBGF002 but the geometry is just "meh" in comparison.

Out of 5 ltwoo er9 i installed, 2 died for no reason, and i m battling to get replacements, very frustrating. Out of 4 sensah 2x11 mechanical i installed last year, 1 RD died for no reason after 1000km. My point: if you re in europe where groupsets are stupidly expensive, consider 2nd hand shimano, because as much as i'd like chinese groupsets to work, my experience is that they simply are NOT reliable. When they work they work, but sometimes, they dont, and it's annoying AF.

[Fenrir]

Thanks everybody for your answers, I think I'll go for a 2nd hand GRX, I've looked on the french 2nd hand app and I think I can put one together for 250€ (only the right shifter seems difficult to find) so that will save me a lot of trouble (coming from Ultegra Di2 I suck at indexing  ). I have to decide between 1x11 or 2x11 now... 

As for the frame choice, I've seen on other posts pics of GR048 builds which seems more upright and would probably fit more my "MTB-lite" vision. Geometry here https://bikeinsights.com/compare?geometries=644f94235e3f37001b6d6b2c,653c32bf2f8b78001ad09921,

@Serge_K : a bit too "wavy" for me, but thanks for sharing 

Any inputs regarding the frameset ? That's the first thing I need to order. I see it's made by Tantan, Seraph, SP cycle, any recommendations for the manufacturer ?

Thanks
Alex

[coffeebreak]

GRX is always ideal, but if you want something cable actuated that’s cheaper, I’m pretty happy with the MicroShift Sword/Juintech F1 setup on my CFR707.

Seconded. Sword is such a bargain. Those shifters are fantastic and defy the price point they are sold at. Compared to LTwoo that groupset is better in every possible way. I went even cheaper and paired the shifters with Onirii hydro-mech calipers. Compressionless housing is a must but Microshift thoughtfully includes a pretty long length housing in the box. 10 speed simplicity. Cheap chains, cheap cassettes.

[FullCarbonAlchemist]

The thing I really appreciate about Sword is that the shifters are designed specifically for flared gravel bars so you get a good hand angle and flat tops to rest your palms on even when the shifters themselves are canted in line with the flare.

That’s a big difference from my first gravel bike that came with tiny little Tiagra shifters that are obviously meant for zero/low flare road bars and frequently hurt my hands on longer rides.