OK I know I'm up for a ribbing on this one but....

I was in Bristol at the weekend watching a dated punk band and had a few minutes to spare. I walked into Cycle Republic near Cabots Circus and was drawn to this vision in orange, a KTM gravel bike. It looked really nice sat there with a SRAM groupset and lots of tidyness. And so I made a massive mistake and picked it up. Oh my god, it was so light and that was even with the stand which remained attached to the back wheel. Luckily I looked at the price tag of £2,999 and my wife beckoning from outside of the shop.

But it's not ended there. I can't stop thinking about how ace it would be to ride something so light that looks so cool. I've fallen for it hook line and sinker. But THREE GRAND!!! No way can I cope with that.

So, my question is ..could anything else come close but not so spendy as this KTM. Don't ask me the model as my vision went into soft focus and I have no idea. But I think I'm looking for something carbony with light wheels and a 1x11 groupset. You really need to help me here before I make a huge mistake. I need distracting onto something nearly as light but as far away from £3k as possible.

Was it this one? If so, it's running 33's, you'll get battered to death on those Devonshire lanes.

It's a CX bike built for racing the regulation 32mm tyres, you won't fit anything bigger in there either. Here's a pic of the rear stays with the said 32mm tyre from this review https://www.cxmagazine.com/ktm-canic-cx ... view-specs

Dave, find yourself a nice frame and swap kit over from another bike on to it. Frame, and wheels, are the heaviest things on a bike, everything else is pretty standard though of course all the little savings add up (or maybe subtract down?).

Stupidly lightweight bikes are all well and good if you are a sponsored or pro rider whippet but the rest of us can't afford to replace a £1K frame on a regular basis. Sure, I'd notice a difference if I hopped on to a 6kg road bike from my current sub 8kg one but I know as sure as eggs is eggs that it isn't going to take 40 years off my body.

I ride 32s round here atm

Don't take it up to Berry head. It will blow away with the winds around here!

32s here too but going up to 35!

Cheers Rob

Dave, build a bike up, or go 2nd hand. Chinese frame and light wheels will cost £1000 then swap kit over and upgrade as you can afford it. In Feb the cx racing is over, so lots will be offloading their blinged up cx bikes.....

I've got a 54 ish carbon CX frame (planet x dirty disco with no stickers on) that you can have for £100. Its far from cosmetically pristine but still rides well. It fits a 42 up front but 35 rear.

It has been part of a very light build in the past but unridden for a while. I'm not going to race it and 35mm is a bit slender for most of road round these parts (for me anyway)

Just bloody buy it.

You're a long time dead.

Go and see Shona & Rich and order a Bombtrack Hook EXT C. All that carbon loveliness but with room for proper tyres.

C'mon, did no one get the memo ... a gravel bike can't have 32's. A crosser has 32's or is that now a road bike?. A gravel bike needs at least 40's to be a gravel bike ... I believe it's the law.

Just like people, year by year, everything gets a bit wider.

Rule #25 // The bikes on top of your car should be worth more than the car.

Could be a solution?

Bearbonesnorm wrote:C'mon, did no one get the memo ... a gravel bike can't have 32's. A crosser has 32's or is that now a road bike?. A gravel bike needs at least 40's to be a gravel bike ... I believe it's the law.

Bought mine when gravel was evolving.... 32s but can take up to 40mm. Is that Crosser+?

johnnystorm wrote:Go and see Shona & Rich and order a Bombtrack Hook EXT C. All that carbon loveliness but with room for proper tyres.

goodness....

that's bloody lovely.

Robster wrote:

Bearbonesnorm wrote:C'mon, did no one get the memo ... a gravel bike can't have 32's. A crosser has 32's or is that now a road bike?. A gravel bike needs at least 40's to be a gravel bike ... I believe it's the law.

Bought mine when gravel was evolving.... 32s but can take up to 40mm. Is that Crosser+?

Gravel-, sorry.

I found the solution to my problem was to actually ride my current bike. The huffing and puffing of November level fitness soon told me that the upgrade is needed in other regions.

Dave Barter wrote:I found the solution to my problem was to actually ride my current bike. The huffing and puffing of November level fitness soon told me that the upgrade is needed in other regions.

KTM_MACINA FLITE by michaelandamanda, on Flickr

Most ebikes look hideous. The only ones I've seen so far that haven't are the Orbea Gain and the Ampler range.

Lightweight bikes are grossly over rated, get yersel some heavy metal

Lightweight, with suspension and a beer bottle opener

The Lauf bikes are seriously light and speedy - and probably quite a distance from the £3K price tag you're concerned about.....

Managed to build my Open UP to 6.8kg, although that is with 30mm tyres. probably a good Kilo more now I have bigger tyres, and some comfort luxuries like gel bar pads, aero bars, etc.

Love a light ride, but need to work hard to stop the winter insulation from piling on, especially now I am injured...

I like the idea of a ne lightweight gravl bike, ut the reality is that I just don't find the roady/cross style position even remotely comfortable once off road. Acceptable for on road, but its mountain bikes for me off road.

That Bombtrack

My CX (yes really not a gravel bike) is somewhere about 20.5 lbs with 40mm nanos on but it's the best bike I've ever had so I don't care if that's a bit heavy....wouldn't mind some nice light wheels for it next year though.

Superlight bikes are great for picking up not necessarily for anything else