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Which bike? Salsa Warbird CF vs Canyon Grail CF SL 7? (lemm.ee)

submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by [email protected] to c/bicycling

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Hey y'all! Wondering if people will share their opinions please on these two new Gravel bikes I am looking at.

First, I ride casually, on the weekends. I want to spend equal time on- and off-road; there are lots of compacted gravel and dirt roads near me I want to ride. I have a road bike now, but its 25mm wheels and its slicks don't do dirt and gravel like I want.

First, the Salsa Warbird C GRX 600 1x:
https://www.salsacycles.com/bikes/2024-warbird-c-grx-600-1x

$3300 USD MSRP but a LBS has one for $2800.

Warbird C GRX 600 is a carbon gravel bike with a few tricks you won’t find anywhere else. The frameset features our gravel race geometry, a perfect blend of stability and comfort that only comes from decades of gravel riding experience. Our Class 5™ VRS (vibration reduction system) cuts chatter — and fatigue — from rugged roads that would otherwise beat you up.

OTOH, the Canyon CF SL 7:
https://www.canyon.com/en-us/outlet-bikes/gravel-bikes/grail-cf-sl-7/3095.html

Actually a mix of GRX 600 and 800 parts and an FSA Crank.

If you need to shake up your riding routine, then gravel is the answer. The lightweight Grail CF SL 7 is a hugely versatile bike ready for all your year-round off-road adventures, and comes complete with Shimano’s GRX810 gravel groupset.

I'm leaning toward the Canyon, but would appreciate any feedback / other ideas you all have for a gravel bike in the same price range, available new in the US. Cheers!

Edited for clarity.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Out of those two I would personally go for the canyon every time. For a start I've never heard of the other brand where as I've only ever heard good things about canyons bikes. I also love those bars as well though and always wanted to try some out to see how they are.

However for a casual weekend bike I think both of these are massively over kill and feel you could save money as well as getting a better ride by ditching the carbon frames.

Unless you are really chasing times and are at peak fitness levels you really don't benefit from the weight savings when it comes to carbon. Again stiffness is great for some situations but if you are riding some gravel I feel like you would be more comfortable with a frame set that has a bit more compliance in it which will make it a nicer place to be on longer rides.

You also don't have to worry about crashing it and writing off your expensive frame, you can get a really decent metal frame that will last for years and years instead. If you want to have something to brag about (if that is your thing) then get titanium as that will be lighter and stiffer than other metals but more durable and sexier looking than carbon IMO.

Basically I personally think carbon is massively over rated when you could get something that is less fragile and will last you a life time.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

So, aluminum, then? Like a Specialized Crux DSW? I rode one of those too recently and liked it, but it seemed silly paying the same price for aluminum as carbon.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Aluminium, Steel, Titanium. They all have different feels and different prices points too.

I don't really keep up with different models of bikes unless I am in the market to buy another one but looking at that specialised it does look very well spec'd but you are also paying for the fact it is "the lightest aluminium frame ever". Why do you need the lightest bike possible? I'm not saying heavy is good but paying over the odds to shave off some grammes is diminishing returns and also only really necessary if you are competing at top levels.

Also whilst it did mention price for me that wasn't the key point. I just don't understand the fascination with carbon personally, you then need to factor in buying a decent torque wrench, some assembly paste etc. Always torqueing everything perfectly, being worried about the integrity of the frame from any bumps or falls, I just don't understand the allure especially for a casual weekend bike.

I think you'd benefit massively from riding a few bikes over some off road terrain like you would be doing if you could just to be able to compare the differences between the different materials and how they feel when you ride them. Ultimately I just don't particularly like carbon and that skews my opinion, maybe you would love it!