I am new to this, still aware the 105 is not a great drivetrain but nearly 40% off seems like a good deal? I am not seeing any carbon frames in this price range new, am I missing something?
Looking for a good beginner all road/gravel bike.
by lanadivinorum
4 Comments
105 is a good drive train! It might not be exactly what you want for gravel but you can always change it later
The two big factors are 1) cycling industry downturn this year 2) The endurance/allroad style of the bike has been overwhelmed by fast gravel bike options. The price is absolutely not because 105 isn’t a good drivetrain. You will see other similar carbon frames pop up occasionally for sale in this range through the autumn I would bet.
To elaborate on 2), this is barely faster than putting the same tires on a fast gravel bike, but it does not have the versatility for gravel with the tire clearance, wider gear range and clutched derailleurs of those bikes. Additionally not many people look at Salsa for a pure endurance road bike use since they mostly are known for and advertise gravel, and versatility.
It is still possible it will be a great fit for your use if you also get a 650b wheelset with gravel tires and swap the wheeelsets depending on if you are doing a road or gravel ride. This is the most appealling use case for the warroad.
The 105 is a great drivetrain. I do t know what kind of morons are telling you it’s not but they are wrong and probably not people you should be listening to.
Pretty awful name, sounds like you’ve got marbles in your mouth.
But 105 is great, don’t let that deter you.