MATTER of FACT: Gravel Compliance and Comfort

Hello Matt Surch,

I really enjoyed the initial post about gravel bikes. I've been researching the whole genre to choose a new gravel bike for a few months now.
I currently ride a Colnago C50 Anniversary with the classic 53-39 Campy gearing. I'm now 63 yr of age and want to explore the off-road riding and touring. This gravel bike will be my last purchase and I want it to be special, durable and fast!

I've decided to buy  a Reilly Gradient titanium frame from Mark Reilly and build it up to my specs. I'm set on a SRAM AXS 1x drivetrain (not sure on which cassette but am hot on the 10-50t cassette with 42 front chainring. Also real keen on the Curve Dirt Hoops in the 700x35 CF wheel.....it's a real strong build.

My next big decision is which CF fork to purchase. Since the fork is the second most important decision (after the frame) for attaining a smooth and vibration free ride, then I need to choose wisely. This is where you come in.

Which CF fork would you recommend? I'm currently looking to choose from the following forks: Bombtrack EXT fork, ENVE G series gravel fork, Curve GXR gravel fork, Salsa Waxwing Deluxe fork or something else Looking forward to your thoughts,

Cheers,
Domenic

Hi Domenic,

Thanks for reading and reaching out. Congrats on taking a step into the gravel spectrum with such a nice machine; I think it's going to be fantastic!

Here are my thoughts. First, the frame you've chosen is on the stiffer end of the spectrum, at least for Ti. So you have the following areas to tune your ride quality: 

1. Seatpost: I use the Specialized C-GR post on my stiffer frames, and you can downsize to a 27.2 with a shim to get more flex there, easily); 

2. Bars: the Easton EA70 Aero is a bit more comfy than their EC70 AX, for example, and Lauf's gravel bar is truly compliant

3. Tires: obviously, more volume gives you more compliance, particularly when the tire casing is supple.. 35mm tires like the Rene Herse Bon Jons are exceptionally fast, and can be run at pressures around 50lbs easily. Tires like their Snoqualmie Pass make the rougher roads even smoother, at 44mm. 650b at 48mm is the most comfortable, and conserves a lot of energy. Each has their own feel, and there are impact for gear inches as you move between diameters. Tubeless will give you the smoothest ride. 

4. Rims: you've already selected these, but just to note, carbon wheels fall across a broad range of vertical compliance, and this isn't just limited to rim depth. 

5. Fork: this is the hardest one to tune, because very few people have opportunity to compare forks on the same test bike. Unless you do that, and keep all other variables constant, it's hard to parse out specific fork characteristics. So a lot of this is anecdotal and circumstantial. 

Now that all the tuning variables are elucidated, I suggest the fork is the one you want to stress about the least.

Prioritize fork length (axle to crown' being what the frame is designed to run), then stick with the 50mm rake they want on there. That's a great geometry with a 72 degree Head-tube angle (HTA).

If you'd like to have the option of tweaking your trail (front end steering geo) based on wheel diameter and tire size and/or front load for touring, I'd point you toward the Columbus Futura Cross fork, with adjustable rake (as discussed in my gravel geometry page). The image below is of the Futura Cross Plus, which has fittings for bikepacking gear.

Knowing Columbus, I suspect the Futura Cross strikes a nice balance in terms of steering precision and resilience, and the adjustability is great for future-proofing the bike. In the 52mm rake setting it would be great with the big tires, and in the 47, just like a nice CX bike with the smaller tires. What I don’t know, but would like to explore, is how the Futura Cross and Cross Plus compare in terms of stiffness, given the latter is intended for some additional load. I’m working on acquiring a sample of at least one of the models to get some practical experience with its ride quality so I can speak to it in greater detail.

If the Columbus isn't an option, as I said, just go with one you like the look of in the geo you need, and keep in mind that the more tapered the legs are, the more compliant it's likely to be. 

Hope this helps!

Best, 

Matt