So a little backstory, several years ago I rode all the time(mostly road but some mtb as well) and have a higher end SuperSix Evo currently as my only bike. The last year and a half I have ridden much less for various reasons, but am looking to get back into a lot more riding this year. 

I have always wanted to do some of the Pisgah stuff like Wilsons and Monstercross, so that is going to be my goal for this year. Due to some budget restrictions this year I wont be buying another bike, so I will have to sell/trade off the Evo for something to replace it. 

Do I need carbon? I know steel has a great and forgiving ride but it will be a good bit heavier(at least the steel I can afford). Cross bike or gravel bike? Ive had a cross bike before and the geometry isn't suited very well for lots of road miles. I feel like I want disc brakes, they would be better suited off pavement right? And I have no clue on tires for this kind of thing...

Steel 29'r hardtail with cross tires.

Get a gravel bike... That is a thing now.

They are usually a little more relaxed in the geo. and can clear big tires compared to a CX frame

The key, IMO, for doing long gravel rides/races is a comfy geo., big tires (38c min) and a comfy cockpit. Disc brakes are a big help too.

The material doesnt matter as much but carbon and steel will be the most comfortable when you start getting to mile 50+ mile mark, especially on chunky gravel like in Wilson and Pisgah. I was on an alloy frame and fork with 40c tubless tires, carbon seatpost and bars and big fat/cushy bar tape and i was just fine with it. An alloy frame/carbon fork and seatpost is plenty comfy too.

Im on carbon now because... carbon. 

The best thing with the gravel bike is it can be used just fine as a CX race rig, road bike, and even light duty mtn. bike for places like LKN where its very smooth. I rode mine at Warrior Creek and loved it. If you can find a frame... get one with rack mounts and start bikepacking out at URE and in WNC... 

You can literally have "one bike to rule them all"... haha

Unless you are doing a fast paced road group ride, racing crits, etc. you dont need a proper road bike...

just my 2.5cents 

I have a Trek Crossrip. It does the job. I have 35 mm tires, and I just got a salsa cowbell bar. It's a cool bike, but not the best Bargain. It's alloy with a carbon fork. Some of the smaller companies like Fuji and Raleigh have thru axles on there lower models , Plus Ten speed Tiagra. This is a good deal if your small (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
this is good for steel (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
alloy with carbon fork (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
if I had more money (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)
The salsa vaya I listed is a good value for steel. And the ones Cycle path listed are cool also
Grava , a boutique brand from Lenoir has Alloy ,Steel and carbon. If money is no object

When I had a road bike, I used to ride gravel roads up north a lot. Sometimes it was best way to get from a to zero without adding a bunch of worthless miles. But when I used to ride around where there was good trails around. I would try to ride them with my my road bike. And all that stuff about frame angles and stuff, it never seemed comfortable. But with my Crossrip, I feel comfortable on some of the trails. I even rode ridge line at DuPont. It was better taking the gravel roads up. The singletrack on the Dirt Diggler Gravel Race at Reeb ranch was a blast also

Thanks for all the advice gentlemen. I definitely don't need something worthy of full on MTB trails, so I think a road frame would serve me just fine for what I need. 

The Salsa is on my radar, and the Niner and Spec Diverge are 2 that I was looking at. The Niner in the marketplace is a great deal and would be perfect for me, but I wont have that much cash to play with. 


Mark, I may swing by and check out what you have. I like the idea of the Diverge more than the Sequoia, but still worth checking out/throwing a leg over. 


For those of you with these types of bikes, do you notice the weight difference between a lighter carbon road bike? Im used to my Evo and I have a feeling it will be quite noticeable for me, especially since im just now getting back into good form.

You could do a RLT ALLOY with quick release for $1500.

I have a Salsa Warbird and have been very happy with it both on gravel and pavement, I just swap tires and I'm ready to go. It's technically a gravel bike, but I'm able to keep up just fine on group road rides.

Warbird is cool. I've seen some fairly cool Surrly's also. The Kona Rove looks good also

I run 40's. There are people using regular cross tires which measure 33. I want all the cushion and traction I can get , plus it helps with flat pervention. After 4 hours of rattling around u get pretty beat down.