# My first road bike - Gravity Pro 30



## xancel

Hi, I'm new here. I took the switch from mt bike to road bike. Here's my first road bike - Gravity Pro 30. :thumbsup:

Shimano Ultegra 6700 Front and Rear Derailleur, and shifters.


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## Shaba

Nice!


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## fundora2

*How do you like it*

I am interested in getting the Pro 30. the components seem top notch for the price. How do you like it? Does the frame feel like solid quality? I am sized for a 50CM according to BD website. What size is in the picture? Any issues on assembly?
Thanks


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## xancel

I just took the bike for a 15 mile ride. You dont get the perfect looking welds on the frame, but for the price you are paying and the components that comes with the bike, i dont really mind it. Everything feels solid and the shifting is responsive. It is about 21lbs even though bd doesnt give you the weight. I personally dont see a big difference in 105 or ultegra, so if you want to save yourself $100, go for the Comp30.

For me, i think the seat post in on the heavy side. It is a pretty solid al tube. I'm going to change it out in the future.

The size in the picture is a 50cm. I'm 5'9, 150lbs with a 31in inseam. It fits me perfectly. So i would suggest go by the measurements on the bd website, but check your inseam!

Assembly wise, the bike came with the front tires off and the handlebar removed, but the shifters are already attached to the handlebar. Both brakes are attached, although some adjustments will be needed for the front brake. All the cables are where they should be already. All in all, for someone who have never put a bike together, I did it in 45mins with unpacking. It was a pretty easy setup

Hope this helps!


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## sport7

i like the color of that bike, great job.

And switching from MTB to a Road Bike will add immensly to riding joys.


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## BlueMasi1

*Like having a conversation with yourself*

Sorry for the skepticism but this appears to be one of the many shameless marketing ploys seen regularly on RBR.


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## xancel

The reason I posted about my bike is because there are virtually no reviews on the brand "Gravity" bikes. If you google search, the results come back as the category gravity bikes. I trying to research this bike before buying it from bd, but could not find anything. I know most people would not even consider this brand on bd, but to those who are interested, I just want to give my 2 cents.

After putting 30miles on this, the frame feels solid. No issues whatsoever. However I did take it to my lbs for a tune up after assembly.


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## fundora2

*Taking the plunge*

I am in the same boat. I have an old REI Novara Strada I am looking to retire. I did not want to break the bank, but wanted to find the best components for the price. I went ahead and bought the Pro 30 from BD. It should arrive Monday. I too was/am skeptical as there are no reviews/links online regarding gravity bikes. I will find out for myself soon enough and will try and post my opinion for others. I bought a midi fastback from nashbar.com for my boy and had to assemble that partly. Overall that experience went well although I am not too thrilled with the wheelset on that bike. I hope I don't have any issues with the Pro 30.


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## xancel

One issue i had was the left shifter cover plate was broken during shipping. For those that dont know what i'm talking about, it's this part (http://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Ultegra-ST6703-Plate-Fixing/dp/B003RLFH0M) But mine is the 6700 so it looks different. I contacted bd and received a replacement within 3 days.

Let me know what you think of the bike fundora.


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## RDTigger

Have you weighed the Pro 30?


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## xancel

I dont have a precise scale, but when i put it on an old fashion scale, it's about 21 to 21.5lbs, that's with the tires properly inflated.


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## BlueMasi1

You are missing the point that with the low number of posts all members have made no on will take you post seriously. As I said most people will treat this post with a great deal of skepticism. I do have to admit that the threads are carefully crafted to showcase this bike.


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## RDTigger

Crafted threads or not....is that not a good looking bike? I would want to ride it.

The whole online retail of bikes is not ideal for the rider. Buy a bike you can't ride until you purchase? That's scary.


I want to find a road bike, and I want it to fit. Also I'd like a LBS to back me....but what if they want to sell me some decrepit junker they tuned up and put new el cheapo tires and a fresh seat on for $350-400?


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## BlueMasi1

RDTigger said:


> Crafted threads or not....is that not a good looking bike? I would want to ride it.
> 
> The whole online retail of bikes is not ideal for the rider. Buy a bike you can't ride until you purchase? That's scary.
> 
> 
> I want to find a road bike, and I want it to fit. Also I'd like a LBS to back me....but what if they want to sell me some decrepit junker they tuned up and put new el cheapo tires and a fresh seat on for $350-400?


Hardly -- nothing special about it. I've seen much better looking and spec'd bikes.

Not necessarily true. If you know the geometry you need/want and know what size to buy why not. Let's be honest -- I never got to ride the three custom frames I own until they were delivered and built. BTW, what does a ride around the block or in a parking lot really tell you about the bike?

If bike shop wants to sell you a tuned up $300.00 dollar cheapo and that's not what you want, then find a new shop.

Given BD's Guerrilla marketing on this site you really don't add any credibility to your argument that you're not associated with the brand. So are you the same person for all these posts or is it you and your co-workers pitching this bike?


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## GFish

BlueMasi1 said:


> Given BD's Guerrilla marketing on this site you really don't add any credibility to your argument that you're not associated with the brand. So are you the same person for all these posts or is it you and your co-workers pitching this bike?


Give it a rest, take a step back and realize there are many people new to the sport looking for their first road bike. It's also why I joined here; looking for help and information about road bikes and riding. 

FWIW - I don't even own a road bike yet, but I'm hopefully going to change that asap. 

Congrats on the new bike xancel and thanks for taking the time to share your bike with those of us who are interested!! :thumbsup:


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## BlueMasi1

*Anatomy of Guerrilla Marketing*



GFish said:


> ... realize there are many people new to the sport looking for their first road bike. It's also why I joined here; looking for help and information about road bikes and riding.


You are absolutely right. However, when a "New to biking" person posts about their new bike and how great of a deal it is -- that's not really seeking advice. I would assume that a person seeking information about the sport to include its equipment would have several dozen posts with questions. Not 4 or 5 extolling the virtues of their new bike.

That's one of the red flags on any forum; a poster with an immature posting profile talking a specific item up. Look at the posters here. All are recent members (another flag) and most have only posted to this thread. The one who has posted to other threads is suspicious as well since a large number of their bike related threads involve the deals you can get at BD.

Given that I'm most likely the only one without BD connections to post, no one else has given this thread a second thought. So how effective is the ROI on a technique like this? I seriously doubt that anyone will spend their money on a bike because an anonymous poster gave it rave reviews.


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## BizzaBoy

First post. Preventively to avoid the marketing scam dogma.

Ordered on Friday and Gravity Pro 30 for my 16 year old daughter. This is a replacement for a way too small Trek she had ridden since she was 12. Her main sport is Volleyball, and this will be mainly used "to get into shape over the summer". The frame size should fit me as well, so I should be able to do a reasonable assessment. I have been racing in my youth, but nowadasy I get a kick out of mountain passes. 

Why the Gravity Pro 30 ? Money. My wife says "get her a new road bike, you got no more than $1000". Going into the LBS I knew I cannot get reasonable components for this price (tax, plus pedals plus new shoes). I could not find anything used in the short time I had, so the decision tree was: "do you want to have the orange bike on BD that daddy really likes ? No ... what about the silver one ? No ... Hmmm ... Gray ? Yes. Ok the Gravity Pro 30". Something like that ... give her the choice.

In reality, I found that the Pro 30 has a few interesting differences to the Comp 30. The wheels are better and lighter (ZeroLight Pro vs. ZeroLight Comp). A nicer bottom bracket (BB-6000 vs BB-4000) ... And of course Ultegra drive train vs. 105 drive train seems to be enough justification to spend the extra $100 ;-)

Bike is set to arrive on Wednesday, I'll ride it for a few miles to get it adjusted properly and then on the weekend we'll give it a quick spin on a mountain.


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## xancel

GFish said:


> Congrats on the new bike xancel and thanks for taking the time to share your bike with those of us who are interested!! :thumbsup:


Thanks! Been traveling this weekend, didn't have time to check the forum or even ride by bike for the past few days (raining on and off in NY). Let me know what you think of the bike BizzaBoy.

As for the bike, i don't have anything else to say about it since I don't know anything more than the basic I've mentioned in the earlier post. If anyone is interested, i could post some assembly pictures.

@BlueMasi1 - You've made your point. Thanks. :mad2:


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## fundora2

*Pro 30 arrived*

I received the Pro 30 Monday. There were a couple of pierces in the box, but no damage to the bike. Put it together fairly quickly, but did not have much time to tinker. It weighs around 21lbs. I did not like the pedals and have ordered some spd road pedals.
The front and back derailers needed a bit of adjustment and I think I have those set now. I have just ridden it up and down the street for now. It will probably next weekend before I can try an extended ride.
It looks nice. I do not like the rim decal, as I thought it was painted on. I am sure the wheel decal will come off when it gets wet. The wheels need to be trued up, I don’t know how to do that so I will have to take it in to the LBS. I also will remove the brake cable wire from the housing when storing/transporting on my 2 bar carrier. Because the top tube is curved, the brake cable will bow if you transport/store using the top tube.
Anyway once pedals arrive and tires are trued, we will see what $$$ that adds to the $800 price. Will update after my first ride.


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## fundora2

*Pro 30 price went up*

Just noticed BD raised the Gravity prices $100. Pro 30 now runs $899.


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## BizzaBoy

fundora2 said:


> I received the Pro 30 Monday. There were a couple of pierces in the box, but no damage to the bike. Put it together fairly quickly, but did not have much time to tinker. It weighs around 21lbs. I did not like the pedals and have ordered some spd road pedals.
> The front and back derailers needed a bit of adjustment and I think I have those set now. I have just ridden it up and down the street for now. It will probably next weekend before I can try an extended ride.
> It looks nice. I do not like the rim decal, as I thought it was painted on. I am sure the wheel decal will come off when it gets wet. The wheels need to be trued up, I don’t know how to do that so I will have to take it in to the LBS. I also will remove the brake cable wire from the housing when storing/transporting on my 2 bar carrier. Because the top tube is curved, the brake cable will bow if you transport/store using the top tube.
> Anyway once pedals arrive and tires are trued, we will see what $$$ that adds to the $800 price. Will update after my first ride.


My daughter's is set to arrive Friday (not Wednesday as the original estimate was). The pedals are already bought ;-) Still debating of whether I'll get he a new saddle or use a "Concor Lite" from the spare parts bin.

How "untrue" are the wheels ? I normally ride a bike say 100 or 200 miles before going to the bikeshop to have things like this sorted out. Have you checked whether the rim is the problem, or whether the tire just has a lousy fit (which is a biggy with my Vredestein tries) ? BTW, what tires did they put on ? If it's the lousy type, I may have a good excuse to buy a bunch of new ones ;-)


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## fundora2

Michelin dynamic 700x23. the back is wabbling a bit vertically. I probably will ride it a bit before taking to the shop to be trued. the rims don't seem to spin as freely as my old Mavic rims on my '99 Strada.


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## BizzaBoy

So, bike arrived. Was way too busy with other things, so really only assembled it this morning. Really trivial to do. Wheels were perfectly true, and all the other bits and pieces were A-OK. The front derailer was mounted too low and hence needed to be raised by about 2mm. Did a full scratch setup of the rear and front derailer. Piece of cake (although a pain in the rear ;-)). I also did add the el-cheapo pedals from Performance-Bike. The saddle is not my taste, but the daughter in question liked it ... at least for now. So overall the bike is pretty cool and is exactly what I had hoped for. My only complaint is with cable adjusters that were impossible to turn without a wrench. 

Test ride of about 10 miles was good. I did spent quite a while getting my position figured out. At the end I have to say that I do not like the ride position on a compact frame at all. I did attach a picture of my set of wheels, maybe that makes it clear why. Anyway the position is more relaxed, if that's what you like, then this toy is great. 

For folks who are not used to read the manuals on the Shimano website, here a quick vimeo link that explains how to mount/setup the drivertrain: http://vimeo.com/8613681

Overall a positive experiance right now. Let's see how it will do after the first 200 miles.


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## johnpc

BizzaBoy said:


> So, bike arrived. Was way too busy with other things, so really only assembled it this morning. Really trivial to do. Wheels were perfectly true, and all the other bits and pieces were A-OK. The front derailer was mounted too low and hence needed to be raised by about 2mm. Did a full scratch setup of the rear and front derailer.


Mine arrived yesterday and I had the same problem with the front derailer. I think I mounted it too high trying to fix it. It's still not shifting quite right.


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## BizzaBoy

johnpc said:


> Mine arrived yesterday and I had the same problem with the front derailer. I think I mounted it too high trying to fix it. It's still not shifting quite right.


Check out the video, or maybe those 2 links (ok, I'm an engineer and I like manuals):

http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/t...01/SI-5LX0A-001-ENG_v1_m56577569830671270.pdf

http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/t...SI-5X90B-003-00-ENG_v1_m56577569830702204.PDF

The video showed how to use the little tab the was on the front deraileur.


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## johnpc

My mistake was pulling that tab off thinking it was right to begin with.. its ok. I just need to take my time with it.


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## jadrum37

I can't help but notice how similar the gravity frame is to a giant defy frame. I compared the two including the geometry measurements and they are pretty close if not identical.


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## sharrn

2nd post so just a heads up. I ordered the 2011 Gravity Comp 30, It came on Monday, I haven't really ridden it yet due to not having enough time. I did manage to get it setup though. It's a pretty light bike, but the frame just isn't doing it for me. I'm thinking about taking all the parts off and swapping them into a carbon frame. We'll see after I take it out for a 30 mile test run this weekend. I don't have an actual scale but I'm willing to say around 22lbs with my shimano pd520 pedals installed. My commuter bike ('09 Raleigh Sport w/ Planet bike rack) weighs 26lbs. So far though I like the Gravity, I'm kind of wishing I did spend the extra $100 for lighters wheels/Ultegra though :mad2: The darker color looks better as well for this bike. The silver colors not bad, but it just looks kind of weird for me.. I've always had black bikes for the most part though.


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## fundora2

*Crank Set*

I still have not had a chance for an extended ride. I did ride down the road and back as I was testing out my adjustments to the front and back derailers. I got those corrected, however noticed something that was not an issue on my old bike frame. When turning at slow speed, where you turn the wheel at a greater angle, my toe would clip the pedal. Don’t know if anyone else has experienced this? Is this due to the compact frame or length of the pedal cranks or maybe a combination of both? Not an issue while riding, but will be in driveways or elsewhere a hard turn is needed. Be careful.


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## johnpc

I attached Raceblade fenders, and my toe will hit them turning at low speed. I don't think I was having that problem with just the bare wheel tho - my feet might be just small enough to be ok.


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## sharrn

fundora2 said:


> I still have not had a chance for an extended ride. I did ride down the road and back as I was testing out my adjustments to the front and back derailers. I got those corrected, however noticed something that was not an issue on my old bike frame. When turning at slow speed, where you turn the wheel at a greater angle, my toe would clip the pedal. Don’t know if anyone else has experienced this? Is this due to the compact frame or length of the pedal cranks or maybe a combination of both? Not an issue while riding, but will be in driveways or elsewhere a hard turn is needed. Be careful.


I noticed this too. Granted I got the comp 30 and not the pro 30, but same geometry afaik.


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## BizzaBoy

sharrn said:


> I noticed this too. Granted I got the comp 30 and not the pro 30, but same geometry afaik.


Hmmm ... I do have the same issue with my Pinarello Gallioleo. So nothing new here. And yes, it's a big issue. I forgot about this last year, was circling on the street in front of our house, chatting with neighbars, hit my shoes/pedals ... and had a slowmotion wipeout. The laughter was great, and my cracked rib afterwards didn't help. So yes, this can be a pain ;-)


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## xancel

sharrn said:


> 2nd post so just a heads up. I ordered the 2011 Gravity Comp 30, It came on Monday, I haven't really ridden it yet due to not having enough time. I did manage to get it setup though. It's a pretty light bike, but the frame just isn't doing it for me. I'm thinking about taking all the parts off and swapping them into a carbon frame. We'll see after I take it out for a 30 mile test run this weekend. I don't have an actual scale but I'm willing to say around 22lbs with my shimano pd520 pedals installed. My commuter bike ('09 Raleigh Sport w/ Planet bike rack) weighs 26lbs. So far though I like the Gravity, I'm kind of wishing I did spend the extra $100 for lighters wheels/Ultegra though :mad2: The darker color looks better as well for this bike. The silver colors not bad, but it just looks kind of weird for me.. I've always had black bikes for the most part though.


Could you post up a picture of the comp 30? I was actually debating between the pro 30 or the comp 30. I just want to see how it looks in silver. Sounds to me like the lighter wheels and ultegra shed about 1 lbs off.


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## sharrn

xancel said:


> Could you post up a picture of the comp 30? I was actually debating between the pro 30 or the comp 30. I just want to see how it looks in silver. Sounds to me like the lighter wheels and ultegra shed about 1 lbs off.











Ask and you shall receive. :thumbsup:


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## fundora2

*First Ride*

I went for my regular 28 mile ride. I felt good on the 50inch pro 30 compared to my 52 cm strada. It did feel a bit more compact as i did not feel as stretched out over the top tube. I could notice my back and shoulders were not as fatigued. 
Still need to tweak some adjustments to the seat and handlebars to get the comfort set.

I did not have any overlap issues while riding, but was cognizant of it, especially when starting from a stop. The cranks don't feel as solid as my old shimano 105 cranks; may be due to the light weight? Although the pro 30 weighs about the same maybe 1pound lighter than my 14 year old bike. I did notice a couple of times the chain slip or almost like it changed gears. It was when I was putting a lot of force on the crank. It may have been the rear derailer changing the gear under pressure? or maybe it was in between gears? I will have to keep an eye out.

I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a new bike because I know it is not going to make me go any faster. And sure enough, I averaged my usual 16.5mph on my ride and felt a bit more comfortable than my old bike. We will see as I ride more, how the bike breaks in.
For now I am glad I didn't break the bank on a more expensive bike.


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## BizzaBoy

fundora2 said:


> I went for my regular 28 mile ride. I felt good on the 50inch pro 30 compared to my 52 cm strada. It did feel a bit more compact as i did not feel as stretched out over the top tube. I could notice my back and shoulders were not as fatigued.
> Still need to tweak some adjustments to the seat and handlebars to get the comfort set.
> 
> I did not have any overlap issues while riding, but was cognizant of it, especially when starting from a stop. The cranks don't feel as solid as my old shimano 105 cranks; may be due to the light weight? Although the pro 30 weighs about the same maybe 1pound lighter than my 14 year old bike.


I guess it's easier to drop 10 lbs on your belly than 2 lbs off your bikes ;-) 



> I did notice a couple of times the chain slip or almost like it changed gears. It was when I was putting a lot of force on the crank. It may have been the rear derailer changing the gear under pressure? or maybe it was in between gears? I will have to keep an eye out.


Same here when I did set it up. Figure I let my daughter ride it for say 200 miles or so and then readjust things from scratch. It doesn't help getting picky about things there if the day to day temperature difference is more than 40F, and it's rainy outside. The only thing there that I am unhappy about is the front derailer, which sometimes has a problem switching to the middle under pressure. Kind of tricky for me to set up, as my knees are shot and I peddle high RPM, while my daughter does very low RPM and a lot of pressure ...


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## fundora2

*Triple Chainring grinding noise*

Started riding my bike to work. So far so good. 
I have noticed a grinding noise on the large front chainring. 
At first I thought it was the chain rubbing the derailer, however the noise was only about half the pedal stroke. 
I checked the bike out last night and noticed there are rivets around the chainring very near the teeth. It appeared the outside rivets were right under the chain, which is fine. 
However I looked at the inside of the ring and noticed a rivet was right under the teeth. 
I believe this and another rivet are rubbing the chain and I am getting that grinding noise. 
I have attached some pictures2 of the inside, 1 of the outside rivet). 
Has anyone noticed this issue? I emailed BD this morning and will let you know their response.
View attachment 231402


View attachment 231403


View attachment 231404


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## xancel

fundora2 said:


> Started riding my bike to work. So far so good.
> I have noticed a grinding noise on the large front chainring.
> At first I thought it was the chain rubbing the derailer, however the noise was only about half the pedal stroke.
> I checked the bike out last night and noticed there are rivets around the chainring very near the teeth. It appeared the outside rivets were right under the chain, which is fine.
> However I looked at the inside of the ring and noticed a rivet was right under the teeth.
> I believe this and another rivet are rubbing the chain and I am getting that grinding noise.
> I have attached some pictures2 of the inside, 1 of the outside rivet).
> Has anyone noticed this issue? I emailed BD this morning and will let you know their response.
> View attachment 231402
> 
> 
> View attachment 231403
> 
> 
> View attachment 231404



The screws on my bike looks nothing like yours. It is much smaller and does not touch the chain at all.


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## fundora2

*Triple Chainring Grinding Noise*

I re-checked the noise yesterday and it is not the rivets.
It appeared the derailer, when chain was on the big ring, was rubbing the inside of the middle crankset. I raised the derailer a bit and it appears to be working. 
It was late so I did not get a chance to test it out much. I plan on riding tomorrow and will know if that fixed the problem. 
But I think the problem was the front derailleur was positioned too low and was rubbing the inside of the middle crank when in the large chain-ring.


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## stinghurt

Hi Everyone,

I am too new to cycling. Came across BD and found it could save me a lot for my first road bike.

I also have my eyes on Gravity Pro 30. I can't really find any reviews on Gravity bikes except this thread. 

By looking at the spec of this bike, other than the ultegra 6700 components, rest of the components are a bit lower quality (crankset, brake, wheel and etc).

Will you be considering upgrading these parts later in the future? Do you think it will cost more to upgrade these parts than buying a similar spec well-known branded bike at first place?

How are the overall experience with BD? I found mixed review and some of them were clearly marketing crap.

Please excuse me if my questions don't make sense. I am just hoping to get best value and reliable bike.


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## xancel

stinghurt said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I am too new to cycling. Came across BD and found it could save me a lot for my first road bike.
> 
> I also have my eyes on Gravity Pro 30. I can't really find any reviews on Gravity bikes except this thread.
> 
> By looking at the spec of this bike, other than the ultegra 6700 components, rest of the components are a bit lower quality (crankset, brake, wheel and etc).
> 
> Will you be considering upgrading these parts later in the future? Do you think it will cost more to upgrade these parts than buying a similar spec well-known branded bike at first place?
> 
> How are the overall experience with BD? I found mixed review and some of them were clearly marketing crap.
> 
> Please excuse me if my questions don't make sense. I am just hoping to get best value and reliable bike.


I had the same problem when researching this bike. I couldn't find ANY reviews on it on google... so i just went by faith. If you are looking to upgrade parts in the future, i would suggest you buy a bike with a better frame. You would probably be spending more money upgrading in the future and i dont think it's worth it for this frame. The components on this bike are more than good enough if you are new to cycling, this bike will last you a good 2 years (depending on how much you ride). Get more experience in riding, save up and then you'll know what to invest in on your next bike. Well.. that's what i'm planning to do at least. In short, no to upgrading for ME at least.

As for BD, shipping is fine, easy to assemble (it was my first time, took me about 30mins with unboxing), i would say it's positive. Like my previous post, the front shifting plate was damaged. Took the pictures, sent it to bd, replacement came in 3 days. I dont know if it's a hit or miss with the experience, but maybe other people that bought the bike here can chime in.


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## stinghurt

I just found out that this bike has exactly the same as Giant's Defy. It could come out from the same factory, at least use the same geometry


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## sharrn

I had a good experience with Bikes Direct. Fast shipping, nothing damaged, etc.. I wish I would have had a chance to ride the bike first though. I don't like the way the frame feels. I just purchased a carbon frame/fork giant tcr c2. though. I'm swapping all the guts off the Gravity to this frame/fork. I'm not saying the Gravity frame sucks, It just wasn't what I was looking for. I wanted a bit more agressive lower stance. Also my feet hitting the front wheel when turning sometimes scares me. It's been preventing me from riding the bike. I've had it a month and maybe put 4 miles on it. I'm sure I could have avoided most of the issues by getting a larger size, but I generally ride a 53-54cm. Neither of those were available at the time. only 50cm(what I got) or a 56cm I believe.


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## stinghurt

Alright guys,

I did it. After I get it and put some miles on it in several weeks, I will write some review on BD and this bike.

Stay tuned.


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## opusrf4

*color?*

xancel - the bd website lists blue and gloss black for color options right now. Yours looks like neither. What color is that? Thanks - I'm a noob looking for input on this bike and this thread has helped a lot.


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## stinghurt

opusrf4,

I think you are looking at the Pro20. they are pretty much the same bike except different crankset.


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## Hank5

sharrn said:


> Ask and you shall receive. :thumbsup:


Wow the frame is just like the Avenue B. I just purchased. I'm sure the components are upgraded though. And I LOVE my bike:thumbsup:


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## sharrn

opusrf4 said:


> xancel - the bd website lists blue and gloss black for color options right now. Yours looks like neither. What color is that? Thanks - I'm a noob looking for input on this bike and this thread has helped a lot.


A previous poster wanted to see the color of the Gravity Comp 30. The Comp 30 is the one I bought. Sorry for the mixup.


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## opusrf4

My bad. I mixed up the 20 and 30. I can't find a picture of the gloss black Pro 20 anywhere.


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## xancel

sharrn said:


> A previous poster wanted to see the color of the Gravity Comp 30. The Comp 30 is the one I bought. Sorry for the mixup.




My bike is actually the Pro30 in gray (that's the picture in my first opening post), the Comp 30 is in Silver and the Pro20 is the blue.


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## sharrn

xancel said:


> My bike is actually the Pro30 in gray (that's the picture in my first opening post), the Comp 30 is in Silver and the Pro20 is the blue.


Yea my bad. I didn't realize they were asking you. Sorry. I should have read it closer.


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## stinghurt

alright, i got my bike. I will ride more then share my 2 cents.

So far, the bike looks great. I had a LBS set it up and tune it for me. It weigh 22lb (not with precise scale, but close enough)

I had one short ride, and shifting felt great. 

stay tuned


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## jr64

*Looking for my first bike*

I, too, am new and looking for my first road bike.

I must confess I feel a little alienated and not sure if I should be posting here. It seems everyone who brings up the name BD is either a moron, an ignorant or a sleazy BD employee.

Of the three, I might fall a bit under the ignorant part, which is the reason why I'm asking here, but I'm not the first to ask the same question and I have yet to see a reasonable answer.

When I compare the specs between the bikes advertised in BD with those from Specialized or Trek or others, I see that most of the components are basically the same and only the frame seems to be the difference. Aside from some considerations regarding LBS support and warranty, which for me are just another component with quantifiable value.

I've visited a few LBS in my area and when asking for an entry level bike I haven't received much attention. Obviously salespeople are more interested in pushing high value bikes and don't want to waste time with customers like me. On one of them, the guy was nice enough to spend some time with me and explain how entry level bikes are crap and I shouldn't waste any money on them. I should start looking at $1.8k and up.

Now, being that I'm looking at an entry level bike and the ones who sell the brand name entry bikes consider they are crap, why shouldn't I buy a crappy bike from BD, save a few hundred bucks and when I'm ready to take the plunge to a more expensive bike, then chose a nice Trek or Cannondale?

I was looking at the Motobecane Sprint. The components, individually, are worth more than the entire bike. Full Ultegra, decent rims, etc. If I get this bike for $1k and a year or two from now get a nice Cannondale/Specialized or Fuji frame for $700~$800 (I've seen them listed on the internet) and just transfer the components, I'll end up with a $3~4k bike for half the price. My question is, am I missing something? As far as I've been able to learn, all it takes is components and frame or do the components need to be matched to a specific frame?


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## sharrn

jr64 said:


> I, too, am new and looking for my first road bike.
> 
> I must confess I feel a little alienated and not sure if I should be posting here. It seems everyone who brings up the name BD is either a moron, an ignorant or a sleazy BD employee.
> 
> Of the three, I might fall a bit under the ignorant part, which is the reason why I'm asking here, but I'm not the first to ask the same question and I have yet to see a reasonable answer.
> 
> When I compare the specs between the bikes advertised in BD with those from Specialized or Trek or others, I see that most of the components are basically the same and only the frame seems to be the difference. Aside from some considerations regarding LBS support and warranty, which for me are just another component with quantifiable value.
> 
> I've visited a few LBS in my area and when asking for an entry level bike I haven't received much attention. Obviously salespeople are more interested in pushing high value bikes and don't want to waste time with customers like me. On one of them, the guy was nice enough to spend some time with me and explain how entry level bikes are crap and I shouldn't waste any money on them. I should start looking at $1.8k and up.
> 
> Now, being that I'm looking at an entry level bike and the ones who sell the brand name entry bikes consider they are crap, why shouldn't I buy a crappy bike from BD, save a few hundred bucks and when I'm ready to take the plunge to a more expensive bike, then chose a nice Trek or Cannondale?
> 
> I was looking at the Motobecane Sprint. The components, individually, are worth more than the entire bike. Full Ultegra, decent rims, etc. If I get this bike for $1k and a year or two from now get a nice Cannondale/Specialized or Fuji frame for $700~$800 (I've seen them listed on the internet) and just transfer the components, I'll end up with a $3~4k bike for half the price. My question is, am I missing something? As far as I've been able to learn, all it takes is components and frame or do the components need to be matched to a specific frame?


The frame makes a huge difference.. Mainly in how it fits you. If your budget's around $1k to $1300, look at the Trek 2.1. It's a solid bike. Has all 105, carbon fork, aluminum frame, good wheels etc.. Plus you can test ride this at a shop. Any seller saying anything under $1800 is crap is an idiot. There's a lot of good bikes to be had for pretty cheap. From what I understand Most bike's are relatively the same in quality across the board from the major manufacturers, excluding geometry. This includes Trek, Cannondale, Specialized, etc.. Don't let the shop try to upsell you into something you don't want/need. If their trying to, find a different shop with better/more knowledgeable people. Good luck.


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## jrdavis65

I've got to add my two cents here. I just got my Gravity Pro 20 two weeks ago and have put 50+ miles in it. Bike feels great, the Ultegra shifters / derailleurs worked almost perfectly out of the box. I have neigbors that both ride Giant Defy's and can say with a straight face that this bike stacks up comparably in the weight and component space.....for ~35% less than the local bike shop wanted for the Defy 1 (with Ultegra vs. 105). Since the geometry tables on the Defy and the Gravity are identical, I got fitted on the Defy and went with the comparable 50cm (M) on BD. Great bike, great ride.... love the semi-compact fit.


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## obikeo

*Gravity Comp 20*

Just got it today. Raining so will have to wait for tomorrow for the first ride. Plan to do about 8 miles.

Why bikes direct? Just didn't want to spend that much money on my first road bike. As simple as that.


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## amadeus303

The white Comp 20 looks like the Team, except for the black Gravity outline on the downtube (instead of gray). Obikeo... have you weighed your setup yet? What size did you pick and what are your primary fit measurements? I'm cross shopping the Gravity bikes w/ some of the "standard" Motobecanes. At 5'7" with a 30.25" inseam, I'm trying to figure out if I should be looking at a 50 or a 46.5. I would ride a 52cm on the Motos.


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## obikeo

amadeus303 said:


> The white Comp 20 looks like the Team, except for the black Gravity outline on the downtube (instead of gray). Obikeo... have you weighed your setup yet? What size did you pick and what are your primary fit measurements? I'm cross shopping the Gravity bikes w/ some of the "standard" Motobecanes. At 5'7" with a 30.25" inseam, I'm trying to figure out if I should be looking at a 50 or a 46.5. I would ride a 52cm on the Motos.


Yeah, actually I was expecting it to be grey outlined. When I ask them for a picture of the white Comp they pointed me to the Team.

Anyway... I'm 5'9.5'' with a 31.5 inseam and I got the medium (50). I went to a local Giant shop and felt that the medium fit better than the M/L. 

I am really happy with it, but I really don't have anything to compare it with since this is my first road bike. I do need to make some adjustment to the derailleur. Getting some rough shifts. Working on a DIY bike repair stand now.

I have not weighed it.


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## Hank5

Curses, Curses, Curses, after 400 miles on my Gravity I'm not that happy with the geometry. Being 6'1" and riding the 59cm semi compact frame is not for me. I am really stuck between a rock and a hard place now because here we are mid season & I'm considering what to do. I'm literally scared to buy another Bike without first sitting on it or test riding. That's not to say that Bikes direct is bad. All I'm saying is the Gravity frame geometry is not what I had expected. As much as I am trying to convince myself that this ride is good. My body is telling me otherwise. Haven't decided yet what to do but I can tell you that the Gravity will not see season 2 with me on it.


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## BizzaBoy

Hank5 said:


> Curses, Curses, Curses, after 400 miles on my Gravity I'm not that happy with the geometry. Being 6'1" and riding the 59cm semi compact frame is not for me. I am really stuck between a rock and a hard place now because here we are mid season & I'm considering what to do. I'm literally scared to buy another Bike without first sitting on it or test riding. That's not to say that Bikes direct is bad. All I'm saying is the Gravity frame geometry is not what I had expected. As much as I am trying to convince myself that this ride is good. My body is telling me otherwise. Haven't decided yet what to do but I can tell you that the Gravity will not see season 2 with me on it.


Intresting. I rode my daughters Gravity as well, and despite the correct sizing, I hate the geometry. I feel in general that my upper body is way, way to upright, and the spine not stretched enough. My bike is a custom build (frame bought off the internet for crying out loud), mainly out of the same frustration when riding a lot of preconfigured bikes in the store.


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## b4_ford

Hank5 said:


> Curses, Curses, Curses, after 400 miles on my Gravity I'm not that happy with the geometry. Being 6'1" and riding the 59cm semi compact frame is not for me. I am really stuck between a rock and a hard place now because here we are mid season & I'm considering what to do. I'm literally scared to buy another Bike without first sitting on it or test riding. That's not to say that Bikes direct is bad. All I'm saying is the Gravity frame geometry is not what I had expected. As much as I am trying to convince myself that this ride is good. My body is telling me otherwise. Haven't decided yet what to do but I can tell you that the Gravity will not see season 2 with me on it.


I'm also 6'1" and am curious what your specific areas of discomfort are. Do you think that a smaller or larger frame size would make a difference?


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## Hank5

Maybe I'm being a bit "Nit Picky" but my first impression when I got the bike was how awkward it (compact frame) appeared compared to a more traditional frame. That being the case, it would be hard for me to determine if a smaller or larger frame might make a difference. I got it to work but after taking it on a 50 mile trek and my conclusions were, this is not a long distance bike (too upright and my 6'1" body creates too much drag). Aerodynamic tucking uncomfortable and climbing was a misery. Even after all of the adjusting to seat, handlbar and stem, 500 miles later I can't seem to find a comfort zone. I've decided to go to my LBS. I gave mail order a shot it didn't work out for me. That's not to say Bikes direct.com is bad because they are not. My wife's Dawes is perfect and she is enjoying it to the hilt.


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## gidiyup

*Newbie*

I'm a newbie and I noticed a few posts about the Gravity bikes. I bought a Pro30 back when it was on sale for $799 from Bikes Direct. I previously purchased a cyclocross bike from Bikes Direct which I love. As far as the Gravity, I've only ridden it twice since I bought it. On my first ride I found out that it was shipped with a bad tube which caused me to have to walk a bit but otherwise, the bike was perfect. Now that my travel has settled down I'll be riding it more and I'll post any thought about the bike in case anyone is interested. :thumbsup:


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## BlueGrassBlazer

Hank5 said:


> Maybe I'm being a bit "Nit Picky" but my first impression when I got the bike was how awkward it (compact frame) appeared compared to a more traditional frame. That being the case, it would be hard for me to determine if a smaller or larger frame might make a difference. I got it to work but after taking it on a 50 mile trek and my conclusions were, this is not a long distance bike (too upright and my 6'1" body creates too much drag). Aerodynamic tucking uncomfortable and climbing was a misery. Even after all of the adjusting to seat, handlbar and stem, 500 miles later I can't seem to find a comfort zone. I've decided to go to my LBS. I gave mail order a shot it didn't work out for me. That's not to say Bikes direct.com is bad because they are not. My wife's Dawes is perfect and she is enjoying it to the hilt.


I looked at the Gravity for awhile but the extreme slope of the tube scared me away. Your comments confirm my concerns. I wanted a more relaxed ride but wanted good climbing and sprint capabilities. Eventually, I got a traditional steel frame and love it. 
On a side note, the announcers and commentators on the TDF dogged compact frames as a 'fad'' and said it was nothing but a money savings gimmick hyped by the manufacturers. 
I don't think they like them....


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## naixchan

Nice bike, :cornut:


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## thomascw

*Hope its nice, long first post*

Just bought a Gravity pro 30 last night. I just started riding my 1984 Motobecane Jubilee sport again about 3 weeks ago.Havent ridden at all since 1994. I actually first bought a Specialized Hardrock after straining a calf muscle while jogging, I then realised how much more I liked biking than running. I fixed my old bike and have been gradually increasing my trip lengths and speed. Tonight I rode with a friend, 15 miles in an hour mostly flat, a few mild hills, and a bit of a headwind at times. I nearly am always on top of the bars and really considered a flat bar bike, but anyone I may ride with has a road bike. My performance has improved noticeably , not drastically, I'm 48 ,5'10 205#,inseam 30 inches. My Moto is 56 cm and I cant look up when in the drop bars. I bought the med( 50 cm) , supposedly this has a corrected standover of around 30 inches. I guess if need be I can lengthen the stem. I think I will like the more upright position. Supposed to have shipped today, have ups tracking no but cant track yet. I'll post my initial thoughts when it arrives.

BTW, I got a notice asking me to put my first post in the general discussion area, when I tried to start a new thread introducing myself,couldnt be done,had to have 5 posts.


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## thomascw

*order cancelled*

Got email saying order was cancelled(oversold). Kind of strange since I was sent a tracking number. Anyway they did give me a discount if I order another bike. Now I'm a little worried about ordering the right size frame. I'll try to ride a giant defy before I reorder.


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## thomascw

Went to bike shop to look at a Giant, none in stock, bought a used 54cm Specialized Allez with 18 speed ultegra, shimano wheels, ritchey stem, clipless pedals, and flight deck for $600,plus $20 for new cables(he flipped the stem and the old cables were too short). Not really anymore upright than my old bike, but it feels more comfortable, and quite a bit faster.


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## fuzzy

Congrats on your new bike. I am also making my first post. I have been riding a Townie 21 D for a few months and enjoy riding it but would also like to have something faster. I would like to find something to do an 11 mile commute to work. It takes me an hour one way on the Townie and there are several hills to climb, one of them is a one mile climb. It takes a little too much time and energy out of me at my current physical level to do round trip every day on the Townie. Thanks for the post on these bikes, I have been considering them as well. I am about 5' 9" with 30" inseam as well. I try to do 10 miles a day for fitness and relaxation.


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## thomascw

Fuzzy, thanks. I really wish I would have stuck to my plan and test rode the Giant, figured which size fit, and then ordered the Gravity Comp/Pro. I left the bike at the shop for new cables. I also bought shoes for the clipless pedals. I paid $600 for the bike, $20 for new cables, $90 for shoes $ 27 for cleats and tax.They are going to fit bike and teach me to clip in Tues. I was told the bike was an 07. Looking up specs its probably an 03 or 04. I guess it doesn't matter that much about the year, except the 07's had 10 speed cassettes.All the modern bike parts are easily replaced. The bike is not worn out, it's just the idea of being 3 yrs older than I was told. I've been riding my 84 Motobecane with downtube shifters and 12 speed and nearly keeping up with my riding buddy, and I think thats mainly weight and conditioning( my weight not the bikes).
If you're already riding a one mile hill on a single speed, it seems like any multi speed bike would make it a breeze.
As far as sizing, both bikesdirect and the guy at the lbs said I would fit the M/L on the Gravity/Giant style frame. I had ordered the M;so I may have been dissappointed. If you do get a chance to ride/buy, let me know which fits better.


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## century

xancel said:


> Hi, I'm new here. I took the switch from mt bike to road bike. Here's my first road bike - Gravity Pro 30. :thumbsup:
> 
> Shimano Ultegra 6700 Front and Rear Derailleur, and shifters.



very nice!


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## robbiecarman

I'm really interested in picking up a Pro 30. I've been tooling around the past couple days at my local shop on the Defy one. Really like how it feels but I would like to save a few hundred bucks and since this is my first road bike the Pro 30 looks like a great choice. However, I'm a little confused on fit. I'm 5'10 with a "cycling" inseam of 31.5" and I usually where 30" pants. 

1. I know every manufacture sizes slightly different. On Treks and Specialized bikes seems like the 54 fits me best. However I'm a little confused why the 50cm that I rode seemed to fit pretty well is it the relaxed geometry?

2. I tried the M/L 53.5cm and I couldn't really tell the difference between that and the 50 other then when standing over the bike it was a bit more in my crouch. Riding them the felt very similar. I guess on the 53.5 I was stretched out slightly more. 

So here is my question - if I'm kind of between sizes or either could really work do you go for the slightly bigger size or the slightly smaller size. It would seem to me but I'm not an expert by any means that the smaller size would make more sense and if I wanted to stretched out on the bike a bit more I could get a longer stem. Is that logic sound

I know its different in MTB but there I ride a 17" Enduro full suspension.


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## obikeo

Robbiecarmon. I am just about your size (5'9.5'') and I am very happy with my gravity comp 20 size medium. Don't really have anything to compare it to since this is my first road bike but I like it very much. Done rides as much as 30 miles so far and it has been really comfortable.


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## robbiecarman

Thanks obikeo

I went back tot eh LBS this morning and the 50cm Giant Defy just felt better than then 53.5. I just felt more in control . So I'll def. being going with the M/50cm size. Now I just need to decide between the compact double and the triple!


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## robbiecarman

so been riding the Gravity Pro 30 for a week now 50cm (I'm 5'10) and its super comfortable and the bike is quick! So how - some way Bikes Direct messed up in my favor. I packed the bike and the rear deraillur was dura ace! Not ultegra! Score


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## Kodiak21

robbiecarman said:


> so been riding the Gravity Pro 30 for a week now 50cm (I'm 5'10) and its super comfortable and the bike is quick! So how - some way Bikes Direct messed up in my favor. I packed the bike and the rear deraillur was dura ace! Not ultegra! Score


LOL wow, someone's lucky! How is it now?
But I'm also confused on my geometry, and have the same dilemma as you had, but instead of it being about the Pro 30 (amazing looking bike btw), but on the Gravity Liberty CX-D from BD as well. My measurements are right in between of what BD suggests (5'9.5" - 5'10", 140 lbs, 32-inch inseam), so I'm confused on whether to get the 50cm or 54cm. Sorry for semi-off-topic, but since many people here have fit questions, I figured this would be a good place to start


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## gdfred88

I'm looking at the Gravity Team Road Bike. It does not seem like anyone on here has one.

If I'm 6'0" with a 34" inseam it sounds like I would need the 56 in the Gravity? Does that sound right? I road a 58 Specialized Tramac and it felt really nice. But it was an '09 at the LBS with the older version of 105 components and I did not feel like I wanted to plunk down that much change on a 3-4 year old bike.

Do you still love your Gravity road bike? Let me know.. Thanks.


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## gdfred88

gdfred88 said:


> I'm looking at the Gravity Team Road Bike. It does not seem like anyone on here has one.
> 
> If I'm 6'0" with a 34" inseam it sounds like I would need the 56 in the Gravity? Does that sound right? I road a 58 Specialized Tramac and it felt really nice. But it was an '09 at the LBS with the older version of 105 components and I did not feel like I wanted to plunk down that much change on a 3-4 year old bike.
> 
> Do you still love your Gravity road bike? Let me know.. Thanks.


BTW: I'm currently riding a Scott P2 hybrid. I commute between 18 and 36 miles a day (depending on whether I do one-way or two each day).

The Scott is a little more upright than I want and I want something a little lighter and a little lower ride profile. My average speed on the P2 is about 15.5mph over a 20-25 mile ride. Hoping I can crank out a little more speed from a dedicated road bike.

Looking forward to hearing if you still like the Gravity or not... Thanks!


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## 1topsarg

I purchased a Gravity Pro 20 about 2 months ago as a last resort I would like to say because all the advice I had gotten was to stay away from this online bike store. I couldn't find anyone who had one I could look at or ride. This was after searching LBSs and Ads looking for something I could get for my 5' 5" size all within my $1000 budget for bike and gear which I still exceeded slightly. I ended meeting a guy a work who was very knowledgeable. He took me to the site and explained the geometry of the bike and how it would work for me. I can say that the bike came in great shape. Ready to go out the box Wheels true and shifting good. I do have to say that my experience isn't extensive. I was riding a 12 years old Concorde. So, that could have something to do with why I feel the pro 20 works so good for me. I have rode Jamis and Cad that were super good, but more bent over than I prefer, but more so out of my price range. Finally, I have put about 200 miles on it with yesterday being my longest none stop ride of just over 40 miles and it was a great ride. Averaged 14.2 miles per and that was with the road crossings. All that being said, I do believe that online buying is risky and had I not met Dan. I would not have. I can't promise you an experience like I had with BD, but mine was good. I had phone and email communication with 2 Reps. It worked for me to get involved at another level in a sport that I had admired from a distance for quite awhile.


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