Soooooo I may of just bit the bullet on a semi entry level Wilier Jareen.
My main reasons for buying was:
- I have a nice bike, then a just as nicer bike which is retired to the turbo and then another similar one which I rarely ride as I enjoy riding canal and trails mostly. on the MTB its slow going due to gearing etc and also for long rides on the flat just not that comfortable.
-When away with the family I can do take light trails with the kids and then I can sneak off on the road. for a couple of hours and only need to take spare pedals/shoes if I want power the tyres are called Kenda Happy Medium 700x40
-If I am working at a running event I don’t have to try and tear it up on a mtb to keep in front of the lead runner and it has mudguards and pannier holes to carry signs etc.
-I choses tiagra 10 speed as my other bikes are 105/ultegra 10 speed so I can do a turn on the turbo if I need too. I also got hydraulics too
I asked about the wheel choices, if you buy via LBS then talk to them about the wheels as trading in your unused wheels on the bike and including two sets of wheels etc at the time of purchase is the only way you are going to get this working. his suggestion was buy two identical wheel sets and set them up at the same time you should get everything indexed nicely from the start. this is not the place I bought it from, I went in for a saddle bag and larger spare inner tube.
another mechanic I know who I showed the bike to said that unless you are going to be living off road avoid the 1 x drivetrains. he’s been selling a lot of gravel bikes of late but they have been coming back as they don’t have the gearing for quick road riding. if you have a 2x setup you can convert to 1x, the the reverse is a lot harder. ( I can’t do on a tiagra groupset anyway 
I found the bike on www.bikebargains.co.uk and it came through Merlin Cycles, everything is working out the box and it took about 20 minutes of assembly (https://www.bikebargains.co.uk/wilier-jareen-race-tiagra-alloy-gravel-bike-2019/)
I have replaced the stem on it a little shorter and I am within millimetres of my trek, been trail riding on it and its fine and to be honest riding on the road at higher pressures I can’t really tell the difference.
