What wheels and tires are you running on your Checkpoint for road (pavement) riding?
I am moving from a flat area with a ton of gravel to an area with no gravel but lots of hills. I currently have a Checkpoint but was thinking about buying a smoking fast road bike, but was intrigued by your post. I don’t race on the pavement. I usually ride solo for 40-60 miles. I like going fast but being comfortable. If I could accomplish this on my Checkpoint with a different wheel set, I could probably save some money.
This may not work for everyone. For me, it did not work. Lowering the stem and changing the stem length did not result in a satisfactory fit for me. Or perhaps I should write, a satisfactory feel for me. The original fit of the bike was fine but I did not like the feel as I felt too upright.
With the endurance geo so close to my gravel geo… well, it’s already been said.
Thanks all… Some good things to think about here. I have a comprehensive fit appointment setup in about a week. Will see what comes from that and then hopefully be able to setup some test rides.
It depends on your price point for the wheels and the tire size you want to run, particularly in front.
I’ve got my Emonda on GP5k 25/28c (f/r) and the Checkpoint on 30c g-one Speed or Vitoria Corsa Control (road) / 38c Conti Terra Speed (light gravel) / 50c g-one bite. I’ve got them all on LightBicycle rims, though I had DT Swiss R32 (p1800) wheels which were nice.
For road rides, I’ve probably got as many miles on Checkpoint as the Emonda. I’d only grab the Emonda if I need the taller gearing on a group ride for 28+mph sustained. I grabbed the Checkpoint for my last century for the 3rd bottle cage. I think my fastest 2 times on the most important 3min Strava segment on my regular group ride (164 efforts) on the Checkpoint on the 30c tires.
Yeah, the one bike with two wheelsets is totally doable. The Gravel bike would only give up a 1-2 aero watts to a traditional road bike, rides the same, and is only limited by the size of the crank gear you can run, which isn’t a big deal. The secret to all this is that the seat post/saddle, handlebars, and tires are all that really matter.
For wheels- AL ($300-500) DT Swiss E1800 or ER1600 (quieter hub) from Merlin Cycles (lowest price). Fancier, Light Bicycle.
A good thing to do when you get fit is have an idea of bikes you want so you can compare and talk about how those bikes are different. My fitter helped me choose between bikes and sizes.
I recommend a wide rim width wheel and 28 or 30cc tubeless tires fit comfortable endurance. While narrower tires may be faster (maybe a little), you’ll be faster after 3 hrs on the bike because it’s so dang comfortable.