u/faxfodderspotter

Bought an Uthald as an upgrade over my cheap first Facebook Marketplace road bike. Like it and biking so much that I also just got a Seigla...

My brother is looking into getting into mountain biking - sounds like with an XC focus. I know Lauf has that eMTB, but he doesn't want that.

Question: Is there a MTB brand that's most like Lauf in terms of quality, value, and customer service?

Edit: I apparently can't read or scroll - there is a non-e version of the Elja, so Lauf has the bike for it.

Me: 40s, male, San Diego, CA, USA

Current bikes: Surly Bridge Club, Cannondale Synapse 105, Zwift Kickr Ride

Ride my Surly as a mix of a rigid MTB bike on dirt trails and easy singletrack and in the neighborhood bike with my kids.

Bought a used 2018 Cannondale Synapse 105 carbon earlier this year to get into triathlon. Realized I love going fast and light on the road bike but really hate cars and traffic. Will probably do group road rides 2-3x per month.

Previously bought and sold a full-suspension MTB. Got into riding with some younger colleagues, who I should not have tried to keep up with. A couple big falls. Don't really enjoy the rock garden stuff. Not for me.

A gravel bike seems like the right answer. It seems San Diego has good routes, though I gotta find a riding group of some kind. Doing something like the BWR eventually would be awesome.

This is probably gonna lead to two bikes in the long term:

Option A: Spend $3k on a gravel bike and eventually two wheel sets - one for gravel, one for road training and triathlon. The Canyon Grail CF SL 7 was proposed by a friend as an option here. If I get more into triathlon, I might later buy a used tri/TT bike on FB Marketplace or Craigslist for $1200-1500.

Option B: Spend <$2k on a less expensive gravel bike now. Next year upgrade the road bike significantly and use that for road and get aero bars for triathlon. I feel like I'd be more reckless on gravel and more likely to wreck, which would make this option feel safer.

Which option? Or a third? And which gravel bike?