>>1936475Kona Sutra is a hyper specific heavy duty touring bike. I think it weighs like 13 or 14 kg.
Her carbon road bike is probably like 8-10.
It's gonna be shockingly heavier.
Your steel is real meme is absolutely valid but that is if you're gonna do loaded touring. Otherwise you're just being stupid.
Who fucking cares how long her bike lasts? I would be more worried about her not riding it. If she doesn't ride it because it's too heavy and slow then the Kona Sutra could last for ever!
Doing a custom frame up build for her, as a surprise, with a full retail new frame, is also a absolute fucking minefield. It's not something that even makes sense usually for you to do for yourself.
Is she a roadie? Has she done 100km on her road bike? If she's not a roadie then an XC mtb might make more sense. If she is a roadie then as she has said, a sporty gravel bike, which as i've said is also just any disc road bike which fits 35s which is practically all of them.
As for her current road bike 'riding like shit' well it shouldn't. You should overhaul it before you do a custom frame up build. If that just means neither of you like narrow tire road bikes then fair. But a bearing refresh, recable, and a tire upgrade and a basic bike fit might change everything on that one too. If that's daunting to you absolutely do not try to build her a custom bike.
