The gravel category has reached an interesting, and perhaps inevitable, point in its evolution. What began as cycling's answer to the n-1 bike has gradually fractured into a collection of increasingly specialised subcategories. Riders are now routinely asked to choose between aerodynamic race bikes built for podiums and adventure rigs capable of disappearing into the wilderness for days at a time.

Take, for example, the evolution of the Specialized Crux. Once celebrated for its versatility and cyclocross roots, the latest version has evolved into something closer to a fat-tyred Tarmac, prioritising speed, efficiency and aerodynamics above all else. At the opposite end of the spectrum sit slacked-out bikes with suspension forks, mountain bike geometry and huge tyre clearances, to the point where they're often little more than hardtails with drop bars attached.

In specialising, most new gravel bikes have drifted away from the all-round versatility that defined the category in the first place. Yet a handful of brands still seem interested in solving the original gravel equation: building a true all-rounder. Look believes its newest gravel platform, the G85 Cezal, is exactly that.

"The G85 Cezal is a fast and versatile carbon bike designed for all-around gravel rides, bridging the gap between amateur racing and long-distance adventure," says the French manufacturer.

"Amateur racing" is a curious positioning. After all, Look ambassador Russell Finsterwald has spent much of the season racing the G85 Cezal at some of gravel's biggest events, including Unbound Gravel and The Traka. He even opened the year with victory aboard the bike at Belgian Waffle Ride Arizona, so it's clearly at home at the sharp end of modern gravel racing as well.

On paper, the G85 Cezal appears to sit directly between gravel's increasingly polarised identities. It combines progressive geometry, generous tyre clearance and suspension-corrected design with the responsiveness and efficiency traditionally associated with Look's road-racing pedigree. Look has not, however, placed much emphasis on aerodynamics, which are becoming increasingly important across the vast, flatter stretches of Kansas and Girona.

Is there still a place for an all-rounder gravel bike in today's market? I rode the Look G85 Cezal for several weeks across Oregon's fast gravel roads, chunky doubletrack, technical singletrack and long mixed-surface days to find out.

Meet the Cezal

At The Traka and Unbound this year, we witnessed a purposeful move away from versatility in the pursuit of all-out speed. Big tyre clearance is in, yes, but other rider-friendly features such as round seatposts, 2x compatibility, cockpit options, suspension-fork compatibility and even in-frame storage have largely disappeared from the latest race machines, including the Specialized Crux 5, unreleased Factor and Giant prototype.

The G85 Cezal, therefore, stands out because it deliberately leans into versatility. It's also a significant departure from the French brand's previous gravel efforts, which sat decidedly on the road side of the spectrum.

The G85 Cezal arrives with a geometry, feature set and aesthetic that place it firmly within the modern progressive gravel conversation.

There's a slack 70-degree head angle paired with a relatively short wheelbase, a large front triangle with ample storage options, 50mm tyre clearance (57mm in the fork), integrated frame cable routing paired with a semi-integrated cockpit and boatloads of versatility built into the platform.

1x or 2x drivetrains, suspension forks, wireless or mechanical groupsets, a 27.2mm round seatpost, integrated storage and stack and reach figures that accommodate a wide range of cockpit options – the G85 Cezal is yours to configure however you see fit.

"With the G85 Cezal, we wanted to move away from the white lines and marginal gains, returning to why we ride in the first place: expression... This bike doesn't ask you to follow a path or a trend; it adapts to your style, your terrain and your rules," said Romain Simon, Bike Product Manager at Look.

While part of me feels this bike may be two or three years behind the curve, it's refreshing that the Cezal was purposefully not designed for the pointy end of racing and therefore comes with features the average consumer – racer or not – will very much appreciate.

"Early on in my conversations with Look, it became clear they were serious about re-entering the gravel space. The G85 Cezal delivers on that in a big way," said racer Russell Finsterwald. "It checks all the boxes of a modern gravel bike: generous tyre clearance, geometry corrected to accommodate a suspension fork and a racy platform."

Specs:

• UDH compatible
• Internal downtube storage
• Bottom bracket: T47
• Suspension-corrected geometry
• Tyre clearance: 700 x 50 rear, 700 x 57 fork. 45mm in a 2x setup
• Wheels: FULCRUM Soniq Carbon 2WF
• Tyres: Hutchinson Touareg 700X45C
• Seatpost: LOOK LS1 UD Carbon - 27.2mm
• Cockpit: DEDA SuperZero Gravel Alloy & LOOK LS3 stem
• Drivetrain options: The test bike came with a 13-speed SRAM Force AXS XPLR groupset and retails for £6,190 / $7,500. LOOK also offers builds with Shimano's GRX Di2 2x option and GRX 1x mechanical set up. The latter is priced at £3,499 / $4,300. Framesets retail for £2,300 / $2,750.

The Ride

First things first: the G85 Cezal has presence.

The roomy front triangle, rounded lines, purple-speckled paint and contrasting red graphics make it a bike that demands a second look. Personally, I love it. In a sea of increasingly monochrome gravel bikes, the Look feels unapologetically fun.

Secondly, it's respectably light. Despite topping out at a SRAM Force XPLR build rather than the flagship SRAM Red groupset, my test bike tipped the scales at 8.5kg ready to ride, complete with bottle cages.

I rode this bike on all my favourite local loops, as well as a big day in the Columbia Gorge where I battled the infamous headwinds from start to finish. What stood out almost immediately was how at home I felt on the bike.

Half an hour into my first ride, I knew we were going to get along. And that feeling came down largely to the handling.

The Cezal is lively.

In the pursuit of stability, tyre clearance and off-road capability, too many gravel bikes have become muted. They're smooth and competent, certainly, but not always particularly engaging to ride. The G85 Cezal is an exception, and one that I, as a former cyclocrosser, very much appreciate.

The bike accelerates eagerly, carries speed well and responds instantly to rider input. There's a responsiveness that's clearly influenced by Look's road-racing heritage. Yet unlike many road-derived gravel bikes, that responsiveness never comes at the expense of control.

The slacker front end and generous tyre clearance bring confidence once the terrain becomes rougher or the descents more technical. On loose surfaces, the bike remained composed and predictable, but never dull.

What impressed me most was how seamlessly it adapted to whatever ride I asked of it.

It's steady on climbs and efficient on long drags into a headwind. It's controlled on loose surfaces but still playful enough to encourage the occasional singletrack detour. It feels equally comfortable lining up for a gravel race, heading out for an all-day adventure or taking the long way home simply because a trail looks interesting.

In short, it's fun and capable.

And that's a difficult balance to strike. Most bikes excel at one thing and merely tolerate the rest. The Cezal genuinely seems to enjoy all of it.

The versatility of the platform only reinforces that impression. Thanks to the 27.2mm round seatpost, suspension-corrected geometry and generous tyre clearances, riders can tailor the bike to suit their priorities. Racers can keep things relatively lean and efficient, while riders interested in rougher terrain, underbiking adventures or backcountry exploration have plenty of room to experiment.

For those looking to race vast courses like Unbound Gravel, it is important to note that one thing the Cezal doesn't do is chase aerodynamic gains.

There are no aero talking points, no truncated tube profiles and no obvious attempts to squeeze marginal gains from the wind tunnel.

Instead, the emphasis remains firmly on ride quality, handling and versatility. It can race, but it's made for riding.

Whether that's a disadvantage depends entirely on your priorities, but it feels refreshingly confident in a market increasingly focused on optimisation.

Value & Verdict

So is there still a place for an all-rounder gravel bike in today's gravel market?

After several weeks aboard the G85 Cezal, I'd argue there's more need for one than ever. While much of the category has split into increasingly specialised race and adventure machines, the Cezal is a reminder that most riders don't neatly fit into either camp. Most of us simply want a bike that's fun, capable and versatile enough to handle whatever ride we have planned that day.

At $7,500 for the SRAM Force XPLR build tested here, the G85 Cezal is still an investment, but it feels appropriately priced. You'll get a lot of bike for the money, with a decent build.

What makes it so good is its refusal to chase extremes.

It's light and lively without feeling twitchy, stable without feeling dull, fast enough to pin on a race number, versatile enough for an all-day adventure and capable enough to make questionable route choices along the way.

Riders focused purely on racing or, conversely, on multi-day expeditions will find more specialised options elsewhere. But if I were shopping for a new gravel bike tomorrow, the G85 Cezal would be on my shortlist.

I'm a big fan of Standert, the German brand. It occupies an interesting space, offering the exclusive feel of a boutique custom builder combined with the reach of a mainstream brand. This sweet spot ensures genuinely enthusiast-owned thinking, progressive design, and exquisite details. While not cheap, the bikes offer great value for riders who appreciate well-conceived aesthetics and design.

Standert build bikes, such as the Pfadfinder and Kreissäge RS, that appeal to "proper riders"—the kind with a discerning taste for the finer things that assist ones lifestyle in the urban environment – perhaps for those carrying a Leica or who are selective about their coffee. While Standert undeniably have a "hipster" aesthetic, this is backed up by real substance in the design of their bikes.

It also likes playing in areas where others see less value. Aluminium for example is a premium choice for Standert’s engineers, not junior to composites. That’s relevant here as we’re testing its stainless steel gravel frame, the Erdgeschoss.

Stainless is expensive though, right? Well, not at Standert it seems. And if it’s cheap, that begs the question, how, and where have the corners been cut? I got hold of one for weeks of testing, and spent a huge part of that staring at the loveliness of the thing, and this is what I found out.

Design details

Standert’s work definitely stands out. It's had a full rack of frames in London’s Via Atelier store since it opened—a shop adjacent to Meta and Google Campus (read: pretty on trend). It’s possibly one of London’s most progressive and design-forward bike shops, and arguably the perfect place to nurture a community who don’t need their arms twisted to love high-end Berlin design.

Unsurprisingly, it's very obvious what this bike is and isn’t. It's not a beginner bike. It's designed to look fast standing still, and it absolutely does, even by gravel bike standards. You could be forgiven for thinking it’s a fairly hardcore road bike with fat tyres on it.

Unlike Cinelli’s XCR bike, which I reviewed recently, this one leaves you in no doubt about what it’s made from. It’s resplendent in largely bare stainless steel, lacquered over for protection and to lock in some of the lovely details. These include the Chinese cat emblem and some great typographical elements that feel like grown-up versions of the cool stickers you wanted to see on bikes when you were a kid. In that sense, it is very Masonic—like a Mason bike, that is, not like a mystery business person from the similarly named lodges.

Bosses are evident everywhere you’d need them, and the bike overall looks like something fast, purposeful, and very practical, built with the intention of going hard.

What’s less convincing is how Standert has managed to do all this for the ticket price and I was initially concerned that there must be a catch?

Specifications

The spec sheet delivers no surprises or obvious answers to my cynical questions, just good gear that's designed to work properly. Like the DT Swiss GRC1400 wheels with its 30mm internal width. It's all the wheel you’d need in a bike like this, and nothing excessive that you perhaps don’t.

The fork is from Columbus, with rack bosses shot in and even a hole for routing a dynamo cable. Combined with the beautifully yet classically considered stays out back, it offers a full 50mm of tire clearance, or 54mm if you go old school and fit 650b’s. The tyres are Pirelli’s excellent Cinturatos. They’re knobbly enough for nearly anything and fast-rolling too. They’re an excellent and versatile choice that seems to stick to the script nicely.

Tape and saddle are premium branded items from Fizik, though whether you like them or not depends entirely on you, so I won’t dwell on those. They are at least of excellent quality, feel great, and suit the bike.

Reliable Zipp Service Course SL components make up the conventional-looking but spot-on cockpit, and SRAM’s near-perfect Force AXS Groupset (with powermeter) supplies the forward drive. You could be forgiven for thinking that's all a bit boring, because it is, in the sense that it’s all about efficiency and utility.

The flourishes that make this bike a little more exciting are less obvious. The Chris King inset-7 headset, for example, which should last you forever if you look after it, and the beautifully made and finished sliding dropout.

Hang on, a sliding dropout? What on earth is that for on a geared bike, I hear you scream? Well, this is where the bike gets interesting. The dropout gives you a measure of adjustment in the wheelbase. This is coupled with a flip chip in the fork that enables you to slow down or speed up the steering. Now, ordinarily, I’d say flip chips are a waste of time. Not because they’re not a good idea, but because 99% of people never, ever touch them, much less know why they might.

But while Standert fans might be fashionable sorts, they also stroke me as the kind of riders who might actually appreciate the adjustment, and here it feels like the right kind of approach. Not least because the sliding dropout is really beautifully done and finished. It's the kind of detail your geeky mates will want to chat to you about, when they ask what the tubes are made of at the coffee stop.

There are no Columbus stickers on the frame, no Reynolds badge, not 953, not XCR, nothing but a nicely designed label that simply reads ‘Superthin Stainless Steel’.

My assumption was that this frame, some 1950g in claimed weight, was made with straight-gauge tubing—some cheap gear masquerading as something it wasn’t. It was, in fact, the very first thing I pushed the brand on when discussing the bike.

However, rather than satisfying myself that I’d found the reason why this bike seemed so cheap, I was left with no doubt that Standert really does understand its materials.

The tubing is off-the-shelf, as it were, much like almost all stainless tubing is, but it’s made by a very well-respected factory in Taiwan, and is made much in the same way as the very best stainless steel tubing. It was also not straight-gauge, but in fact, double-butted. Now, Columbus XCR and Reynolds 953 are available in triple-butted form. But even Columbus themselves would caution against using XCR for a hardcore gravel frame, depending on the use case. So it seems perfectly fit for the purpose. The lack of 'extra' butting to get it to lightest 'triple' status seems sensible, and accounts for the extra grams, over a similar road frame.

So far, in my quest to find the holes in the Erdgeschoss argument I was STILL drawing a blank.

Peformance

I was sure however I'd find that evidence in the frame's performance: heavy, unrefined, all show and no go. What I found was the exact opposite.

The tubing is oversize, according to the definition, but nowhere near that of some steel bikes with big square oval downtubes and meaty stays. The stays are relatively large here, as is required on a frame that’s designed to take a beating, but the relatively skinny main frame tubes feel alive and zinging. I strongly believe you can’t hide poor frame design with large tyres, and as such, you can definitely feel the feedback in a frame, or the opposite if the communication is poor, regardless of how large the tyres might be. This frame is the perfect case in point.

It is alive with good vibrations and positive feedback, and for a bike of this type, it could be considered perfect. It’s not likely as stiff as a plastic road platform, but it’s perfectly balanced for the type of bike that this is. You certainly don't feel any sense that you're giving anything away in the frame, and in fact, it feels the complete opposite.

The geometry helps. And on paper, I was a little non-plussed. It read like a Cyclocross bike from ten years ago. And despite a reasonable and informed interest in frame geometry, I thought perhaps Standert was blindly warming over an old design here, and that they might have missed an opportunity to follow the trends. It absolutely has not.

Having talked to the engineers, the Cyclocross DNA of the bike has been kept very deliberately. Where a more modern interpretation might put you more ‘in’ the bike, with a lower bottom bracket, this one has the effect of making you feel perched on it, with all the grin-inducing flickability that goes with it. If I was going to commute on something in London again, it would be this bike. It changes direction like a scalded cat, with pretty lively handling that belies its long wheelbase and relatively gravelly front end. Again, for a newbie, or someone who wants something reassuring, this is probably not the bike for you. But for an enthusiast who knows their bikes and likes getting rowdy on them, the geo feels really fun and addictive, and it’s perfect for a bike with these intentions.

Having ridden the thing in anger, I discussed the geometry with the team who designed this bike, and it transpires that it is the most ‘owned’ bike at the Standert office, and I’m not surprised. It’s a heap of fun to ride.

Value

Who’s got £6.5k to spend on a gravel bike, or a lairy commuter? Not me. But let’s suppose I did for a moment.

If I wanted to buy almost any other stainless steel frame, this is the cheap option.

Frame only, it’s £2499. With Force and all the kit on this particular spec bike, it’s certainly not at the cheaper end, but it’s also not wholly unreasonable when you consider what you're getting.

I’ll set out my case.

Another German brand, Canyon, can sell you a Grizl CF9, with the same wheels but loaded with ECLIPS and a ton of really cool integration. It also has a full SRAM Red AXS groupset, all for the same price. That’s pretty compelling alongside this relatively conventional build. On paper it blows it out of the water in fact. So it may really depend on the sort of customer you are.

But let’s assume you’re a Standert customer. You like your coffee, call a camera lens your glass, and wish you could get into Berghain. But you can actually ride a bike. Then, in that case, a top-of-the-line Canyon Grizl is still just a Canyon Grizl. It is to a Munich badged 190, a Mondeo ST.

To view it through that Meta/Google/Berlin lens, a different way, this is a very special-looking bike, with a huge amount of charm and more aesthetic interest than almost anything else on the market, made in a true "forever" material. Made, in terms of attention to detail and quality in the fabrication, really, really well.

The only potential downsides are the lack of proprietary electronic gubbins available elsewhere, and a modest groupset downgrade. When you consider that SRAM Force and the top-tier Red function and perform in exactly the same way, this Standert starts to feel like a much smarter and sexier choice. Add in the lively handling, and you have a very seriously well-built bike constructed for skids, wheelies, off-road fun, or absolutely killing the commute. You can do that on a Canyon, but it’s just not going to be this fun or quite the same stripped back experience.

As I stretch for a negative, I'd have to urge you to ignore the weight. It doesn’t matter. If you want a metal bike, go buy this one. If you haven’t tried a metal bike, go buy this one. If you need a gravel bike and want to have a ton of fun, go buy this one.

Old-school geometry, materials, and thinking, brought bang up to date. Dressed like it’s from the nineties, like all the cool kids are these days anyway. There really isn’t a catch. It’s brilliant.

I've said it once, and I'll say it a thousand times: if you buy one bike, make sure it can do more than just one thing.

While we all love the feeling of whizzing along the roads at top speed on two wheels, the ability to ride anywhere, with anything, will add far more cycling to your life than just an aero or lightweight one-hit wonder.

One of the best gravel bikes, or even one of the best commuting bikes, will often provide this service - one happy off-road and the other happy loaded up with cargo. But what if you combined the two into some kind of gravel-utility mash-up - one bike to do it all? Well, the Whyte Tourus light gravel and utility bike is just that.

Design details

The design team at Whyte has firmly drawn on its mountain and gravel biking heritage when laying out the Tourus concept.

In fact, Tourus means stability, practicality, and tireless, and it also refers to the bull that called away Europa in Greek mythology - making me wonder which came first - the bike or the name.

Astronomy and mythology aside, Whyte says the Tourus was developed specifically to be comfortable, predictable, and prepared for every eventuality, with or without cargo loads.

According to the brand, the long-reach 6061 alloy frame, paired with a short stem and wide bars, will boost comfort and confidence, while a custom offset on the fork helps keep the steering light and 'fresh'.

To achieve this result, the brand employs what it calls 'Total Geometry', a proprietary concept that uses a holistic approach to bike design. Effectively, this means the whole bike is developed in unison, not just as the sum of its parts, with, according to Whyte, no angle or measurement taken in isolation, and components partnered in the development stage, not as an afterthought. Whyte says it even factors in full water bottles and, in the case of the Tourus, loaded luggage, which can be easily added using the many integrated mounting points.

This assumes that you stick to its designated riding classification system, which, in the case of the Tourus, is defined under the '2-cross' category. This means it's been designed to be ridden on roads, tarred cycle lanes, or gravel/earthy surfaces - think canal towpaths and the more benign bridalways.

Diving deeper into the specifics of how the Tourus delivers on these ride promises, you'll see that, when compared to other popular gravel bike-packing bikes (in a size small), it has a longer-than-average wheelbase (1072mm) and chainstays (445mm), and a relaxed head tube angle (70°).

Lining this up directly with the likes of a Canyon Grizl or Specialised Diverge, the Tourus will be more balanced under load, but consequently not aimed at riding tight trails at speed.

Specifications

Looking across the whole spec, the Whyte team has clearly thought hard about how to squeeze the most out of a largely set price point, and I'm impressed to see Shimano GRX throughout. It's 'just' the 10-speed edition, but again, thinking of a fully loaded bike, Whyte has chosen a double chainset (46-30T) to pair with the wide-range cassette (11-34T). It's even thought of braking under load by equipping the hydraulic disc brakes with an 180mm front rotor and a 160mm rear. Oh, and riding too, with the installation of high-volume Maxxis 45mm Reaver Tanwall tyres.
Of course, there will be some compromises. The unbranded 23mm internal tubeless-ready alloy rims threaded with stainless-steel spokes and unbranded hubs are probably the biggest. Elsewhere, the more usual concessions of alloy bars and stems, seatpost and saddle are also deployed to keep costs minimal.

These savings in the budget do have a knock-on effect on weight, with the bike, without any loads, hitting 11.2kg/24.6lbs on the scales for a size small.

Performance

I've been riding the Whyte Tourus for a few months now, and it's safe to say it's become the most-used bike in the garage. It's ridden daily for the station commute, has been on gravel rides, and even on the epic school-run pickup.

It's proven itself to be an incredibly comfortable steed, and despite the 'light' gravel heading, I've challenged it with tougher terrains. The predictable handling and stability, combined with fat tyres, have meant it's coped incredibly well over the rough stuff. I'd even put money on the bike tackling more extreme terrain if you swapped out the tyres for something with a little more tread - a noticeable absence when trying to navigate mud or wet grass, the only real times when I found the bike's limit.

On the flat, the bike taps along at a contented speed. Clearly it's no aero race bike, but it's also far from a Dutch shopper - meaning that once you've got it turning, it will happily chip away at around 12 or 13 miles an hour without problems.

Likewise on the descents. I live in a pretty hilly area, and I've never once had to drop anchor, thanks to the bike's ability to handle roads and trails at speed.

The downside of living in a hilly area is that I also have to navigate many climbs. This is where the weight penalty is mostly felt. The double chainring and wide spread of gears help massively, and I'm yet to find a hill I haven't conquered - it's just that you have to do so very slowly. Riding the bike laden with luggage would require even more patience - but that's sort of the aim with the Tourus. It's not designed for bashing out miles hell-for-leather; it honestly feels like a lesson in how to slow down and actually just enjoy riding a bike.

It's been a while since I was on mechanical shifting, and it's a good reminder that analogue shifting is still just as good as you remember it to be, even if I'm already aware of the need to tighten the barrel adjuster to make the gears shift as sweetly as they did when it was box-fresh.

I've not braved the bike-packing aspect of the Tourus. I'm currently still suffering the occasional sub-zero night, and on Sunday it snowed again - but when the weather does warm up, the bike will be the perfect antidote to our high-speed lives with a slow cruise out to a Peak District (UK) campsite or camping barn.

Value

With even the more modest bikes on the market coming in at £2.5k+, seeing a full bike with this specification at the £1200 mark is really refreshing.

But it's more than the initial outlay. Factoring in cost per ride, the Whyte Tourus has, in just a few months, already become one of the cheapest bikes I've ridden - and that's not even accounting for all the car running costs that the bike has also saved me, as it genuinely is such an easy bike to hop on as a car alternative.

In fact, for most of the short rides I don't even don bike kit, wearing whatever I have on, so I can attest to being able to ride in hareem pants, jeans (with a trouser clip) and even a mini-skirt and not feel self-conscious about an unspoken dress code that a speedier two-wheeled machine implies. For longer rides, I'll add the lycra tights and jersey and still feel just as at home on the Tourus - it really is that versatile.

Verdict

The Whyte Tourus is a fantastic bike, offering versatility and a variety of riding opportunities.

If you are an adventurous gravel rider, it's highly likely you will discover the bike's limits, in which case it's probably worth plumping for its more rugged sibling, the Whyte Verro, which features a 1x12 SRAM Apex Eagle transmission and a dropper seat post but costs £600 more than the Tourus.

If, however, you are looking for a more relaxed pace of life and the ability to add meander and roam to your riding objectives, then this really is the perfect companion to achieve them on. Just remember that you won't be accomplishing them swiftly - because that's exactly not what the Tourus has been designed to do.

Specs

• Weight: 11.2kg/24.6lbs (size small)
• Frame: 6061 alloy, hydroformed T6 aluminium
• Fork: Whyte straight bladed 6061 alloy
• Groupset: Shimano GRX RD-RX400, 11-34T, 10 speed
• Wheelset: 23mm internal width, tubeless read, Stainless spokes, Alloy, double sealed cartridge bearings, 12mm x 100mm (front) / 12mm x 142mm (rear) thru axle, Centre Lock, 32 hole
• Tyres: Maxxis Reaver Tanwall 700 x 45c,
• Bar/stem: Whyte alloy, +-7° rise, 60mm length (sizes XS-S), 70mm (sizes M-XL)
• Seatpost: Whyte 6061 alloy, 20mm offset, 27.2mm x 350mm, two bolt clamp
• Saddle: Whyte Custom
• Sizes: XS - XL

The Cervelo S5's design language, developed by founders Gerard Vroomen and Phil White, remains clearly visible in Cervelo’s latest work, even long after the company joined the Pon Group.

The deep headtube, boxy downtube, huge bottom bracket, and trademark seat tube that follows the tyre—creating a fairing and the 'snapped back' look—are all present.

Recent independent tests show this vintage design is still incredibly effective at cheating the wind. While this thinking has stood the test of time, and it’s hardly actually vintage, what was once a pro peloton standout now looks understated next to bikes like the Factor One. The S5 template, a technical triumph of iterative design, is now ported to the Aspero-5 gravel race bike.

The Aspero-5 is essentially an S5 for the dirt, responding to the industry's new 'gravel race' category: bikes for fast, sub-four-hour events where aero advantages matter.

At the launch event I attended, Cervelo’s engineers were clear: this was a category no one asked for, yet its existence is a commercial response to the market. The original Aspero was an extremely capable, practical, and aero-enough all-road machine. I initially saw no point in this more S5-like iteration, assuming it was a marketing-led design study to sell to gravel-bike-reluctant road bike consumers. I wanted to hate it, believing the need for the category was completely unassured. I was wrong. More on that later.

Design details

The Aspero-5 adds even more S5 influence to a bike that already borrowed heavily from its design language. At first glance, it could be mistaken for a road bike, perhaps a new Soloist. However, a closer look reveals file-tread balloon tyres, fitted purely for their aero performance, to demonstrate the difference a tyre can make. While interesting, these are not truly gravel tyres, but they look awesome and work brilliantly on the road.

My test bike was finished in a stealthy black lacquer with a black decal. It also comes in Royal Mercury (pearl grey) and a flat Blue Nitrate. The handlebar and stem look more road than gravel in fact, with an out-front bar section designed for multiple hand positions. Crucially, the stem integrates neatly but does not fully conceal the cables internally. This is a clear, practical nod to Aspero customers, saving them from costly headset bearing changes and cable wear— and an approach more road and gravel bikes should follow.

Specifications

This bike is loaded with fancy kit, and bolt ons but the groupset spec sheet suggests this bike is a race homologation model, or more likely, given we don't have such a thing in cycling, pitched at the top end. Force, the second from top tier SRAM option, is the entry level here.

The bike is strictly 1x only—a deliberate, clean-looking design choice suited to its race intent. Although you could build your own 2x set up as there is a concealed front mech braze on mount. Gearing is similarly race-focused: 48t with a 10-52 cassette (SRAM Force or Red) or 10-51 (Shimano GRX 825 Di2). They could have selected different gearing here, but this set up is spot on.

The wheelset is the in-house Reserve 40mm depth, ideal for most gravel situations. The top-spec bike uses the benchmark DT Swiss 240 hub—the best choice for easy servicing, superior geometry, and excellent weather sealing. The lower-spec 350 hub on the Force and Shimano options is nearly as good. The wheels felt strong and responsive in operation, and are a really nice build.

Tyre clearance is just 45mm. Next to more recently designed bikes that accommodate mountain bike rubber, this feels restrictive. However, 45mm is ample for the fast gravel conditions where this bike excels. The supplied Vittoria Corsa Pro Control TLR G2.0 700x42c tyres roll like road tyres but are only suitable for dry, champagne gravel or the road; they performed poorly in the wet, resulting in a crash.

Regardless of tyre choice, I should warn against using the Aspero-5 in sticky mud. The kind that plagues anyone, almost all year here in the UK. Whilst there is clearance for width, the tyre hugging design of the seat tube will pick up and retain stones, and will likely get blocked with clay-type mud, very quickly. Bear this in mind if you're used to sliding around single-track and need something a little more open in it's design.

The bike comes in six sizes (48 to 61cm). Framesets are £5,250 / $5,500, and the highest spec is £10,250 / $12.600. This price is steep, but includes a Cervélo out-front mount, rear accessory mount, in-frame storage with a neoprene roll, a bento box-style top tube bag, two Arundel Mandible carbon bottle cages, and a Hammerhead Karoo 3 head unit.

My size 56 test bike has a front end notably higher than an S5, closer to the Soloist in numbers, if you disregard the bigger clearance and longer wheelbase. Compared to the standard Aspero, the head tube angle is slackened from 72 to 71.6 degrees, the seat tube from 73 to 72.6, and the BB drops 5mm to 80mm. The wheelbase is shorter at 1029mm with 422.5mm chainstays. The 395mm reach is 2mm shorter, and the stack height is 5mm lower at 395mm.

Nothing strange about that on paper perhaps. Except this stack height is the same as a Cannondale Super Six Evo, and the trail value (~62.5mm) is in the range of fast road bikes like the BMC Teammachine. This confluence in numbers hints at why this bike is special, and whilst it might not have the clearance for UK quagmires, assigning it to gravel only, and not using this on the road too might be selling it short.

Performance

Let me get a spoiler out of the way right up front. Despite my initial desire to dislike it, I love this bike.

What Pon achieves with its vendors in Taiwan, evident in the Aspero-5, is extraordinary. The S5-like aero shapes should compromise ride quality, yet they don't. I'd argue it rides better than the standard Aspero, a credit to the iterated layup and S5 learnings. Even with 28mm road tyres inflated high, the ride was dreamy compared to other bikes with similar tube proportions, demonstrating meticulous attention to the carbon layup.

This refinement is a key difference when compared to the Factor Aluto and 3T Racemax, two bikes we tested alongside the Aspero-5, whose manufacturing methods (for example, the 3T's is made using a braided carbon process) can limit tuning precision.

The Aspero-5's ride quality competes directly with the Factor, which has much skinnier tubes – a bonkers achievement given the once-presumed-unyielding nature of large aero shapes.

The bike excels everywhere. It’s less an excellent gravel bike and more an excellent all-road bike with extensive gravel capability. I disagree with the commonly held view that the 45mm tyre clearance is a fatal limitation when the performance compromise is this minimal. I don't have a wind tunnel, but my comparative efforts show this frame rewards you with less effort—it feels wickedly fast and is addictive.

Reach feels better than in the Factor, with the front end easier to lift for me, adding to the fun, but that is very fit dependent. The 3T Racemax Italia

The balance across the available numbers gives lovely handling akin to a road bike, anchored by a slightly-longer-than-road geometry out back, it keeps it flying and fun.

This bike strikes a better balance for mixed-surface riding than both the Aluto and the 3T, although there’s not much in it. The 3T has the lowest trail value, but the slightly more upright riding position on that bike made it feel more rowdy, and easier to lift on rough trails, so it is arguably the better bike on really rough stuff. And the Factor beats both, because whilst no roomier really in terms of tyre clearance, it's design means you're much less likely to get stones and mud jammed in the frame. So it’s fair to say the three bikes I tested are very close.

Value

With a frameset costing £5250 / $5,500 it's hard to call it good value, but it's comparable to the Enve Fray and other bikes here on test, and comes with big brand kudos and accessories like the fancy Mandible cages. It also has a significantly considered aero template in the frame, which the other two either don’t have to the same extent in the case of the Factor, or in the case of the 3T, seem to rely on the ‘older’ version of the same concept.

Where it does start to look like very good value is against the S5, being £2,000 cheaper in the UK. This bike flatters your riding, feels both neutral and fun, and unlike the S5, can be taken off-road. You can stick a chocolate bar in the down tube too, so what’s not to like.

Verdict

If you're buying a Cervelo, choose the Aspero-5 over the S5 or Soloist. For minimal off-road work, just fit road tyres. With 32mm or 34mm tyres, you'll be riding in luxury and chasing down S5s. There is no higher-tech, slipperier, or better option in this test; it is my winner.

It might share its name with the original Rave SLR, but the Wilier Rave SLR ID2 is designed for all-out racing on gravel roads, not all-roading adventures like its forebear. As expected of a contemporary gravel machine, aerodynamics is a large part of its modus operandi, but Wilier has made it clear that the Rave SLR ID2 is as much about speed as it is off-road capability – attributes that now go hand in hand.

Modern gravel racing has become increasingly technical, and to succeed against its rivals, Wilier needed to create a bike that was not only fast but also able to temper the demands on both the body and the bike.

The result is impressive to say the least, but with so many manufacturers now moving towards suspension forks or at least offering provision for it, does the Wilier Rave SLR ID2 have what it takes to hold its own in a radically shifting gravel bike genre?

Design details

The Rave SLR ID2 is available in four colourways and two finishes, matte or glossy. The colour naming conventions are pretty complex, but in simple terms, the bike can be optioned in green and cream (matte), and purple and black (glossy). Our test bike came outfitted in the latter, a shade Wilier calls V11 Glitch Black. The visual treatment of the bike, according to Wilier, ‘is inspired by the energy of underground culture and the digital icons of the 1990s’.

It looks spectacular, and the brushed aluminium-look wordmark logos pop nicely against the black frame.

Wilier spent a lot of time shaping and tweaking the frameset you see here – it’s a result of innumerable hours of wind tunnel testing and CFD modelling at Wilier’s Innovation Lab in Rossana, Veneto, Italy. The frame is very much in line with contemporary Italian aero gravel bike design, utilising NACA tube blueprinting and time-trial bike influences to shape it. This is evident in the widened downtube (introduced to hide the water bottles) and the Supersonica time trial bike-like fork profile.

According to Wilier, this results in a 5.3-watt saving at 35km/h compared with the previous Rave SLR model. This may not sound like much, but when ridden in anger, particularly at an average power of 350w over 70km, there’s a saving of over 50 seconds to be had.

The rear end, particularly the seat tube cut-out, has also been significantly updated to now house a 52mm tyre (2.1in) – a must given the gnarlier tracks gravel races now traverse. Matched to 423mm chainstays, the 1,031mm wheelbase is shorter than before but in line with racier gravel bikes such as the Cannondale SuperX and Specialized Crux. The geometry overall feels more road bike-like than gravel bike, but this has become the running theme across the racier end of the spectrum. For context, our size large test bike has a 71-degree head angle and a 73.5-degree seat angle, not quite parallel but close enough to suggest predictable, stable handling. The reach and stack are rated at 391 mm and 570mm, respectively, which are again, very racy.

While there’s a fair amount of mounting points on the bike, including a slew of bottle bosses on the downtube (in the main triangle and underneath), and Bento box points on the top tube, there’s a lack of provision for bags, mudguards, and other storage options. This comes as no surprise, given the bike’s racy intentions, but you’d still expect a couple of bosses on the forks to improve utility if you like to go long.

Specifications

The Rave SLR ID2 is available in a variety of groupset options, including high-end builds from Campagnolo and SRAM. Our bike came fitted with SRAM Force XPLR AXS, complete with a direct-mount rear mech. Sharing much of its architecture with Red XPLR AXS, save for a small weight penalty, there’s not much of a tangible difference between the two groupsets. A 42T chainset, complete with 170mm cranks, drives a 10-46T cassette, providing a good, usable range over a variety of terrain. I’m surprised by the press-fit bottom bracket, given the filthy conditions gravel bikes endure, but during my month-long test term with the Rave SLR ID2, I didn't experience any creaking coming from the area.

There’s a fair bit of in-house kit, too, including the Ritchey/Wilier Barra S2 alloy bar and Filante seatpost. As expected, Wilier has stuck with Miche to keep it rolling – in this instance, a pair of Graff Aero 48 shod in 45mm Schwalbe G-One R Pro TLR tyres. The build is rounded off by a Prologo Dimension AGX saddle and handy rubber chainstay protector.

The total build comes in at 8.45kg (without pedals), which is not particularly heavy for a gravel race bike, but still notably heavier than some of its sub-8kg rivals. The Rave is 1x-only compatible and comes with a UDH rear dropout.

Performance

Speed is the Rave SLR ID2’s secret weapon. It’s seriously fast on the open road, able to devour mile upon mile without much effort – even on chonkier surfaces. The riding position feels a lot like a road bike, and some may enjoy stitching in sections of tarmac on their training rides as a result, but the bike is best suited to dirt roads.

Despite the stiff bottom bracket and head tube, overall frame compliance is top-notch, as is the front-end response and control, which help absorb trail chatter and high-frequency bumps. This, matched to the Miche Graff Aero 48 wheels and 45mm tyres, allows you to bulldoze your way through washboard with very little discomfort and speed loss – the wheels are excellent. Grip is plentiful, and this supplies confidence in spades, allowing you to manoeuvere through downhill singletrack with ease. Of course, the extra agility afforded by the wheelbase can also be credited here.

As an aside, I did run the Rave with 50mm Vittoria Terreno T50 tyres to test whether this had any bearing on trail purchase and ride quality. The difference was significant enough to suggest wider is better on the Rave, as is comfort – all out speed didn’t feel negatively impacted.

Even on paved surfaces, the Rave SLR ID2 manages to hold speed with little to no struggle. Having recently trained and raced on the Cannondale SuperX Lab71, I was amazed by how much more comfortable the bike was at speed and over bumpier terrain. While difficult to quantify, its stability at speed and ability to glide over uneven surfaces add a sense of assurance that is missing from much of the competition.

Of course, the Rave SLR ID2 is notably heavier than some of its rivals at 8.45kg, and you can feel this on the steeper inclines, but it manages to flatten bumps thanks to the 42T, 10-46T gearing, which is ideal for most gravel settings. While a 44- or even 46T would better suit those who live in flat, rolling areas, not once did a spin out on the 42T – in fact, I think it's a goldilocks chainring size for lumpy areas where speed is high on the whole.

Like the SuperX, it’s not compatible with a suspension fork, and given where the gravel segment is going, I think this is a missed opportunity on Wilier’s part, but it’s not a deal-breaker. The ability to run tyres as wide as 2.1in makes up for this in part.

Value

Wilier has done an impressive job with the Rave SLR ID2, delivering a race-honed gravel platform with a wide range of price points and specification levels to meet most riders' needs. Not only is it one seriously fast machine, but it also dismisses climbs and flats in equal measure; it’s got one of the best ride qualities in the segment, thanks to the large-volume 50mm tyres (upgradable to burlier 2.1in rubber if needed) and frame layup.

At £5,699, the Rave SLR ID2 is one of the most affordable premium-level gravel race bikes on the market, upstaging both the £7,250 Cannondale SuperX 1 and £6,999 Specialized Crux Pro in similar spec. Sure, it’s heavier than both of these models, but based on speed and trail comfort, the Rave SLR ID2 leads the charge here.

In terms of all-out aero, it’s also worth looking at the Cervelo Áspero-5. Not only is it £2,551 dearer than the Rave in Force AXS trim, but it also loses out on the max tyre clearance stakes, too, with a rated 45mm of front/rear clearance. It does, however, feature downtube storage and a threaded bottom bracket, and is widely considered the fastest gravel bike on the market, claiming to be 33 watts faster than its nearest rival at 35km/h.

Having raced Gravel Burn in South Africa and other gravel races here in the UK, having the fastest gravel bike on paper means nothing in the real world – trust me, there’s more to lose when it comes to counting grams and using anything less than 50mm gravel tyres. When the going gets rough, the average rider requires a bike that is able to absorb bumps and corrugations or at least partly mitigate vibration-induced speed loss – and the Rave SLR ID2 delivers all of that in spades. It’s excellent.

Tech spec

• Price: £5,699
• Brand: Wilier
• Frame: Rave ID2, carbon monocoque Hus Mod
• Fork: Rave ID2, carbon monocoque Hus Mod
• Weight: 8.45kg (actual, large)
• Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
• Levers: SRAM Force AXS
• Brakes: SRAM Force AXS
• Rear derailleur: SRAM Force XPLR AXS
• Front derailleur: N/A
• Crankset: SRAM Force XPLR Dub Wide, 42T
• Bottom bracket: SRAM Dub Wide press fit
• Cassette: SRAM Force XPLR 10-46T
• Chain: SRAM Force
• Wheels: Miche Graff Aero 48
• Tyres: 45mm Schwalbe G-One R Pro TLR tyres
• Bar/stem: Ritchey/Wilier Barra S2 alloy
• Seatpost: Wilier Filante
• Saddle: Prologo Dimension AGX

Ribble has forged a reputation for producing quality gravel bikes. Since the AL was released in 2021, refinements have been made and now the British marque provides rough-riding steeds for the Ribble Outliers team whose roster includes Sophie Wright and Jenson Young, both big hitters in the international gravel scene.

While the pros ply their trade on the highly race-focussed Ultra-Grit, I was given the opportunity to try the AllGrit Ti X at the National Gravel Championships in Dalby Forest this year, where I rode both the time trial and the 120km race. I’ve also taken the bike out for a 100-mile spin on the road, given it a work-out on the Salisbury Plains and loaded it up with a full complement of cycling luggage. The term jack of all trades is a horrible cliche and would be very easy to use to sign off this intro. Yes, it does perform well across a variety of terrain and disciplines but, in my opinion, it has mastered one…

Frame

Being made from 3Al/2.5V triple-butted titanium tubing it would be criminal to finish the AllGrit frame in anything but polished metal, and Ribble have done just this.

The frame is has bottle cage and luggage bosses galore, which announce the bike’s intentions with a deafening whisper. Yes, as well as being light and compliant the understated AllGrit seamlessly weaves a bikepacking and cycle touring focus into its repertoire. I’ve put these to the test, mounting a seat rack and testing its water bottle capacity with the biggest vessel I could get my hands on, but more of this later. Coupled with a relatively slack headtube angle, a long-ish reach and high stack suggests that long days of adventure riding are front and centre here. But it also comes with a kick…

Specifications

My AllGrit came with a SRAM Rival XPLR AXS groupset, which has been specced for riders who ‘go deep into the wilderness and push hard every mile’. The highlight comes in the shape of 13-speed electronic shifting with a decent range on the cassette – 10-46T – which in the land of (good) gravel should be ample for most riders. A bombproof, fairing protected, rear derailleur brings up the rear daring anything that thinks it’s hard enough to come and have a go. It also includes an inconspicuous spindle-based power meter adding wattage readings to your head unit.

DT Swiss provides an alloy wheelset in the shape of its G1800 Spline hoops. They are shod with the very capable Schwalbe G-One-R performance tyres which, at 45mm, is the maximum clearance width offered by the AllGrit’s seatstays.

The full build comes in at 9.8kg, which combined with a very reasonable level of rigidity, makes it a simple to flick round lanes and fireroads as well as some of the more involved ‘gravel’ parcours we have in the UK.

A rigid carbon fork keeps the build stiff but if you’re planning on more adventurous rides, a Rockshox Rudy Ultimate with 30mm of travel can be specced at the point of sale. I’d personally advise against this however as it will ultimately detract from what the bike really does well…

Performance

As mentioned this bike has been tested over a variety of terrain. My first outing on it was a baptism of fire – an 8.6 mile time trial at the British National Gravel Champs. It was a largely flat course but a series of 90-degree bends made it hard to put down sustained power, and bike handling still remains something that eludes me so it was hard to get a gauge of the bike’s performance.

Fast-forward 24 hours and onto the race proper and I found myself buzzing over champagne gravel with a peloton of my peers. Titanium offers that wonderful blend of rigidity and compliance and while the ground was flat the AllGrit offered up an armchair ride – skimming seamlessly over the loose stones. A 74-degree seat tube angle assisted in sustaining seated power on the course’s myriad ascents while slightly elongated chainstays assisted with fast and technical descents.

So that’s one type of parcours ticked off the list, now let’s look at the surface where this bike shines the brightest. Dalby Forest is something of an outlier in the UK, as it comprises actual real-life gravel. Indeed it’s a true scarcity on these shores. Significantly more common however, is the 'Great British Lane' - simply a road that has been beaten within inches of its existence by tractors, rain and a total indifference from local government to breathe further life into them. Most of my riding, through all four seasons, takes place on these lanes. Carbon is not the best manufacturing material here – if you catch a road divot unawares expect to spend six weeks in traction. Rides become an exercise in avoiding potholes and poor surfaces rather than trying to elicit any kind of training stimulus.

Enter the AllGrit. This bike is custom-designed for speedy rides on rubbish roads. Its point and shoot prerogative makes outings less fumble and more rumble. Yes, this thing barrels over imperfections and makes an utter mockery of them in the process. I’ve completed a number of endurance rides on the AllGrit, all of them road based, and, although a slicker tyre would doubtless add a few mph to the average speed, I’ve felt nothing but comfort and complacence while ticking off 100 milers. I wouldn’t assign it winter-only duties either. For endurance-focussed outings I think I’ve found the perfect bike. Add this to its capacity to accept a seatpack and bar bags so easily and you have what could be (whisper it) the perfect all-road touring machine.

Value

Because it comes with a dazzling spec sheet, the AllGrit Ti-X gets a pretty dazzling price tag. At four grand, though, you get a lot of bike for your buck, and a bike that can do a lot. I’ve ridden dozens of gravel bikes over the last five years and each has their own character. The titanium frame is the AllGrit’s most endearing personality trait but the SRAM groupset gives it that extra shine. The bike’s capacity to be able to swallow luggage shouldn’t be overlooked either. It was a cinch to add a saddle rack using the seatstay bosses and the frame easily took water bottles of up to 880ml.

It’s hard to compare directly to anything else I’ve ridden, but the Santa Cruz Stigmata I tested back in 2023 was incredibly capable on the road and – complete with a full carbon frame and SRAM Rival groupset – retailed at a grand more than the AllGrit. It’s not quite a case of comparing apples with apples but both the Ribble and the Stigmata have a road bias with the former a lot more versatile. In short, I believe the AllGrit represents excellent value for money.

Verdict

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my tenure with this bike, from balmy September through to the darkest mid Winter, it’s been a boon companion on a variety of riding surfaces. However, it shines brightest on the Great British lane.

Specs

• Frame: 3Al/2.5V triple-butted titanium
• Size tested: M/L
• Weight: 9.8kg
• Groupset: SRAM Rival AXS
• Crankset: Rival XPLR AXS E1 PM DUB Wide
• Wheels: DT Swiss
• Tyres: Schwalbe G-One R Performance 45mm
• Brakes: SRAM Rival hydraulic
• Bar/stem: Carbon Gravel Riser Bar Black 38cm - 47cm
• Seatpost: Carbon D-Shape Inline Seatpost
• Saddle: Selle Italia Model X Light FeC

“Haul ass, not cargo”. That's what Cervelo said when it first launched the Aspero back in 2019. Back then, it was in a category of its own in the burgeoning gravel scene, being the only aero race bike while the rest had taken the 'one-bike-for-everything' approach. It had no luggage mounts, sharp geometry and aero tube profiles and applied all of the Canadian brands' know-how on how to make a bike as fast as possible.

Fast forward to 2025, and there's been a general split in gravel between adventure-style bikes and out-and-out race bikes, such as Cervelo's even more extreme Aspero-5 and similar super-focused race bikes like the Pinarello Dogma GR, Bianchi Impulso, and 3T Racemax WPNT.

With the ever-changing market seemingly offering more extreme and fast machines, is there still a place for the Aspero, and how does it compare to the best gravel race bikes?

I spent the past few months on my rocky, fast and sometimes technical Peak District trails, as well as taking a crack at the Gralloch and Graean Cymru to see if it still ‘hauled ass’.

Design details

The Aspero's silhouette is very similar to the original, with subtle tweaks and lay-up differences rather than significant changes. I guess if it's not broke, don't fix it. Unlike the latest Aspero-5, it has a standard bar and stem, internal frame cable routing and more clearance, taking up to a 47mm tyre.

My test bike came in at 8.8kg, with the frame alone weighing a claimed 1,100 grams (size 56), which is plenty light for an off-road model. Style-wise, it looks very similar to other models in the Cervelo range, with aero tube profiles and nicely rounded edges that give it a classy, subtle look.

The fork has an adjustable dropout, which I feel is a little redundant now. It was initially designed to let you swap between 650b and 700c wheels and maintain the trail and, therefore, the handling characteristics when you swapped sizes. It's a clever idea, but seeing as few people use 650b anymore, it's not something I see getting much use. The fork offset switches between 46mm and 51mm on sizes 54 and up; on the 51, it’s between 49 and 54mm; on the 48, it’s between 52 and 57mm, to ensure there's no toe-overlap and handling is consistent across sizes.

The downtube is stout but not overtly oversized and has a neat rubber protector just above the bottom bracket to give you some protection from front wheel rock strikes. Unlike the original, it no longer has BBright press-fit bearings; instead, it goes for the more reliable and easier-to-live-with T47; it's still offset like the original to allow for better chainset alignment and stiffer chainstays.

The chainstays also have neat rubber protectors, and flow smoothly into the seatstays. It has a UDH derailleur hanger, which is not only stiffer and much easier to replace if you damage one, it also opens up the possibility of upgrading to MTB-style mechs should you want a much wider range of gears.

The seat stays are nice and low to add some flex and comfort at the back end by exposing more of the upper section of the seat tube, which follows the curve of the rear wheel, as on other Cervelo aero bikes. It wraps around, covering the width of the tyre, but still has a reasonable amount of clearance.

Specifications

I had the 'entry level' in the UK SRAM Rival AXS build to test, which comes in at £4,400/$5800, though for an extra £600 you get the Reserve 40/44TA GR carbon wheels, which I think, given its speedy intentions, is a worthwhile upgrade for anyone looking to pin a number on.

With a 40t chairing paired to an 11-44 12-speed cassette, it has plenty of range for racing, though you might want to size down the front if you tend to ride lots of steep off-road climbs or fancy some bikepacking. Unfortunately, it uses the cheaper SRAM APEX D1 cassette with a Shimano HG spline, which, though handy if you already have wheels, means it's a heavy cassette and misses out on the 10-tooth sprocket option found on XDR freehub builds, which would give a wider range.

It comes with a standard bar and stem, with cables routed underneath the bar, clipping in under the stem and going down into the frame at the headset. It's a neat setup and makes changing stem lengths to dial in your fit easier than a fully integrated version. The bars are the excellent carbon AB09 bar with a comfortable flat top section and a 16-degree flair, though I'd prefer something narrower than the 40cm specced (measured from lever hoods).

Wheels are from Reserve, and are the 30GR AL. With 30mm-deep rims and a 27mm internal width, they are billed as a no-fuss, bombproof wheelset. They weigh 1,645g, which is ok rather than exceptional, but they do come with Reserves' lifetime warranty for some peace of mind.

Tyre size has increased from previous versions, with a 45mm-wide WTB Vulpine TCS fitted front and rear. A special mention needs to be made for the tubeless valves, too. Whilst not normally the most exciting of components, the Filimore versions specced here allow a much higher volume of air to pass through during inflation, making tricky tubeless set-ups a breeze. It's a design Ive used many times on MTB, so I was pleased to see them used here.

The seatpost is a carbon inline affair, topped by the Prologo Nago R4 PAS with steel rails. It was a comfy set-up for me, with the shorter-nosed saddle fitting much better than the older, more angular versions, though of course, saddle preference is personal.

In keeping with its racy intentions, the Aspero's geometry is closer to that of a road bike, with numbers similar to the brand's Caledonia model but with a longer top tube designed to pair with a shorter stem, a common setup inherited from the MTB world. It gives you more room to move around, shifting your weight as needed when in and out of the saddle. In the 56cm version I had on test, its stack was 580mm and the reach 397mm, which is 7mm lower but 13mm longer than the Pinarello Dogma GR I rode in a 54.5cm, and 2mm lower and 9mm shorter than the equivalent Dark Matter from Argon 18.

The seat angle of 73 degrees and a relatively steep head angle of 72 degrees are also similar to what you'd find on an all-road or endurance road bike. Its wheel base is a touch shorter than you'd typically expect on more relaxed gravel bike at 1,027mm, too. All put together, it's clear this is a gravel bike designed to feel quick and familiar to seasoned road riders.

Performance

Compared to other aero gravel bikes, the Aspero looks much less aggressive; in fact, it seems much more like its endurance road sibling, the Caledonia. I'm a big fan of its clean lines and unfussy graphics, though, and I loved the Marigold yellow colour.

Set up was nice and easy, thanks to the regular bar, stem and seatpost. Dialling in my position was straightforward, too. The original version was pitched as like being an R3 for off-road, and as the R3 disc was one of my favourite bikes of all time, it was no surprise to me that I got on with it straightaway. One possible issue for the more flexible of you out there is that the tall 30mm headset cap limits how low you can get the bars. This wasn't an issue for me, but one to bear in mind for racing snakes who need or prefer a lower position.

For those who have ridden Cervelo road bikes, the ride experience here will feel very familiar; it feels much more like a road bike than other, more adventure-based bikes. Whether that's a good thing largely depends on which end of the gravel spectrum you ride, but for fast, smoother gravel, it's a quick, surprisingly comfortable machine with sharp handling.

By sharp handling, I don't mean it's twitchy, more that it reacts very well to fast inputs and changes of direction. I used it to race the Gralloch and Graen Cymru in north Wales, and despite not having the legs or lungs to trouble the front of the field I never felt the bike was holding me back in anyway. In fact I think its 'road like' handling was a bonus when riding in close quarters with others, enabling me to make quick line changes to avoid the many rocks and holes along the route better than a slower slacker angled bike would have.

It's stable at speed on smoother terrain, though it can get a bit loose and wild on rockier trails, but no more than other racy gravel bikes I've ridden. The tyres spec'd are perfectly good for a wide variety of terrain, though I'd prefer something with a squarer edge on the front for off-camber sections and flat, muddy corners. Of course, tyres are very area- and weather-dependent, so it's not really fair to criticise too much here.

The thing that surprised me most was how comfortable it was considering its speedy intentions. It's not a 'floaty magic carpet ride' as you'd get from a high-end titanium or steel frame, but it's not nearly as harsh or spiky as you might expect. Part of that's due to an upgrade from 40mm to 45mm tyres, as well as the carbon bars that will reduce some trail buzz in your hands, and its updated lay-up tech, too. All this combined gives it a very composed and smooth ride.

Having said that, switching to a carbon wheel on the Aspero makes a big difference. The 30 GR AL are a good, solid wheelset, and if you're the sort of rider who breaks wheels regularly, the lifetime warranty will be music to your ears. But they are a little weighty and don't show off the bike's true potential. If the budget allows, then I'd suggest going for the model above at £5,000 to get the full high-speed experience.

Value

At £4,400, I think it's good value for a gravel race bike. Though of course not cheap, it does compare well to its rivals. Most aero gravel bikes sit at the premium end of the market, and often come with more compromises than I'd like for riding off road, like narrow tyre clearances and awkward proprietary cockpits. This bike isn't encumbered in that those ways at all.

In terms of competitors, it sits in an area of the market with few true rivals, as most aero race bikes are at the higher end of the cost spectrum, but there are a few notable bikes in the same space. The first that comes to mind is the 3T Primo 2 WPNT, which has similar aero design features and retails at £4,173 in a SRAM Rival build with alloy wheels. However, it trumps the Cervelo despite being just under £300 cheaper and still coming built with the latest SRAM XPLR 13 speed version, which has a wider gear range and the latest T-type rear mech fitting system, a discernible benefit over the standard 12 speed version.

Another gravel bike with aerodynamic features is the Wilier Rave, and there is a GRX 1X version that retails at £3,799. Though significantly cheaper and potentially more capable off-road, as it has space for up to 52mm-wide rubber, it foregoes the electronic shifting of the SRAM Rival groupset found on the Cervelo and has a slightly lower-spec alloy wheelset.

Overall, the Aspero sits in a unique spot in terms of price and design, offering a fast ride at a lower cost than many race bikes released this year, but it is still versatile enough for a broad scope of gravel riding. It's a bike I'd happily recommend to anyone looking for a speedy off-road option that would feel familiar to road riders.

Verdict

When it arrived, I was curious to see how the Aspero had changed since the first version was launched, as gravel riders' demands and expectations have moved on a lot since then. I needn't have worried. Its subtle changes and tweaks mean it's still a relevant, fast and surprisingly smooth bike. There are better options for chunkier terrain and bikepacking, but if going fast is what you're after, this bike should be on your list of choices.

When Pinarello officially launched its Grevil F collection last July, it was old news, really. The Italian brand had already quietly rolled a handful of these bikes out at gravel’s biggest stage: Unbound Gravel in Kansas in May. And while the frames were given a branding-free, covert paint job (eye-catching in its own right), the signature wavy fork blades and sinuous tubing were a dead giveaway.

Unbound isn’t where you hide experimental ideas; it’s where you prove them. And Axelle Dubau-Prévot (yes, sister of Tour de France winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot) lined up on one of these unreleased Grevil F and rode it to a top-30 result that weekend.

Fast forward a few months, and teh Grevil was officially unveiled over the summer, and in November, the Grevil F3 finally made its way to me, just in time for some late-fall riding. Muddy, gritty, and properly filthy. Exactly the sort of conditions that make you appreciate things like 50mm tyre clearance.

Meet the new Pinarello Grevil F

While the Pinarello Dogma GR is the light and aero race weapon of choice for riders like Tom Pidcock and Hugo Drechou at shorter events such as the UCI Gravel World Championships, the Grevil F was designed specifically for the long game. Think long, arduous and rough races like Unbound Gravel, The Rift and Gravel Burn, where stability, comfort and efficiency over many hours matter more than outright punch.

The original Grevil has been around since 2018 and was updated in 2021 to accommodate 50mm tyres, making it an early adopter of MTB-sized rubber in the gravel world. That same clearance carries over to the latest generation, along with a series of other endurance-focused features. These include in-frame storage, integrated rack and frame bag options that have been aero-optimised around the frame, and even dedicated gravel TT bars for those ultra-long solo efforts. To that end, the downtube itself has been reshaped to improve aerodynamic efficiency when running 750ml bottles.

Added comfort was also a consideration in the frame design. There's a new adaptive seatpost that offers up to 10mm of longitudinal flex, working in tandem with the revised seatstay shaping to take the edge off rough surfaces over long distances.

Up front, cable routing has moved to Pinarello’s fully integrated TiCR system for a cleaner cockpit, and the Onda fork now comes with size-specific rake options to keep handling consistent across the size range.

The carbon layup structure has also been expanded into a clearer performance ladder. Following Pinarello’s naming convention, the F9 sits at the top of the range, with both the F9 and F7 using T900UD carbon. The F5 and F3 use T700UD, while the entry-level F1 uses T600. In simple terms, the higher-end models are lighter and stiffer, while the lower-tier frames trade a bit of performance for affordability and comfort.

We received the Grevil F3 in for review, finished in a lovely dark metallic green colourway, the brand calls Etna Black. It came equipped with a 1x12 SRAM Apex XPLR AXS drivetrain, aluminium cockpit and DT Swiss G1800 wheels wrapped in 40mm Vittoria Terreno T50 tyres.

Specs:

• Groupset: 1x12 SRAM APEX AXS XPLR wireless electronic
• Wheels: DT SWISS G1800
• Tyres: 40mm Vittoria Terreno T50 (stock tyres are 45mm Vittoria Terreno T50)
• Handlebars: MOST Jaguar XA GR TiCR
• Saddle: MOST Lynx
• 50 mm Tire Clearance
• In-frame downtube storage
• Tool-free Thru-Axles
• MSRP:
  SRAM: $3700 / €4,300 / Not available in the UK
  SHIMANO: €4,300 / £4,000 / Not available in the US

The Ride

When I first picked up the Pinarello Grevil F3 test bike, I honestly thought it was a bit of an odd duck. Granted, I probably should have been on a smaller size, but even so, the proportions felt off. The stack was tall, the bars were about two sizes too wide, the seatpost had more setback than I’d ever choose, and at 40mm, the tyres looked almost timid on a frame that’s clearly built to accommodate more. I stood there in the driveway looking at it, thinking: I’m not sure we’re going to get along.

For reference, I’m a former road racer with a propensity for underbiking (i.e. opting for a Specialized S-Works Crux at the 350-mile Unbound XL and then not feeling my hands for a week).

On paper, the numbers told a similar story. The stack on this 50cm Grevil is roughly 30mm taller than my personal gravel bike, yet the reach was only one millimetre shorter. So my first job was to get the bars down. I dropped the stem as far as the steerer would allow, which left an ungodly amount of steerer tube showing above the stem. Not the prettiest look, but function over form.

Even then, between the wide bars, the laid-back seatpost and the upright front end, I set off for my first ride with more than a few reservations. I was half expecting the bike to handle like a limousine.

Instead, about ten minutes in, I literally laughed out loud. I didn’t just like the Grevil F — I really liked it.

Ripping through a city park on my way to a bigger loop, the bike immediately reminded me of a cyclocross bike. Where I was expecting an efficient yet somewhat dulled ride, the efficiency was paired with a playful snap and an eagerness I simply didn’t see coming.

On twisty singletrack and tight, rutted gravel paths, it never felt like I was wrestling a long endurance machine. It encouraged me to flick it through corners, get out of the saddle and push push push. It keeps you planted while keeping the fun alive. In one word: sporty. For a bike that’s capable of going the distance and carrying all your stuff, it still has a pep in its step for a speedy hot lap or a lunchtime rip.

Even in this lower-tier build, with T700 carbon and a more accessible spec, it doesn’t feel compromised. In fact, that’s one of the biggest takeaways from riding this bike: the overall balance makes you forget that, in Pinarello terms, this sits at the more affordable end of the range.

The frame is excellent, and I’ve been a fan of the SRAM Apex AXS drivetrain since its release. The DT Swiss G1800 wheels aren’t exactly featherweight, but they do the job. During testing, I was quick to swap them out for a set of Mavic AllRoad SL Carbons wrapped in 50mm Schwalbe G-One RX tyres (incidentally, the same hoops Axelle Dubau-Prévot is running on her Grevil F). I wouldn’t say the stock wheels hold the bike back, per se, but a lighter package definitely brings more out of it.

The bike’s geometry wasn’t nearly the obstacle I first imagined it to be. And yet, it still puzzled me. While at first glance the Grevil appeared too tall, too big, too wide, after some time with the bike, I actually decided I wouldn’t want to go any smaller. The reach fit me well.

If this were my bike, I’d stick with the frame size, but I’d take a hacksaw to the steerer, go straight to 38cm bars, and swap the seatpost for a zero-setback option. I might even go a touch longer on the stem, and slam it, which usually isn’t my M.O. at all, but: stack height.

That said, I’m still a racer at heart, and these are mere preference tweaks. The underlying ride quality is there. The geometry works. The handling works. The racer in me would, perhaps, be better suited to a Dogma GR, but I also love nothing more than all-day (or all-weekend) adventures out in no-man’s land, where comfort and luggage capability are essential. With a few tweaks, the Grevil F can do both, and that's the beauty of this bike.

Value & Conclusion

The Grevil F was one of the more surprising, and also one of the most enjoyable, bikes I rode all year. And at $3,700, it’s a bike you can actually buy without breaking the bank.

I went into this test thinking the Grevil F would be competent, sensible and maybe a bit conservative. What I found instead was a bike that’s capable yet engaging, and genuinely fun to ride. It doesn’t feel like a compromise between race bike and adventure bike. It feels like a modern gravel bike that understands that long events still involve attacking, cornering and sprinting, and that the best thing about riding bikes is playing on them.

Just maybe go try one on for size before buying.

Can a single bike be capable of performing everywhere, across varied terrain? American company Ritchey, founded by legendary framebuilder and designer Tom Ritchey, thinks so. The Ritchey Septimer was designed to be a bike collection in a single frame. It’s a bike that is comfortable on road and gravel, and, as a bonus, can be disassembled for travel, utilising Ritchey’s relatively user-friendly Breakaway system. Tom Ritchey was one of the early innovators of mountain biking, and the Septimer was created to match his vision of an everyday, go anywhere bicycle. In his own words, it’s “basically a big tyre road bike.”

One single, do-everything bike may seem like anathema to the N+1 culture that so many cyclists embrace, but depending on where you live, a single capable bike with multiple wheel and tyre options can provide a compelling alternative. Does anyone really need multiple bikes?

There are a great many regular cyclists out there who like to ride from their front door, explore on- and off-pavement, and enjoy faster-paced group rides on occasion. The right bike with two sets of wheels can comfortably accommodate both of these things. Riders who race often or across disciplines can make a compelling case for multiple bikes, but not everyone fits into this category.

Design and construction

The Septimer is a carbon, all-road bike designed to accommodate up to 700 x 48mm tyres. It is designed with mechanic-friendly features like external routing, a threaded bottom bracket and a round, 27.2mm seatpost. The bike can be built with either 1x or 2x drivetrains (with a removable front derailleur mount) and works with both electronic and mechanical options (Ritchey sells mechanical guide kits separately).

The carbon tubing was designed to be robust enough for regular riding as well as travel, with the aim for it to be “as similar to steel as possible while keeping the characteristics carbon is known for,” according to Ritchey.

One trick it has up its sleeve is Ritchey’s Breakaway system, which allows the frame to be separated and packed for travel. Broken down, a complete bike fits into a very compact 27 x 30 x 9-inch travel case that Ritchey provides with the frameset.

Sizes offered range from S-XL, with reach measurements ranging from 380 to 415mm. The smallest frame size has a 535mm effective top tube length, so it likely won’t work for smaller-statured riders. Chainstay length is consistent across all sizes on offer, measuring a longer-than-is-currently fashionable 440mm.

Fork rake is also the same across the size range, but head tube angles change to suit each geometry. Bottom bracket drop is a fairly neutral 75mm. Burly dropped chainstays are plenty stiff enough for efficient power transfer, and the design of the Breakaway system allows for tube profiles that retain good ride quality characteristics.

The Septimer includes top tube bag mounts, as well as fork and rear rack mounts, making travelling with bags a possibility. It also has fender mounts, which is unusual but very helpful for a bike of this kind.

Something to note: the test bike provided was a pre-production model, and Ritchey has indicated that a few of the cable routing and other small details may be different in its final form.

Specifications

• Frame material: Carbon, with stainless steel joints
• Price: $3499.00 / €3399.00 / £2958.00
• Weight: 1,360 grams, listed (frame only, size L); 21.01 lbs as tested (with bottle cages and pedals)
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL
• Colours: Black, with white decals
• Build options: Frameset only

The Ride

Though Ritchey sells the Septimer as a frameset only (as the company does with all of its bicycles) my test bike was built with a collection of Ritchey’s extensive catalogue of components. Ritchey produces nearly every piece needed to build a bike, from bottle cages to wheels, to headsets and cockpit components. In fact, other than the Shimano GRX 12-speed wireless electronic drivetrain, the only other non-Ritchey item on my test bike was WTB’s 45mm Riddler knobby tyres.

The bike arrived packed in its travel case, fully disassembled. To put it together, I first needed to install the fork and headset bearings, then join the front and rear halves of the frame together. This is accomplished by joining the downtube junction with the included clamp and then tightening the two-part seat tube/top tube junction around the seatpost. This holds the frame securely together without issue, though it does slightly complicate the process of adjusting the saddle height, as it requires fussing with four different bolts to do so.

Since the drivetrain is wireless, no additional steps were needed other than threading on the rear derailleur and installing the chain. The final step was connecting the hydraulic brake hose to the rear brake with a coupler. I would imagine this is something you would learn how to use with some practice, but I managed to bungle it and had to rebleed the rear brake to get the correct lever feel.

If I were keeping this bike long-term and travelling with it frequently, I would pick a different braking system that doesn’t use a hydraulic coupler for the rear line, since I worry too much about issues while travelling without access to mechanical support. I have written about this exact scenario before, during my testing of cable-actuated disc brakes and on my own travel/gravel rig.

Once built, I had the chance to take the Septimer out on the road and off it. The geometry on my size L bike blends a neutral-to-relaxed front end with the aforementioned long chainstays, which give the bike a very stable, comfortable feel. A cyclocross bike this is not! It’s not sluggish, per se, but is instead predictable and confidence-inspiring.

To get my riding position to work, I needed a fairly long, low bar-and-stem setup, which slightly compromised the front handling. Even with these somewhat extreme measures, I wasn’t able to get the front end as low as I would have preferred, but most riders do not require such an aggressive fit. Despite these fit compromises, the bike still felt stable beneath me, even on technical, XC-style terrain.

I tried my best to take it on as many different roads as possible, mixing gravel, paved roads and even tested the bike in a cyclocross race (sorry Ritchey!). On pavement, nobody would confuse the ride for that of a pure road bike, but especially with some lightweight tyres there’s no reason someone couldn’t enjoy the Septimer on a fast group ride. Where I live in Seattle has pretty rough roads, so the skinniest tyres I run on my own bikes measure around 36 mm. Going up to 45 mm tyres isn’t much of a jump.

Though Ritchey designed the bike around 48mm tyre clearance, this seems conservative to me, given the available clearance. Different tyre and rim combinations can change things, but I would think most 50mm tyres still would leave enough clearance for all but the muddiest conditions. And, by the looks of things, you could run 45mm tyres with fenders/mudguards pretty comfortably, which is my preferred winter riding setup these days. Maximum comfort.

Other than assembling the bike at the beginning of the test and breaking it apart to return it, I didn’t spend any time practising the disassembly process. From what I understand, this is typical for Ritchey's customers. It’s a bike that just happens to split in half, and the company encourages people to ride it like a normal frame. The Breakaway system adds in some marginal weight, and certainly some production cost, but because of where the junctions are located, ride quality isn’t impacted—the tubes still retain their butted profiles with thinner walls in the middle.

The overall ride characteristics are the result of many geometry and design decisions, but the 440mm chainstays go a long way toward adding comfort to the ride. It also provides some breathing room for modern drivetrains (especially those with tight tolerances) to work effectively. Shorter chainstays often give bikes a racy, snappy feel but can cause cross-chaining problems. The electronic Shimano GRX groupset worked flawlessly for me, and I think this type of 1x drivetrain is the optimal setup for a bike of this nature.

Value and conclusion

Ritchey nailed the “all day, any road” feel with the Septimer, and there aren’t any specific things I can think of that would improve the performance for this sort of bike. Short chainstays may be fashionable, but long chainstays have their place too. By designing the Septimer around a comfortable, neutral geometry and pairing it with clearance for wide tyres, the bike can handle almost any road or gravel conditions, up to tame XC-type riding.

Not everyone is interested in owning just one bike, but for those who are, and who aren’t concerned about out-and-out speed or aerodynamics, the Septimer is a well-thought-out bike that can be configured in a variety of ways.

Price-wise, there aren’t many similar frames to compare it to, since it’s one of the very few travel-friendly carbon bikes available outside of boutique options. It’s pricey, but then it is unique.

What I think is holding this bike back are two things: first, the fact that riders will need to purchase and configure it from a frameset up. This isn’t a bad thing since it lets people choose exactly what they need, but it means that fewer people will have the chance to try it out as an off-the-shelf option. And second, the narrow size run, and especially the lack of smaller sizes, means that anyone under 5’6” or so doesn’t have a bike that will fit them very well. Hopefully, this is something that Ritchey will consider offering in the future.

After several weeks of riding, I’m still not entirely sure what to make of Mason’s ISO adventure/gravel bike. I've tested a few of the best gravel bikes over recent years and they've all been pseudo race bikes. Light weight carbon frames, v-section carbon wheels and a dialled in ride position similar to the road bikes I get to ride.

The ISO 2 is none of these things, and proudly so. This is a bike made for long-haul adventure. Ready to be loaded up and ridden far and wide over any terrain. An Italian-made steel frame with chunky 29” tyres, a ton of clearance and covered in mounting points - from the outset, this bike was always going to be a little bit different.

Mason ISO2 - Construction

First things first, this bike is big. Really big, and its geometry is nothing like a standard road or gravel bike. I tested the 50cm frame which had a bottom bracket that sits 27cm off the ground and a standover height at the centre of the top tube of 81cm. 90.3cm at the point it joins the headtube.

That’s almost the height of the handlebars on any road bike I ride. The centre of the saddle put by backside six centimetres higher in the air than the 54cm Specialized Tarmac I’m riding, and with a Tailfin aero pack on the back, I struggled to swing my leg over the saddle.

The top of the bars sit 101cm off the ground (10cm higher than my road bike) while the 51.5cm reach with less than one centimetre of drop from saddle to bars gives an upright riding position that also feels high off the road. While this took a little getting used to, it wasn’t unpleasant. It was easier on my back and neck, and strange as it might sound, probably slowed me down a little by forcing me to sit up. I spent more time looking around me, rather than hunching down and pushing on the pedals.

But it’s the wheels, perhaps even the tyres, that really standout. The 29-inch Vittoria Mezcals are mtb tyres, and they’re apparently taking the US gravel racing scene by storm. Their volume is another factor in raising this bike and the rider a long way off the ground. They role on Hunt Trailwide wheels that come with 30mm internal rim with and Boost hubs - the standard, wider axle designed to increase rigidity of 29” in MTB wheels.

The frame is built in Padau, Italy by specialists who came recommended by Colombus tubing and have previously worked with De Rosa. All but the seat tube are made Dedacciai Zero, custom formed for Mason. The seat tube is Reynolds UK 853 steel, chosen as it's the toughest material with which to make a thin tube to accomodate the 31.6mm seat pin.

There’s no doubt in my mind that this is the best material for a bike like this. While I never ventured far from home, if you were riding across continents (lucky you), you can do so safe in the knowledge that steel can both take a few knocks and be repaired in any workshop in the world by a competent mechanic with some welding gear.

The bike came with a mix of Shimano GRX and Deore components, including Deore 165cm cranks and a 1X 32x10/51 cassette. The GRX rear mech is UDH while the disc rotors are 180 up front and 160 at the rear.

Unique to Mason is the Shutter fender bolted to the fork crown. This keeps mud from flicking up around the bars and headset, and with mounting straps it can hold up to two kilos of kit. It’s a bit of a squeeze to load that and have a bar bag in place, but it can be done - depending on the size of your bar bag. I found my Alpina bar bag was too deep to fit much, if anything, underneath. Mason also has a small steel rack that can be specced in this position that holds a little more and has light mounts.

Mason ISO2 - The Ride

My first ride came as a bit of a shock. Out of my street, a quick left and a right takes me straight up onto the North Downs with a gradient that hits 20% in places. It’s not a fast ascent on any bike, but boy did this feel slow. ‘Am I actually moving forwards’ slow.

Increasing tyre pressure to around 50psi helped on subsequent rides, but the width and tread of the Mezcals means long road climbs are a real slog on this bike. On previous gravel bikes I’ve tested I’ve swapped the tyres out for a file tread, like the Panaracer Gravel King, but the 30mm internal rim width on these Hunt wheels means it’s MTB tyres only for the ISO, limiting tyre choice.

I started to question the spec. Rolling along brideways or over fields, they were fine, but not noticeably better than a set of gravel tyres on 700c rims. It wasn’t until I hit a steep, loose, rooty climb that I discovered the benefit of this set up. These wheels roll over almost anything. Rooty step-ups, loose gravel in a washed out ditch, even the more gnarly descents were made noticeably easier. There was almost nothing that stopped them. At least nothing I was brave enough to tackle.

The high, upright riding position combined with slack head tube (69 degrees) only added to the ISO’s sure-footedness. Meanwhile the nine centimetre stem and short reach gave me a sense of nimbleness to the steering. A superb combination over difficult terrain.

Conclusion

Some people are now using gravel bikes as their winter bikes, which makes perfect sense. They’re fast enough to keep up with a group and offer a bit more robustness on small lanes or back roads strewn with gravel, leaves and plagued with broken surfaces. However, this isn’t that bike. The ISO2 is made for proper exploration.

It’s a Toyota Land Cruiser to your Range Rover Evoque. A true off road machine that gave the impression it could handle anything I could throw at it. If you’re into gravel racing the Mason Bokeh is better, but if you’re lucky enough to have the time and freedom to head off into the unknown and want a bike that’s up to the challenge, you won’t go far wrong.

When Surly rolled out the Straggler in 2014, it blurred the lines between categories. On paper, it looked like a close cousin to the cyclocross-ready Cross Check, but it also incorporated looks and features from the Midnight Special and the Preamble.

In hindsight, the Straggler may have been ahead of its time, foreshadowing the now-booming All-Road category.

At its core, the Straggler is a steel all-road/gravel bike built for versatility. A true n-1 steed, the Straggler was designed to handle everything from light bikepacking to weekday commutes, and pretty much anything in between. It’s ready to disappear into the woods for a week, but it also looks like it might have a mixtape and a flask in the frame bag.

The latest update streamlines the Straggler lineup with fewer frame sizes and build options, likely to sharpen the distinction between models and simplify Surly’s broader range. The redesign also tackles a long-standing challenge: improving fit and stability for smaller riders.

I tested the new Straggler (size 49) on a ride from Telluride to Moab, a route that threw nearly every surface imaginable at it, including dirt, hardpack, loose rock, mud, pavement and even sand. After a series of long days with plenty of vert, here's how the new Straggler handled.

Construction & main features:

For the past decade, the Straggler has held its place as a timeless, steel-framed, dirtbag dream machine.

Earlier versions used a completely horizontal top tube, which forced riders with shorter inseams to size down for adequate standover clearance. The latest redesign simplifies the size and build lineup, introducing a slightly sloped top tube that improves standover height for smaller riders like myself.

The lowered seat tube also allows room for longer dropper posts. Surly adjusted the geometry further by increasing the bottom bracket drop for a lower centre of gravity and a more stable ride, and by raising the stack so the rider sits in a more upright, comfortable position.

The size range has been pared to eight options, and wheel sizes are now matched to frame size. Sizes 46–52 come with 650b wheels and 45 mm tires, while sizes 54–64 run 700c wheels with 47 mm tires. The smallest sizes are gone, with sizes 36 and 42 now discontinued. At 5’2”, I was especially curious how the new build would feel on 650b wheels, since some bikes that size leave me feeling cramped or oddly low. The Straggler’s geometry nailed it: the frame felt stable, balanced, and proportionate to the wheels, without making it awkward to stand over or put a foot down.

Specs:

• Frame and fork material: 4130 steel
• Tires: Teravail Washburn 650b x 47 (sizes 46-52), Teravail Washburn 700c x 45 (sizes 54-64)
• Clearance: Up to 50mm without fenders (47mm with)
• Chainring: 46/30 (also available as a 1x)
• Shifting: Shimano GRX 610
• Brakes: Shimano GRX (160mm)
• Cassette: 11-36
• Mount capabilities: Braze-ons for front and rear fenders and racks, and three bottle cages
• Price: $2,499 / £2,149.99

The Ride:

I’ve ridden the Straggler around town as well as on a week-long bike trip from Colorado into Utah.

It was geared well for long days with 5,000 feet of gravel climbing and just as ready for bombing down paved descents. After hours in the saddle, the Straggler kept the ride smooth enough that my legs and lower back never cried for mercy, which is a big win on any multi-day trip.

With flared bars, wide tyres and a dropper post, it felt planted and confident on steep, loose descents and corners. On rockier, chunkier sections, though, I started to feel its limits. With no suspension, much of the Straggler’s smoothness and vibration-damping comes from the steel frame, your choice of tyres and from your own knees and elbows, which the bike gives you plenty of room to use.

The Straggler understands why we ride gravel bikes in the first place. Sure, we could stick to a road bike for pavement, a ’cross bike for dirt and a hardtail for singletrack, but choosing a gravel bike instead is about embracing a certain spirit. An all-road bike feels more adventurous, more come-what-may. You could set out on the Straggler with a tidy road loop in mind, only to find its playfulness nudging you off-course mid-ride.

I never felt like I was dragging it around. The Straggler wants to climb, and it wants to wander. Its smooth ride and nimble handling felt right at home on gravel roads, while its geometry and wide bars invited detours onto trails to see how far it could be pushed. And maybe speed is relative, or even an illusion created by comfort, stability, and flow, but contrary to its name, the Straggler felt pretty fast.

Value & Conclusion:

At the end of the day, the Straggler has always been the bike that a whole spectrum of cyclists use for all kinds of adventures and errands–it’s versatile, it’s dependable, and it’s really fun. This new version is all of that, with just a bit more inclusivity for riders under 5’3” who want to push the limits of a fully-rigid bike (and not have it feel like overkill to ride to a coffee date either).

I’ve ridden some top-flight gravel bikes that were so light and jittery they made me feel like I was just doing some very expensive under-biking on washboard roads. Those models made me think I didn’t like riding gravel bikes. But the ride quality, versatility, and fit of this scrappy little wild card convinced me I do. I really, really do.

In 2024, German rider Rosa Klöser stormed to victory at Unbound Gravel, clinching the sport’s most coveted crown in an unprecedented nine-rider sprint. A year later, Poland’s Karolina Migoń soloed to glory in the same race. Different winners, different tactics, same result, same bike: the Rose Backroads FF. This lesser-known machine has carried riders to gravel’s biggest wins yet beyond Europe, few have ever swung a leg over one.

Curious about the bike, and the German brand behind it, I had a Backroads FF sent over. Here are my thoughts on this race-proven machine in the hope that tariff battles soon ease up and DHL resumes transatlantic shipping, so you can try one too.

About Rose Bikes

Rose is a German bike company based in Bocholt, North Rhine-Westphalia. Founded in 1907 as a small family shop, it has grown into a direct-to-consumer brand with an online presence and a handful of retail stores across Europe.

The company produces a broad range of models spanning road, gravel, mountain, urban, and electric categories, but in recent years has become best known for performance-oriented bikes like the Backroad and Reveal series. Rose designs and hand-assembles its bikes in Bocholt, while frames and components are manufactured in Asia.

Meet the Backroad FF

Rose’s Unbound-winning bike is the Backroads FF, a frame designed with one thing in mind: to go Fast Forward. This purebred racer is built from a high-modulus carbon layup that uses six different fibre stiffness classes and zonal reinforcement to add rigidity where it matters and compliance where needed for long-range comfort.

Every line of the frame, each component on the build has been shaped using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), what Rose calls its “virtual wind tunnel,” to optimise the aerodynamic benefits. Beyond the fully tucked-away cables, the clear contours and the D-shaped seatpost, Rose developed its stock GC50 wheels alongside the frameset and specifically around Schwalbe’s 40mm G-One RS tyres. The end-result is a complete system with two different rim profiles that blends outright speed with control and grip on loose surfaces. In the front, where the wheel catches most wind, the 27mm internal rim is 40mm deep, while the rear rim measures 32 mm deep for greater weight savings. The rear hub also uses a wider flange to boost wheel stiffness, helping it cope with the extra torque and side-loads that come with today’s wide-range gravel cassettes.

Up front, Rose continues the aero theme with claimed drag savings thanks to a one-piece cockpit that, despite its funky profile, still offers solid ergonomics.

The geometry is equally performance-driven. Aggressive and roadie-like, it combines a short wheelbase and steep seat angle with a moderate stack and slack-ish head tube to create a fast, forward-leaning position that still feels composed at speed. More on that below.

Finally, Rose developed size-specific frame bags to reduce drag while carrying essentials. The bags use Fidlock magnetic mounts to snap neatly into the frame, blending storage with aerodynamics and slotting seamlessly into the bike’s sleek profile.

The Backroads FF is offered in five builds, with options for Shimano, SRAM and Classified drivetrains. We tested the mid-tier model equipped with SRAM’s new 1x13 Force XPLR AXS group.

• Brand: Rose
• Model: Backroad FF Force XPLR AXS
• Size reviewed: XS
• Groupset: 1x13 SRAM Force XPLR AXS
• Wheelset: ROSE GC50
• Cockpit: ROSE one piece cockpit Gravel,
• Saddle: Selle Italia Flite Boost S1 Carbon
• Tyres: Schwalbe G-One RS Pro, 40mm
• Seatpost: ROSE Aero D-shaped seatpost

Features:

• UDH compatible
• Includes a Wolftooth chainguide
• Tyre clearance: 45mm
• Well thought-out magnetic Fidlock bag concept
• Frame guards on the down tube and chainstay.
• Price: €5,199.00
• Weight: 7.8kg weighted, without pedals or frame bag

Riding the Backroad FF

Out of the box, the Backroads FF is a headturner. Crisp, clean and minimalist, with sharp lines, an oversized down tube and distinctly aero-influenced profile. Cleanly integrated cabling, a one-piece (funky) cockpit, dropped seatstays and deep-section wheels underline its race-bred intent. And, finished in an all-white paint, it’s a bike that radiates sleekness.

The size-specific magnetic frame bag is a neat add-on. It’s not new —Canyon offers something similar on the Grail— but Rose’s execution is impressively clean. The bag snaps into place via Fidlock mounts integrated into the frame and sits flush with the contours, almost disappearing into the silhouette.

Rose claims the CFD-tested design actually improves aerodynamics by smoothing airflow through the main triangle. Practical touches like a water-repellent coating (essential in the rainy Pacific Northwest) make it easy to live with, and in testing it proved quick to attach or remove and stayed rock-solid over rough terrain. That said, it’s worth noting that Fidlock’s system has received mixed reviews globally, even if it worked flawlessly for me.

The first ride on a new bike is always revealing. Some steeds show their character straight away, while others take several rides to show you who they are. The Backroads FF was very much the former: we clicked instantly.

After a quick saddle swap (something I do with every test bike), I was off — first on a cyclocross-style spin through the local park, then into the deep end with an 80-mile gravel sufferfest, and finally onto my favourite mixed-terrain loops. Through it all, the Backroads felt familiar, trustworthy and unmistakably quick.

The bike has a distinctly race-bred personality: quick to accelerate, agile, eager to keep going, and with a pedaling position that allows you to stay on the gas for long stretches at a time. Perfect for the rolling terrain and long straightaways of the Flint Hills in Kansas. And while at first the bars’ funky shape may take some getting used to, they proved to be very comfortable both on the top and, thanks to the shallow drop, when riding in the drops.

On rolling terrain, the bike’s geometry struck a good balance between stability and responsiveness. The 71.25° head tube angle and longish front-center meant the front wheel tracked confidently through sweeping turns and loose gravel sections, offering a planted and controlled ride feel. On mixed terrain and not-too-technical gravel, the Backroads feels like a perfect mix of playful and sure-footedness. And I was decently impressed with Rose’s own GC50 wheels, too. I’d say they’re pretty comparable to a Hunt 40 GCR wheelset.

I did find the bike’s limit pretty quickly though

My XS test unit featured a rather steep 76.25° seat tube angle, which places the rider directly over the bottom bracket. This forward-rotated position is meant to maximise power transfer by letting you drive straight down on the pedals. It also keeps the front wheel weighted and steady on steep climbs, and it naturally drops your torso into a lower, more aerodynamic position. It’s the sort of geometry you’d expect from a TT bike, not a gravel machine, and it makes the Backroads FF feel racy the moment you get on it.

The trade-off comes when the terrain turns technical. There’s a short section of steep, rooty singletrack that I like to ride. It comes at the end of a mixed-terrain jaunt and it’s the last bit of fun before returning to the busy city streets. It’s techy and I’ve yet to clear the whole section without having to put a foot down, but it’s totally doable on a gravel or cyclocross bike. On this stretch, the Backroads quickly reminded me what it was bred for. The steep seat angle kept my weight pitched forward, and more than once I found myself teetering on the edge of an endo.

It’s a fast bike, but not a very shreddy one. This is also evident in the 45mm tyre clearance.

The bike came specced with 40mm Schwalbe G-One RS Pro tyres. These tyres are great but they're practically a file tread. I think it would be a bit of squeeze to get some knobby 45mm tyres in there. And with so many U.S.-based gravel racers now clamoring for 2.2" tyres, the Backroads is somewhat limited.

Value & Verdict

The Backroads FF delivers a fun and fast, race-inspired ride for riders who like to stay on the gas for long stretches. It shines on rolling or punchy terrain and thrives on fast, open gravel. Think the Flint Hills of Kansas, the champagne gravel of SBT or many of the events on the UCI circuit. If your gravel outings lean more toward rowdiness, bikepacking or Grinduro-style racing, this isn’t your weapon. But if your goal is speed, the Backroads FF is built to deliver it.

At €5,199, the Backroads FF punches well above its price class. A similarly specced gravel bike from the “big four”—Specialized, Trek, Giant or Cannondale—would typically run $1–2K more. In the aero-gravel category, its closest peers are the likes of a Canyon Grail or Ventum GS1, both of which sit in the same ballpark on price but may not have quite the same finesse and all-out race focus as the Rose. The flip side though is that these do sport a bigger tyre clearance and are a tad more all-rounded.

The Backroads biggest drawback, however, is availability. When I received the bike in August, Rose shared that while it wasn’t actively distributing in the US, customers could order via its international website with longer and more expensive delivery. Since then, shifting tariff rules and DHL suspending U.S. shipments altogether have made stateside fulfilment effectively impossible. In the UK, Rose says it cannot currently deliver bikes either, citing different standards.

While the gravel sector may have once been a niche “n-1” category, these days bikes are so specialised that it’s not uncommon for enthusiasts, and certainly gravel racers, to have multiple steeds in their stable. Many modern gravel bikes ask you to choose: race day or escape mission, minimalist or pack mule, slack and shreddy or a road racer with big-tyre clearance. The FiftyOne Assassin refuses to pick sides.

It’s not an all-out racer but it’s certainly a “yes, and…” bike that thrives on versatility. Born from a company celebrated for its custom road bikes, the Assassin is FiftyOne’s first production frame, yet it’s clear a lot of thought went into its design. With adjustable geometry, an impressive list of features, and a stealthy Black Ops finish, the Assassin is anything but “just another gravel bike.”

Meet the FiftyOne Assassin

Based in Dublin, Ireland, FiftyOne is a boutique bike brand founded in 2016 by former international racer Aidan Duff. Born from Duff’s frustration with the growing “one-size-fits-most” approach among high-end bikes, he set out to combine modern carbon fibre technology with handmade precision.

Several bespoke FiftyOne bikes have appeared in CW over the years, praised for their timeless tube shapes, refined ride quality, and eyecatching paint schemes.

In 2021, FiftyOne expanded into gravel with its first production monocoque carbon frame—the Assassin—while maintaining the same bespoke ethos: adjustable geometry, broad component compatibility, and thoughtful design that gives riders the freedom and versatility to customise the bike’s handling to their exact needs.

FiftyOne states that its gravel bike is made for “explorers, shredders, racers, bikepackers and anyone else who loves getting away into the countryside.”

To meet the needs of such a broad spectrum of riders, the Assassin comes loaded with features including an adjustable geometry.

Adjustable GEO

In line with a growing trend among modern gravel bikes, the Assassin is designed around a long top tube and short stem combination, and pairs it with an extended wheelbase to enhance stability and handling while eliminating the risk of toe overlap when using wide tyres.

Just how slack the bike’s geometry is depends on how you set it up. The Assassin features not one but two flipchips with a total for five different positions. At the rear, the flip chips offer three axle positions, adjusting the effective chainstay and wheelbase length from 430mm in the middle position to 425mm at its shortest or 435mm in full shred mode. In the front, the fork chips offer two positions, High and Low. The Low position gives the bike a longer trail and slacker head tube angle, meant for technical terrain. The High position creates a shorter trail and a steeper head angle, for less technical and faster terrain. The fork offset changes from 45 to 53 mm, and vice versa.

Riders are encouraged to play with the different flip chip positions to find one that works best for their riding style and terrain. With that said, the basic guidelines are:

- For rugged terrain, 45mm+ tyres and a more mountain bike feel: go long and low
- For racing or riding on hardpack or less technical terrain with a maximum tyre width of 38mm: go short and high.

Adjusting the front flip chips involves removing the front wheel and rotating the metal inserts. Rear adjustments are best done at home as it requires swapping out the inserts and realigning the brake caliper. It takes only a few minutes but since spare parts are involved, it’s best done in good light and without the risk of accidentally losing any parts.

Ready to go long

Adjustable geometry aside, what I really appreciate about the Assassin is the sheer number of thoughtful features that are important in my riding style yet, more often than not, do not come stock on gravel bikes.

I’ll drop a list below but special mentions are the guided routing for dynamo lights, room and mounts for fenders and the joint compatibility to run a dropper post and a wired Di2 drivetrain.

Features

• Fli pchip in frame and fork
• 47mm tyre clearance in both 700c and 650b
• 1x or 2x, up to 50/34
• Dropper post and Di2 jointly compatible
• Front dynamo internal routing
• Fender and rack mounts
• 4 portal bosses + 2 bottles
• 27.2 mm round seatpost
• T47 threaded bottom bracket shell
• Weight: 1,785 grams including hardware
• Price: €3,000

My Bike Build:

For this review, FiftyOne set me up with a frameset to build up to my liking. Here’s what my build consisted of:

• Drivetrain: 1x12 Shimano Wireless GRX
  • FC-RX820 cransket with 40t chainring
  • 10-51t M8100 cassette
  • RX825 levers & RX820 brake calipers
  • RD-RX827 rear derailleur
  • CN-M8100 12-speed chain
• Wheels: Shimano WH-RX880 wheels
• Tyres: Rene Herse Corkscrew Climb
• Cockpit: 40cm ENVE SES AR Handlebars, 90mm ENVE road stem
• Seatpost: Ergon CF Allroad Pro Carbon
• Saddle: Ergon SR Pro Women

The Ride

I live in the beautifully varied yet very rainy Pacific Northwest. The gravel riding I enjoy spans the spectrum, but my outings tend to be long, hard and, often, technical. I get a real kick out of being underbiked, and most rides include a mix of singletrack and occasional hike-a-bike sections. That means I need a bike that’s both capable and lightweight.

My current go-to steed is a Specialized S-Works Crux, a wonderfully light race machine that I love but honestly, it’s completely the wrong bike for the kind of punishment I subject it to: ultra-distance gravel races, bikepacking adventures, detours onto mountain bike trails, and riding through six months of persistent rain.

In contrast, the FiftyOne Assassin, with its multitude of bosses, fender mounts and integrated dynamo routing, feels almost purpose-built for my style of riding. It’s no S-Works featherweight but it’s far from a heavyweight, and I’d wager it can take abuse a little better too. My only regret during testing was not finding the time to take it bikepacking. This Assassin would be an efficient, fun and very capable companion for those longer journeys.

While some gravel bikes can double as a road bike, I’d put the Assassin squarely in the off-road category. Depending on how you set it up, it ranges from playful to downright shreddy, but it doesn’t quite have the snappiness or top-end speed of a true quiver-killer. By that, I don’t mean to detract from its versatility; it’s an invitation to lean into what the bike does best.

To that end, I built this bike up with Shimano’s new wireless GRX drivetrain, Rene Herse’s 44mm Corkscrew Climb tyres and 40cm wide ENVE AllRoad bars.

Before diving into handling and the flip chip system, I have to say: I’m a sucker for stealthy bikes, and the Assassin’s BlackOps finish is downright sexy. Best appreciated in person, the clear coat over raw carbon not only showcases the frame’s carbon weave and craftsmanship but also perfectly complements the bike’s “Assassin” persona.

Now, about handling. I must admit that I feel torn about flip chips in general. In my experience, most consumers set them once and never touch them again. Tet a bike like the Assassin begs to be played with. Its versatility truly shines when you take the time to experiment with different tyres and flip chip settings.

In its shreddiest, ‘long and low’ position, the bike is impressively capable. A mountain biker’s idea of rigid bike. The progressive geometry makes it easy to keep your weight balanced and moving around when things get steep or uneven, or you’re carving through some loose banked corners. Surprisingly, the Assassin’s bottom bracket height is relatively tall; with a BB drop of 70 mm, it sits higher off the ground than I’d expect. Personally, I don’t love to be super low to the ground, and prefer the benefits of less pedal strike and more nimbleness but it surprised me nonetheless. All in all, the low and long setting is fun and confidence-inspiring, and one that saw me net my personal best on a short but technical section of trail in my favourite city park.

That said, there’s a trade-off in quickness, noticeable especially when the off-road sections are strung together with pavement in between. For a more efficient ride where pace and nimbleness are more important than stability, the ‘short and high’ setting offers the liveliest feel. This is the setting one would want for a mixed-terrain group ride, a gravel race or, even, when using the Assassin as a wide-tyred, full-fendered commuter.

Most of my time, though, was spent in the happy middle; with the fork in High and the rear in the middle. Even with the 44mm knobbies, toe overlap wasn’t an issue, and the bike struck a nice balance: keeping pace on pavement and hardpack while still handling singletrack detours with ease.

If you’re reading this and have a flip-chip enabled bike, I’d highly recommend playing with the setups to find the handling that best suits your terrain and preference. On the Assassin, it was relatively easy to do and it’s fun, too, because it feels like you have more than the one bike.

The gravel world is evolving fast, and in the years since the Assassin launched, some developments might call for an update to the model sooner rather than later. Tyre clearance is one. With races now being contested on tyres upward of 700 x 52mm, the Assassin’s 47mm max may be a limiter to some. Then, there’s SRAM’s insistence on UDH derailleurs, and the Assassin’s lack of integrated storage, a feature increasingly common on do-it-all gravel steeds. Duff assures us an update is coming, but for me, these are wishlist items rather than dealbreakers.

Value & Verdict

At €3,000 for the frameset, the Assassin is certainly an investment, but it’s priced in line with mass-production options such as the Specialized Crux 10r (€3,100), Santa Cruz Stigmata (€2,800), and Trek Checkpoint SLR (€3,500). When you factor in the Assassin’s capability and boutique pedigree, it’s perhaps more apt to compare it to something like the ENVE MOG. And here, it comes in well under that bike’s €5,995 price (thought that does include a seatpost and cockpit).

The Assassin’s appeal lies in its blend of versatility, real-world utility, and sheer fun factor. It can tackle everything from rowdy, technical terrain to all-day mixed-surface adventures to fully loaded bikepacking trips. It offers thoughtful and practical features like extensive mounting points, integrated dynamo routing, and adjustable geometry that are hard to find in mainstream offerings.

This is the kind of bike that can shift roles over the years yet remain a trusted, capable companion. For riders seeking a custom-inspired, performance-driven gravel bike that handles technical terrain with confidence and thrives on variety, the FiftyOne Assassin is a compelling choice worth considering.

Alongside the Dogma GR, Pinarello has launched its second gravel bike today, the Grevil F, which is their longer-distance endurance-focused offering. The original Grevil has been around since 2018 and was updated in 2021 to accommodate 50mm tyres, making it one of the early adopters of wider rubber at the time. So, what have they done to bring it up to date?

Pinarello has split their range of gravel bikes based on riding time, with the Dogma GR designed for shorter events under five hours, and the Grevil F is designed to deal with everything else whether thats tackling a gravel race at the slower speeds most us mere mortals manage or ultra distance events where carrying a lot more kit becomes very important or even bikepacking for those who like an adventure.

The Grevil F

The updated Grevil range, launched today, comprises five different frame sets in six sizes, with the F9 being the top of the range. They all share the same tube shapes and geometry; the differences lie in the type of Toray carbon fibre used. The F9 and F7 both use T900UD; the F5 and F3 use T700UD, and the base model, F1, uses T600. The top-tier versions are a lighter and stiffer ride than the more cost-effective versions due to the higher tensile strength of the Toray fibres, but all aim to have a high level of comfort built in.

The frame shape is also different to previous versions, though it still has powerful Pinarello DNA and is instantly recognisable as one of the Treviso-based brand's creations. It still features the swoopy tube profiles and clearance for 50mm tyres, but the most significant change is to the seat tube junction, referred to as Twin-armed seatstays by Pinarello. These give the Adaptive seatpost a bit more flex, providing up to 10mm of movement (depending on frame size and insertion), which is marginally more than the more racy Dogma GR.

The downtube has a new shape referred to as flatback which is not only stiffer but works better with 750ml bottles when used in conjunction with a frame bag by positioning them slightly lower, it also now has its own in frame storage as seen on the Dogma GR which has a large opening port with an integrated multi tool, a good sized bag that will take CO2 canisters, tools and tubes easily and even has room to stash extra gels in there if you need to.

It also features the TiCR integrated cable routing seen on the F series road bikes, as well as a stiffer bottom bracket that incorporates ideas from the development of the Dogma F bikes. The Onda fork is also present and correct, featuring its signature double bend. However, it now comes in two different rake options: 50mm for smaller sizes and 55mm for larger bikes, ensuring the bikes handle as they should across all sizes.

That's all fairly standard new bike stuff to be honest, but what really caught my eye at the launch was the new integrated accessories. The most obvious to me was the optional new frame bag, which is frame size-specific and utilises the well-known Fidlock magnetic mounting system, allowing it to fit in seconds and remain rattle-free with no straps or Velcro scratching the lush paintwork. This, paired with the supplied Bento top tube bag and internal frame storage, offers a lot of potential for carrying kit on long rides. Crucially, it'll still be as aero as it would without the bags and be easy to remove for quick access to the downtube port should you need a fast repair in a race situation.

There's also a neat tri-bar that uses a standard, but still quite narrow, clamp designed for traditional round handlebars. It features a Garmin mount, and the interchangeable ends allow for the addition of Di2 buttons or SRAM blips.

Pinarello has also developed a rear rack system and a top-mounted 12-litre bag, though other bags will fit. This is an unusual step for the traditional road brand, but one they took after noticing how many riders were using Tailfin-style racks and bags for ultra-distance events, which are more secure and move less on the bike over rough terrain than saddle bags. There are even fenders, or mudguards, for us in the UK, which, though not particularly glamorous, do make lots of sense for those living in northern Europe, though you'll need to add your own mudflaps to make them UK club run friendly.

First Ride impressions

I rode the F7 in a rather fetching Stone Turquoise colour, which featured a Shimano 2x GRX Di2 groupset. After riding a SRAM XPLR-equipped bike, it felt quite old-school despite having electronic shifting. I can't remember the last time I rode a bike with a front mech off-road, and I much prefer the simplicity and quietness of a single ring when the going gets rough. That aside, this felt much more like a gravel bike to me, with a more relaxed position and wider flared bars.

It still felt quick straight away for a bike with fat tyres, but not nearly as sprightly or nimble as the Dogma GR, as you'd expect. Where the Grevil excelled though was on rougher sections and on the downhill sections we encountered, the combination of a longer wheelbase, wider bars and more forgiving tyres meant I could let the bike go on the steep descents of our test ride and I could push the bike through a corner with more confidence and force than I could on the GR, it was also far more forgiving of the occasional poor line choice too.

My test bike didn't have any of the extra bags or accessories fitted, which was a shame, as I'd like to have seen how they faired on the trail. I was also curious about how the TT bars would feel off-road, as I find extensions without a change to a more TT-style position a bit strange and not quite as comfortable as I'd like. However, I can see the use case for them on longer, flat sections.

It felt more composed and comfortable on the trail than the Dogma I had ridden earlier that day (tough gig, I know). How much of that is down to the dropped stays or the extra tyre width and the lower pressures that allow for it is hard to say, but combined, they are certainly noticeable. That, combined with its various options and more attainable price points, makes this a much more intriguing option to me personally. The Dogma GR is a special bit of kit, but the Grevil is the bike I think would be more fun to live with.

I preferred riding the Grevil off-road; it was a much more familiar gravel experience for me and felt like a well-polished, very comfortable bike that I'd happily ride all day long, especially on the terrain I usually encounter back home in Yorkshire. I can also see how its more relaxed and less involved ride would be beneficial over a longer distance compared to the Dogma GR, and although I did like the immediate nature and responsiveness of its racier sibling, I could see the fast handling being more draining over the course of a long day in the saddle.

We have a Grevil F due in soon for a more in-depth testing on more familiar terrain, so keep your eyes peeled for a full review soon.

The Grevil F Series comes equipped with the following groupset and wheelset options:

-F9 - SRAM Red XPLR AXS 1x13 and DT SWISS GRC 1400

-F7 - SHIMANO GRX Di2 2x12v, SRAM Force XPLR AXS 1x13 and MOST Gravel Carbon 45

-F5 - SRAM Rival XPLR AXS 1x13 and Gravel Carbon 45

-F3 - SHIMANO GRX 820 2x12v, SRAM Apex AXS 1x12 and FULCRUM Sonig AL

-F1 - SHIMANO GRX 610 2x11 and FULCRUM Sonig AL

and in the following colourways:

-F9 - Atlas Sun Matt

-F7 - Stone Turquoise and Polaris Purple Matt

-F5 - NamibBrown Matt

-F3 - Etna Black

-F1 - Comet Silver Shiny

The recommended retail prices are as follows:

-F9 - €11,000, $11,000, £10,000

-F7 - (SRAM) €7,200, $7,250, Not available in the UK (SHIMANO) €6,900, $7,000, £6,000

-F5 - €5,600, $5,000, £5,000

-F3 - (SRAM) €4,300, $3,700, Not available in the UK, (SHIMANO) - €4,300, £4,000, Not available in the US

-F1 - €3,500, £3,000, Not available in the US

Model weights are as follows:

-F9 - Red XPLR AXS – DT SWISS GRC 1400 – Vittoria Terreno T50 45mm – Tiger Alu + Jaguar GR Carbon - 8.01kg

-F7 - Force XPLR AXS – Most Ultrafast 45 GR – Vittoria Terreno T50 45mm – Tiger Alu + Jaguar GR Carbon - 8.60kg

-F7 - SHIMANO GRX Di2 – Most Ultrafast 45 GR – Vittoria Terreno T50 45mm – Tiger Alu + Jaguar GR Carbon - 8.76kg

-F5 - Rival XPLR AXS – Most Ultrafast 45 GR – Vittoria Terreno T50 45mm – Tiger Alu + Jaguar Alu - 9.00kg

-F3 - Apex XPLR AXS – Fulcrum Soniq – Vittoria Terreno T50 45mm – Tiger Alu + Jaguar Alu - 9.24kg

-F1 - GRX 610 - Fulcrum Soniq – Vittoria Terreno T50 45mm - Tiger Alu + Jaguar Alu - 9.62kg

We will have a more in-depth review of the Grevil F coming soon. For more information, please visit Pinarello.com.

I was lucky enough to ride not one, but two new gravel bikes from Pinarello recently. The Italian brand has dabbled in off-road bikes for a while, with the original Grevil launched back in 2018 and more recently the Crossista CX bike and XC MTB, which were gold medal-winning bikes raced by Tom Pidcock and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, and it's from the lessons learned developing those bikes that the Dogma GR was born.

The Dogma GR takes the brand's ubiquitous racing DNA from its top-tier road range to create an unsurprisingly, uncompromising race bike. Like Cervelo and Orbea, its gravel race bike is more road-oriented than a mountain bike, with tight clearances, sharp angles, and agile handling. Pinarello has split its two new bikes based on their intended usage: the Elite, designed for UCI gravel races, which typically last around four hours for the pros, and its sibling, the Grevil F, designed for longer and rougher events that last over five hours.

The Dogma GR

This is an unapologetically focused race machine, featuring aero tube shapes, tight angles, and somewhat controversially tight tyre clearances. As the name suggests, it shares a lot of its DNA with the top-tier Dogma F bike currently being raced by Ineos Grenadiers, so it's not that surprising to hear that former British gravel champion and current Ineos star rider Connor Swift was instrumental in its development.

It weighs 960g, which, when compared to climbing-specific bikes, isn't crazy, but for an aero frame built to take the repeated hammering of fast gravel riding, it's very impressive, with a complete bike (fitted with SRAM Red AXS groupset, Princeton Grit 4540 EVO wheels, and Vittoria 40mm tyres) tipping the scales at 7.35kg. Much of this is due to the long-standing partnership between Toray and Pinarello. In this frame, they utilise the same M40X, first introduced on the Dogma F, which boasts a high level of stiffness to weight compared to cheaper and easier-to-work variants found on lower-end models from the brand.

The frame has a similar silhouette to the road version, although it features rounder edges, giving it a slightly softer look. Other features, such as the aero keel around the bottom bracket, a narrow and more aerodynamic nose-shaped head tube with an E-TICR headset, and the curved Onda forks, are all present. Geometry is very close to the Crossista with a sound 10mm more reach in most models, which Pinarello refer to as race geometry and is geared towards maximum responsiveness, which makes a lot of sense when you see the hectic bunch starts of any of the UCI gravel events.

Interestingly, Pinarello have specced the same Talon Ultrafast one-piece carbon bar and stem as they use on the road range, which, though slightly flared at 7 degrees and a 7 degree inward bend, is less angled than we would typically see on an off-road bike, though the GR version specced does have two threaded bosses for mounting the optional TT gravel bars.

Speaking of which, Pinarello has also designed a very neat-looking bar setup that mounts centrally on the integrated handlebars and features mounts for your GPS and bottle cage at the top, as well as interchangeable ends for Di2, AXS blips, or standard close-end plugs, should you have some fast solo rides in mind.

As a frame designed for shorter events, it places less emphasis on comfort than the Grevil F. However, Pinarello has specced the same D-shaped Adaptive seatpost on the Dogma GR, which features around 8mm (depending on frame size) of flex built in, helping to dial out some trail buzz. Both bikes also come with an internal storage box featuring a long bag for fitting essentials, as well as a neat multi-tool built into the back of the cover. There's plenty of room to get the bag in and out, so much so that you can stash a few extra bits in there, like emergency gels, if you wish.

Tyre clearance is also suitably close, with room for 45mm rubber up front and 42mm in the rear on the Dogma GR, which might come as a surprise and goes against the current trend for wider tyres in gravel. They said the choice of rubber was based on feedback from their sponsored riders, who preferred the shorter wheelbase and the closer clearances it afforded.

The Dogma GR is available in 11 different sizes and three distinct paint finishes, with Interstellar Grey Matte being my favourite. It also comes in Luxter Blue and Matt Black. Build options align with its racing intentions, utilising the latest SRAM Red XPLR and Shimano Dura Ace, at an eye-watering €14,000/£12,500 for the XPLR build and €14,000/£12,000 for the Shimano option. It is also available as a frame-only option at €6,700, should you want to build one to a different specification.

First Ride impressions

The first thing that caught my eye was its remarkable beauty. I was never a fan of the early Onda frames with curvy tube profiles, but this version looks fantastic, with a good mix of straight lines and curves in the right places. The high-quality paint job only accentuates this further. After standing and staring at it for a while, my attention was drawn to what I feel is the bike's weak link, tyre clearance.

Like many, I’ve been using wider and wider tyres for gravel, and the limit of a 42mm in the rear does feel like a step backwards. There's always the classic gravel review caveat of ‘it depends on where you ride/what gravel means to you’, but still, I'd like to see a bit more space available, as you see on other race bikes from Argon 18 and Willier.

To be honest, I quickly forgot about the tyre width, as I was blown away by how it rode and was enjoying riding some sublime Prosecco region Italian gravel. It felt more like a responsive road bike, with very little sluggishness and a real nimble feel, unlike anything else I've ridden off-road. When I spoke to the product guys, they said they wanted it to feel familiar to road riders and existing Dogma F customers, and they've nailed that. The position and response when standing on the pedals are remarkably similar to those of a road bike, to the point where I'd like to ride it with some wide, smooth rubber. This is much like Andy’s thoughts on the Cervelo Aspero, where he noted its all-road capability, and I think this would make a great multi-surface or all-road bike too. In fact, Pinarello have a set of custom mudguards or fenders for the Dogma GR, so could this be the ultimate UK winter bike? It would certainly be the most ostentatious, given the price, but it is versatile in that all-road context.

The route we rode had steep climbs with a mix of gravel terrain, which the bike coped well with that though I’m not sure how suitable it would for the chunkier gravel conditions we have in the UK, though to be fair the other bike in the range is much more suited to that, and for smooth gravel and rough roads it was a delight to ride.

Comfort claims are hard to gauge on a short ride on unfamiliar terrain but id say it didnt feel as harsh as you would expect, clearly the Adaptive seatpost was doing a sterling effort on dialling out trail buzz as the Princeton wheels and relatively narrow tyres Vittoria T30 tyres though fast are not exactly the plushest of setups.

I'm a big fan of the Talon Ultrafast GR handlebar on a road bike as its slightly triangular profile in the drops is very comfy, but I prefer a bit more outward sweep in this use case scenario. Not a huge amount more, but I feel a few degrees would make the transition from drops to hoods in a hectic trail section easier.

Aero claims are impossible to verify outside of a wind tunnel, but it certainly felt fast on the long road descent we rode. Its race geometry made hooking up hairpin corners and changing line choices a delight, which would translate well to the chaotic nature of a gravel race, provided you have the skills to take advantage of it.

I loved riding the Dogma GR, as you'd expect from something costing £12,000; it's a lovely bike to ride. Still, I was left wondering whether they've made it too pro-specific, and its narrow tyre clearances feel like a contradiction of the feedback we hear from many gravel racers across the globe who opt for at least 50mm rubber on most courses. We will have a full review once we accumulate some miles on our test bike in more familiar terrain to make up our minds.

The recommended retail prices are as follows:

SRAM - €14,000, £12,500, $14,500

SHIMANO - €14,000, £12,000, Not available in the US

Frame only - €6,700

Model weights are as follows:

Dura Ace Di2 – Princeton Grit 4540 – Vittoria Terreno T30 40mm – Talon Fast Gravel - 7.30kg

Red XPLR AXS - Princeton Grit 4540 – Vittoria Terreno T30 40mm – Talon Fast Gravel - 7.35kg

We will have a more in-depth review of both coming soon. For more information, please visit Pinarello.com.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that before riding the Van Rysel GRVL AF 2, I honestly can’t remember the last time I rode a bike that retailed for under $2,000.

Most of the time, when brands invite media to test their bikes, it’s to show off their halo products. Their lightest, fastest, most high-tech race machines. The superbikes that are wind tunnel-tested, dressed in top-shelf components and painted to turn heads in a showroom. Getting to ride these engineering marvels is a big perk of the job but sometimes, we lose touch of the bikes people are actually buying – not the $12,000 carbon superbikes but the $2000 metal ones.

The truth is, most bikes above a certain price point are excellent. Light, fast, sharp-handling. It's hard to go wrong when the investment’s there. But what about the bikes that don’t come with massive R&D budgets and glossy marketing campaigns? The ones built with tighter margins and a more restrained spec sheet? Arguably, making a good bike at this level is the tougher challenge.

These bikes might not be as aspirational, but there’s a lot riding on them. For many, especially those just getting into the sport, this is where the journey starts. And if we want people to fall in love with cycling the way we have, these bikes can’t just be affordable, they need to be capable, comfortable and, most importantly, fun to ride.

For many U.S. consumers, Van Rysel’s aluminium bikes will also be their first real introduction to the brand. Barely six years old, Van Rysel is a French performance-focused cycling brand and subsidiary of Decathlon, the one-stop sports superstore. Van Rysel made a splash in 2024 with its sponsorship of the Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale WorldTour team and the Van Rysel RCR Pro team bike, which was one of the most talked-about bikes in 2024. But despite its global presence–2,000 storefronts and counting–Decathlon has no retail stores in the United States. And Van Rysel is only now beginning to break into the American market with a limited offering on their direct-to-consumer website and a handful of strategic retail partnerships, most notably with REI, which has exclusive rights to sell the GRVL AF models through summer 2025.

This is all to say: the GRVL AF 2 is an important bike for Van Rysel. Important enough that they flew a group of media out to Vermont to put the bike through its paces. And that’s how I found myself reviewing the most affordable bike I’ve ridden in quite some time.

Let’s dive in and see how it fared.

Meet the Van Rysel GRVL AF 2

Van Rysel says its new line of gravel bikes was designed with comfort, versatility and adventure in mind. Promising a confidence-inspiring do-it-all platform whether you’re tackling chunky gravel, cruising country backroads, loading up for a bikepacking trip or just commuting across town.

At the heart of the GRVL AF series is a 6061 aluminum frame—AF stands for “Aluminium Frame,” not the other thing—and a carbon fork, both equipped with plenty of mounting points for bags, racks or fenders/mudguards. There are three builds, each making use of the same aluminium frame, carbon fork, alloy wheels and finishing kit.

The entry-level model tested here features a 1x10 MicroSHIFT SWORD drivetrain paired with TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes and retails for $1399 / £999.99. An extra $600/ £300 gets you a 1x13 SRAM Apex mechanical drivetrain with hydraulic brakes. At the top of the range, the $2,399 / build is spec’d with a Shimano GRX 610 groupset and GRX 400 hydraulic brakes.

Drivetrains aside, the only other difference between the builds are the tyres. My test bike came with 40mm Hutchinson Touareg tyres. The Apex build uses the same tyres but in a 45mm width, and the top-end model is spec’d with 40mm Continental Terra Trail tyres. While spec’d for moderate terrain, the frame and fork will accommodate tyres up to 50mm.

My XS test bike came in a bold "granite pink" paintjob, which I quite liked, and there’s a sandstone colourway, too. The understated branding keeps the look clean and modern.

Specs

• 6061 double butted aluminium frame
• Carbon fork with aluminium Steerer
• Aluminium handlebars, stem, seatpost
• Decathlon Comfort 30º saddle
• Shifters: MicroSHIFT SWORD 1x10 SB-G7000
• Derailleur: MicroSHIFT SWORD 1x10 7005M Rear Derailleur
• Cassette: MicroSHIFT H104 Advent X 11-48T
• Crankset: Miranda Chainflow 3D Alloy 40T
• Brakes: TRP Spyre mechanical disc with 160mm rotors
• Wheels: Aluminium Van Rysel branded, Tubeless Ready
• Tyres: Hutchinson Touareg 700x40
• Tyre clearance: 50mm
• Claimed weight: 23.9 lbs or 10.83kg for a size medium
• Weight limit: supports a combined rider and gear weight of up to 242 lbs (110 kg)
• Price: $1399 / £999.99

The Frame

I rode an XS frame and felt right at home on the bike from the start, with the reach being just 3mm shy from than on my own gravel bike. If this were my bike, I’d likely remove a spacer or two for a sportier fit, but even out of the box, the geometry lands squarely in that endurance sweet spot — not too upright, not too aggressive.

With a 70-degree head tube angle and a 1020mm wheelbase, the bike’s handling leans toward the stable side, prioritising predictability and confidence over rough terrain and descents. That said, it didn’t feel sluggish on mellow trails either. The handling was still responsive enough to enjoy some light off-road fun.

The frame features a gently sloping top tube, which improves standover clearance and may also offer a touch of added compliance thanks to the exposed seatpost.

Up front, the carbon fork is paired with an alloy steerer tube, which keeps the cost low while adding durability and peace of mind when tightening stem bolts. The fork also includes three accessory mounts per leg, and like the frame, internal cable routing leads to a flat disc brake mount.

The Drivetrain

The entry-level build comes with a 1 x 10 MicroSHIFT SWORD drivetrain and TRP Spyre cable-actuated disc brakes.

While it’s been a minute, I fondly remember these brakes well from racing cyclocross when disc brakes were just becoming a thing. This dual-piston mechanical setup gave better stopping power and modulation than many other mechanical discs at the time. And while they don’t match the power or finesse of today’s hydraulic systems, they’re significantly easier to set up and maintain. For the price point, they offer dependable performance.

The SWORD drivetrain was new to me, but it left a strong enough impression that I’ll be writing a separate review on the groupset soon.

Designed specifically for gravel, MicroSHIFT SWORD was designed to balance a wide gear range (an impressive 436%) and reliable shifting with durability and affordability for riders tackling mixed terrain. The bike came spec’d with a 11–48T cassette and a 40t front chainring, which was plenty of range for the undulating terrain of Vermont.

While not as smooth or refined as its pricier competitors, the shifting was consistently reliable and predictable. The dedicated rear derailleur even features a clutch mechanism to keep the chain taut over bumpy terrain, reducing slap and improving chain retention.

But what impressed me most were the shifter ergonomics. The shallow hoods and compact shape were very comfortable. And the lever reach is short and intuitive, with a decidedly mechanical feel that makes shifting feel deliberate and crisp. The up- and downshift paddles are uniquely shaped with a nice texture to them and clean, taught engagement. The whole system has a surprisingly premium feel that belies its entry-level price point. And while the components’ finish is a little plastic-y, it looks clean.

I never felt limited by the 10 speeds, either. While 2 or 3 speeds short from many 1x competitors, the gear steps felt natural. The jumps between cogs were never jarring or awkward, which speaks to smart spacing across the wide 11–48T cassette. The number of gears don’t matter so much if they’re well spaced.

Kudos also to the size-specific crank arm lengths, which are just right at 165mm for the XS and small bikes.

The Wheels & Finishing Kit

The finishing kit isn’t anything to write home about but nothing to complain about, either. The 40mm-wide handlebars felt a bit wide for the smallest bike size offering; I would have preferred 38mm bars. That said, the flare and shallow drop were nice touches you don’t often see on lower spec bikes. I did swap the saddle for one of my own from the start, so I can’t comment on the stock option, but that’s a contact point many riders are quick to change anyway.

The wheels weigh in at a claimed 4.14 lbs (1,877g), with the Touareg tyres adding about 490g each. Factor in tubes, rim tape, and other small bits, and you’re looking at roughly 3kg for the rotating mass. This is an obvious area for potential upgrades, whether through an entry-level carbon wheelset or an premium alloy alternative, and by going tubeless to enhance ride quality and flat protection.

With that said, there’s nothing wrong with the existing wheelset. They felt durable and with centerlock hubs, thru-axles, and a 27mm internal rim width, they check all the boxes for a modern, versatile gravel setup.

How it rides

Over the course of three days on Vermont’s lumpy backroads, the GRVL AF 2 proved itself as a remarkably easy bike to get along with. It’s comfortable and intuitive, capable and yet lively enough to add some spark to the ride.

While it carries a bit more weight and lacks the snap of the carbon race-capable gravel bikes I’m used to, I never felt held back. On the contrary, the GRVL’s well-roundedness shone through across a range of terrain.

The stiff aluminum frame responds well to out-of-the-saddle efforts, efficiently translating power into forward motion up the climbs or during accelerations. Meanwhile, the carbon fork and high-volume tyres help take the edge off, softening some of the road chatter.

The geometry hits a sweet spot where the bike’s handling is responsive and playful enough to feel engaged, yet stable and predictable when the loose surfaces or descents call for it.

However, on fast descents, there is a moment when the bike’s weight asserts itself. It can feel like the bike’s starting to run away from you,building momentum faster than expected, but it’s easily controlled with a little feathering of the brakes or a few extra inches of stopping space at the bottom.

What stood out most was the ride’s composure. I found myself settling in and simply enjoying my surroundings and company. The GRVL AF provides well-rounded performance that newer riders will especially appreciate: confidence across uneven terrain, forgiveness in handling, and comfort for the long days. For that, the bike is aided by the drivetrain and brakes, too.

Versatility is another standout feature. The frame and fork offer plenty of mounting options for bikepacking excursions and commuter needs alike. With clearance for 50mm tyres and an endurance-focused geometry, it’s a bike that’s ready for multiple identities. Load it up, strip it down, hit dirt or tarmac. It’ll play along.

Verdict

For the $1,399 price tag, there’s very little to fault here. The GRVL AF 2 is a remarkably easy bike to get along with. It delivers a well-rounded ride quality, reliable spec, and a geometry that strikes a fine balance between comfort and capability.

I’m partial to hydraulic disc brakes, especially when riding with a heavy load or on technical descents. so I’d be tempted to stretch for the $600 upgrade to get the SRAM Apex-equipped model. That said, the TRP Spyres specced here do a perfectly respectable job, offering consistent braking with the bonus of easier setup and maintenance. One could always upgrade to Paul Klampers or TRP’s Hy/Rd calipers down the road. Plus, that headturning pink colourway is only available on the SWORD build, and aesthetics count.

If you’re interested in trying your hand at gravel racing, this may not be the bike for you. But for exploring backroads, trying bikepacking, logging long endurance miles or commuting through the city, the GRVL AF 2 is a confident, capable performer with room to grow alongside you.

And for those in the U.S., Van Rysel’s partnership with REI is also a significant plus. You’ll likely be able to see the bike in person, take it for a test ride, and make use of REI’s warranty and nationwide support.

Argon18 has been around for some time now, and it was one of the early adopters of fast, lightweight gravel bikes, with its original Dark Matter bike. I was fortunate enough to review it, and at the time, it was easily one of the best gravel bikes I had ridden, blending low weight, responsive handling, and polished trail manners, which made it a great all-around bike.

Times change, though, and the gravel market has moved quickly over the last couple of years, so it's no surprise that there's an updated version on its way. Despite this, Argon18 has stuck to its original formula of a more rounded bike designed for long-distance riding and racing. With its range of mounting options, it should also make a great bikepacking bike.

Longer, slacker, lower

Those of you who ride mountain bikes will be all too familiar with the words, longer, slacker and lower when it comes to geometry, but it is still not as widespread in the gravel world as it probably should be. The latest Dark Matter follows this trend, featuring a longer reach and wheelbase, as well as a 1-degree slacker head angle. This should give it a more planted feeling and make it easier to handle over rough sections and technical descents, which not only enhances trail speed but can also help reduce fatigue on long rides.

It's also bang on trend for wider tyres, taking up to 57mm wide rubber, with 50mm versions fitted as standard specification.

Argon18 says it's improved the aerodynamics. Thanks to enhancements in its lay-up and dropped seatstays, it says that comfort levels have increased too, while also reducing the frame weight by 150g.

There's now frame storage in the downtube, which is ideal for those who prefer a clean-looking bike free from bags, for day-to-day riding.

While there is no mention of suspension compatibility in the marketing information, the Argon18 rider Chris Hall has posted some pictures on his instagram feed of his Dark Matter sporting the latest fork from Fox. Hall is racing the bike in the Traka event in Girona that features some pretty technical (for gravel at least) trails and gives an idea of just how capable a bike it could be for those looking to blur the lines between XC mtb and gravel.

Availability and pricing

The Argon 18 Dark Matter will be available in three specifications, with prices ranging from £3,500 to £6,500.

The GRX version will be the first one to hit shop floors, with the two SRAM variants due to follow later. All are built around a 1x groupset, which I'm happy to see, as my main criticism of the original bike was its old-school feeling and tyre width limiting 2x set-up.

That said, if you're still a double chainset fan, the frame will take it, but as yet, there's no word on frame-only options.

At launch the bike is offered in three builds:

Dark Matter SRAM Force XPLR AXS

• Frame/fork: Dark Matter carbon
• Groupset: SRAM Force XPLR AXS Wide 40t, 10-44t
• Wheelset: Zipp 303 XPLR S
• Tyres: Schwalbe G-One RX Pro TLR 50mm
• Bars: FSA A-Wing Pro AGX
• Stem: FSA SMR-II
• Saddle: Repente Quasar 2.0
• Seatpost: Argon 18 TDS-C carbon
• Price: £6,500 / $6,650 / €7,395

Dark Matter SRAM Rival AXS

• Frame/fork: Dark Matter carbon
• Groupset: SRAM Rival XPLR AXS Wide 40t, 10-44t
• Wheelset: DT Swiss G1800 alloy
• Tyres: Schwalbe G-One RX Pro TLR 50mm
• Bars: FSA A-Wing Pro AGX
• Stem: FSA SMR-II
• Saddle: Repente Quasar 2.0
• Seatpost: Argon 18 TDS-C carbon
• Price: £4,500 / $4,650 / €5,095

Dark Matter Shimano GRX

• Frame/fork: Dark Matter carbon
• Groupset: Shimano GRX RX822/610 40t, 10-51t
• Wheelset: DT Swiss G1800 alloy
• Tyres: Vittoria Terreno T50 Mixed 50mm
• Bars: FSA A-Wing Pro AGX
• Stem: FSA SMR-II
• Saddle: Repente Quasar S 2.0
• Seatpost: Argon 18 TDS-C carbon
• Price: £3,500 / $3,650 / €3,995

Gravel bikes are everywhere these days. With new models popping up left, right, and center, finding one that genuinely stands out can feel like an impossible task. But every so often, a bike comes along that cuts through the noise, and surprisingly, it’s not always from the biggest names in the business.

Enter the Cube Nuroad C:62 SLT. On paper, it ticks every box: a lightweight carbon frame, premium components, and the capability to tackle any terrain.

A Frameset That Punches Above Its Weight

With any bike, the frame is the heart and soul, and Cube has clearly put in the work to make the Nuroad C:62 SLT a force to be reckoned with. Given that almost two-thirds of this bike’s price tag is wrapped up in the groupset alone, you might wonder if the frame has seen any compromises - but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Cube uses its C:62 carbon layup, an advanced formula that keeps things feather-light while maintaining impressive durability and vibration absorption for all-day comfort. But they didn’t stop there. The resin used in the frame is reinforced with nanoparticles, bonding with high-modulus fibers to create a structure that’s not just lighter, but also stronger and more resilient than previous iterations.

The brand’s Advanced Twin Mold process ensures every fiber is placed with precision. The first mold guarantees an exact layup, while a secondary inner mold locks everything in place during curing, resulting in a stiffer, tougher, and more refined frame, all at a fraction of the cost of its high-end competitors.

Geometry & Capability: Built for Speed and Comfort

A well-designed frame is nothing without smart geometry, and the Nuroad C:62 SLT doesn’t disappoint. Cube’s Gravel Endurance Geometry keeps the bike comfortable for long days in the saddle, while still feeling responsive and agile when you push the pace or dive into technical singletrack.

With a 71.5-degree head tube angle and 440mm chainstays (size Medium), the bike strikes a balance between stability on rough terrain and a lively feel when you want to get aggressive. The ability to clear 50mm tires (or 45mm with mudguards) ensures the Nuroad is ready to handle anything from smooth tarmac to gnarly backcountry trails.

Rider fit is another area where Cube has nailed the details. With sizes ranging from XS to XL (50cm to 61cm frames), nearly every rider can find a comfortable fit - something not all brands manage to achieve.

Loaded with Features for Real-World Adventure

Cube isn’t just focused on performance; they’ve also packed the Nuroad with practical features to make it a true adventure machine. Here’s what you get:

• Dropped seat stays borrowed from Cube’s road and cyclocross bikes for added compliance on rough terrain.
• Multiple mounting points for bottles, racks, and bags, including a hidden top tube mount for Cube’s in-house Acid top tube bag range.
• Mudguard and rack compatibility, making the Nuroad a versatile companion for everything from bikepacking trips to daily commutes.
• Integrated seat clamp for a sleek look and minor weight savings.
• Fully integrated headset cable routing for a cleaner, more aerodynamic cockpit.
• A kickstand mount - a feature that might split opinions but adds to the bike’s practicality.

In short, Cube has covered all the bases, ensuring the Nuroad C:62 SLT is ready for whatever adventure you throw at it.

Top-Tier Build Without the Top-Tier Price

Now, let’s talk about the real showstopper: the SRAM Red XPLR AXS groupset. This is SRAM’s top-tier gravel-specific wireless electronic shifting system, and if you were to buy it separately, you’d be looking at a price tag just shy of £4,000. Given that the entire Cube Nuroad C:62 SLT costs £6,000, it begs the question - how has Cube pulled this off?

The answer lies in smart component choices. Cube has kept things simple by opting to fit a Newmen Advanced SL X.R.36 Vonoa carbon wheelset, which weighs just 1,245g - lighter than many aftermarket upgrades. These wheels are also Tour de France-proven, with riders like Biniam Girmay showcasing their performance at the highest level.

Other highlights include:

• Schwalbe G-One Kevlar tires, ready to go tubeless.
• Carbon fiber seatpost and handlebars, reducing weight and increasing comfort.
• Newmen Advanced G318 gravel handlebar, weighing just 200g and featuring a 12.5-degree flare for better control in technical terrain.

All in, the Nuroad C:62 SLT weighs just 7.5kg - exceptionally light for a gravel bike at this price point.

How Does It Compare to the Competition?

To fully appreciate the value Cube offers, let’s compare it to some of the industry heavyweights:

• Trek Checkmate SLR 9.0 – Features the same SRAM Red XPLR AXS groupset, in-house carbon wheels, and integrated cable routing. The main difference? A one-piece handlebar (which may not be for everyone). Price: £10,000 (a whopping 165% more than the Cube).
• Canyon Grail CFR XPLR – Similar spec, including the same weight of 7.5kg, yet still demands £7,899.

The takeaway? The Cube Nuroad C:62 SLT is an absolute bargain. It delivers the same high-end components as bikes costing thousands more, while offering practical features and real-world versatility that make it a standout choice for gravel riders of all levels.

The Verdict: A True Do-It-All Gravel Machine

Versatile is a term often overused in the cycling world, but in this case, it’s completely justified. The Cube Nuroad C:62 SLT blends cutting-edge technology, premium components, and adventure-ready features into a package that is simply unmatched for the price.

Whether you’re looking for a bikepacking rig, a fast gravel race bike, or just an all-around high-performance machine, the Nuroad C:62 SLT delivers. If you want top-tier performance without the top-tier price, this is one bike you absolutely need to check out.

As a general cyclist, I often struggle to identify myself as belonging to just one two-wheel fraternity. With the exception of unicycling and artistic cycling, I have dabbled in every other discipline so, as a consequence, I have more bikes than garage space.

Ever on the lookout for ways to reduce my 'tool for every job' bicycle collection, the Fara F/Gravel caught my eye as potentially the best do-all gravel adventure bike for me.

Construction

At the heart of the Fara F/Gravel is its carbon frame and fork.

This plays a significant role in the design and ride characteristics, allowing the overall bike to be relatively lightweight. Fara suggests the frame weighs 1050g, and our fully built size M53 test bike weighed 9.99kg/22lbs.

Fara says that the F/Gravel's geometry has been "oriented towards the fun side of gravel". In practice, my bike has a wheelbase of 1028cm and a head tube angle of 72 degrees.

To put that in perspective, comparing it to other gravel bikes of a similar size shows that it's on par with the Canyon Grail CF SL 7, but longer and more relaxed than the Specialized Crux.

That's not to say that the bike lacks fun and sporty geometry; it's just not wildly unique to Fara. But hey, it's a proven recipe for creating a great gravel bike, and if it's not broken, why fix it?

The Fara F/Gravel stands out because of its dropped curved seat stay design. The brand claims this adds compliance to the ride. While I can't verify that statement, the overall package does allow for decent tyre clearance (up to 50mm) and the ability to run either one-by or two-by chainsets.

The F/Gravel frameset has a healthy dose of practical features, although internal cabling will always be a topic of debate.

Leaving cable routing aside, details like the universal 27.2mm round seatpost fitment make an aftermarket dropper seatpost a straightforward option. Thanks to the fully integrated mounts for luggage, mudguards, and racks, setting up the Fara for a bike-packing or touring adventure is also easy. Even with these accessories in place, 50mm tyres can be fitted.

However, easy doesn't equate to cheap. I'm sure many aftermarket options will be compatible, but if you want to fully utilize the mounting system with the brand's own range of bags, bottles, and frame protectors, you'll have to be prepared to pay for them.

Another notable design feature is the integrated Stash-Hatch in the downtube. From experience, it's a bit of a marmite feature, so some riders will find it more useful than others.

My test bike was the F/Gravel Element, which is the starting point price-wise in the range.

This version comes equipped with the entry-level 1x SRAM Apex XPLR gravel-specific groupset plus a Fulcrum Rapid Red 900 alloy wheelset shod in Panaracer Gravelking SK+ 43c tyres.

The front features a flared Ritchey Butano alloy cockpit, while seating is provided by a Fizik Terra Argo X5, 150mm saddle.

The ride

So far, the bike is living up to my expectations. Living on the edge of the Peak District National Park, my options for off-roading are wide and varied, from groomed canal towpaths and disused railway trails to reasonably techy bridleways. The F/Gravel has tackled them all admirably.

Fara has pitched the geometry of the frameset just right, with a nimble and agile ride feel. Yet, it still inspires confidence to tackle a grassroots pump track along the side of a canal. The bike, it transpires, was clearly way more capable than the grip of the Gravelking SK tyres in the mud.

This was also the case when I took my daughter out for a cyclocross skills session. We traversed a very slippery bank before dropping down to a field over tree roots and weathered stone steps. The bike didn't skip a beat, although the tyres did. While the bike felt easy to handle, I could have used a touch more grip to really let go of the reins.

Continuing the skills session, the lightweight nature of the build made drills of tight turns, as well as sprinting out of corner efforts easy. So, I'm pretty confident that putting on a set of more rugged tyres will make the bike way happier in the UK mud. It may even be proficient enough for a cyclocross event.

However, the most noticeable takeaway from the test ride experiences has been how good my back felt during and after each ride.

I generally start suffering after an hour on a bike and have just got used to sucking it up. The Fara F/Gravel, however, has made me think that perhaps I don't need to, and maybe there's even a long adventure ride in me yet.

Value and Conclusion

The Fara F/Gravel has proved to be a brilliant bike. It's an absolute blast to ride with a sense of urgency, but its geometry is so comfortable you could easily take it on an all-dayer/bike-packing adventure.

I really loved the digital shifting of the SRAM Apex XPLR electronic groupset. This, along with the hydraulic disc brakes, will mean minimal hands-on spannering other than the rear mech battery charging requirement.

However, that does need to be balanced with the adventurous nature of the bike and the prospect of dealing with mechanicals when out in the wild.

The only crunchy issue is the stashbox. I'm mostly showing my age by not really 'getting them.' It's just a bit too fiddly and faffy for me. Perhaps if I were bike-packing, I'd find the extra space handy.

Overall, the bike is excellent, and at £3381, it represents excellent value for money.

Spec

• Frameset: F/Gravel Toray carbon
• Groupset: Sram Apex AXS XPLR, 1x12 - 40t/ 11-44t
• Wheelset: Fulcrum Rapid Red
• Tyres: Panaracer Gravelking 43SK
• Cockpit: Ritchey Butano alloy 12deg flare
• Saddle: Fizik Terra Argo X5, 150mm

Titanium has long been revered in the cycling world for its exceptional ride quality —smooth yet lively, and almost magical in its ability to blend comfort with performance. It’s a material synonymous with prestige. However, this legendary reputation often comes with a price tag to match.

State Bicycles is the latest in a slew of brands trying to change that perspective by making titanium bikes accessible to the masses with the release of its Titanium All-Road. At a starting price point of $2,499.99 for a complete bike and $1,299.99 for the frameset, the Ti steed was designed as an accessible gravel bike that can grow with you, with modern tyre clearance, UDH dropouts, an expensive and durable finish, and a rock solid titanium frame construction that won't corrode even after many years of bike ownership.

For our test, the Titanium All-Road came with a full slate of proprietary components from State —from the drivetrain to the finishing kit and wheels. By utilizing State’s proprietary components throughout, the Titanium All-Road balances the higher cost of its premium titanium frame with a more accessible price point, offering an impressive value.

While some of those components would ultimately be the most challenging aspect of the bike by a long way, it does get you rolling on a quality frame for an unbeatable price.

Over the course of the testing, I did not arrive at a definitive conclusion about the bike but rather another question: why make a cheap bike with a premium material if many of the benefits of the material are lost under the weight of poor componentry?

State Titanium All-road frame construction

The All-Road, gravel and off-road categories are broad and unspecified. In my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, gravel means riding the paved roads to miles upon miles of tamer trails with some dusty Sonoran Desert double tracks thrown in. Fortunately for this test, my home is the same as State bicycles, which has its headquarters a mere ten-minute drive from my house, thus I’d imagine my riding aligns very well with this bike’s intended purpose.

In testing this bike, I did my best to cover as much of that mixed surface ground as I could muster and be true to the all-around nature of how the bike was conceived. I also made an effort to be true to the price point and used the bike as a regular commuting option to see how it would handle the more utilitarian city miles.

Despite the brand’s intentionally disruptive premise of 'what if we did titanium cheaper than anyone else,' the Titanium All-Road is traditional in its frame design. It sits firmly in the category of traditional adventure-oriented gravel frames with a tall head tube, slack trail figure and long wheelbase.

I am a racer at heart, so the upright geometry was a sticking point for me, especially on road sections linking the off-road sectors together. At 6 foot 1, I typically prefer a 56cm frame. According to State’s sizing, I was a size large, also called a 55cm. Even though the bike was theoretically smaller than most of what I have ridden, it felt very large and rather cumbersome.

The State felt tall, slack and long in ways that all hindered speed. However, on rough terrain, this geometry translated into a smooth and stable ride. For those who might be interested in riding the bike aggressively, I would highly recommend sizing down, especially if you're planning on running a suspension fork, which would increase the already lofty stack height.

Crucially, the Titanium All-Road pivots from its other All-Road siblings by adopting a UDH dropout and increasing the tyre clearance. Going up from its previous models, the Titanium All-Road has a stated tyre clearance of 50mm and comes stock with 47mm Vittoria Terreno Dry tyres. This move aligns with the off-road sector at large as the industry moves toward increasingly larger volume tyres.

Specifications

• Frame: State Bicycles Co. Titanium All-Road
• Fork: State Standard Black Label Fork
• Groupset: State All-road 1 Groupset
• Power Meter: NA
• Wheels: State All-road
• Tyres: Vittoria Terreno Dry 47mm
• Bar: State All-road
• Stem: State All-road, 100mm
• Seatpost: State All-road
• Saddle: State Black Label Series
• Weight: 23.4 pounds with Shimano XTR Pedals
• Size tested: Large
• RRP: $2,499.99

The State Titanium All-road ride quality

Away from the pros and cons of the frame geometry, the elephant in the room of this review is how the bike is built to meet that $2,499.99 price point: the components.

While the value case is easily made, for me, the State-branded componentry distracts from the minutiae of the frame and the benefits of titanium construction. Why go through the trouble of making a titanium bike with smaller margins if the titanium benefits are negated by the very components that make it affordable?

The problems started with the brakes, which are cable-actuated hydraulics rather than fully hydraulic. When the journey gets rough, whether on jeep trails or singletrack, the stopping power is unreliable at best. I often found myself slowing down early and cautiously, making the bike much less capable than it would be under any other hydraulic braking system.

While less of a safety concern, the drivetrain was similarly distracting. While the frame is UDH capable, State doesn’t currently offer a SRAM built. Instead, the State-branded groupset is a mechanical double tap-adjacent, 1x 11-speed mechanism with a regular derailleur hanger. The stock gearing comes with a 42t front chainring with a 11-42t rear cassette. The shifters are clunky, but they get the job done when not under load. The derailleur is reliable, and the gear range is passable, but it is limited when compared to the more recent SRAM and Shimano offerings.

Weight aside, I took no real issue with the State-branded finish kit, which consists of 44cm flared “all-road” handlebars, a 25mm setback seatpost, a 170mm crank arms and aluminium “all-road” wheels. The finishing kit is easy to swap to one’s preference and I did swap to narrower bars and a higher-end saddle.

Given the move to more tyre clearance, I find the rims of the State All-Road wheelset to be rather narrow. I measured the internal rim width at just 19mm – a far cry from modern gravel wheels that feature 25mm internal or bigger.

The problem with rims this narrow is that wide tyres will not have the same feel and comfort over rough surfaces, and they’ll be exposed to more pinch flats.

Given the lower-tier components on the complete build, the frameset option may be the more attractive choice. The frame itself is sturdy yet maintains a reasonable weight, especially when compared to other steel and aluminium alternatives at that price point. It’s also designed with versatility in mind, featuring all the necessary attachment points for fenders, bags, racks and other accessories.

At just $1,299, the frameset offers a solid foundation for creating a rugged and capable adventure bike at an excellent price. To keep the build both affordable and well-suited to the frame’s intended use, I would pair it with a mechanical GRX groupset or a SRAM Eagle mullet setup at the Rival/GX level. For those interested in going wireless without breaking the bank, State offers a SRAM Apex AXS Mullet groupset upgrade for an additional $999 when bought directly from the brand's website.

Verdict & Value

The State Bicycle Co. Titanium All-Road has the potential to be a standout, budget-friendly titanium bike, but the proprietary components come up short, leaving the complete build feeling underwhelming.

The $2,499.99 price tag is hard to beat, yes, but extracting the bike’s full potential will require additional investment.

Ultimately, this bike seems best suited for those just beginning their gravel journey or riders looking for an affordable titanium frameset to customise. Either way, some tinkering and component upgrades will be necessary. As it stands, much of the bike’s performance capability remains untapped, making the bike a starting point rather than a final destination.

First released in 2016 Sonder Camino Ti has been around for as long as Sonder itself. From then until now it remains one of the most popular bikes in the range and one that is frequently recommended on many a “what gravel bike…?” thread.

It’s well thought of at Cycling Weekly too, back in 2020 we crowned it with our Editor’s Choice Award. There have been a few changes to the Camino’s design since then so it feels like a good time to see how it performs in this year’s Gravel Bike of the Year testing.

The construction

For this year we had the titanium-framed version of the Camino which looks beautiful, there’s just something straight tubes with a raw finish that’s hard to beat (and that’s not just because they’re really easy to clean). There’s also the advantage of the finish being much more durable to wear and tear than a painted or carbon frame, a real bonus if you’re looking to add luggage. The alloy version is also available if your budget is more modest (frame only Ti £1,999, alloy £599).

To keep the clean look the cabling runs internally through the down tube. To make servicing quicker and easier there’s an access hatch under the bottom bracket shell so you can re-cable without the need for specialist tools. There are additional cable ports to run various shifter/mech combinations as well as a dropper post and an array of mounts. The positioning of the seat tube mounts on the small frame means you can’t fit a 600ml bottle if you’re running a standard frame bag under the top tube.

The Camino is unashamedly a bike that’s designed for technical gravel as much as long-distance adventures. This is reflected in the geometry, the wheelbase (small frame, 1050mm) and chainstays (434mm) are longer than most of the other bikes in our test and the head angle slacker too (69^o). The stack is relatively high to allow a more upright and comfortable position for longer days in the saddle (reach 380mm, stack 564mm). You can also fit up to 50mm 700cc tyres or 650b wheels with 2.2” tyres if you want to push the Camino’s technical abilities.

There’s a huge choice of build options for the Camino, in the titanium model alone there are 11 (plus frame only) listed on the website and each can be tailored to the exact specification you wish. That much choice will either excite or terrify you, either way, it’s not as complicated as it sounds.

The key difference between the models is the drive train with pretty much every level of SRAM XPLR, SRAM Road, Shimano GRX and Shimano Road available to choose including 1x, 2x, mechanical and electronic. Campagnolo Ekar is also an option.

Once you’ve chosen your drive chain model that suits your brand, gearing and budget you can pretty much choose all the remaining components or stick with the standard build. Some of the changes are like for like so don’t incur additional charges, others are upgrades. This affordable customisation is also a feature of the Cotic Cascade. For the Camino, you can even ask Sonder to build the bike with your own sourced components, with the price reduced accordingly.

For our review we chose the standard build of the Ti Rival 1 AXS XPLR as at £3,199 it fell comfortably within our budget. In addition to the 12-speed Rival AXS drivetrain and brakes the build comes with a monocoque carbon fork and Sonder Alpha alloy wheels (built in Sonder’s Nottingham HQ) with Goodyear Connector 45mm tyres. The finishing kit is all Sonder including the flared alloy bar and saddle which has a very close resemblance to the popular Fabric Scoop.

The ride

The moment you throw your leg over the Camino you can feel like you’re going to have a good time. This is not a bike that dictates what and how you ride, it’s a bike that asks what you fancy doing and instantly being up for the adventure. In fact, my first couple of days on the Camino proved its adaptability and capability to do it all.

First ride out I strapped on many, very full bags of bike luggage to venture off for my son’s first bikepacking trip. The load was heavy and the pace slow but the Camino made it a pleasure. Even with the entire load the Camino remains agile and responsive to both steering and pedalling inputs.

Once evening came I unloaded the bags, tweaked the tyre pressure and headed out onto the technical trails I’d usually ride on my mountain bike. It’s no secret that the geometry of the Camino has been influenced by MTB geometry and it shows. With your weight in the middle of the bike, it’s incredibly stable and easy to manoeuvre on twisty and rocky trails, limited only by the size of the tyres.

The next morning I was out solo once again, this time for a tempo session on the road. The Camino is never going to be as quick as a more race-biased gravel bike but it does a perfectly good job. It’s responsive to pedalling efforts whether you’re spinning along or out the saddle. If I was planning a lot of tarmac on a ride I’d consider swapping the tyres for something narrower for a little less drag.

And onto my final ride of that weekend, I was loaded up and ready for part two of the family ride where we headed the long gravelly way back. By now I was carrying a lot of fatigue as well as luggage, so I really appreciated the comfort of the wide tyres and titanium frame. There’s another pleasing benefit of the titanium frame if you’re considering bike luggage and that’s the knowledge that you’ve got no paint or carbon layers to wear away with your bags. This saves a lot of time and frustration adding tape to numerous parts of your bike to protect it from the straps.

Many riders love them but personally I never really got on with the flared Bomber bars as I missed the width on the top of the bar for both riding and fitting in a large bar bag. If you feel similarly, Sonder’s build selector provides a standard drop bar option in a couple of widths for no additional cost.

Value

For a titanium-framed bike with a full Rival AXS drivetrain, £3,199 is already an excellent price. If you consider the enjoyment factor and the range of gravel riding you get to do, then its value exponentially increases.

Specs

• Frameset: Camino Ti Frame and Monocoque Carbon fork
• Shifters: SRAM Rival AXS | 12-speed
• Brakes: SRAM Rival AXS | Hydraulic
• Rear derailleur: SRAM Rival AXS XPLR | 12-speed
• Chainset: SRAM Rival1 Wide Chainset | 12-Speed
• Cassette: SRAM XG1251 | 10-44t | 12-speed
• Chain: SRAM Rival | 12-speed
• Bottom bracket: SRAM DUB | BSA | 68mm
• Wheels: Sonder Alpha 700c 
• Tyres: Goodyear Connector | 700c | 45mm | Tan Wall
• Handlebars: Sonder Bomber alloy
• Stem: Sonder Storc alloy
• Seatpost: alloy
• Saddle: Sonder Abode
• Sizes: XS – XL

The Canyon Grail isn’t a stranger to us at Cycling Weekly. We included the previous generation in last year’s Gravel Bike of the Year testing and have already reviewed a high-end version of the current model when it was launched last October.

The entry-level Grail CF SL 7 AXS is a classy-looking bike with many features you wouldn’t expect at this price point including aero-tubing and an integrated cockpit. But how would this budget race-ready machine perform on the trails and against the other contenders in this year's Gravel Bike of the Year awards.?

The construction

There are three levels of carbon frame within the Grail range, all of which have the same geometry, tubing and mounts. The SL version on test is the lower end of these, and so is heavier and less stiff than the higher-end frames. It also forgoes any internal storage.

The construction and styling of the Grail gives it clean and modern look with straight lines running across the bike. I particularly like the shaping of the tubes as the seat stays run into the seat and top tube junction.

Our extra-small model (recommended for riders 167 – 175cm) had a 1024mm wheelbase, 425mm chain stays, 71^o seat tube angle and 73.5^o head tube angle putting it, geometry-wise, mid-way between pure racing-biased and the more adventure-tilted bikes we had in our test, such as the Cotic Casacde.

Whilst most of the Grail’s geometry fell where expected, its relatively high stack (556mm) gives the Grail a higher front end than many other gravel race bikes.

Similar to the frame itself, the build of the entry-level Grail benefits from the trickle-down design of its fancier stablemates. This means the SL 7 boasts many aero attributes that are less common on similarly priced bikes such as an integrated cockpit, fully internal hoses and D-shaped seat post. The cockpit itself combines a 60mm stem and 420mm width bars (these dimensions increase with increasing frame size).

The Grail CF SL 7 AXS comes equipped with Schwalbe G-One 40mm tubeless ready (but not set up) tyres on DT Swiss Gravel LM wheels with 12mm bolt-thru axles. Maximum tyre is 42mm which is decent but on the narrower side compared to many of the bikes we tested for Gravel Bike of the Year, including the race-orientated Specialized Crux.

The drivetrain and brakes are all SRAM Rival AXS with 1x12 speed XPLR gearing (10-44T cassette) with a press-fit bottom bracket. The sizing of the crank arm length follows the modern trend of 'going small' with 165mm spec’d on our size XS test bike. This won’t be for everyone, but I think it’s good to see a greater range of crank lengths across the size-range rather than a one (or two) size fits all approach.

The ride

I was really excited about riding the Grail. Its look, geometry and spec suggested that it was just what I wanted for a summer of gravel riding; fast and purposeful but with the ability to venture onto more technical trails when I fancied scaring myself. I even had the opportunity to blast it down the same gravel tracks that featured in this year’s Tour de France.

The rear end of the bike was as quick and responsive as I hoped for; whether I was pedalling in or out of the saddle or willing it to whip through corners, it dutifully followed. It would get up to speed and stay there; I could make my legs burn if I wanted but sit and cruise when needed

When really cranking out the saddle it’s possible to have some fork flex and brake rub but, given the specification and price point, it’s not concerning. The press-fit BB did its fair share of creaking too, but again (for right or wrong) nothing out of the ordinary. So, at this point, all good.

However, the front end of the bike felt completely mismatched to both me and its own rear end. Firstly it was quite short, so didn’t put you in a long, low, racy position. This shortness isn’t through the frame itself (the reach is pretty standard for a racing-leaning gravel bike) but the stem which was around 20mm shorter than similarly designed bikes of the same size.

Combining the shorter ‘overall reach’ with the generous stack results in quite an upright leisurely position. The height of the front end made me want to get in the drops to weight the front wheel but the shortness of the bike made this quite a crumpled position and not one I wanted to stay in.

The other anomaly of the front end was the relatively wide bars - 420mm for an XS bike is generous (420mm on the three smallest sizes, 440mm for medium and large, 460mm for XL and XXL sized bikes). Without being able to get up and over the front end and weight the front wheel, this width felt too much.

A closer look at the geometry charts makes me suspect that the “high and short” feel is much more prominent on the smaller models than the larger ones with the ratio between the “as built” stack and reach decreasing with increasing frame size.

Despite this, the bike's handling on both rough gravel and technical terrain was still good, obediently going wherever I needed it to. It just didn’t feel fast or fun.

Value

If it was down to looks and attributes the Canyon Grail CF SL 7 AXS would be hard to beat; with £3,299 (reduced to £2,949 at time of press) buying you full aero tubing, integrated cockpit and wireless shifting.

But, be warned, the downside of such technology at this price point is the relative expense of making any alterations. My main gripe could be mitigated with a longer and narrower cockpit but at £300, around 10% of the cost of the bike, that’s an expensive thing to try out.

Specs

• Frame and fork: Canyon Grail CF SL- carbon
• Rear Derailleur: SRAM Rival XPLR eTap AXS
• Cassette: SRAM Rival XPLR XG-1251, 12-speed, 10-44T
• Crank: SRAM Rival 165 mm
• Bottom bracket: SRAM Pressfit DUB Wide
• Chain: SRAM Rival D1 12s
• Brakes: SRAM Rival eTap AXS, 160mm rotor Wheels
• Wheels: DT Swiss Gravel LN
• Tyres: Schwalbe G-One R, 40mm
• Cockpit: one piece, 60 x 420mm, 16° flare on at drops, 5° backsweep
• Saddle: Fizik Vento Argo X5
• Seat post: Carbon (CF)
• Sizes: 2XS – 2XL (seven sizes)
• Max tyre clearance: 42 mm
• Weight: 8.9 kg (XS as tested)

Once upon a time gravel bikes used to sit somewhere between road and mountain bikes. By exploiting the benefits of the latest components and manufacturing, they combined the speed and efficiency of a drop-bar all-road bike with a more stable geometry, wider tyre clearance and kinder gearing from the mountain bike world for fast riding on and off tarmac.

But things didn’t stop there. ‘Gravel riding’ is a broad church and manufacturers have quickly developed bikes to fill every possible niche: from high-paced UCI racing to multi-day adventures to reckless fun on technical MTB trails.

The Cotic Cascade sits well and truly in the final category. This is a bike designed to seek out every last bit of fun on the trails.

Construction

Cotic is a British bike company established over 20 years ago. Based in Sheffield, it is famed for its steel mountain and gravel bikes. The Cascade came about through Cotic’s experimentation to find a bike to sit in between the all-road Escapade and the Solaris, its hardtail mountain bike. The aim was to develop a bike that felt confident and fun but had the ability to move swiftly over longer distances too.

The Cascade differs from the rest of the bikes in our Best of the Year test as it’s a bike built around mountain bike geometry and components to give the ride a confident feel and excellent handling. As with all Cotic bikes, the Cascade is constructed from 853 Reynolds tubing for a (relatively) lightweight and springy ride. The ovalised and tapered tubing gives the Cascade its necessary strength and compliance but is also gives the bike a clean and stylish look.

The Cascade gets much of its stability and ability from the MTB-inspired geometry. Our small-sized bike had a long stable wheelbase of 1092mm, that’s 40 – 90mm longer than the rest of the bikes in our test. Part of the length comes through the longer chainstays (438mm) and part through the front triangle. Another standout dimension is the 68^o head tube angle which, when combined with the fork offset, gives the Cascade much of its stable handling. Including the stem the reach of the Cascade is similar to the other bikes we tested but its stack is around 50mm higher which gives a much more upright riding position.

MTB hub and BB spacing give plenty of tyre clearance so you’re able to run up to a 2.4” (about 53mm) tyre on a 29” wheel or 2.8” 650b. There’s even more clearance on the custom steel fork so you can go bigger at the front for even more grip. On that note, you can easily run a 100mm suspension fork on the Cascade if you want a little more comfort or technical capability. This isn’t a bike for slick and skinny tyres.

Pretty much all the cabling runs externally, adding to the old skool steel aesthetic but also making servicing on the road many times easier. As many steel adventure and gravel bikes, there are multiple mounts to fit endless combinations of gear as you wish.

The Cascade is available as a frameset or with several different build options in both drop and flat bar versions.

Our review bike was the drop bar bronze build equipped with SRAM Apex 1x11 drivetrain and brakes, Hunt XC wheels, WTB Ranger 29 x 2.4 tyres, WTB Rocket saddle and a range of Cotic branded finishing kit. Other build options include Shimano GRX 1x12 and SRAM Force AXS 1x12, and flat bar options utilise MTB shifting systems. Unsurprisingly this sort of bike isn’t light in comparison to the carbon-framed gravel racers in our test, ours weighed in at 12.4kg. There are some easy weight savings in terms of wheels and a carbon fork if you want to go lighter.

All bikes are built to order which allows Cotic to offer several options for different components; you can upgrade individual parts like wheels or bottom brackets, or choose a size/option to suit for components such as bars and tyres. Seat post options include a dropper post as we had on our test bike.

The ride

As you might expect, riding the Cascade is quite a different experience to some of the other gravel bikes we had on test. The position is much more upright and relaxed which is likely to be much more comfortable for your upper body than a traditional drop bar bike, but also really helps you see the trail ahead.

The control and steering are quite different too, much more direct to your input on the bars than bikes with steeper head angles. This is really evident when you turn at low speeds, as the Cascade just gets on and turns with plenty of control and balance.

The steel frame and big volume tyres provide plenty of comfort which makes it easier to stay in the saddle on rougher gravel than some other gravel bikes. Unsurprisingly, it’s relatively sluggish in its straight-line speed than a traditional gravel bike so you’ll want to plan your ride to be much more off-road than on.

I’ve really enjoyed some quick laps through local trails and paths on the Cascade. These are little patches of wooded trails linked by long sections of paths and tracks. They’re the sort of trails that are quite boring on a modern long and slack MTB and there’s a lot of pedalling in between them. Although I can just about ride them on my gravel bike, it’s a bit rough on the body for most days so I just stick to the linking tracks and paths. I can confidently and comfortably ride all the trickier trails on the Cascade and then happily spin the few gravelly miles to the next section. It’s made my local riding fun again.

The Cascade is hugely capable on the rough trails, so if you like more technical riding, you’ll love what you can do on it. But it’s also an excellent bike for road riders who are at the other end of their off-road journey and have yet to refine their off-road skill set. It has a really planted feel and will roll over loose and rough stuff with amazing control, resulting in loads of enjoyment and confidence for the rider.

Value

At £2,149, the Cotic Cascade with bronze build boasts an excellent price that makes it competitive against similarly specced bikes in our Gravel Bike of the Year awards.

The ethos of the now iconic Croix de Fer hasn’t really changed since it was first released in 2009, but the bike has just undergone a thorough update this summer.

Popular features, like the steel frame, generous tyre clearance and an array of mounts for bags, bottles and racks are still key components of the bike. But, on the latest version, clearance has been extended to accommodate up to 47mm wide tyres, while cabling is now semi-integrated.

Our test bike was the Croix de Fer 30 which utilises Reynolds 725 steel tubing and a chromoly fork. Lower and higher-priced frames use steel with slightly different properties, so the ride feel and weights differ a little. There’s also a titanium version available as a frameset only.

I was so impressed with the Croix de Fer's build, handling and versatility, that it topped the Best of British category in Cycling Weekly's Gravel Bike of the Year 2024.

Geometry on the smaller frame sizes is a little unusual because reach has been extended to avoid toe overlap of the larger front tyre. This makes the smaller frame sizes relatively long, with shorter stems partially compensating for this. Head (71.0^o) and seat (74.0^o) tube angles are similar to many gravel bikes although less progressive than some of the more technically capable machines. The wheelbase of our small framed bike is a stable 1,046mm but reach is long at 395mm (the same as the large frame). For all-day comfort, stack is relatively high at 566mm. The reach measurements on the medium and larger frames are much more typical, the clearance is sufficient so it doesn’t need to be adjusted.

Construction

I might be showing my age here but the CdF 30 is a beautiful bike to look at; the simplicity of the steel tubing and classic colourway and graphics. Just take a look at the detail down the back of the seat tube.

One of the most striking differences between the CdF and other bikes in Cycling Weekly’s Gravel Bike of the Year group test was the double-chain ring, Shimano GRX manual groupset. Everything else we rode had a single-ring SRAM setup. In part that was by chance, but it’s also true that not all gravel bikes are designed to take a double chainset. The speccing of a double chainring really captures the intent of the CdF, this is a bike that’s designed to ride pretty much any terrain while carrying pretty much any load you can sensibly imagine.

Similarly, the rest of the build followed the ethos of ‘reliability and capability’ over ‘light and fast’. Wheels are in-house Amplitude G100 alloy, which are tubeless ready, with Maxxis Rambler 45mm tyres. The rest of the finishing kit was Amplitude branded alloy.

All in, our review bike, in a size small weighed 11.7 kg.

The ride

The steel frame and tyre volume should give you a good indication of what the Croix de Fer is built for. This is a bike that is as much (or more) about utility and dependability as it is about blasting out a two-hour gravel ride.

Instantly, the CdF is a comfortable bike to ride, a combination of its upright position and compliant steel frame. It does everything you want it to do without the vagaries and fickleness of a bike that’s designed too much for one thing or another.

I did find the front end of the small frame too long and wide for my liking even though I measure up right in the mid-point of the recommended sizing. The extended frame reach was just a little too much, reducing down by 20mm gave a much better feel. Similarly 440mm width bars on a bike designed for riders 5’4” – 5’7” is really quite burly even if it makes fitting a bar bag easy. Another sizing issue of the smaller frame was the bottle cage bosses on the seat tube. Their position blocks the seat post if it’s inserted far into the frame, so I needed to use a cut-down post to get my saddle height right. This is worth checking if you ride a size small and want to run a dropper post.

There’s not an instant or huge reward if you try to push the CdF’s pace, think diesel engine rather than a V8 petrol. Handling is sure and steady, and whilst little inputs of effort or twists and turns in the trail are rewarding, they don’t generate a huge burst of adrenalin. That’s not to say it can’t cope with more technical trails, the steel frame, large volume tyres and longer wheelbase allowed it to cope admirably with my many less appropriate choices of trail.

But where the CdF really excels is those long, all day rides that are measured in pace rather than speed. It’s reactive and fun when you need it to be but – crucially – steering is sure and stable, and sitting in the saddle and pedalling isn’t a chore.

This is a bike that I’ve enjoyed riding purposefully on the road on my way to work, then taking the de-stressing scenic route trails home before loading up at the weekend with a family’s worth of picnic and detritus for a long day out. It’s pleasurable and reliable, doing everything I want it to do.

Value and verdict

Pricing of all the CdF range is welcomely accessible rather than aspiration. The 30 model we tested has an RRP of £2,300 making it an affordable option.

On paper, it’s tempting to categorise the Croix de Fer as a modern-day gravel bike. It shares a similar geometry and features such as tyre clearance, rack mounts and neat but sensible cable routing. But gravel is only a small part of the Croix de Fer story, so such a classification misses its point. This is a bike on which you can do a bit of everything and not worry about it breaking when it gets bashed in the bike shed at work or under the load of your multi-day adventures. This is a bike for life, and all of life’s adventures.

Value and verdict

• Frame & Fork: Reynolds 725 Steel Tubing, Amplitude G100 Chromoly Fork
• Drivetrain: Shimano GRX RX600/RX400, 2 x 10-speed, 46/30T Chainrings, 11-34T Cassette
• Components: Amplitude G100 Finishing Kit, Madison Flux Switch Saddle
• Wheelset: Amplitude G100
• Brakes: Shimano GRX RX400 Hydraulic Discs
• Tyres: Maxxis Rambler 700x45mm Tubeless Ready
• Weight: 11.7kg

In days gone by off-road drop bar racing meant only one thing: cyclo-cross. A world where a bike’s handling is fast and sure, where tyres are skinny and mud clearance is aplenty. But the fast tracks and unrestricted tyre sizes of top-end gravel racing has brought a different drop bar race bike to the fore; the wide-tyred aero race bike. Enter the Ridley Kanzo Fast.

The frame

Based on the brand’s aero road race bike the Noah Fast, the Kanzo Fast is a gravel bike designed for flat out speed on the rough long tracks (the Kanzo Adventure is Ridley’s other gravel bike).

The carbon frame and fork of the Kanzo Fast is full-on aero. The fork and integrated cockpit flow into the D-shaped headtube, there are fairings at the fork tips, dropped seat stays and one-by only design.

The lay-up of the carbon throughout the frame and cockpit as well as the geometry is designed to provide the shock absorbency needed to ride off road. So, whilst it looks like a road racing bike, there’s less stiffness and a lot more comfort than you might expect.

The geometry follows suit, a road race bike base with gravel tweaks. The Kanzo had the shortest wheelbase of all the bikes we had on test (1,001 mm on XS) with the lowest stack height (537 mm) and longest reach when taking the stem length into consideration (480 mm total; 110 mm spec’d on our test bike). To give the bike front end stability on rougher terrain the head tube has a 71^o angle which was pretty standard across all the bikes in our review. To sum it up, it’s short and low but not as short and low as its road cousin.

The Kanzo is available in five different sizes with reaches 373 – 400 mm (not including stem) and stacks 537 – 638 mm.

The build

For this year’s gravel bike of the year we looked to include bikes priced £2,500 – 3,500 and the lowest priced of the Kanzo Fast falls within our budget at £3,200. This base model features the aero frame and fork with Norte wheels, mechanical SRAM Rival 1x11 shifting and disc brakes. It doesn’t feature the Kanzo cockpit, instead it runs a two piece non-aero alloy stem and bars. But… because of availability, that base model was not the bike we had to review.

Our test bike was a ‘configured’ build (where you can select your own specification) which would cost around £5,000. It featured an integrated carbon cockpit (110 x 380 mm), SRAM Rival AXS XPLR 1x12 shifting and brakes, Forza Lavanto Gravel Carbon wheels and 38 mm Vittoria Terreno tyres.

The ride

Unsurprisingly given its build, the Kanzo Fast was an absolute beauty of a bike to ride. The first striking feature was – despite its hard n’ fast looks – it is extremely comfortable. The lay-up of the frame and bar, intended structural flex and the volume of the tyres took all the expected chatter away from the ride. This made the ride on smooth gravel surprisingly similar to on tarmac and easy to maintain an efficient pedalling position and an even cadence.

It’s not just the long and fast that feels good. It has such a fun, reactive feel that I wanted to go and ride it around in the park with friends as much as go for a back road blast.

The integrated carbon cockpit on our test bikes was extremely comfortable (I managed a non-stop 10 hour ride during testing without any hand issues). However, it’s unlikely that the alloy bar that’s spec’d on the lower priced model would share the same properties.

For all its race pedigree, the Kanzo didn’t shift as quickly on the road as I expected, perhaps the downside of all that integral gravel comfort. Of course, a gravel bike isn’t a road bike, but I’d assumed that one that was so far to the racing end of the spectrum would hold its own.

For the majority of the riding the aero benefits of the bike weren’t particularly evident; I don’t have either the local gravel trails or the power to achieve speeds to really profit from them. Even when I was riding the Kanzo on this year’s Tour de France stage route with its gravel sections (200 km with 35 km gravel and 2,000 m climbing) it was only really the longer and fastest road descents I perceived any aero benefit. If I could choose I’d keep the geometry but without the aero tubing and so not sacrifice weight and tyre clearance.

Despite its design intentions, the Kanzo is really fun and steady on technical singletrack riding. Its short wheelbase and direct handling giving it the reactivity needed for the twists and turns and that’s despite the long and narrow cockpit on our test bike (standard stocked bars and stems are a little shorter and wider so should give even more control). As it’s so short it’s not very stable on steeper descents and so more limited if you regularly explore off-piste. On the XS there was some toe overlap which wasn’t great for slow technical trails, this is unlikely to be an issue on larger models though.

Specs (as tested)

• Frame and fork: Kanzo Fast, 30T HM/HR UD Carbon
• Groupset: SRAM Rival AXS XPLR – 1x12
• Crankset: SRAM Rival - 42T, 172.5 mm
• Cassette: 10-44T 12sp
• Wheels: Forza Levanto Gravel Carbon
• Tyres: Vittoria Terreno Dry TLR - 38mm
• Handlebar: Kanzo Fast aero integrated cockpit 38 x 110mm
• Saddle: Selle Italia SLR
• Sizes: XS – XL (five sizes)
• Max tyre clearance: 42 mm
• Weight: 9.1 kg (XS as tested)

This year Specialized launched the first alloy version of the Crux at a far more accessible price point than its carbon siblings. Our North American editor has already had a chance to ride and write about it, now it’s time to see how it performs on British gravel and against five other bikes, as tested for CW’s 2024 Gravel Bikes of the Year.

The Crux became the 'Best for Speed' category winner in our Gravel Bike of the Year 2024 Awards, with its rapid ride making it the most suitable for those seeking off-road pace.

The frame

In developing the DSW alloy frame, Specialized have stayed true to the design and purpose of the carbon Crux. This is a bike designed to be ridden hard.

The results of intensive R&D in the frame design and production have allowed Specialized to produce – it claims – “lightest alloy frame in the world” (claimed weight 1,399g). Crucially for a gravel bike, Specialized claim the technology also produces a frame that’s much more durable than other alloy bikes whilst still having an “improved ride quality”. A clearly visible example of where this all comes together is the single-piece down tube and bottom bracket which eliminates weight and unwanted rigidity at the heart of the frame.

There are six sizes available from 49cm through to 61cm frames. Head (71.25) and seat tube (74.0) angles are almost identical to the other race orientated bikes in our group test, the Ridley Kanzo and Canyon Grail. To keep the back end tight and fast chainstays are a minimal 425mm and the wheelbase 1014mm. At 462mm the frame reach is very similar to the other two race bikes and stack falls in the middle (547mm).

The frame itself is capable of housing full mechanical and Di2 wiring but only as 1x set up. There is the scope to run tyres up to 47mm on 700cc wheels or swap to 650B up to 2.1” for shorter term comfort.

True to its heritage, like the carbon version, there is no excess on the DSW with just standard bottle mount bosses rather than multiple rack and guard mounts.

The Crux DSW isn’t entirely alloy. For weight saving and comfort the DSW is equipped with the same S-Works carbon fork as the full carbon bikes.

The build

The most striking feature of the Crux DSW is its simplicity: straight tubes, simple semi-internal cabling, standard bar and stem: nothing to charge, nothing to spend hours fiddling to set up, no proprietary parts that require specialist tools. This feels quite a contrast to a number of other race gravel bikes where design is being slowly drawn towards the fickle nature of one-piece carbon aero and all its awkwardness.

The DSW Comp is equipped with full mechanical SRAM Apex XPLR 1x12 drivetrain and hydraulic brakes. Wheels are DT Swiss rims on Specialized hubs fitted with Pathfinder Pro tyres. The rest of the finishing kit - bars, stem and seatpost - is Specialized branded alloy.

Our 52cm bike was kitted out with 170mm cranks, 400mm wide bars and an 80mm stem. The component sizing progresses with increasing frame sizes up to 440mm bars and 175mm cranks. It’s pleasing to see the smaller frame sizes equipped with components that feel a better fit for smaller riders.

The ride

The DSW may be a third of the price of the carbon Pro version we tested last year but we’d describe the ride in much the same way. It is an incredibly reactive bike and really wills you to push it hard.

The Crux’s sprightliness makes it a joy to ride. I found myself sprinting into every turn and transition and trying to put down more and more power on the straights. It’s fast and nimble on technical trails and descents, it’s a bike that makes riding feel like it the fun it should be.

The key thing holding back the Crux is its wheels and tyres. The alloy wheels are relatively heavy and feel a bit dull but, given the bike’s price, that’s not unusual or surprising. The Pathfinder tyres are designed for straight line, hard packed gravel and so just not well suited to UK conditions, there’s just not enough bite or grip to cope with our non-premium gravel, let alone CX mud.

Whilst designed as a race machine, there’s plenty of scope within the geometry and components to allow you to tweak to fit your own fit and achieve a more upright position for longer rides. Simply switching a few steerer tube spacers around allowed me to swap between all-day gravel endurance riding and CX racing. The ability to easily alter the fit of a bike at low or no cost is becoming harder nowadays with integrated cockpits becoming more commonplace, it really improves the flexibility of the Crux in comparison to the other gravel race bikes.

On the downside, I found it much harder to pace longer rides on the Crux as it encourages you to ride hard (believe me, no one will thank you for bike packing at CX pace). The race tuned stiffness of the frame and fork will also add some fatigue into longer stints in the saddle.

Despite its racing geometry, the Crux handles riding with bike packing gear pretty well. I wouldn’t want to carry kit for several days but happily managed the extra load of overnight kit in a tail pack and bar bag without sacrificing too much handling.

Value

With its alloy frame and mechanical drivetrain the $2,600 / £2,300 Crux DSW Comp comes in at the lower end of our Gravel Bike of the Year price bracket and well below the carbon Crux bikes. As many bikes at this end of the range, there are some upgrades you may plan as savings allow starting with the wheels.

Unfortunately there’s only one DSW build available so the only way to spec electronic shifting is an expensive upgrade or an equally expensive full build (frameset $1,700 / £1,500).

Specs

• Frameset: Crux DSW frame with Fact carbon gravel fork
• Groupset: SRAM Apex XPLR 12-speed mechanical
• Wheels: DT Swiss G540 aluminum
• Tyres: 700 x 38mm 2Bliss ready Pathfinder Pro tyres
• Finishing kit: a collection of Specialized's own alloy stem, handlebars and seatpost
• Saddle: Body Geometry Power Sport, steel rails
• Price: $2,700 / £2,300
• Weight (52cm as tested): 9.5kg

I’m a late convert to gravel. I’ve moved on from thinking they’re just hybrid bikes with drop-down handlebars, repackaged in the name of marketing, but I am still sceptical. Surely they can’t be as fast on the road as, you know, road bikes, and surely they can’t be as good on trails as mountain bikes.

So when I got offered the opportunity to test a do-it-all gravel bike from Guava for a month, I knew this was the moment when I’d either make peace with the thriving discipline that isn’t so new anymore, or further position myself as a late-20-something dinosaur, resistant to advancement.

To the surprise of no one who has a gravel bike, it only took me one spin to be convinced. And the Guava Spot Force AXS is so good that I’m now asking myself why on earth I even need a road bike when I can just swap road wheels and tyres in for their gravel equivalent. Safe to say, I’ve been won over.

Construction

Don’t worry, you’re not the only one who’s never heard of Guava. Launched in March 2022, they operate out of Barcelona and Girona in northern Spain, the creation of two friends, one American, one Spanish. Their three models are regular sights on Catalan gravel, but to date they’ve not yet breached the wider international market. That’s probably about to change.

I tested a medium Guava Spot Force AXS (the brand’s most expensive of their three models) in a grey/black colourway, but I could have chosen another 159 colour options. Riding a 40T front chainring and carbon cranks, the bike comes equipped with the Sram Force AXS, a drivetrain that gives a huge range for steep gradients; there are 12 sprockets on the back, the largest counting 50T, otherwise known in cycling parlance as a dinner plate.

Threaded with internal cables and hydraulic disc brakes, it’s every bit a modern-day bike as you’d hope for, packaged together in a simple, neat and smart design. The frame, handlebars (that aren’t so flared) and Volte carbon wheels are all designed in-house, reinforcing the local bike shop feel to the bike.

Capable of running a dropper post and with a tyre clearance of 50mm (I had 45mm WTB tyres), it’s set up for the most difficult of mountain bike terrain, while simultaneously being light enough at 8.8kg that it can eat up the road in no time. For many, gravel riding equals bikepacking, and the Guava Spot comes equipped with three bottle mounts, and top tube, rack and fender bolts. The cargo door, with a magnetic latch box on the down tube, cleverly hides basic tools and pumps.

There are lots of nice little touches on the bike, too. ‘Made in Barcelona’ is written on the lower frame; ‘freedom machine’ and other artwork are printed on the seat post; several small skulls are positioned on the stem; and the ‘G’ logo is emblazoned across the front.

The ride

My first experience riding the Guava was with one of the company’s two co-founders, Nacho. Immediately upon leaving their flagship Barcelona store, he took us to a set of steep ramps flanked by steps on either side. “Fancy riding up here?” he asked me. No, no I did not. A 45-degree angle is barely meant to be ridden down, never mind up. Nacho, though, cruised up. Huh, I thought, that 50T really does allow you to spin up the most horrible of gradients.

Over the following two hours, Nacho had me ascending and descending some pretty gnarly single track around Barcelona’s doorstep Sierra de Collserola, terrain so narrow and sketchy that it was definitely made for enduro riders. But the Guava handled it with aplomb, jumping over and gliding through branches, rocks, puddles and muddy patches. On wider, less uneven surface, it floated along breezily, and when asphalt became the ground underneath, it rode as deftly as most road bikes. The only criticism I could level at it was that cornering on wider wheels of 45mm wasn’t as smooth and as fast as their road equivalents, and I never felt like I could properly throw my body weight over the bike. But that’s to be expected.

The next day, Canadian pro and Guava ambassador Ben Perry threw me down even more technical descents in nearby Girona, bunny-hopping up and over ditches, divots and streams, and each time the bike responded with a figurative shrug-of-the-shoulder. The following month, as I tested the Guava on a mixture of sandy, rocky and damp surfaces, my initial thoughts were only reinforced: this bike can do everything. I really hadn’t envisaged that it would deal so well with such tricky descents, the frame soaking up all the obstacles in my path, and eating up the little jumps I dared to submit it to.

On the road, meanwhile, it glided. Not quite at the speed as my road bike, but pretty damn close to it. When I added some Schwalbe Pro-One TLE tyres to it on a road riding trip in Slovenia, the bike immediately converted itself into a fully-functioning, fully-raving, fully-compliant road bike.

Whether on the tops or in the drops, I was regularly changing my position with ease, depending on the surface beneath my wheels. The set-up was comfortable, the stem length appropriate, but I did find riding in the drops for a sustained period of time stressed my back more than on my road bike. Nevertheless, the one time I was able to take the Guava out for more than five hours, I never had any comfort issues.

Disappointingly, I didn’t have the time to take the Guava out on a bikepacking trip as was my original intention, but I am convinced it would be the perfect companion on multi-day adventures, backed up by its many bolts to attach bags. Anecdotal tales from others riding Guava set-ups confirmed my assumption: this bike adapts to the rigours of bikepacking as well as it does to the demands of fast racing.

Value and conclusion

At £4,950/ €5,299 (all shipping and taxes included), the Guava Spot Force AXS is in the same price range as the highly-rated Giant Revolt. Shorthand for: on the more expensive side, but you’re buying a bloody great bike.

What impressed me – and the hordes of Spanish gravel riders who’ve been buying from the start-up since their inception in 2022 – is how well the Guava Spot adepts to whatever is thrown its way. It just doesn’t deal with fast asphalt, rocky terrain, sandy stretches and damp conditions, but it excels across them. It’s fast, aggressive, nimble, stable, and above all compliant.

If you need a bike that can do everything, and be as dependable on a quick hour-long spin as it is across multiple days in a race or more leisurely bikepacking adventure, the Guava Spot Force AXS should be considered as much, if not more, than models by the far bigger brands. And best of all, not only can you design it in the colour you want, but if you pick it up in Barcelona, the owners will even take you for some tapas, some beers and a spin around Girona’s famous gravel tracks.

No, it’s not April 1st, Brompton, possibly the most urban of bike brands, really has launched a folding gravel bike. Two, actually - there’s an e-bike variant too – both under its new G Line banner.

I know what you’re thinking, those teeny, tiny wheels are going to get swallowed up by the shallowest of ruts, and it will be impossible to roll over anything larger than a pebble of pea shingle. Well, spoiler alert, it’s actually rather good – read on for my first ride impressions.

Brompton says this is the first major new addition to its platform in 50 years, which is plausible. It’s not, however, Brompton’s first foray into gravel, an honour claimed by its Brompton x Bear Grylls Special Edition model, which turned out to be little more than its existing C Line, with the application of olive-green paint and hi-viz orange decals.

The new G Line is an entirely different proposition, built from the ground up for off-road duties, it shares little with the original Brompton other than the iconic silhouette, albeit super-sized, and its nifty folding mechanism. Wisely, these brand-defining traits, which make it one of the best folding bikes, have both been retained.

One of the most obvious differences is the wheel size, which has grown from 16 inches to 20 inches. The pair is shod with fat Schwalbe G-One Allround rubber, in a custom tyre size – 20 x 2.1 (54-406) – developed especially for the G Line. As the name suggests, these puncture-resistant, tubeless-ready tyres have a fine, non-aggressive, studded tread pattern for good traction and acceptable rolling resistance on light gravel as well as tarmac. If one component encapsulates the direction in which Brompton is taking the G Line, this is it. However, if your focus is still more urban, Brompton also offers slick Continental Contact tyres as an alternative.

The inclusion of disc brakes is the next departure for Brompton, a brand that still uses rim brakes across the rest of its lineup. Impressively, for a folding bike, the TRP-made braking system is hydraulic. So, despite the petite 140mm rotors, stopping power should be potent enough for most riders in most conditions.

Very sensibly, Brompton has specified Shimano’s Alfine eight-speed internal gear rear hub, which offers a 307% gear range and keeps all the delicate drivetrain components tucked away out of harm’s way. Alfine is low maintenance too, requiring no more than the occasional oil change. Up front is a 54t chainring, which looks enormous, but is a consequence of the small wheels, which lower the gearing significantly. The handlebar shifter comes courtesy of Microshift.

In profile, the G Line’s steel frame looks very similar to a regular steel Brompton, even the main tubes share the same 44.45mm diameter. The rear triangle around the dropouts has been stretched into a D-shape though, to accommodate the disc brake calliper.

Like the titanium T Line, the fork blades are straight, rather than curved, and feature a couple of bottle cage bosses on the drive side.

Brompton hasn’t released the figures, but it says the G Line has a longer wheelbase and longer chainstays than its existing models, no doubt a result of the bigger wheels. These geo changes should make the G Line a more stable platform for off-roading, though curiously the headtube angle is now slightly steeper.

Despite the G Line being available in three sizes – small, medium and large – they all share the same frame size, it’s the chunky, organically curved stem that dictates which one will fit you. It’s supplied in one of three lengths, to give sufficient stack height, curving progressively further away from taller riders to provide enough reach. The stem also boasts a couple of bosses for a ‘top tube’ bag or an additional bottle cage.

According to Brompton’s size guide, a size Small is recommended for riders 5’0” to 5’6”, Medium 5’6” to 6’0” and Large 6’0” to 6’6”.

The bars are super wide by Brompton standards, and near straight like modern XC bars, for a good level of control over rough ground. On our loaner sample, size Large, they measure 65cm across. Ergonomic grips are fitted as standard, but we have no word on whether there will be mid or high riser bar options available in the future.

That famously recognisably Brompton characteristic, the folding left pedal, has gone, replaced by a wide platform, quick-release set with pronounced plastic studs for extra grip.

Electric G Line

Details are scant for the electric G Line, but we do know that the eight-speed Alfine hub is dropped in favour of a 250-watt rear hub motor that works in conjunction with Brompton’s Advance 4-speed system. The supplied battery delivers 345Wh, which Brompton reckons gives it a range of 20 to 40 miles.

There’s integrated lighting in the shape of a 9-watt beam on the front and a 1-watt light with built-in reflector at the back.

Size and Weight

Fitting bigger wheels and more robust tubing makes the G Line far more versatile but there are size and weight penalties. Brompton says that the G Line 8-speed in size Small weighs 13.9kg, with a rack and mudguards/fenders adding another 900 grams. Our loaner bike in Large, with rack and mudguards/fenders tips the scales at 15.2kg. As a comparison, a mid-range, size Small C Line model weighs in at 11.35kg.

The electric G Line 4-Speed with rack and mudguards weighs 19.5 kg with battery in a size Small.

The G Line is considerably bigger than the C Line too, measuring 690mm (h) x 730mm (l) x 402mm (w) in a size Small, against 650mm (h) x 585mm (l) x 270mm (w).

The long saddle nose doubles as a carry handle, but trust me, you won’t want to lug a G Line very far using just one hand. The best technique is to roll it like a suitcase on its outsized roller wheels, guiding it using the raised saddle or extended handlebars.

Who is G Line for?

The G Line opens up a whole new market of rural folk for Brompton, though I suspect the brand is really targeting urbanites who want to take a bike with them on forays into the countryside by car or public transport. It’s a candidate for the best commuter bike for suburban dwellers that’s suitable for holidays and weekends away too.

Of course, the reverse is also true, it will be highly attractive to multi-modal commuters - rural dwellers travelling into the city by train demanding a zippy way to ride the home to station and station to office legs.

Brompton has a loyal following of bike packers, some of whom travel immense distances across continents on their little fold-up bikes. They’ll be overjoyed at the versatility the G Line offers, in one fell swoop the Brompton is no longer solely the choice of eccentrics. The increased weight and packed size may deter some, but it should still be possible to fly with it as checked baggage on many airlines. The maximum system weight that Brompton recommends is 130kg, including luggage.

Finally, some people will just buy it because they adore its chunky good looks, stable ride quality and cushty tyres.

Pricing

Three colours are available: Forest Green, Adventure Orange and Traildust White.

• G Line 8-Speed: £2,395
• G Line 8-Speed with Rack and Mudguards: £2,495
• G Line 8-Speed with Lights: £2,480
• G Line 8-Speed with Lights and Rack: £2,580
• Electric G Line 4 speed: £3,495

First rides

My friends, colleagues and family chuckled uncontrollably when I said I was going to get a Brompton gravel bike. “The tiny front wheel will bog down in the first rut it finds, throwing you over the bars,” they laughed. “Good luck with the rim brakes when the wheels get wet and muddy,” they chortled. “The narrow bars, no stem and tiny wheels make it the twitchiest bike on the road, let alone off,” they tittered. “Good luck trying to steer that down a gnarly descent.”

Well, they were wrong. While I wouldn’t wish the task of piloting a regular Brompton down a ‘gnarly descent’ on my worst enemies, the G Line isn’t a regular Brompton. It’s an entirely different beast when it comes to ride feel and off-road capability.

However, in almost every other respect it does behave just like any other Brompton. Unfolding my size Large loaner, in Adventure Orange, took me about five minutes the first time I tried it, but I’m down to about 20 seconds now I’ve gained the knack of guiding the front end into place with a smooth, stirring action. Folding it back up again takes about the same. There’s really not much to it, just two latches to secure and the seat tube quick release to fumble with.

It looks unmistakably like a Brompton too, just a little chunkier, more muscular, more capable.

As I already live in the Cotswold countryside, I thought I’d throw it a curved ball for my first ride by testing its urban credentials. So, off I set down a very busy A40 for an 11-mile round-trip to Cheltenham to get my hair cut. First, I had to negotiate Dowdeswell Hill, a long steepish descent with a mini switchback at the bottom, just before it joins the A40. It’s a popular Strava segment for locals.

Unsurprisingly, my position on the G Line is very upright, a consequence of the longer stem on the size Large, so initially, bowling down that hill, the bike felt very alien. Brompton says it ‘has the ride feel of a full-size bike for multi terrain’ but it really doesn’t. Every second, of every ride, it has been blindingly obvious that I’m perched high up on a little bike with tiny wheels.

Once I was dialled in though, it felt a remarkably stable place to be. The wheels may be tiny but they’re four inches larger in diameter than those on a regular Brompton, and they’re shod with deeper, wider tyres. This, in combination with the longer wheelbase, wider handlebars and decent brakes, makes the G Line feel reassuringly balanced and secure to ride. Sure, it’s lost some of that Brompton agility and directness, but that shopping trolley-like twitchiness is gone too. Which is a good thing.

Out on the A40, I wasn’t getting side-swiped by the buffeting from fast-moving cars and trucks, which was my biggest fear. I quickly realised too that this is a slow bike to pedal along a main road, it’s just a case of accepting it and plodding along. This is partially due to the gearing, which is plenty low enough for ascents but soon has you spinning out on the flats, despite the 54t chainring.

Once in Cheltenham, I was weaving through the backroads at a better pace than the traffic, and made it to my destination in the centre of town quicker than the journey usually takes me by car. With no parking to worry about, I was soon seated in the salon, my tangerine-coloured accomplice safely tucked up beside me.

Urban testing over, I’ve spent the rest of my time with the Brompton exploring the lanes, gravel tracks and farmland of the north Cotswold hills. Its eight gears are more than sufficient for the ascents here, but the weight of the bike and the wide tyres makes progress slow. It’s more like an MTB than a gravel bike in this respect.

On the plus side, it laps up fast gravel tracks with aplomb. Despite my concerns and the convictions of my friends, the wheels roll superbly over fine to chunky gravel surfaces and they’re just big enough to shrug off encounters with ruts and potholes. It’s been quite wet here over recent weeks, so the trails are just starting to get muddy. In these mildly slippy conditions, the Schwalbe Allround tyres have rarely broken traction, which is to be applauded.

Pointing the Brompton down slightly trickier, looser descents with the odd stretch of embedded rock – I hesitate to use the word gnarly – is a little unnerving at first but the little bike finds its way. More attention must be paid to line choice to keep the wheels rolling, but I found this under-biking experience fun and rewarding. The wide bars really help here, and, if you know a long ascent is approaching, it’s easy to drop the saddle out the way so you can shift your weight over the back wheel.

I did find three areas problematic. Climbing a steep grassy bank full of hoof-sized indentations left by cattle is a challenge for any bike but it proved impossible for the Brompton, which came to an abrupt stop, just like a horse refusing a jump in the show ring. Again, you’ve got to keep the wheels rolling at all times.

Secondly, the pedals aren’t up to the job. The plastic studs are fine in the dry, but as soon as my soles got wet, I’d be slipping off the pedals left, right and centre. If it were my bike, they’d be the first thing I’d upgrade.

Lastly, at 15.2kg my size Large loaner is too heavy to carry in one hand over any distance. On smooth urban surfaces, such as tarmac and concrete, it rolls well but we don’t have much pavement in the countryside. Be warned, carrying it on and off trains, planes and automobiles will require strength.

Minor complaints aside, Brompton should be congratulated for building a little bike that really does bridge the urban-rural divide. It’s the only bike I know that performs equally well in both realms - let your outdoor adventures unfold.

People often look at gravel bikes and ask why… Why aren’t you using a road bike? Why aren’t you using a mountain bike? Why are you riding a hardtail with drop bars? 

To be frank, I used to ponder the same kind of queries. Do we really need gravel bikes? With the Giant Revolt X, the plot thickens. Not only does the Taiwanese marque’s latest gravel offering come with 52mm tyre clearance but you’ll also find a remotely operated dropper post, a flip-chip to tweak geometry settings and 40mm front travel courtesy of a Rockshox Rudy Ultimate fork.

What’s the point? Well, we’ll get to that…

The Frame

The headline here is probably the flip-chip technology – which comes more or less as standard on modern mountain bikes. Located in the rear drop-out, the chip allows instant geometry, wheelbase 1,02 and tyre clearance tweaks, essentially making two bikes out of one. Longer wheelbases are conducive to more technical riding, offering more comfort on rock-strewn trails and a more pliable sense of control on uneven descents. 

The frame comprises high-performance grade raw carbon, with the front triangle a continuous mould via a proprietary manufacturing process known as Modified Monocoque Construction.

Asymmetric chainstays have been specced to add stiffness on the driveside for improved power transfer, and stability on the non-driveside for negotiating technical sections of trail or downhills.

Available in two colours, Gloss Cordovan or Copper Coin, the frame is – as expected for a gravel bike – peppered with bottle cage and luggage bosses. The thought process here being that this is the genre of steed most likely to be taken on bikepacking outings. I’m not entirely sure why gravel bikes have become emblematic of bikepacking trips… again, we’ll come to that in due course.

The Build

The Revolt X Advanced Pro gets a liberal helping of SRAM punctuated with in-house items. As expected for this Advanced model, eTap Rival AXS has been specced for transitions and offers seamless electronic shifts running up and down its 10x52t cassette. The range is not dissimilar to that of a mountain bike, with the 52t bailout cog specced for winching up steep climbs, and with its 1x chainset it’s easy to spin out the 10t when there’s a slight decline on concrete surfaces.

The Rockshox Rudy assigned to the front end offers 40mm travel, which is more than adequate for most gravel surfaces, and the Postmodern dropper post doesn’t so much as hint but bellows this bike’s intentions - namely, hard, technical and fast off-road riding.

Carbon hoops (700s) are in-house items, as is the finishing kit, from tyres to stem.

Riding the Revolt X Pro

I’ve ridden this bike in a gravel racing scenario on the Salisbury Plains, taken it on a long-distance schlep over Snowdonia and ridden myriad routes in Hampshire and Surrey which have comprised smooth tarmac, muddy bridleways and technical descents. The gearing for these outings has been pretty much perfect. I was left wanting on a few tarmac sections when a higher gear would have seen me move quicker between the rough stuff, and ditto when Snowdonia’s precipitous peaks became ever more strewn with slate and rocks, a lower gear would have countered a few hike-a-bike sections. But riding in extreme terrain will never be a smooth pedal and being forced to ‘recover’ on the blacktop is ad-lib preparation for when the race starts heating up on bucolic byways. 

Speaking of smooth riding, the 40mm of front travel offered by the Rockshox Rudy fork gave this bike an edge. On initial perusal of the spec sheet, I’ll admit, that I was quick to naysay – this would surely add weight for very little gain. On the contrary, this is a game-changer – and I think I’ve found a new weapon of choice for my favourite off-road ride, the South Downs Way. Combining the forgiving ride the front suspension offers, along with the comparatively aggressive geometry, is a performance-boosting coupling. For me, however, the dropper post proved superfluous, and the remote switch hampered my grip in the drops while winding up speed on tarmac sections.

The verdict

At a coin shy of £6.5k/$7.5k this isn’t the sort of money you're going to find down the back of the sofa, but to me it seems like a very fair price. You get a hell of a lot of bike for your buck. From the frame down to the finishing kit and all the bells and whistles in between, few stones have been left unturned to make this one of the most accomplished gravel bikes I’ve ever ridden. It perhaps lacks the speed and racing credentials of lighter items – the Santa Cruz Stigmata springs to mind – but for comfort and the ability to traverse swathes of terrain where no curly-barred bike has been before, this gets an emphatic yes, from me. 

The spec

• Frame: Advanced-grade composite, 12x142mm thru-axle, flip-chip dropout
• Fork: Rockshox Rudy Ultimate, 40mm
• Handlebar: Giant Contact
• Stem: Giant Contact
• Seatpost: Post Moderne Dropper, 30.9mm with 30mm suspension
• Saddle: Giant Approach
• Shifters: SRAM Rival eTap
• Rear mech: SRAM GX Eagle AXS
• Brakes: SRAM Rival eTap
• Wheels: Giant CXR Carbon Disc
• Weight (as tested): 9.9kg

Cannondale's Topstone 1 Alloy gravel bike cuts the cost of entry into one of cycling's fastest growing segments, offering a value gravel bike option for those keen to enjoy light off-road trails on a machine that still feels fast enough on the tarmac.

The ideal gravel bike is nimble on the road, and can tackle both light gravel and fire roads as well as more technical terrain. The Topstone 1 was capable of all three, but the aluminium frame and seat post, paired with dry-weather tyres, held it back on the more technical sections, whilst it's more stable geometry meant it feels more like a commuter on the tarmac.

Cannondale Topstone 1 Alloy construction 

The Cannondale Topstone 1 is built using Cannondale’s lightweight SmartForm C2 Alloy for the frame, with a carbon fibre fork used to assist with vibration dampening at the front. Cable routing is mostly done internally throughout the frame except for along the chainstays where cables exit under the bottom bracket. The frame features three bottle cage mounting holes on the downtube, two on the seattube, two on the toptube, and three either side of the forks. There are also attachment points for mudguards/fenders and panniers. 

Keeping things in house, Cannondale supplies its own finishing fit with the bar (16 degree flare and 42cm tops, centre to centre and 50cm drops, centre to centre), stem (100mm) and seatpost (25 degree setback) all being their own branded aluminium components. The saddle is Fizik’s Aliante Delta.

The groupset is a mix of Shimano’s GRX 800, 600 and 400 series. With the front and rear mech being 800 and featuring a clutch mechanism, 600 shifters, 400 disc brake callipers with two 160mm RT54 rotors, and finally an 11-34 11-speed 105 cassette. The crankset is an FSA Gossamer Pro Modular AGX+ with 46/36 chainring, FSA BB386 MegaEvo threaded BB, and KMC X11 chain. While wheels are WTB ST i23 TCS rims (12x100mm centerlock F and 12x142mm centerlock R) with Vittoria Terrano Dry tyres in 35mm.

Cannondale Topstone 1 Alloy ride

The Cannondale Topstone 1 is an impressively lightweight alloy gravel bike while the alloy frame also provides a good amount of stiffness for responsive power transfer. Paired with the Shimano GRX groupset and 35mm Vittoria Terrano tyres it is quite spritely when it comes to accelerations and taking steeper off-road climbs. 

The geometry is nicely suited to its intended use, with a slack headtube (71 degrees) and a long fork offset in what Cannondale calls OutFront steering geometry. This results in a front end that is quite stable at higher speeds, but also allows for rapid changes of direction when required without feeling twitchy. The slack seat tube (73.1 degrees) also aids off-road performance by keeping more of your weight over the rear wheel and helping in avoiding wheel slippage.

Taking the bike out and hitting the trails of the Forest of Dean (FoD) on a slightly soggy day, I was really able to put the bike through its paces. The route split the road surfaces into several categories, with a tarmac ride heading out to the trails, some rougher rocky terrain on the pathways up to the trails, some slippery and muddy climbs and descents, pump tracks, and finally some nice fire roads.

The best gravel bikes perform well on the road, as well as off-road. When it comes to tarmac performance, the Topstone is sufficient, but doesn’t excel. Compared to a road bike the slack headtube and long fork offset do feel a little ‘off’ at higher speeds, and the bike is not quite as responsive as most road bikes. Although it is effective on the road, this bike is certainly built for off-road adventures or more relaxed commuting.

It was on rougher, rocky terrain where the first issue arose with the Topstone. When it comes to bumpy surfaces the aluminium frame can be quite unforgiving, jolting you around in the saddle. The aluminium seatpost, Fizik saddle, and fairly narrow 35mm tyres also don’t aid in this very much and the combination leads to a very jarring ride on rougher surfaces. Far more jarring than the Carbon Topstone with 38mm rubber and carbon seatpost. The front forks do however do a decent job of reducing vibration, as does the liberally thick bar tape. But even with a 45mm maximum clearance, the bike’s adventuring capabilities are limited by the standard components and unforgiving frame.

Onto the main trails, the Verderers in the FoD, and the bike felt a lot smoother and more fluid on combinations of mud and gravel. At lower speeds the bike turns and handles fast changes in direction really well. The gearing is also ample to deal with some fairly steep off-road gradient, and although the wheels aren’t the lightest, when keeping the pace smooth and consistent they go uphill respectably at lower speeds.  

The Terrano Dry tyres, however, didn’t impress me here - although great on dry surfaces, as the name suggests, are not the most grippy on wet mud, even when leaning onto the more heavily treaded sidewalls. Manoeuvring quickly through tight muddy corners was certainly not confidence inspiring and there was quite a lot of rear wheel slippage on the wetter muddier sections. The tyres also come set up as clinchers, for off-road riding I would suggest a move to tubeless both for puncture resistance and also for some added suppleness to the ride.

Upon reaching the Verderers’ Dragon’s Back - a notoriously lumpy and fast downhill section with many pumps and banked corners - the 50cm drops inspired confidence when taking the banked gravel corners, which the bike dealt with very well. Here, on the dry gravel sections, the tyres came into their own, offering good grip and rolling fast - though I would still prefer 38-40mm tyres on this bike to make the most out of off-road performance.

The bike felt most at home, however, on the gravel trails and fire roads that are perfectly suited to the stiff frame and narrower tyres. And that’s good news, because this is where most riders would use such a bike. 

The Topstone glides across these sections effortlessly and with good power transfer deals with inclines very nicely. Whilst I'm still not entirely sold on a 1x set up, the 48/36 and 11/34 combo gave a great range of gears for most scenarios and not too large a jump between any of them, though, perhaps a slightly larger rear sprocket would be appreciated for those that want to take the steeper climbs a little easier. 

On the subject of groupset, the Shimano GRX 800/600 mix is superb. The shifting is very clean and precise, even after plenty of rides getting the bike covered in mud. The clutch rear mech system means there is virtually no chain slap over bumpy terrains and assists in the reliable shifting and no chain drop. Braking is also excellent, with quick engagement and good modulation.

Cannondale Topstone 1 Alloy value

When it comes to value the Cannondale Topstone 1 offers a very solid spec for the price, at £2200/$2325. 

The mix of Shimano GRX 800 and 600 11 speed components puts it ahead of many gravel bikes that would otherwise offer better value as they mainly come with 10 speed groupsets and less scope for attachments. 

However, if you don’t mind 10 speed gearing, the Boardman ADV 8.9 offers a decent bike for £1150, nearly half the price of the Topstone. The Focus Atlas 6.8 offers a very similar spec at £1899 but does have boost wheel spacing so road wheels for commuting are not an option. For not a huge amount more though you can get the Boardman ADV 9.4 with SRAM Rival eTap for £2650.   

Cannondale Topstone 1 Alloy conclusion

Overall the Cannondale Topstone is a capable off-road bike able to take in the gravel trails with a lot of ease and confidence. However, it is limited in the scope of terrain that it can tackle with the overly stiff aluminium frame and components meaning that rougher terrain is not comfortable. Value wise the bike is very well equipped, but there are similarly spec bikes at lower prices, however with less flexibility to use as a commuter/winter road bike. If you want a capable gravel bike that can double as a winter training steed, this bike is ideal. For more off-road adventures, something more forgiving would be better. 

Specification 

• RRP: £2200 / $2325
• 45mm Tyres clearance (40mm with fenders)
• Internal routing dropper ready
• XS-XL (147-203cm tall)
• Lots of bolt options for storage and fenders
• Lightweight SmartForm C2 Alloy frame w/ full carbon fork and 1-1/8" to 1.5" steerer
• Shimano GRX 800/600 11-speed shifting
• WTB ST i23 TCS rims (12x100mm centerlock F and 12x142mm centerlock R)
• Vittoria Terreno Dry tyres, 700x35c, foldable
• Fizik Aliante Delta
• Cannondale 3 bar (cc), Stem (mm), and seatpost (setback)
• Shimano GRX 800 front and rear mech, 600 shifters, 400 brakes
• 160/160mm RT54 rotors
• FSA Gossamer Pro Modular AGX+, 46/30
• FSA BB386 MegaEvo threaded BB
• Shimano 105, 11-34, 11-speed cassette
• KMC X11, 11-speed
• Seat tube 55.3cm, 73.1deg, top tube 57.2cm, head tube 18cm, 71deg, standover 82.4cm, wheelbase 106.4cm, chain stay 43.5cm, BB drop 7.5cm, BB height 28.4cm, rake 5.5cm, trail 6.5cm, stack 61cm, reach 39.4cm

The team at Scarab Cycles firmly believes "in the scientifically proven principle that if a bike looks good, you're going to want to ride." Indeed, with their bright colors, intricate stenciling, marble dips and meticulously hand-painted art, Scarab bikes have quickly become a favorite at handbuilt bike shows and expos around the world. 

The paint is an absolute standout, but that is only part of the package that this Colombian bike brand has to offer.

Meet Scarab Cycles

Nestled in Retiro, Antioquia, a quaint community just an hour and a half south of Medellín, Scarab Cycles is the brainchild of Santiago Toro, formerly of Tinno Cycles.

Toro founded Scarab in 2018 with the aim of crafting high-quality, custom-made bike frames with proud Colombian flare, competitively priced to challenge mass-produced carbon frames.

In its short five years of existence, Scarab has become a respected, professional workshop that churns out six custom steel framesets weekly, which are sold directly to consumers and through select boutique stores worldwide, including a dedicated Scarab pop-up in Miami, Florida.

Rather than building a brand around one specific frame builder, Toro built a team of craftspeople around his brand, hiring and training young locals in the art of bicycle manufacturing as a way to support the local economy and job force. 

Scarab offers eight bike models across the road, all road, gravel and mountain bike disciplines, each made with Columbus, PegoRichie or Kaisei steel tubing. Why steel? "Because it provides the perfect balance between ride quality, durability and weight," says Toro. "Steel provides a unique feeling of the road. It smoothes out the harshness of the surface while transferring power in a unique way."

At Scarab, customization is king. The existing models are merely a starting point as the bike's geometry, build kit and paint are unique to each customer. Through design meetings with the customer, Toro and his team aim for "telepathic handling" – a bike so tuned to the rider's needs that it feels like an extension of the rider rather than a tool.  

The in-house paint for which Scarab is quickly becoming known is led by designer Alejandro Bustamante. In his hands, the frame becomes a canvas, ready to be hand-painted, dipped, or stenciled into a piece of rideable art that reflects the personality of its new owner.

Beyond the craftsmanship, Scarab proudly embodies Colombia's spirit. Each bike model was crafted and named for a specific topography or terrain of the vibrant country, and many finished bikes go out into the world adorned with the yellow, blue and red ribbons of the country's flag. What's more, with the purchase of a Scarab bike comes a heartfelt invitation to visit and explore a country where cycling is considered a source of national pride.

It's not too often that we get to review a custom bike, let alone go visit the makers at their home facility in a faraway country, but Scarab gave us the opportunity to do both. See how Scarab bikes are made here.

The Scarab Paramo

 The Paramo is Scarab Cycles' gravel model. A bike that, Scarab says, was designed out of necessity rather than fashion, given that only an estimated 10% of Colombia's roads are paved. With the Paramo, Scarab set out to design a bike that could navigate the country's challenging, off-road terrain capably and comfortably. 

Its name comes from the extensive high-altitude ecosystem that can be found above the tree line in the Andes Mountains. It's "a place where nature evolves at one of the fastest rates on Earth, a place of staggering diversity and stark, barren beauty. Coincidentally, it's a place where few venture, perhaps because of the thinness of the air and absence of paved roads," the Scarab website states.

Made to tackle rugged terrain, the frame sports a blend of Columbus Spirit and Life tubing "to achieve comfort," a Columbus carbon fork, clearance for 700c x 45mm or 650b x 50mm tires, disc brakes, and mounts for a third water bottle on the downtube and accessory mounts on the top tube. 

 The Paramo - overview: 

• Tubing: Columbus Spirit and Life blend
• Fork: Columbus Futura Carbon
• Tire clearance: 45mm x 700c, 50mm x 650b
• Paint: in-house and fully custom
• Disc brakes only - 25mm flat mount bolts
• Third bottle cage mount included. Fender mounts available upon request.
• English threaded BB
• 27.2 seatpost
• Frames start at $3400

Geometry

As is customary in their process, I met with the Scarab team via video meetings to get to know one another, talk about my background in cycling, and discuss what I want out of a bike and my desired geometry. I'd gone through the custom bike geometry process before, so I know quite well what I do and do not like. I also had bike measurements on hand, so the geometry portion of the design process went rather quickly. When it comes to gravel riding, I enjoy it all: bikepacking, regular jaunts through a local park, some singletrack as well as the occasional ultra-long challenge. Given the steel material, for this bike, capability and comfort would trump speed. Even so, I was still looking for agility and playfulness in the bike's handling. 

The finished result fits me well. It has a longer wheelbase and is generally a bit more elongated than my go-to bikes; thus, I am running a shorter stem than I usually do. Begrudgingly, I even had to add a riser stem for positioning comfort after a recent injury to my torso. 

Still, the handling is pleasantly agile and perfectly capable of handling some twisty singletrack. And despite the shorter stem, what's most remarkable about the geometry is that when I get out of the saddle for a sprint or to climb, my knees easily stay clear of the handlebars – something I usually have to watch out for. 

Aside from the stem change, the bike fit needed no adjusting, which is, of course, the beauty of going custom. 

Paint

My favorite yet also the most intimidating part of the process was getting to design the bike's colorway. Approaching a bike as a blank canvas can be a tad daunting, but Alejandro was really fun to work with. He encouraged me to peruse Scarab's previous works to see what the in-house painting department is capable of and to bring him examples of patterns, colors and designs that speak to me. The initial phase, he said, was simply to "to understand you."

I quickly decided on a theme: reclaiming purple. I've been in the bike industry long enough to remember the "pink it and shrink it" days, where all women-oriented products were pink and purple. I also have a twin brother, so my entire life, I was told blues and green were for him, pinks and purples for me. As such, these became rather loaded colors for me. It took me years to come around on the color but I do actually quite like purple. And even some pinks. So the idea for the paint was to go all in on purple paired with the marbled forks I've seen Scarab do in the past. Alejandro was all about it, and the paint job turned out fantastic. It is quite the head turner and sadly for you readers, the dark, sparkly purple and multicolor marble are best appreciated in person. 

The whole process was welcoming, fun and impressively quick. From signing off on the geometry to receiving the finished product at my doorstep in the U.S. took just five weeks. That lead time is almost unheard of in the handbuilt bike world. 

The Build

 Once I received the frameset, I built it up with Shimano's new and capable 12-speed GRX 820 groupset in a 1x configuration with a 10-45T cassette and 40T chainring. It's rolling on the new Shimano RX880 carbon gravel wheels, and the finishing kit includes a PRO carbon seatpost, PRO PLT Compact Ergo aluminum handlebar, aluminum stem, Elite bottle cages and the Cadex amp saddle.  

Ready to ride, it weighs in at 21 lbs. 

The Ride

Due to injury, my first real rides on this steel beauty were, fittingly, in Scarab's backyard in the Antioquia region of Colombia. I immediately fell head over heels in love with the landscape, the people, the varied terrain and the riding. 

The road surface varied in ruggedness, but wherever we went, climbing was guaranteed. From the worn cobblestones of the colonial towns to the rough, twisty paths winding up mountains, around countryside landscapes and coffee plantations, gravel biking in Colombia is a mesmerizing adventure that immerses you in the essence of a country in a way only a bike can.

In a setting like that, it's easy to also fall in love with the trusty steed that guided you there. And indeed, the Scarab is well-built and more than up for the task, maneuvering capably, taking the beating in stride and absorbing the rough terrain. It felt stable, robust and reliable throughout. For bikepacking and adventuring where there are plenty of unknown, the Paramo would be a trusty companion.

From a performance or fast-gravel point of view, there is some weightiness to the bike, especially in the rear, that can be felt when the roads point up. I ride a relatively small bike and at that, the Paramo –21 pounds, fully built up with high-end specs– is a solid 4 pounds heavier than my carbon gravel steed. 

However, I feel that in the unpredictable and rough nature of gravel riding, handling, comfort and durability play a more significant role than pure bike weight. Steel is a wonderful choice for gravel steeds due to its damping characteristics. It takes the sting out of rough surfaces and provides a smoother, comfortable and controlled ride experience. On a long, bumpy days in the saddle —both in Colombia and at home— my body is grateful for the stability and comfort the Paramo offers.

Value & Verdict

A Paramo frameset starts at $3,400, which is certainly an investment. But considering the tailored geometry, proven craftsmanship, curated customer process, lifelong materials and fully custom paint job, I think it's also a very good price. The paint alone is worth a pretty penny. Many bike builders outsource their paint, and something of Scarab's quality can set you back a grand or two with ease.

In a world where bikes aren't just machines but extensions of personal expression, Scarab Cycles offers fine craftsmanship and a little piece of Colombian art to explore the paths less traveled. 

Gallery

Ventum first made a splash in the world of triathlon with an unconventional, but aerodynamic design that eliminates the downtube of a traditional triangle frame. Since then, the company has ventured into the road and gravel bike markets, albeit with more typical frame designs. 

The company operates with a direct-to-consumer model, which means that it doesn’t sell bicycles at bicycle shops, and instead sells them directly to the end user. In theory, this allows the company to pass along some savings to the end user by eliminating a piece of pie normally eaten up by a brick and mortar bicycle shop or retailer. 

In practice, the company ends up needing to fill several of the roles provided by a bike shop, but from afar. This ultimately provides a different experience for the customer than the standard model, though not necessarily a better or worse one. It’s all about the execution of those services.

During the ordering process, customers are able to specify several different options for customizing the fit of the bike, including stem length, bar width, and crank length as well as paint color (of 4-5 options, all of which are “Inspired by the Utah desert,” and seem like it). Crucially, the customer must know enough about their bike fit to accurately spec these items. The options are also fairly limited and, for those who fall outside the height bell curve, may pose a problem.

The GS1 tested here is the second iteration of Ventum’s gravel bike. It is a race-oriented design with significant aerodynamic shaping, a variety of extra mounting options for bags and accessories and modern tire clearance (up to 48 mm tires). Features include a flip chip in the fork to allow for two different rake settings and partially hidden cable routing that enters the headtube in front of the headset for a clean look, but one that doesn’t necessitate replacing hydraulic lines when making changes to the cockpit or fit.

My test bike, a size M/L, has the following geometry numbers:

570mm stack
373mm reach
70 mm bb drop
71 degree HTA
72.5 STA

Seat tube angles stay consistent across sizes, while head tube angle angles change as sizes get smaller. The short chainstay length (420 mm) stays the same across the board. These angles are very much in line with current trends of longer top tubes and slacker head tube angles, which translates to straightline-friendly stability, but to the detriment of agility when it comes to sharp cornering. Also notable is the bottom bracket height, which is arguably on the high side for a bike that has the ability to run tires up to 48 mm wide.

Ventum GS1: The build

• Shimano GRX Di2 2x drivetrain
• Enve G23 wheels
• Panaracer Gravelking SK tires, 35 mm
• Proprietary Ventum seatpost
• Enve stem and G Series bars
• Fizik Argo saddle
• Wheels Manufacturing T47 BB

Ventum GS1: First Impressions

My test GS1 arrived in a wider-than-typical-for-a-bike-box cardboard shipping sled, with the bike almost completely assembled inside. The box has internal dividers to keep the bike stable inside, and all that was required of me was putting the wheels into the frame, threading in the thru axles and inserting the seatpost. My test bike shipped without spacers between the brake pads, but I assume those are part of the new bike experience. Ventum has a handy guide on their website with excellent visuals that explains how to use the shipping sled and assemble the bike once it arrives.

The seatpost uses a hidden grub screw in place of a standard seatpost clamp, which is not my favorite; it’s awkward to reach and difficult to make micro adjustments to saddle height. That said, it is at least hidden in the armpit where the bottom of the toptube and front of the downtube meet, so it’s protected from the elements.

Ventum GS1: The Ride

 Once I got the bike unpacked, I swapped the provided stem for a longer one, installed my usual saddle and pedals and dialed things in. 

The GS1 wants to go fast: it responds very well to accelerations and feels stable and comfortable at speed. On smooth surfaces it feels a lot like a road bike. On rougher surfaces, I found that surface imperfections came directly through the saddle which was uncomfortable at times, though this can be mitigated through tire choice and pressure. The bike has a distinctly racey feeling.

For the amount of aerodynamic-inspired shaping (Ventum doesn’t make any specific claims about how it tests in a wind tunnel) in the design of the frame, the bar width is a mismatch. Forty-four centimeters at the hoods (and significantly wider at the drops) is just too wide. Forty-two cm bars are the smallest size on offer, but on a small bike they would be too large as well.

I would be willing to bet a standard frame with round tubes and exposed cables but with narrow bars is a faster setup than an aero bike with hidden cables and wide bars. Something to consider, if speed is your aim.

Despite this, I quite like the shape of Enve’s G Series handlebar, especially how well it works with the Shimano GRX hoods. The GS1’s front end feels great at speed. Just for fun, I tested the bike out on a cyclocross course and found that, with some adjustments to my cornering technique, I could get it to perform surprisingly well.

Testing out different cornering radii also provided a good opportunity to play with the flip chips in the fork; the fork’s design is streamlined enough to make it a quick adjustment with just one screw necessary to switch between the two different positions, however, you are also required to adjust the brake caliper at the same time. I spent significantly more time fiddling with the brakes than with the flip chips; it would be nice if this design was refined further.

The dual offset flip chip allows for 5 milliliters of adjustment fore and aft to fine tune how the bike feels depending on terrain and tire size. I preferred the forward setting (longer wheelbase) with both narrower and wider tires.

With wider tires installed, the GS1 gains quite a bit more comfort as well as some front end stability. The supplied Panaracer Gravelking SK tires were not particularly impressive; they were lethargic on pavement and unpredictable on rougher surfaces. They may be reliable and easy to set up tubeless, but I would recommend swapping to something with a more supple casing and more volume to improve both the ride quality of the bike as well as its capability on rougher terrain.

Shimano’s GRX Di2 drivetrain performed flawlessly, with useful gearing ratios and tight jumps that make a difference in a race situation. The Enve wheels are also a good match for this bike, though there are cheaper options available that perform similarly.

Despite initially feeling like the rear end was too stiff, I found myself getting along nicely with the bike on my longer test rides. The only place I ran into issues was on long rutted descents, where it was hard to keep the rear wheel on the ground and traction suffered as a result. There will inevitably be some give and take in terms of balancing stiffness and power transfer, especially with bikes designed for racing.

Ventum GS1: Value and Conclusion

In terms of value, Canyon offers a good comparison point as the best known direct-to-consumer brand. It offers a very similar Shimano GRX Di2 build for its Grail CF SLX model. There are a few differences: the GS1 has the premium Enve cockpit and wheelset, but the Canyon build has very solid, if less flashy components. Canyon’s offering retails for significantly less at $4,999, which makes the Ventum ($7,799 as tested; $5,899 with alloy wheels), seem pricey in comparison. 

Another gravel race bike with aerodynamic considerations and similar specifications is Cervelo’s Aspero, which retails for $6,500 with a GRX Di2 build, also significantly cheaper than the Ventum. 

The GS1 is arguably a little more capable than these two offerings, with a longer top tube and slightly slacker front end, as well as a little more tire clearance, but against these two better known brands it’s hard to see why the Ventum costs as much as it does. 

For a rider who wants a capable, modern racing bike, Ventum’s GS1 offers a strong option. It’s light, stiff and can handle wide tires for the increasingly technical terrain found in gravel races. The aerodynamic shaping and bag mounts mean the GS1 up for whatever you can throw at it, watts and all. I would be inclined to switch to narrower bars and wider tires than the provided options, but otherwise everything is well-specced. My primary qualm with the bike is the price: at nearly $8k, there are a lot of alternatives available, many of them including the benefits afforded by a brick-and-mortar retailer.

Ventum GS1: Specifications

Price: $7,799 as built (take note: shipping costs an additional $229)

Frameset only: $2,599

Colors: Sage, Moss, Moab, Storm, Minted

Sizes: XS-XL

Weight: 18.55 lbs (M/L frame size)

Website: ventumracing.com

The new Merida Silex, which launches today, has already been in the limelight in the 2023 UCI Gravel World Championships, with Matej Mohorič of Barhain Victorious storming away to a solo victory on the then unreleased bike.

We have been lucky enough to put in nearly 100km on the new 'bike packing' machine from Merida, in an attempt to both share our thoughts on the new all-road machine, as well as shed some light on why an adventure bike actually played into Mohorič's favour.

Merida Silex: Construction

Merida has stayed true to the Silex's ethos, which makes sense for a bike that has been a huge success for them since its original release back in 2018. This means a mountain bike-derived geometry, making a capable bike designed to handle everything from commuting to bike packing - quite a broad range.

To handle this brief, Merida has tweaked the Silex's geometry, which now has a 69.5 degree head angle - that sits closer to a mountain bike than a race bike.

More tyre clearance has been added, the Silex can now accommodate 45mm rubber, which Merida says makes 650b wheelsets obsolete. As I will come onto, I do think this is a little bit on the small side these days, with many competitors weighing in with 50mm tyre clearance, but its certainly still capable.

The new Silex also has a whole host of mounting points for luggage and mudguards - but you'll only be able to fit 42mm tyres if you do choose to go with a fender setup. 

Merida has gone big on the brakes for the Silex. All models come stock with 180mm rotors front and rear, and we think this is no bad thing. It provides more stopping power for a minimal weight gain - not that 160mm or even 140mm rotors don't stop well enough, but for such a small weight penalty, on a bike that is designed to carry a fair amount of weight, a smart move.

For a full rundown of all the new details on the Merida Silex, check out our Merida Silex Launch Story.

Merida Silex: The ride

I was lucky enough to get three days of consecutive riding on the new Silex, where I was able to really delve deep into the bikes characteristics on tarmac, technical climbs and everything in between - and I really got along well with this bike.

I rode a size medium 7000 series offering, built up with Shimano's outgoing 11-speed GRX Di2 - This groupset build won't actually be available, and was only built due to a shortage of Shimano GRX 12-speed groupsets, but having already ridden both groupsets, it didn't hinder my judgement on the bike as a whole.

Our initial shake-down ride consisted of a 36km loop, starting with flat mixed surface sections, and then heading into the hills of Emilia Romagna, and I was pretty quickly impressed with the Silex's geometry. Merida has clearly engineered a good balance of road speed and handling, even with the slightly conservative 45mm tyre clearance, which I will come get on to more later.

Next up was a pretty tasty 4km gravel climb at 5% average gradient, which tested both me and the bike with a top section that was well over 20%. The bike once again was nice stable, which allowed me to stay seated in relative comfort even over the rougher sections.

On the topic of tyre width though, I would most certainly opt for a 50mm tyre if the bike was able to accommodate it. After riding 50mm Pirelli Cinturato tubeless tyres on the Wilier Adlar back in July, I came away with a refreshed perspective of how much forgiveness could be gained through wider rubber, with minimal consequence to rolling resistance - even on tarmac.

On the second and third days, I was able to take the bike on much more tricky terrain, both uphill and downhill. And it was the latter where I was particularly impressed.

The Merida Silex strikes an impressive balance between feeling relaxed and stable, but still quick enough handling to remain enjoyable for more technical riders. On technical descents found it easy to put the front wheel exactly where I wanted, whilst keeping my weight back thanks to the slack 69.5 degree head angle. The short enough 430mm chain stays on the other hand, allowed me to whip the rear end round quickly, making for a poised feel.

We were also treated to a beautiful tarmac descent, with sweeping right and left bends, some of them tight - and the Merida Silex showed once again where it has got its geometry from.

If you have ever descended on the road while riding a mountain bike, you will be familiar with the feeling of abundant grip, feeling like you are able to carve your way down the tarmac - the feeling on the Silex was very similar. This, above anything, was just great fun - and that is what this bike is about.

Merida Silex: Value and conclusion

Overall Merida has done a stellar job of bringing the Silex into the modern age. The geometry makes for a great fun bike, the mounting points are extensive for bike packing and commuting alike, and the bike looks the part too. For me though the tyre clearance does slightly let the bike down.

Merida markets the Silex as a true do-it-all all machine, from commuting to bike packing (and racing as soon as they found out Mohoric was still in form!), and it truly holds all these attributes, and that greatly improves its value- I just wish they gave it 5mm more tyre clearance!

So what about Matej Mohorič? Well, this is not a gravel race bike, but it is a brilliant handling bike. The 2023 UCI Gravel World Championships was a grueling technical affair, which saw even Mohorič himself come unstuck in the final few kilometers, and arguably the most decisive moments in the race were the technical sections. The Silex's capable geometry coupled with the bike handling skills of Matej Mohorič was a lethal combination - and I think this bike genuinely played a part in the Slovenian's win.

I'm certainly looking forward to spending some more time with the new Merida Silex, to give it a more thorough testing across different disciplines.

As someone who is partial to the occasional bikepacking excursion, it’s safe to say my interest was peaked by the release of the new Wilier Adlar gravel bike. The new bike from the Italian bike brand is characterized by slack geometry, rugged tire clearance and a certified carrying capacity of 35kg.

The Adlar represents Wilier’s exploration-inspired vision of the ever-diversifying gravel genre, favoring comfort reliability, and handling over out and out speed. This is a formula that we think, however, has more application than just bikepacking alone.

After a stint in Italy putting 150 kilometers on the new Adlar, we share our first thoughts on what could be one of the best gravel bikes for those who love adventure.

Wilier Adlar: Construction

The aforementioned slackened geometry may share some heritage from our knobbly tire'd friends in the mountain bike world, but that doesn’t mean Wilier has disregarded performance. The new Adlar frameset comes in at 1100 grams which is slightly more than the likes of the Specialized Diverge, but Wilier’s frameset does clear 52mm tires and a full 29x2.0” wheel setup - once again great for the rough stuff.

The picture below also shows the plentiful room between the top of the front wheel and the down tube. Wilier says this makes installing a suspension fork even easier if you want to further improve the bike's off-road capabilities.

From a geometry standpoint, Wilier has opened up the reach and slackened the head tube down to 70 degrees - which, interestingly sits pretty much directly in the middle of the 72.5-degree head angle on the Wilier Filante SLR race bike, and the 67.75-degree head angle on the Umsa SLR mountain bike. This directly translates to the Adlar’s playful personality, which excelled even on single track, which we will come onto. 

Groupset wise, my test bike was shod with the latest 12-speed Shimano GRX groupset. A single-ring setup coupled with a 10-45t cassette left me with plenty of gear range - though if I was loaded up with luggage I think the 10-51t cassette may have given me an easier ride! 

For my thoughts on the shifting of the new GRX, keep an eye out for my first ride review which will be coming soon!

Wilier Adlar: The ride

I mentioned earlier that the Adlar even saw some single track action - but that doesn’t do justice to the multitude of testing trails I encountered at the weekend along the Grinduro Italy route. After a shakedown ride that included some gnarly rocky downhill sections, larger gravel, and plenty of dust, I attacked the 100km route of Grinduro’s first Italian edition.

The route consisted of pretty much everything you could imagine - around 20% tarmac, single-track descents through the trees, cobbles, fire roads, and technical climbs. So how did the new Wilier stand up?

On more ‘traditional’ gravel surfaces, the Adlar was hardly challenged. The equipped 50mm Pirelli Cinturato gravel tires expectedly ate up tarmac roads and compact gravel with ease, doing a good job of suppressing vibrations. The Adlar has an imposing ride feel, which is slightly slower than some of the more dainty gravel bikes on the market like the Cannondale Topstone, but this is certainly by design. 

The true character of the Adlar became abundantly clear as soon as we hit the more technical sections. Steep climbs were made short work of, with great power transfer to the bottom bracket which was noticeable even with the wider tires. I was also able to throw my weight super far back on the climbs which allowed me to clean even the trickiest climbs on the course. 

The event threw up a whole host of different descents, wide loose sections as well as steep technical riding, all of which were handled well by the Adlar. The head angle is a full 1.2 degrees slacker than my current favorite gravel bike, the Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3, and this really helped out when the going got steep. 

With the fork further out in front of me I was able to keep my weight back which allowed me to ride the descents confidently and slowly when needed - as opposed to sketchy full-send tactics! 

I always say that no bike is perfect however, and being particularly nit-picky, I did find the rear end to be slightly firmer than the likes of the Topstone or Trek Checkpoint. While the rigidy improves the direct feeling on the descents, the Adlar is slightly harsher than gravel bikes which feature suspension systems. 

The caveat here, however, is that I did run relatively high tire pressures (40psi) for the tire width, and playing around with this could certainly yield more comfort when required. 

Wilier Adlar: Value and conclusion

To summarize, I think Wilier has truly succeeded in its brief to create a gravel bike that is truly aimed at those who love exploration and freedom - arguably the most fun part of gravel riding, for myself at least.

The ride is engaging, and the bike is practical for a whole host of applications. In a world where bikes under three figures are hard to come by, I always say that versatility adds value, and that is certainly true for the Adlar. Starting from €3,700/ £3,860 (that's around $3,950), you get a premium frameset with capable groupset.

The one slight hitch is that the bikepacking bundle, which includes proprietary racks and bags, currently retails for €600 (~ $640 / £515). For me this is just a touch steep - or at least the option for purchasing just the racks alone, particularly for those who already own paniers, would be welcomed.

All in all however, the Adlar should be on the short list of anyone who enjoys technical gravel riding, and bike packing alike.

Wilier Adlar: specs

Gravel riding is a discipline that holds a vast range of different bikes within its sphere, from gravel race bikes, to do-it-all rugged machines. Trek markets the Checkpoint SL range as its 'Adventure-focused' line, and I think they've got it spot on.

Having tested the Checkpoint SL on everything from roaming local trails to an overnight bikepacking excursion (fully laden with camping gear) I can confirm that if you are on the hunt for your next adventure gravel machine, then the Checkpoint SL 7 might just be one of the best gravel bikes on the market.

Trek Checkpoint SLR 7: Frameset

Since its last iteration which came out all the way back in 2018, Trek has given the new Checkpoint platform some serious revamping. The tubes are much chunkier now, giving the bike a much more industrial aesthetic. 

Trek still includes an 'IsoSpeed decoupler' at the seat stay junction - this is a pivot system, similar to Cannondale's 'Kingpin' which allows the seat post to flex fore and aft. This, alongside a standard 27.2mm seat post, is designed to give the bike some extra compliance where the rider will feel it most. Though, I found it doesn't offer quite as much real-world travel as the Cannondale equivalent.

One big change over the last iteration is the extinction of 'Stranglehold'. The system enabled chain stay length adjustment of up to 15mm (and single speed conversion!), which meant riders could alter the geometry between a slightly more stable ride (with longer chainstays), or a more playful one (shorter chain stays).

Trek has opted for 435mm chainstays across all models - 10mm longer than the previous shortest setting. This does change the ride feel, which I will get onto, making for a more stable feeling rear end. Once again this characterizes the Checkpoint SL at the more adventure end of the gravel riding spectrum.

The in-frame storage is perhaps the most radical part of this bike's dedication to long-distance riding, and It works well. A section of the frame underneath the bottle cage on the downtube can be quickly released via a small lever, revealing room for a tool roll, and spares. While the 'boot capacity' is nothing overwhelming, it does provide a neat place to hide away annoying spares, like the odd tube, or smaller mini-pumps.

Trek has also included a plethora of mounting points - three bosses can be found on each fork blade, and the bike even holds the capability to mount a rear rack, which I think is a very underrated option for modern-day bikepacking, even if it isn't the most trendy. As well as these options, the usual suspects can be found with mounting points on the top tube, and underneath the down tube as well.

Notable too is the tire clearance. The new Checkpoint SL is good for 45mm tires when coupled with a 700c wheelset, but this can be upped to a 2.1 inch (53.3mm) for those who like the playful handling of a slightly smaller 650b wheelset. For the rough, and extremely varied terrain in my local testing ground, this too offered some much needed ride forgiveness.

Trek Checkpoint SLR 7: Components

The full Trek Checkpoint SL line-up spans a price range from $3,399.99 / £3,700.00 with the SL 5 to £6,400 with the SL 7, which is the model I had on test. This may be the top of the range for the 'SL' frameset, but it's worth noting with the SLR framesets, builds are priced as high as $12,249.99 / £12,000.00.

Nonetheless, the Checkpoint SL 7 still boasts some pretty high-performance parts, starting with the dependable SRAM Force AXS groupset. Trek opts for a two-by setup rather than a one-by system, which I think, for most consumers, will still be the better option. 

43/30t chainrings coupled with a 10-36t cassette provide a wide range of gears, which is great news for long-distance riders, especially those who carry luggage and this never left me feeling under, or over-geared.

The checkpoint SL 7 rolls on in-house component brand Bontrager Aeolus Pro 3V carbon wheels, which feature a 25mm internal rim width and a particularly loud freehub.

Though both the wheelset, and provided Bontrager GR1 tires are both tubeless-ready, the SL 7 comes out of the box with tubes to get started. Although I didn't set up the tires tubeless, it should be pretty easy, especially with a full Bontrager system. Bontrager provides rim strips, which snap into the Aeolus wheels, and are designed to work with Bontrager tires, meaning tight tolerances can be adhered to throughout the product range.

The finishing kit is a fairly standard affair, which can leave a little to be desired from a price standpoint, but then again it should be fairly robust. You do get Bontrager's carbon 27.2mm seat post, but both bars and stem are an alloy affair, with the 54cm frame on test coming stock with 420mm (center to center) bars, which are slightly flared, and a -7 degree 80mm stem. 

Trek Checkpoint SLR 7: The ride

As I mentioned all the way back in the intro, this bike got a jolly good reviewing. With gravel bikes often marketed as the 'do-it-all' bike option, I always see fit to test gravel bikes on a whole host of terrain.

I treated the Checkpoint no different, treating it to a heap of different obstacles. My first ride was a shorter blast around a local test loop, which encounters everything from fire road to steep single track and even some small jumps. This loop allows me to gain a pretty good tell on a bike's character from the off, and it is fair to say the Checkpoint certainly lies at the more stable end of the spectrum.

The Checkpoint handled all the terrain perfectly well, but offered a more straightforward ride characteristic when compared with a more flamboyant handling bike like the Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3. For those who like a more dependable ride, this will be great news, but as someone whose riding is catered to a more playful experience, the Checkpoint wasn't quite so up my street. 

Longer rides, and in particular, bikepacking, is where this gravel machine truly comes alive. I took the SL 7 on a (shortened due to illness) one-night trip around the Isle of Wight during testing, and this really allowed me to get to grips with the bike when fully burdened with all the equipment needed for a rough night's sleep away from home. 

The bike remained totally balanced even when loaded up with a saddle pack, frame bag, and bar bag. The in-frame storage too was super useful - as previously mentioned it might not be a huge amount of real estate, but in practice, I found it was just enough to stop me from sacrificing a heavier base layer as I was able to stow away multi-tool, mini-pump, and a tube all in the tool roll. At 8.9kg too, this does make a great bikepacking platform, being rugged whilst not carrying excess weight.

When it came to the steep ups and downs synoptical with the Isle of Wight, the Trek did not falter - in the same breath however, it did not blow me away. While the chunky tubing provides great power transfer and a truly robust feeling ride, I found the ride quality to lack the excitement of other gravel bikes I have tested. The best comparison is the Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3, which, though a heavier bike, at 9.22kg, actually feels lighter and more supple than the Checkpoint.

That said I did feel like I could throw the bike at absolutely anything, loaded up with gear or not, especially with the slightly flared bars, which offered great control.

For me, this comes down to geometry, and it is a double-edged sword. The Checkpoint, with longer chain stays than many of the best gravel bike contenders, is undoubtedly a more stable and planted ride - and some consumers will love the imposing ride feel this brings, but for others who favor a more supple ride quality, it might not be the bike for you.

It is important to note though, this is not a criticism, much more a characterization of the bike. As gravel riding spans such a wide spectrum, it is essential to consider what riding you prioritize, and what characteristics you want out of a gravel bike.

Trek Checkpoint SLR 7: Value and conclusion

Value aside, the Trek Checkpoint SL 7 is probably the best gravel bike I have ever tested when it comes to bikepacking. An unbeatable ride feel, especially when loaded, made for super easy riding on any sort of terrain, even when tiredness loomed heavy at the end of long days of riding. We tested 9 off-road machines to crown our gravel bike of the year, with the Trek Checkpoint SL 7 winning our 'best expedition bike' title. 

Include value too ($6,699.99 / £6,400.00 for the SL 7 we tested), and I think Trek is still on the money, but equally not groundbreaking. The most obvious competitor to the do-it-all Checkpoint is the Specialized Diverge Expert Carbon, which retails for a very similar $6,200.00 / £6,500.00. For a similar price, specialized matches the spec pretty much to every dotted T, also featuring carbon wheels, a second-tier SRAM AXS groupset (albeit one-by SRAM GX AXS), and alloy finishing kit.

There are certainly better value bikes out there though - the Giant Revolt Advanced Pro 1 for example, which won our overall best gravel bike of the year retails for $5,500.00 / £4,899.00, which is considerably more palatable than the SL 7. You do only get SRAM Rival AXS at this price point, and it doesn't feature the same number of mounting points if out-and-out exploration is what you are looking for, but it is still worth considering.

Trek Checkpoint SLR 7: Specs

In days gone by there was something called a hybrid bike. It was a really excellent bike that could turn its hand to pretty much everything you could throw at it. It had flat bars, cantilever brakes and mountain bike gearing. It had zippy wheels for a fast ride but with a comfortable position and confident handling. I had one on which I rode everything, all the time, whether it be for three hour road rides, on the commute to work or off-road at the weekend.

Nowadays these bikes benefit from increased comfort and control of wider tires and disc brakes. And we don’t call them hybrid bikes anymore, these are now gravel bikes complete with muted colors and drop bars. 

But this isn't everyone's fashion choice. Drop bars limit access to those who don't have the confidence or flexibility for a more committed front end, they also make it much harder to use on a day-to-day basis in the traffic or with a loaded rucksack.

Simultaneously the industry has consigned the hybrid bike to an almost derisory term to describe something incredibly heavy and unappealing that you buy from a superstore for $/£200.

Step forward the clunkily named Vitus Substance V-2 Flat Bar Gravel Bike Sora. Can it un-tarnish the name of hybrid riding and wrestle back some all terrain riding from the modern drop bar gravel bike?

Vitus Substance V-2: construction

With its glossy navy paint job and tan wall tires the Vitus Substance has a really classy look about it. The double-butted aluminium tubes and color-coordinated carbon fork give the frame a clean look which maintained by its neat welds. There are mounts and bosses for every eventuality; frame bags, top tube bags, water bottles, fenders and guards.

As is common on bikes at this price point, the components come from a range of big and smaller brands as well as in-house parts. As we’ve seen on the more affordable end of Vitus’ road bikes, the drive train is made up of Prowheel cranks, Sunrace cassette, KMC chain and Shimano Sora mechs and shifters. The 2x9 set up (46/30T rings, 11-34t cassette) gives a good range of gears without any huge jumps in between.

Components such as the Prowheel threaded bottom bracket and ACROS sealed bearing headset, and the semi-integrated cabling result in excellent performance and durability alongside straightforward (and cheaper) future servicing. Wheels are the excellent WTB ST i23 rim on Vitus hubs.

If you’re looking at a flat bar gravel bike one thing to pay attention to is the geometry, and how this compares to drop bar versions. It’s not only important to consider the frame measurements in the geometry chart itself but also the stem and bars as this is where much of the variation in position lies. In the case of the Substance the frame and geometry is the same across all the bikes so you’ll be in a more relaxed, upright position on the flat bar version than if you had drops.

The chainstay length (436mm), headtube angle (71.5 degrees) and wheelbase (1031mm) give the Substance a lot of stability. The Substance has quite a high stack (568mm on our 51cm frame) and shorter reach (382mm) compared with many of its peers, combined with the sit up position of the flat bars you end up with a bike that’s incredibly stable and easy to ride.

Vitus Substance V-2: the ride

I really loved the feeling of the Substance; it was comfortable and I felt in control, it could go fast on the open road and tracks whilst being perfectly stable picking my way through town to the shops and even with my child aboard his Shotgun seat the way to nursery. Ever since I've had it to review it’s become my everyday go-to bike, the convenience of its hybrid nature winning out over my usual genre-specific choices. There’s something really pleasurable about just being able to ride a bike without having to plan because that bit of road will be too rough, you won’t be able to carry a loaded bag, it’ll be too slow to go all that way…

If I had to pick one thing out about the Vitus it would be its handling. It has such a nice stable feel and is really easy to manoeuvre both at faster speeds on rough single track (which I should probably be riding on an MTB) or at slower speeds through stationary traffic.

Actually I don’t think I can pick one thing. I also need to mention how impressed I was with the shifting and brakes on the Substance. At these lower price points the performance of flat bar shifters and mechanical disc brakes is way above equivalent drop bar versions. The Tektro brakes and Shimano Sora levers had plenty of power, were easy to modulate and only needed one finger to operate, something which the drop bar equivalents still aspire to.

The gear shifting was light, easy, quick and true. In the constant electronic revolution of MTB shifting I’ve forgotten how simple and effective traditional style Shimano flat-bar shifters can be. You have a choice of two levers which you can operate with your thumb and/or first finger in a forward or backward operation. The levers are just where you want them to be without ever having to think about operating them.

On the flipside, the Substance was really let down by its tires. The specced Vee Tire Co. Rail Sport can’t be run tubeless and has a minimum inflation of 45 PSI / 3.5 bar. That’s quite a lot of pressure in a 40cc tire, which resulted in a teeth-chattery feel even on my local roads, let alone on any rough or gravel trail. Not only wasn’t this pleasurable, it also meant a lack of grip and speed on the rougher stuff.

I took the risk of pinch punctures and dropped the pressure below what was recommended and I was pleased I did. Lowering the tires to 40 PSI (which is still much higher than I’d normally run) made a huge difference to the feel of the bike with much more traction and comfort. But it was still a way off being right and, although I managed to avoid any pinch flats, the tires felt really squirmy as there’s not much strength in the sidewalls so wasn’t a long term approach

It’s a shame that Vitus chose to scrimp on the tires. It’s even more of a shame given the WTB wheelset are tubeless compatible and even come taped ready for tubeless tires. I swapped over to a tubeless set up with my usual Schwalbe G One tyres which I could run at a much lower pressure. Even though these were narrower (35 vs 40cc) and had a less aggressive tread than the stock Vee Tires the change in comfort and grip completely transformed the ride into something much more comfortable and nimble. Set up was really easy too, I’d go as far as to say it was the easiest tubeless inflation I’ve ever done.

As a rule I won’t review a bike and suggest you need to swap out components, particularly at more affordable end where budget and mechanic experience can be more limited. However, the tires on the Vitus Substance V2 Flat Bar Sora are going to be an exception as you can’t get anything close to the best out of this bike on the Vee Rail Sports. You don’t necessarily need to go tubeless, just to choose something that can be run at a low enough pressure to get the grip and comfort you need. Just don’t be tempted to exceed a 40cc tire on the rear though as chainstay clearance is pretty tight.

Vitus Substance V-2: value and conclusion

At $1,100 / £900 the Flat Bar Substance sits at the lower end of Vitus’ range, paired with a drop bar version. There is only the one flat bar Substance though so there’s no option for a more affordable or higher spec option. For point of reference, in the drop bar range there’s a Microshift option (rather than Shimano Sora) for $200/£150 less or an additional $700/£500 upgrades the Sora to GRX, which makes the Sora build excellent value for money.

Elsewhere there are still relatively few gravel flat bar bikes available. Those that are, like the Trek FX Sport 4 ($/£1,800) and Specialized Diverge E5 EVO $2,600 / £3,000, come in at a much higher price point and so don’t make for meaningful comparisons.

Other options include the steel framed Marin Muirwood with 1x gearing for $900/£865 and the aluminium Norco Search XC ($1,600) which benefits from Shimano Deore 1x11 shifting.  

The keyboard warriors out there have a lot to say about flat bar gravel bikes, and they’re right, they are a modern reincarnation of a traditional hybrid bike with a sprinkle of gravel marketing.

After a couple of months of riding the Substance on pretty much a daily version I feel the same, this is the modern day version of a hybrid bike. But that’s not an insult; it’s a positive thing. It’s a bike that’s hugely capable and can do a bit of everything with excellent gearing and brakes. But it’s more relaxed position and flat bars makes it much more accessible to many and extends its use from longer back road riding to the commute, family jaunt and nipping to the shops too. Or simply for someone who’d much rather ride with the comfort and confidence of flat bars. Just change the tires before you ride.

Vitus Substance V-2: specs

• Sizes: XS (47cm) to XXL (57cm)
• Frame: 6061-T6 Double Butted Aluminium,
• Forks: Substance Carbon
• Bottom Bracket: Prowheel
• Chainset: Prowheel 46/30T
• Shifters and Derailleurs: Shimano Sora R3000, 2x9 Speed
• Cassette: Sunrace M96 9 Speed 11-34T
• Chain: KMC X9
• Wheelset: WTB ST I23 TCS 2.0 On Vitus Hubs, 700cc
• Tires: Vee Tire Co. Rail Sport 700c X 40c
• Brakes: Tektro MD-C310 Disc Brake With Shimano Sora Lever, 160mm Rotor
• Handlebars: Vitus 6061 Aluminium
• Stem: Vitus 6061 Aluminium
• Headset: ACROS Aix-Low R3
• Grips: Vitus MTB
• Saddle: Vitus Steel Rail
• Seatpost: Vitus 6061 Aluminium

Cannondale revamped its Topstone alloy gravel bikes. The cheapest version, the Topstone 4, comes with a full carbon fork, a 1x setup and enough mounting points to carry anything. It might be $1,325 / £1,100, but sadly this is now a reasonable price to pay for a solid, dependable bike.

The American bike company is known for its great alloy frames, and this now applies to its gravel bikes, as well as its famous CAAD road bikes. There are carbon frame options of the Topstone, such as the Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3 that we recently tested, but the alloy Topstone 4 is a great value option that stacks up well against the more expensive options that we rate as the best budget gravel bikes.

Cannondale Topstone 4: Construction

The first thing one notices about the Topstone 4 is how solid it looks. This is good, it’s a gravel bike, designed for the rigours of trails and challenges away from the road, and it certainly looks the part. It is not a massively racy looking bike, built for comfort more than speed, and with a very relaxed riding position, although it does have dropped seat stays.

This is probably not your bike for a gravel race, then, but a gravel adventure, with mounting points all over the frame, ready for all kinds of baggage. The angles are kind to the beginner gravel rider, with the handlebars fitted in a very comfortable position at 31.8 degrees. It is quite an upright riding position, but then that is fine on a bike of this sort.

The SmartForm C2 Alloy frame is the same one found across all Topstone Alloys, although the top of the range models come with the “lightweight” version. This is not a light bike, weighing in at over 10kg, but that does not matter too much on a gravel bike, with the Topstone 4 feeling very stable over all kinds of terrain. The internal cable routing is smart, and makes it feel like a very modern object.

The next thing you notice on the bike is its 1x setup, which is actually microSHIFT Advent X; you might not have heard of the tiny (compared to a behemoth like Shimano) parts manufacturer, but its drivetrain is solid. Because it has just one chainring on the front, it has dinner plate-sized sprockets on the back - going up to 48 teeth. The lack of a small ring and front derailleur might be disconcerting to those used to road riding, but it does mean less maintenance on the horizon. 

Apparently, Cannondale turned to microSHIFT due to supply chain issues during the pandemic, and the bike as a result does feel like it has been put together from whatever the American company could cobble together; alongside the microSHIFT drivetrain, the mechanical disc brakes are from Promax components. While these worked mostly fine, you will notice the stopping power difference between hydraulic and mechanical brakes, and we aren’t as familiar with Promax as other component manufacturers.

Like all Cannondale Topstones, it comes with a full carbon fork through the brand’s BallisTec subdivision, and it really helps dampen the vibrations you get over rough ground, while keeping some of the weight off. With the mounting points on them too, there isn’t much to complain about there, and the tapered steerer tube adds to the precise feeling of the front of the bike.

This is combined with Cannondale’s ‘OutFront’ steering geometry, which sees the front wheel further in front of the rider, for stability and confidence, like an old-school mountain bike. It also means you definitely will never get any kind of toe overlap with the front wheel. Cannondale says that this makes the steering ‘light and agile’, and I can definitely agree with that. This is a great example of tech trickled down from more expensive models.

The Topstone 4 comes with Cannondale’s own GXD 1.0 wheels and Vittoria’s Terreno Dry 35mm tires, which have enough tread to deal with just about anything. However, depending on location, you might get WTB’s Riddler Comp 37mm tires, with a similar level of tread. I have to say, the tan walls look more fun than the boring old black ones I had on my test model. However, the grip was excellent. The bike can fit up to 45mm tires, but I do know some people that prefer to go even bigger, so this might hold some riders back.

The 35s on the bike I got coped with the trails near me, but if you wanted to feel more secure on muddier, less-grippy terrain, there is definitely that option. 

Everything else on the bike is from Cannondale, with the handlebars, stem, saddle and seatpost all own-brand. One thing to note is that if you fancy it, you can swap out the Cannondale 4 seatpost for a 27.2mm dropper seatpost, as the frame is built to handle internally routed models.

Sadly, none of the Topstone Alloys come with Cannondale's integrated SmartSense radar and lights, powered by a single battery. Although you can add it as an extra on all the models. They do all come with a removable fender bridge, however, which is a bonus for those wet parts of the year.

Colorwise, it is worth noting that the Topstone 4 comes in two colors: the ‘black magic’ version which I had, or a rather charming ‘alpine’ version, which is essentially light blue. I know which one I would go for if I had the choice. It looks great with tan walls.

So, apart from the Promax mechanical disc brakes, everything seems to be comfortably punching above the relatively affordable price, and it definitely seems nice. What of the ride?

Cannondale Topstone 4: the ride

This is not a bad bike, and is clearly a great option should you wish to get into gravel riding; there is nothing hugely to dislike about it, and it really helps you get out there. I tested the bike over quite a few different circumstances, and it was comfortable across most of them.

However, it must be said, I did not enjoy riding this on the road that much. Obviously, that’s part of the trade-off with it being so secure and fun off-road, but on tarmac, it felt quite sluggish and did not respond amazingly well to accelerations. The big knobbly tires meant it was difficult to feel speed on-road, and for those used to more responsive road bikes, the ‘OutFront’ steering made it feel a bit odd. Combined with the 1x drivetrain, and it feels a bit tricky to find the right gear to suit riding on flat roads.

That is, of course, not the primary purpose of the Topstone 4, although there are a lot of gravel rides in the UK where you will find yourself on the road a fair bit, sadly. Moving off road, though, the bike performed admirably on gravel and stone paths, as well as more rugged terrain.

I enjoyed the 1x drivetrain when trying to get up hills on trails, as it moved very smoothly, and the ‘OutFront’ steering made sure I felt firmly in control, even when the surface was reasonably loose or slippery. It felt like a bike designed for adventures, and the presence of the mounting points underlines this. Having not used the 48-tooth rear cog once on the road, its presence was welcome on some of the gnarlier climbs, especially given the weight of the bike.

I can’t say that I noticed much difference from having mechanical rather than hydraulic disc brakes, and despite fears of what this would mean, I had no problems stopping on any kind of surface. The bars are nice and wide, and combined with the flared drops, allows for plenty of clearance over any baggage you might have. It doesn’t feel too far forward at all, and is a very comfortable experience. 

I took my Topstone out during the summer, on drier, dustier trails, but the presence of the space for mudguards on the front and back is welcome, and should prevent a rider from getting too muddy. The clearance is also great on the bottom, leaving you feeling rather high up on the bike.

Cannondale Topstone 4: value and conclusion

There is a lot to be lauded about the price of the Cannondale Topstone 4. It might be over $/£1,000 - just - sitting at $1,325 / £1,100, but that does not feel too outrageous a price in 2023. The parts might feel like they have been found from rummaging around in a bargain bin, but they work suitably well, and did not cause a problem for me on my ride. One might feel comfortable with bigger name brands, but there is not much to complain about the microSHIFT and Promax setup on this bike. 

The carbon fork is great value, and the presence of trickle down tech from the higher-specced versions like the ‘OutFront’ steering makes it a compelling model. It’s about the same price as the Triban GRVL 520, but being from Cannondale, is a bit more exciting, maybe.

For a beginner gravel bike, I’m not sure you can go too far wrong.

The Cannondale Topstone 4 is a great first gravel bike, with a solid frame to go with its components allowing for it to go practically anywhere. It would also be fantastic as a bikepacking option, with its plethora of mounting points, although I’m not sure I would want to spend too long commuting on it with the wheels and tires it comes with.

It is lots of fun to ride on all kinds of different terrain, and will handle tarmac, gravel, mud and pretty much anything in between.

Cannondale Topstone 4: specs

• Frame: SmartForm C2 Alloy
• Fork: BallisTec Full Carbon
• Groupset: microSHIFT Advent X 10-speed
• Gear ratios: 40T, 11-48T
• Wheels: GXD 1.0
• Tires: WTB Riddler Comp 37s
• Brakes: Promax Render R mechanical disc
• Bars: Cannondale 3
• Stem: Cannondale 3
• Saddle: Cannondale Stage CX
• Seatpost: Cannondale 4 27.2mm
• Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL
• Weight: 10.5kg

The GT Grade Elite is an entry-level gravel bike for those looking to venture off the tarmac and go further afield. It would make a good year-round commuter or winter training bike for someone with a ‘best’ summer bike.

“This bike would suit the weekend warrior or the cycle to work consumer and user perfectly,” explains Josh Whiting, GT’s UK Sales Manager.

“The gravel scene wouldn’t be where it is today without innovative bikes like the GT Grade pioneering the way,” enthuses Whiting. “Our iconic Triple Triangle frame with floating stays ensures the best ride on any multi-terrain adventure.

“It’s the perfect out the box ready to rumble gravel bike which offers great value and a frame which is set for anything,” he adds.

Generally, it’s a decent bike and fits its price bracket. However, how does it compare to the best budget gravel bikes? As I’ll go on to explain, not everything was top notch.

GT Grade Elite: The frame

The frame is the bike’s best asset: as you’d hope from most bikes, but it’s not always the case. Having ridden GT bikes in my teens, I was already a fan of the brand and getting on the Grade Elite came with a dose of nostalgia that added to the enjoyment of riding it.

The frame is made from what GT calls ‘Grade Alloy’ and – naturally – features the brand’s signature triple triangle design. For those really adventuring onto gnarlier terrain, the frame is compatible with a dropper seat post.

I usually ride a size 56cm, but had this model in a 58cm. This could have made it unwieldy, but actually it fitted me pretty spot on (I think I fall between sizes on GT). It was comfortable to ride, whether on tarmac, gravel or compacted earth tracks.

The bike obviously isn’t as light as my carbon Cannondale road bike, which I switched to at regular intervals throughout the review period, but it’s hardly a cumbersome heavyweight. Tipping the scales at 10.87kg, the bike clipped along on the flat fine and climbed well enough – including some 20%+ off-road gradients.

GT Grade Elite: Specification

Not uncommon for lower end bikes, the groupset is a multi-brand affair. The transmission comes from Shimano in the shape of Claris front mech, rear mech and shifters. The chainset is FSA and KMC provides the chain. All of this works fine.

The brakes, on the other hand, do not work fine. Sometimes, on the earliest rides on the bike, I wondered if they were going to work at all. I’ll admit a longstanding bias against mechanical disc brakes – I’ve never used a pair I couldn’t dislike. 

But until I got more used to them, this offering from Tektro felt sketchy, sometimes worryingly slack, on steeper descents. The brakes, or my lack of confidence in them, (compared to Campagnolo Chorus rim brakes or Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc brakes) was such that I felt slightly out of control on familiar tracks and trails.

Now, admittedly, if you bought the GT Grade Elite as a new rider or someone returning to cycling after a long pause, your riding would adapt to the performance of the bike (specifically the brakes) and you’d ride accordingly – as happened to me once I’d been out on it a few times.

GT’s Whiting is keener on the brakes, as you might expect. “The mechanical Tektro brakes are good performers and easy to live with,” he contests. Where our opinions align more is the groupset. “The Shimano Claris groupset is great for both on and off-road adventure,” Whiting says, and I would agree – it does what it needs to.

The transmission was reasonable. Despite being at the lower end of Shimano’s offering, the Claris components worked fine and shifted through the eight gears with a smooth clunk – if that’s not a contradiction. What I mean is, the jump between ratios – bigger gaps than an 11-speed cassette – means that each shift necessarily has a level of ‘clunk’ to it as it goes up or down to the next desired sprocket. But each time it got there exactly, sitting directly on the gear without any annoying clicking of the rear mech or unwanted jumps from a poorly indexed rear mech.

However, cross-chaining was a bigger problem across this eight-speed cassette than it is over 11 gears, as the front mech needed manually trimming with the half-shift at more regular intervals and really made you know about it if you didn’t trim soon enough.

The bike came with WTB tyres to match its WTB wheels. The tyres are WTB Riddlers in 37x700c. They coped well with the mixed terrain I sent them over without giving up much speed on the tarmac. If I were to use the bike for longer or head further away from the prospect of a lift home, I’d want them set up tubeless – but I didn’t have any punctures using them with inner tubes.

GT Grade Elite: The ride

Much of my experience of the ride has been covered off above. Getting used to the brakes on the earliest rides was a bit of a task, but once I knew to start braking earlier – and sometimes start hoping harder – I got used to them for most terrain. That said, there were a few moments on technical off-road descents, on familiar tracks, where my confidence deserted me slightly as the bike didn’t slow at the same rate it would on my own bike.

My experience of this bike wasn’t all negative, though. Far from it. I’d say it was net positive in the end. Perhaps helped by the good weather and simple joy of a mixed-surface ride in the late-afternoon sunshine that could have been experienced on any bike, but the most recent rides have been a pleasure.

The bike handles well – particularly on the flat and up climbs, when braking isn’t required – and it has held up well with the tests of rutted farm tracks and stony gravel climbs.

GT Grade Elite: Value and conclusion

Retailing at $1,300 / £1,100, this bike is good, perhaps very good, value for money. GT’s Josh Whiting was right when he said it’s an “out the box ready to rumble gravel bike which offers great value and a frame which is set for anything”.

No frills but no messing about: just set your saddle height, add your pedals and get out riding. If you’ve got the budget, you might look to upgrade the brakes to hydraulics, but equally you may find the mechanicals are just fine.

This was a bike I was happy to ride, choosing to do so time and again after I’d surpassed any minimum number of rides that might be expected for a review.

If Cannondale’s ‘full suspension’ Topstone Carbon Lefty gravel bike is too outlandish for you, then maybe the standard Topstone Carbon 3 could be up your street. The standard Topstone shares the frame with the Lefty model but sits as Cannondale's speed-orientated gravel bike.

Having put plenty of miles onto the new, more middle-of-the-road gravel offering, including an overnighter on the Ridgeway - the UK's 'oldest' road that dates back at least 5,000 years - I can confirm I have had plenty of fun!

Poised, playful, and super fast, Cannondale has put together a winning formula - this frameset is undoubtedly the building block for one of the best gravel bikes of the year, proven by its inclusion in our Gravel Bike of the Year awards.

Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3: frameset

Cannondale has long been known for pioneering weird and wacky suspension solutions and on the Topstone Carbon, it is no different.

This time Cannondale has gone all out to drop those seat stays. They sit at a similar height to a lot of full suspension linkages seen on mountain bikes, and it’s at this junction that the ‘Kingpin’ technology can be found. A thru axle and a set of bushings here allows the seat tube to act like a leaf spring. The lack of moving parts, and low friction bushings on the system, aim to reduce maintenance as well as save a claimed 100 grams over conventional cartridge bearings. 

The real flex is engineered through the carbon layup, which has been really impressive at providing comfort whilst not feeling sluggish. Cannondale says this allows for a full 30mm of flex at the seat tube and 10mm of vertical compliance at the rear dropout - both of which are pretty significant numbers for a 'rigid' frame.

Notable too is the compatibility with Smartsense, which is Cannondale's own external battery and light/radar setup. This bike pleads you to leave asphalt behind, so I’m not sure many people will consider the radar package aimed at traffic detection, but for long-distance riding, the long battery life of the light setup could be worthwhile. The mounting point for the battery at the bottom of the down tube is also a great place for an extra tube or tools, which Cannondale does sell a strap for.

Cannondale also seems to have returned to some sense and simplicity with the Carbon Topstone frameset and quite frankly it’s a very welcome sight for riders and mechanics alike.

A standard 27.2mm round seat clamp allows for the use of any standard seatpost, including some of the best dropper posts. Okay, a dropper, for the non-lefty edition of the ride, might be a little over the top for this bike’s 38mm Vittoria Terreno Dry tires, but it’s great to see this as an option should you want it.

Gone too is the slightly irritating AI (Asymmetric Integration) wheel standard. The technology, aimed at accommodating higher cassette ranges, sees wheels dished 6mm over to one side. This means aftermarket wheelsets would ordinarily need a full re-dishing before being compatible and in a lot of cases this voids the warranty. Again this step back to simplicity allows for a greater choice for the consumer when it comes time to upgrade to a pair of the best gravel bike wheels.

The final feature that will please mechanics around the world is the return to a Shimano BSA 68 threaded bottom bracket. And although only about 6-800km into testing I can confirm not a single creak or complaint was made by any part of the frame, even when the going was pretty tough…

Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3: Components

To my mind, Cannondale has done a great job speccing this bike at the $3335 / £3200 price point. While many opt for SRAM Apex on bikes in this range, the people from Connecticut have gone for Shimano GRX 11-speed throughout.

It is the 2x offering though, which gives a good range of gearing, but isn't as simplistic as many 1x groupsets on bikes at this price point. That said, the Topstone Carbon Lefty, aimed at rougher terrain, ditches that extra chainring, and so Cannondale does seems to be making the distinction between the two models.

Rolling duties are handled by Fromular sealed cartridge hubs laced up to WTB ST i23 tubeless ready rims. They felt pretty good all round, and I didn’t have any trouble with durability.

The package as a whole really makes sense. The lack of proprietary parts coupled with a great frameset and groupset really lends this bike to be modified as time goes on whether its a lighter bar and stem or maybe a more flashy wheelset.

Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3: the ride

The testing grounds for the Cannondale Topstone Carbon consisted of trail riding, bike packing, and even some jumps too - so safe to say a bit of everything.

The highlight was an overnight ride along the Ridgeway and this is where I got to really know the Topstone. Riding poorly lit trails is a lot more fun aboard a confidence-inspiring bike and that is exactly what the Topstone delivered.

Loaded up with all my gear the kingpin suspension was sublime. Most minor imperfections on gravel trails were totally accounted for by the 30mm of seatpost flex - even on the stock 38mm tires - while larger bumps and rocks just had the edge taken off. This undoubtedly reduced fatigue and made me want to push the bike on more gnarly terrain. 

Speaking of the rubber the Vitorria Terreno Dry’s are a perfect starting point for riding on mixed terrain. On roads, the penalty is marginal and on most gravel, they supplied ample grip. The only time they did come unstuck was through the thunderstorms, but as the name suggests wet conditions aren't likely to be their forte.

When climbing the increased traction was noticeable, which made riding far easier. I didn't detect a hint of power loss from the rear end either, even when pressing on out of the saddle.

On single-track, I felt totally at home hopping around the trails. The 10mm of travel at the rear axle is subtle but does deliver a hint of 'full sus' style rebound. This bike really does have a spring in its step and I found myself wanting to push it on seemingly more and more silly terrain - hence the aforementioned jumps.

All in all, the Topstone passed with flying colors. So much so in fact, that I have put my money where my mouth is and gone ahead and ordered the exact bike I had on test!

The make-or-break factor in any bike purchase is always going to be the way it rides. And this is where the Topstone Carbon shines. I absolutely fell in love with the playful yet stable geometry of the bike and felt urged on to keep pushing it further and further.

Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3: Value

I truly believe Cannondale is delivering plenty of value with the Topstone Carbon 3. At $3,325 / £3,200 the spec brings together a high-level and accomplished frameset with a respectable groupset as well as a solid set of finishing kit. This, coupled with more standardized parts allows for a great platform to upgrade too, if that’s the route you choose to go down. It's worth noting that the specs do differ slightly between the US and UK models.

Trek’s Checkpoint SL 5 is a fair comparison, but comes in at £3,700, which is a not insignificant price hike for a similar spec. However, in the US the two bikes are more evenly matched, with the SL5 retailing at $3,399.

Not only that but blend of comfort, speed, and exuberance of the Topstone lends itself to a wide range of riding. And particularly in the gravel market, a versatile bike is likely to be a better value bike.

Perhaps the best compliment I can give the Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3 is that the range of riding I ended up doing far exceeded what I expected to be doing - and that’s because the bike willed me on to do so.

Cannondale Topstone Carbon 3: Specs

Once a middleman caught between a road bike, a cyclocross bike and a mountain bike, these days, gravel bikes have a spectrum of their own. On the one end, you've got the performance-oriented steeds that are basically road bikes with bigger tire clearance. While on the opposite end, you'll find the highly capable adventure rigs that are more akin to the 1990s-era mountain bikes than their drop bar, skinny-tired siblings. 

Among the latter, rider isolation or suspension technologies are becoming increasingly common. These technologies are meant to provide more traction while being gentler on the body and less fatiguing, providing an overall more comfortable and enjoyable off-road riding experience. Specialized, in introducing their dual-suspension Diverge STR last fall, also claims suspension to be faster than a fully rigid bike.

Between the aftermarket Redshift and Kinekt suspension stems and seat posts, Specialized's FutureShock technologies, Lauf's unique suspension fork, Niner's MCR full-suspension gravel machine, and the many gravel-oriented suspension forks now on the market, it seems that gravel suspension is a continuing trend. But it's nothing new. Most of these technologies originated in the mountain bike world, and the Moots Routt YBB, the subject of this review, is no exception. This gravel steed features the tried-and-true YBB rear-end suspension mechanism that dates back to 1986.

By combining the smooth ride quality of titanium with a little bit of rear-end suspension, Moots hopes to offer "the smoothest ride gravel has to offer." We went to find out for ourselves.

The Moots Routt YBB

Moots, the now-renowned hand builders of high-quality titanium bicycles, was founded by Kent Eriksen in 1981, deep in the Rocky Mountains. After ten years of welding steel frames, Moots swapped over to titanium and hasn't looked back since. For 30 years, the brand has been built exclusively with titanium —and U.S.-made aerospace grade at that— and is praised for its fine craftsmanship, supple ride quality, and "dream bike" status. Even in a time when other performance brands switched to carbon, Eriksen maintained the belief that only titanium can provide the best performance and ride quality

Eriksen, a Mountain Bike Hall of Famer, pioneered his innovative YBB (Why Be Beat) soft-tail suspension design in 1986, and it would soon become the brand's signature. The YBB suspension is a simple pivotless, spring-and-elastomer micro-suspension system that is housed in the frame's rear monastery, an inch or two below the seat collar. It offers 20mm of travel — just enough to smooth out the gravel road's bumps and vibrations.

Moots was perhaps a tad ahead of the curb when it introduced the Routt gravel bike in 2014. Made for the many gravel roads around its Coloradan home base, the Routt was an adaptation of the brand's Psychlo X cyclocross bike featuring longer chainstays and wheelbase for bigger tire clearance, a slacker head angle, and a taller headtube. 

There are currently four different models of the Routt, ranging from the beefy, 2.4"-tire-clearing Routt ESC (Escape) to the Routt RSL (Race Super Light), the gravel bike "with race tendencies." The Routt YBB sits in the middle and is presented as an enticing option for riders seeking a blend of comfort and performance. 

The Moots Routt YBB at a glance

• Frame is made from the finest US-made, seamless 3/2.5 titanium
• Carbon Fork
• 20mm rear travel via the YBB suspension
• 3D printed dropouts for precise rear wheel and brake alignment and flat-mount disc brakes
• Wheel Size: 700c or 650
• Max tire clearance: 700 x 45 or 650b x 50mm
• Bottom bracket: 68mm threaded
• Seat tube: 27.2mm
• Three water bottle mounts
• Hidden fender mounts
• Frame weight: 1,660g (54mm, claimed)
• Sizes available: 7

Our test bike had:

• a SRAM Red XPLR drivetrain
• Chris King Headset, BB and wheelset
• Panaracer GravelKing tires
• Price, as tested: $12, 929.00

Riding the Moots Routt YBB

The titanium advantage:

Like all Moots frames, the Routt YBB is made from the finest U.S.-made, seamless 3/2.5 titanium on the market. Non-corrosive, lighter than steel, stronger than aluminum, easier to work with than carbon, and dampening by nature — titanium may just be the ideal material for gravel bikes tasked with conquering rough terrain. 

When shaped by experts such as Moots, the ride quality of titanium knows no rival. Thousands of words have been written trying to explain this almost mythical ride quality, but it's one you simply have to experience for yourself. While titanium comes with a significant price tag, ti frames — the Moots Routt YBB included— are built to last, making the frame an investment into a durable, reliable gravel companion for life. 

Cost aside, the only cons frequently associated with titanium frames is that they're heavier and less snappy than their carbon counterparts. While short chainstays and an aggressive, race-oriented geometry can certainly liven up a ti frame, they won't be quite as efficient, stiff or all-out-speedy as a carbon frame. Though the "smooth is fast" argument can certainly be made.

While not a dull ride by any means, the Routt YBB does lack the responsiveness you get from some of the more race-oriented RSL Moots bikes. But where it lacks in snappiness or agility, it makes up for in smoothness. The overall takeaway feeling is that of comfort and confidence. The bike inspired long days in the saddle and some adventure rides of a rowdier nature. 

YBB Rear-end Suspension:

The standout feature of the Moots Routt YBB is its rear-end suspension system. The YBB technology offers 20mm travel, intended to take out the sting from roots, bumps, and rough roads, allowing you to ride longer, further, and across more challenging terrain.

The system comes at a weight penalty of just 250 grams, which is significantly lighter than an aftermarket suspension seat post.

Neither too soft nor too harsh, the suspension felt pleasantly dampening rather than squishy, but it did take a ride or two to get used to. On my first YBB ride, I must have checked my rear tire for a puncture at least half a dozen times.

Once I got used to the plushness of the ride, the YBB stood out on the descents more than anything. I generally prefer a snappy, lively bike — especially on the flats, around corners and on the uphill. Here, I found that the YBB didn't really add to my ride experience. But on the rough downhills is where the suspension shone. Between the wide-barred Enve cockpit and the YBB suspension, the Routt YBB gave me tremendous control and confidence on the downhill. Taking the bike down some of my favorite singletracks, I noticed that the rear-end suspension kept me planted, allowing me to corner with more speed, stay in control over ruts, and have a chatter-free thrill of a ride.

Tire clearance, versatility & thoughtful touches:

The Routt YBB offers generous tire clearance, allowing riders to fit up to 700x45c or 650x50b tires, which should be plenty for even the roughest of rides. The third water bottle mount option is almost a must-have now that gravel events go into the 200- and 300-mile distances, and rides can get pretty darn remote. And the hidden fender mounts behind the fork and seat stay bridge are a nice touch and one that this Pacific NorthWET resident especially appreciates,

Craftsmanship:

Moots is renowned for its meticulous craftsmanship, and the Routt YBB is an absolute beauty to look at. From the precision welds to the etched logos, the attention to detail makes for a refined aesthetic with a gorgeous finish. Each Routt YBB is handmade in their Colorado-based facility, offering customization options to suit individual preferences. From custom geometry and finish options to additional features like rack mounts, Moots enables riders to personalize their bikes to suit their specific needs and tastes.

The Handling:

The Moots Routt YBB is definitely made for the rowdier or more exploratory end of the gravel spectrum. Sitting on the slacker end of the Moots Routt family, the geometry of the Routt YBB strikes a balance between comfort and liveliness, stability and agility. Its longer wheelbase provides stability on uneven terrain, while the shortened chainstays keep the spiritedness alive. It's not a racer that helps you win the holeshot or the sprint for the city limit sign, but it does like to keep going at a good clip and will rail around loose corners. It's a confidence booster on high-speed or technical descents, and your lower back will thank you for that bit of suspension in the rear.

As a known underbiker, the Routt YBB is perhaps a bit too much bike for me. I prefer something on the nimbler, snappier, and playful side. That's not to say I didn't have fun on the Routt YBB; I just don't need the slacked-out front end or suspension (— though my body might disagree with that statement.) But if you're looking for all-day comfort and a capable bike to explore the trails and paths less traveled, the Routt YBB is a stunning option.

Value & Verdict

Titanium, handcrafted, premium build. When you're getting a Moots, you know you're making an investment for a longtime companion. The Moots Routt YBB starts at $10,262 and only goes up in price based on your component package and finish. Unfortunately, Moots belongs in the "dream bike" category that's inaccessible for most of us. But for those who can afford it, the Routt YBB will be a long-lasting, smile-inducing, adventure-loving, go-anywhere travel companion. 

Moots Routt YBB - Gallery

London’s SW14 postcode may not be the centre of the gravel-riding universe, but Pearson has been around since 1860 and so know a thing or two about bikes. Its in-house knowledge, gleaned largely from decades of customer bike fitting, has seen it move away from selling big-brand bikes to selling its own. 

For gravel bikes (adventure bikes is its preferred nomenclature) that’s a five-bike range utilising four materials: carbon, titanium, aluminium and steel. The On and On is the carbon frame in the range and while it has the word ‘aero’ in its description, it isn’t just built for the fledgling gravel racing scene.

Pearson On and On - the construction

Pearson works with a carbon factory in China, and while the On and On is an open-mould frame open-mould frame (due to costs) it’s the brands design input that has shaped every aspect of it. 

That design has led to what at first glance wouldn’t look out of place lined up at a road race HQ on a Sunday morning. There’s a truncated seat tube, aero seatpin, dropped seatstays, internal cabling and bolt-through axles - all of which you'll often find on the best road bikes. In fact some of the tube shapes are identical to Pearson's road offerings. 

The differences mainly come in the geometry, with 3cm more in the wheelbase, and a slacker 71.5° head angle. This builds in the tyre clearance while shortening the top tube length for a less stretched out riding position.

While this bike could handle any gravel race, it also has mounts on the fork, top tube and seat stays as well upper and lower bottle-cage mounts to create more space inside the main triangle for baggage. You can pack this frame out with some of the best bikepacking bags and head off for the weekend as easily as you could ride out for a quick hour’s blast. I’m happy to confirm it does both jobs well. 

It’s a nice, light responsive (Toray T800) carbon frame that doesn’t suffer when weighed down. I rode it with an Altura saddle pack strapped to the seatpost, their 1.1 top tube bag and Vortex bar bag along with two Apidura fork bags sat in mounts. All that extra weight changes the bike’s balance point, but that doesn’t take long to get used to, and carbon’s natural rigidity means there is no off-putting wobbliness that I’ve experienced when loading up more spindly steel road frames. The point is, loading up a carbon bike that looks like it’s built for the race scene doesn’t feel like you’re using it incorrectly.

If buying online you’ll be given choices as you go through the process. First you choose your frame and its colour (two choices), then size (five choices), followed by groupset (all three versions of GRX), and wheels (three choices). 

Our build was the stone-colour frame in medium with Shimano GRX800 and the DCR 25mm U-shape hooked alloy rims (28-spoke three-cross build with Bi-tech hubs and Sapim CX race spokes). 

For the top spec with GRX815 electronic and 40mm carbon rims, you’re looking at an extra £2,300/$2000. Although it’s nice to have that kit on any bike, I’m happy with a lower spec when ploughing through the two-inch-thick mud on my local bridleways at 12mph. The standard build for the On and On is a one-by 40-tooth chainring with 11-40t cassette at the back giving you a gear for pretty much every eventuality.

With gravel bikes, the best gravel tyres really can transform the ride. Our test bike came with Pirelli’s French-made tubeless Cinturato Gravel M 45mm rubber with an aggressive open tread. 

This is a big set of tyres, about as big and aggressive as you’ll find on a gravel bike. The tread made them sluggish on the tarmac, no matter what PSI I forced in (recommended max PSI of 65), but in the mud they cornered like they were on rails. The trails in my area are as muddy as they’ve been in years, but I felt as confident as I did when on my old full-suspension cross-country mountain bike (that’s going back a few years). 

Pirelli, as you might expect, does rubber well and the Cinturatos were apparently the tyre of choice at the recent Traka 360km gravel event in Girona, Spain. I’m willing to bet that was drier and dustier than your typical British bridleway, so it would appear they perform in all conditions.

Pearson On and On - the ride

I couldn’t fault the On and On. This medium-sized frame allowed me to find a good position, both upright for slow speed manoeuvrability and down on the hoods when looking to carry speed. The reach in the bars coupled with the big body of Shimano’s GRX levers offered a stretched-out position on the hoods à la my road bike. 

Of course you can’t feel the smoothness of the Toray carbon when riding off-road – or on-road with those big knobbly tyres – but you can feel the responsiveness when climbing. 

Most gravel bikes seem to be settling on a one-by build, and GRX mechanical continues to impress. It changes quickly up the sprockets with a nice light touch, even when under the pressure of grinding up a steep slope.

The 160mm rotors paired with the Pirelli tyres gave all the control I needed while the flared bars further enhanced the feeling of control. Like many of the best handlebars for gravel bikes, they are nice and narrow at the hoods while the flare to the drops gives a slightly wider and more stable feeling position for descending, as well as keeping clear of any luggage.

Value

Our Pearson On and On fitted with DCR alloy wheels and a mechanical 11-speed Shimano GRX 1x groupset retails at £3,850/$4100. 

A comparable bike with a similar credentials is the Vitus Venon Evo-GR. It too can be bought with various specifications but for £3,499/$4099 you get SRAM's wireless Rival AXS groupset - stick with mechanical shifting and you can lower the price to £2999/$3699.

Specialized's lightweight gravel bike, the Crux, compares less favourably from a purely financial perspective, with the 11-speed SRAM Rival Comp version costing £4600/$4200. Like the On and On it too matches a carbon frameset with a mechanical groupset and alloy wheels - the case of the Crux these are DT Swiss G540s.

Specs

• Frame: Toray T800 custom UD carbon 
• Forks: Toray T800 custom UD carbon
• Groupset: Shimano GRX800 11-speed X1, 40t chainset, 11-40t cassette, 160mm rotors
• Wheels: DCR 25mm alloy (hooked)
• Tyres: Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M 45
• Handlebars: Carbon 39mm, 15° flare
• Stem: Carbon 10mm Seatpost Carbon
• Saddle: Fizik Vento
• Weight:8.98kg
• Contact: pearson1860.com

The Specialized Crux Pro is a potential game changer when it comes to the debate regarding N+1 bikes. 

Its wide ranging capabilities - and the subsequent freedom they offer you as a cyclist - can almost make you feel mischievous, a little like a child left alone in a sweet shop. 

With a racing influenced fit, born from the Crux’s cyclocross background, it challenges the need for separate bikes for gravel, road and cross. Thanks to its lightweight, performance-driven design it dances over the rough terrain like it's freshly laid tarmac - as some of the best gravel bikes do - whilst still being capable of climbing a mountain like the best road bikes. 

Specialized Crux Pro - the construction

The Crux models are among the lightest gravel bikes in the world. To help achieve this the Pro uses some of the technology found on Specialized's featherweight road-focused S-Works Aethos, including its highest grade FACT (Functional Advanced Composite Technology) 12r carbon, which is used on the forks, while the frame uses the marginally lower grade FACT 10r. The result is a frame that weighs only 825 grams, which is staggeringly light for a gravel bike. 

The Crux Pro comes with a set of 700 x 38mm Pathfinder Pro tires, however the frameset does have room for 47mm tires or 2.1" if you're using 650b wheels. 

This clearance creates options, making the bike capable for a wide range of terrain. It also aids performance on muddy trails, helping to stop gunk from building up between the tires and frame by the forks and downtube. 

As for the forks, visually they appear thin for a gravel bike. Measuring just 3cm wide at the half way point, I was concerned that they may feel a little fragile over some of the rougher terrain I was planning on riding.

Comparing the geometry of the Crux Pro to Specialized’s Diverge Pro Carbon, which is an out and out gravel bike, makes for interesting reading. 

Certainly the Crux appears designed with a racer in mind. In a size 56 the stack height is 578mm for the Crux, while the Diverge measures 610mm. The reach is 397mm compared to 392mm, while the Crux's 582mm top tube is 10mm longer. In theory this means that the Crux, with its lower height and longer reach, should deliver a more aggressive, aero position on the bike. 

Another key point to note is bottom bracket height. The Crux is considerably higher at 286mm compared to 270mm for the Diverge. This extra clearance should help prevent pedal strikes. 

Interestingly the Crux Pro's wheelbase, although slightly shorter than the Diverge at 1033mm compared to1042mm, is still pretty long for a bike with an undeniable racing DNA. While this should translate into plenty of stability, it did make me wonder if it would also make the Crux feel a little sluggish?

The Crux is equipped with SRAM's 12-speed Force XPLR eTap AXS groupset. It pairs a 40 tooth front chainring with a 10-44 cassette to deliver an expansive gear range that should be able to cope with most terrain. However, the frameset is compatible with a front derailleur should you prefer to run a 2x set-up.

The wheelset is Roval's Terra CL. Only 33mm deep these carbon fibre hoops have the ability to be set up as tubeless and can mount a range of tire widths from 28mm all the way to 47mm. Built using DT Swiss 350 hubs they have claimed weight of 1,408 grams for the pair, including tubeless rim tape and valves. 

The tires are 38mm Pathfinder Pro 2BR, which like the rims are tubeless compatible, although they actually arrived with inner tubes fitted.

Mechanics will likely appreciate the Crux's relatively simple construction. A threaded bottom bracket as well as a standard bar and stem combination help with the ease of maintenance. A bike of this beauty deserves to be well looked after and with these design choices changing a bottom bracket or replacing a brake cable is a walk in the park compared to the likes of a press fit bottom bracket or integrated bar and stem system.

Likewise, due to SRAM housing the batteries on the rear derailleur itself, charging or replacing them is especially easy. There's also a SRAM app so you can keep an eye on battery levels so you are never caught out and stuck in your hardest gear. 

Specialized Crux Pro - the ride

Certainly the speed the Crux can deliver is nothing short of breathtaking. The lightweight characteristics of the bike definitely steal the limelight, but there is far more to the Crux than this.

Unfortunately I'm not blessed with endless miles of smooth gravel tracks on my doorstep and so I do need to hop on the road for a little bit to get to the good stuff. Setting off in search of gravel, the Crux flew along, absorbing the lumps and bumps in the road, turning the pothole ridden surface into what felt like fresh tarmac. Even with a single chainring up front I was never struggling for gears thanks to the ten tooth sprocket at the bottom.

For a gravel bike the reach felt pretty long. On the road this meant I could tuck into a comfortable, aero position similar to one I'd use when racing. 

As you head off road and onto the gravel the Crux really feels at home. The lightness of the bike makes it incredibly snappy out of the corners and over the lumps in the road. That FACT 10 carbon frame provides excellent stiffness, which is evident as you dance on the pedals out of the saddle up the climbs.

In essence the bike feels easy to ride. Much like on the indoor racing and training app Zwift when you use the featherweight boost , the Crux just takes off. The lightness translates to a responsive and agile ride. With the front and rear wheels so easy to lift navigating obstacles becomes a breeze.

The Pathfinder tires delivered a mixed ride depending on my route. With a smooth central section they provided excellent rolling resistance over hard packed gravel or tarmac roads. However with only a very small amount of sidewall tread as soon as I headed for anything remotely slippery they were left wanting for grip.

For those who routinely ride more aggressive gravel trails, a more robust, weather proof tire is likely to be more suitable - and the sheer number of the best gravel bike tires ensures there's plenty to chose from. 

The Crux's high bottom bracket meant that clearance on rocky trials was impressive and there was no need to worry about striking the dirt with the pedal as I kept my feet moving through the corners. 

Despite being a Shimano lover at heart, the SRAM Force eTap AXS groupset took me by surprise. Often when gears have such a range to cover it can be easy for them to jump and clunk between one another. Furthermore chain tension can sometimes be an issue. Racing down a bumpy descent the last thing you need is a chain to slip off. 

Thankfully the SRAM drivechain performed exceptionally across testing. Not once was a gear skipped or chain slipped and the customisation provided by the AXS app helped me to personalise the setup. I also found the large shifters easy to use, even with gloves on.

On the roughest terrain and during steep descents the Crux did feel a little like a fish out of water. With a fairly low stack height my body mass was centred further over the front wheel than I would have liked. It also felt a tad uncomfortable, which might be attributed to the thin fork profile. Personally I felt the vibrations through the bars was exaggerated in comparison to other gravel bikes I have ridden and after a few hours playing around on the South Downs Way, in southern England, I finished the ride with a sore pair of hands, even with some very padded gloves on!

However, it's fair to say that this terrain, with its steep descents and rough ground, is likely to make most gravel bikes feel a little uncomfortable.

Value

At $8,200 / £7,900 the Crux is certainly not cheap and this price tag puts it into the more premium bracket of gravel bikes. However it's capable of handling a range of terrain and can easily perform double duty on the road or as a 'cross racer. 

It also comes equipped with a top of the range set of carbon Roval wheels as well as SRAM's mid range electronic groupset, which means there is little you need to change, except for maybe a different pair of tires.

For several thousand dollars - or pounds - less you can get yourself a Ribble Gravel SL – Hero, equipped with the same SRAM Force XPLR eTap AXS groupset as well as a carbon wheelset as standard. However the Ribble does weigh in a claimed 9.63kg for a size medium, which is considerably heavier than the Crux. Whether this justifies the substantial price difference for what is a similar specification bike only you can decide.

Likewise for close to a couple of thousand less you can get yourself a SRAM Red XPLR eTap AXS equipped Canyon Grail CF SLX 9. At 8.22kg there is not a huge difference between the two in terms of weight, which does make the Crux seem overpriced.

Having recently unveiled our selection for Race Bike of the Year, the time has now come to take this show off the road - and onto the trails! Welcome to Cycling Weekly’s 2023 Gravel Bike of the Year awards.

The first thing to note is that ‘gravel’ is in the process of ascending from being a ‘mere’ subcategory of drop-bar bikes - think ‘endurance’, ‘aero’, ‘lightweight’, etc. - to sit atop of a genus all of its own. Just as mountain bikes can be split into ‘cross-country’, ‘enduro’, ‘downhill’ etc. - each getting progressively burlier and more capable - the same is true for gravel bikes. 

At the lightest and fastest end of the gravel spectrum, we have ‘all-road’ bikes, which feather the transition between the best endurance road bikes and those solely focused on the off-road. These tend to have wider clearances than road bikes - and generally have more scope for attaching various elements of luggage, including the best bikepacking bags. 

Towards the middle of the spectrum we see a split. On the one hand, we have ‘adventure’ gravel bikes. These models are burlier than all-road bikes and come with a more relaxed geometry and (where possible) even more mounts. On the other hand, we have those models designed with the UCI Gravel World Champs in mind. These tend to be more similar to all-road bikes in their weights and their more ‘sporting’ geometry, but the tyre clearances of gravel race bikes are generally rather more generous for more technical courses

Finally, at the extreme end of gravel, we have the biggest and burliest of builds - although these themselves can be split into two distinct subspecies: long-distance, expedition bikepacking bikes and trail-shredding, monster-cross bikes - essentially drop-bar mountain bikes, by any other name.

We’ve chosen to focus on the middle section of the gravel spectrum for this grouptest, as these bikes are, on the whole, the most versatile rigs which keep your ‘gravel horizons’ at their broadest. Also, this swathe of the spectrum encompasses that nascent category of gravel race bikes, which is where a huge amount of industry development has been going over the last few years - as a result, these are responsible for many of the most interesting recent releases. 

Bikes have been getting more expensive across the board - although not as universally for gravel bikes as for road bikes, it seems. Only a handful of the models on test stray across the five figure mark and none even get close to the £15,000 milestone. That said, the barrier to entry is still quite steep for gravel bikes in general. The majority of those on test start at over £3,000. 

With that in mind, we’ve again listed the prices for the entry-level and top-end models, alongside the builds we had on test - to provide a greater context for the range as a whole.

We’ll be awarding our Best Gravel Bike award to the money-no-object best performer on test. We’ll also have our Best Value category, which simply factors price into that equation. In a nod to gravel’s broad spectrum, we’re also running two sub-category awards: Best for Expeditions and Best for Speed, to recognise those models which have a particular bent towards either end of gravel.

Finally, as a nod to Cycling Weekly magazine's 132-year heritage at the heart of British cycling, we’ve included a Best of British category. With gravel varying so greatly from country to country, what works on the wide open dirt roads of the Costa Brava or Arkansas generally isn’t so good on the bridleways of around Berkshire or Bolton. So we’ve called out the best models made by Brits, for Brits.

CYCLING WEEKLY'S GRAVEL BIKE OF THE YEAR 2023

Canyon Grail CF SLX 8 Di2

The Canyon Grail first launched back in 2018, and it’s hard to forget those crazy double decker handlebars - which are still resolutely part of the package. I’ll share my thoughts on the bars a little later on. First, I want to get stuck into all the other aspects of the Grail, as these can sometimes end up a little overshadowed by the bars.

Out on the trails, the Grail was an absolute bundle of laughs. The platform uses the same head angle and BB drop as its burlier big brother, the Grizl, but the Grail’s wheelbase is a good 16mm shorter - with the majority of that coming off the rear end.

The result is a composed front end with a reassuring degree of control, but with more than a dash of agile manoeuvrability at the rear. You particularly feel the difference when twisting through tight singletrack trails: with the rear axle tucked that bit further underneath you, it’s easier to push the bike around the corners with your hips.

On wide and open doubletrack, the Grail remains similarly stable, yet rapid - great for long distance epics with double digit hours in the saddle, as well as any tarmacked sections or transfers.

That said, the Grail’s tyre clearance does put a firm limit on the range of riding open to you. Whereas some models on test can fit in tyres as wide as 53mm (2.1 inches), the Canyon Grail is limited to just 42mm, giving the Grail a significant ‘all-road’ bent.

Then there’s the handlebars. The idea was to provide greater vibration dampening when your hands are resting on the tops. This strikes as a little odd, given that generally when you’re on rougher sections of trail, you’ll be holding the hoods or the drops for greater stability - definitely not the tops. 

Besides not having much of an upside, there are many, many downsides. The ‘Hover Bars’ aren’t compatible with standard aero bars (for ultra distance gravel) and you can’t swap in a different handlebar shape/flare. But the biggest downside is that the supporting strut gets in the way of your thumbs when transitioning to the drops, making it a faff every time. (That said, once you are in the drops, the feeling is very secure). 

So, despite the excellent handling, the very comfortable suspension seatpost and the accessibility of its pricing (at £2,400 for the entry-level build, it’s the cheapest of all on test), it’s hard to recommend the Grail outright because of those handlebars. I can say, though, that it’s definitely worth a test ride.

• Price range: $1.599 - $6,999 / £2,399 - £6,199
• Model tested: $5,499 / £5,099
• Weight: 7.92kg
• Groupset: Shimano GRX Di2 2x11-speed
• Wheels: DT Swiss GRC1400 Spline db | 24mm
• Tyres: Schwalbe G-One R 700x40c
• Handlebars (in frame size 54cm): Canyon CP07 Gravelcockpit CF 42cm

Specialized Crux Pro

Previously, the Crux was Specialized’s dedicated cyclocross race bike, but the platform received an overhaul in 2021 that saw the frame recalibrated to better suit fast gravel, over muddy Northern-European fields.

As a side note - the Crux is still raced at CX World Cups - but a deep dive into whether CX geometry needs a rethink is for another time.

The headline changes were a lower BB, a longer front end (with a shorter stem to compensate) and shaving even more weight off the frame - the S-Works Crux is claimed at a feathery 725 grams, whilst the Pro and Comp versions still pip many a road frame at 825 grams (claimed).

The result is a gravel bike which is stable at high speeds and lightening quick when accelerating. Standing starts and steep banks proved particular fortes. Our test model was specced with 38mm Pathfinder Pro tyres and, without any additional damping or integrated suspension, the ride was a little more chattery on rougher sections of trail than the Canyon Grail or the Trek Checkpoint..

But on the flipside, the Crux is one of the few models on test which can take 2.1 inch (53mm) 650b tyres, which gives scope for a much more cushioned ride and significant gains in grip. There are plenty of other, user-friendly points too. Such as the round 27.2mm seatpost - which opens the door to swapping in a model with suspension - and a standard bar/stem setup, which makes components swaps and the addition of aerobars for any ultra-distance epics similarly fuss free.

Great though the Crux is, the more feature-rich Giant Revolt edges it out for our Gravel Bike of the Year award. The BMC Kaius, with its faster handling and more aggressive riding position, also edges the Crux out as our Best for Speed category winner. 

The Crux is still an excellent bike and, for some people, will be exactly the balance between gravel performance and outright speed that they’re looking for. But that elision of categories means it’s not the outright best in either.

• Price range: $4,200 - $12,250 / £4,600 - £11,500
• Model tested: $8,200 / £7,250
• Weight: 7.41kg
• Groupset: SRAM Force AXS 1x12-speed
• Wheels: Roval Terra CL Wheel | 25mm
• Tyres: Pathfinder Pro 700x38c
• Handlebars (in frame size 54cm): Roval Terra, carbon 42cmt

Trek Checkpoint SL 7

The Checkpoint is a particularly exciting platform. The previous iteration was already quite unique and really stood out from the crowd. But Trek has since given the Checkpoint another revamp - a shame for the previous model’s diehard fans, although it opens the gates for new ones.

What hits the hardest is the loss of the ‘Stranglehold’ dropouts, which enabled you to adjust the chainstay length by up to 15mm (to a minimum of 425mm). This put the previous Checkpoint in line with most quick-handling gravel race bikes, but the biggest loss is to the singlespeed community. Those Stranglehold dropouts were particularly helpful for tensioning the chain.

As it is, Trek has now fixed the chainstays at 435mm and reoriented the Checkpoint to be a bit more of a mile-muncher. The carrying capacity has been greatly increased by the addition of triple mounts on the fork legs and additional storage inside the downtube. You can even fit a rear rack should you wish; the typical bikepacking mounts under the downtube and on the top tube are all present, too.

But although the new Checkpoint’s handling is a little more measured than most of the other models on test, its racing genes do still show through. On wide, open double-track, where straightline speed is the order of the day, the Checkpoint was up there with the fastest models on test - it’s just the tighter and twistier corners where it gets a little hung up.

The chunky tubing, clearance for 2.1 inch 650b tyres and Isospeed decoupler seatpost make the Checkpoint particularly well-suited for rougher UK surfaces. Whilst the second two points make the bike more comfortable for you, the first makes you more comfortable with the bike - unlike the skinnier frames on test, I didn’t find myself wincing out of concern for the bike when riding hard over the rougher stuff.

The Checkpoint is the most expensive model we have on test, topping out at £12,000 - which is over double that of the top-end Giant Revolt. The entry-level has better comparative value but still starts at £1,000 over the cheapest model on test.

• Price range:  $3,399 - $12,249 / £3,700 - £12,000
• Model tested: $6,699 / £6,400
• Weight: 8.9kg
• Groupset: SRAM Red AXS 2x12-speed
• Wheels: Bontrager Aeolus RSL 37V | 25mm
• Tyres: Bontrager GR1 Team Issue 700x40c
• Handlebars (in frame size 54cm): Bontrager Pro IsoCore VR-SF, 42cm

Cannondale Topstone 3

Cannondale is a brand with a reputation for doing things differently and, on the whole, that bears out in the Topstone.

But let’s start with the frame specs and geometry. Like the Trek Checkpoint, the Topstone has clearance for 700x45c tyres or 650b x 2.1in, but this is combined with chainstays which are amongst the shortest at 420mm and the shallowest bottom bracket drop on test at just 67mm. Those second two points are typically the hallmarks of an aggressive, quick handling gravel bike - the first is typical of a more rugged adventure oriented model.

Still, despite the unusual combination, the Topstone pulls it off - a clear reminder, if it were needed, not to judge a book by its cover (or a bike by its spec sheet). The ride had a strong bent towards the fast and the snappy, responding immediately to line adjustments and in the cornering - but it all still felt quite controlled, it wasn’t a razor-edged balancing act.

Naturally, Cannondale’s new Smart-Sense system gets a look in here, with the option to choose a model with integrated front and rear lights (as well as a rear-facing radar) which all run off the same single battery. There are models without those extras ready-specced, too.

But perhaps most notable is the KingPin rear suspension. Whereas most gravel bikes focus on suspending and isolating the rider from the bumps, on the Topstone it’s the rear axle which moves. This greatly improves the traction on loose and technical climbs, but the rigid front triangle means that any impacts from the front wheel still get transmitted up the seat post. The result is that the comfort isn’t on a par with the Trek or Canyon systems.

Incredibly, the entry-level Topstone is £1.00 off being the joint-cheapest on test. Alongside the Ribble Gravel SL, the Topstone is one of the most accessible models on the market. That said, we would recommend opting for a model with a Lefty fork, to better absorb the initial impacts and really get the most out of the rear suspension

• Price range: $2,825 - $8,500 / £2,700 - £8,000
• Model tested: $3,325 / £3,200
• Weight: 9.22kg
• Groupset: Shimano GRX 2x11 speed
• Wheels: WTB ST i23 TCS | 23mm
• Tyres: Vittoria Terrano Dry 700x38c
• Handlebars (in frame size 54cm): Cannondale 3, butted 6061 Alloy 42cm

BMC Kaius 01 Three

The BMC Kaius is a new platform for the Swiss brand. It was designed with the UCI Gravel World Champs in mind and even went on to take the top step of the inaugural podium, piloted to victory by none other than Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.

It is a phenomenally fast bike. Although the Kaius isn’t quite as lightweight as the Crux (the claimed frame weight is 910 grams compared to 725 grams) it has a lower front end - the lowest on test - enabling you to get a more aggressive and aerodynamic riding position.

This is backed up by two other superlatives: the shortest wheelbase and the (joint) lowest bottom bracket on test. It’s an interesting combination, generally bikes with a shorter wheelbase have faster handling, whilst a lower BB tends to give a more controlled feeling by lowering the centre of gravity.

The result is that the Kaius backs up its straight line speed (on both trails and road) with both snappy and precise handling when threading it through the corners. One area that the Kaius does fall a little short on, though, is the comfort. Although the D-shaped seatpost is supposed to have engineered compliance, this doesn’t come through noticeably on the trails. 

By eschewing a traditional round seatpost design, there isn’t scope for swapping in a model with suspension. That said, with tyre clearance rated for tyres up to 44mm wide, there is some scope for smoothing out the bumps with wider rubber.

The Kaius does have the ignominious title of offering the most expensive entry-level build on test. Quite incredibly, at £5,699, the basic Kaius is more expensive than the top-end Giant Revolt. One redeeming point is that at least the Kaius starts with SRAM Rival AXS, so although the entry-level of models such as the Specialized Crux are cheaper, a Crux with a similar build is significantly more expensive than the Kaius - at £6,300 for a model with SRAM Rival AXS.

• Price range: $5,599 - $11,999 / £5,699 - £11,350
• Model tested: $5,999 / £5,699
• Weight: 8.89kg
• Groupset: SRAM Rival AXS 2x12-speed
• Wheels: CRD-400 Carbon | 23mm internal
• Tyres: Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H 700x40c
• Handlebars (in frame size 54cm): BMC RAB 02 42cm

Ribble Gravel SL Pro

Despite the breadth of Ribble’s drop-bar off-road range (it has nine framesets made from four different materials, covering three separate geometries) the Gravel SL still finds itself, like the Trek Checkpoint, balancing a couple of different purposes and riding styles.

On the one hand, it is a lightweight carbon gravel bike built for speed. The Gravel SL can boast aero flourishes, from kammtail tube shapes to its dropped seat stays and one-piece cockpit. It’s lightweight, responsive to accelerations and has the third lowest stack height on test.

Then again, the Gravel SL Pro also comes bedecked with bosses and mounting points for pretty much attachment you could think of. There are top tube and underside-of-the-downtube bosses (which complement the sets inside the main triangle) and triple bosses on the fork legs. There are even mounts for a pannier rack and mudguards. 

Essentially, the Gravel SL is a beast of burden and a race horse all rolled into one. That has it’s perks - I greatly appreciated the versatility on a bikepacking loop through Morocco’s High Atlas mountains. Even when loaded up, the bike didn’t feel overly heavy, and it was great fun on sighting loops around Marrakech’s doubletrack gravel, before later hitting out into the mountains proper. 

Then again, on tighter corners and the singletrack trails back at home, the handling of the Gravel SL simply isn’t as fast as the more dedicated gravel race bikes on test.

Despite its many mounting points, the Gravel SL still doesn’t win our Best Expedition Bike category. In comparison with the Trek Checkpoint, Ribble’s offering lacks the integrated downtube storage, comparable vibration dampening and the frame isn’t rated for 2.1 inch 650b tyres.

You can find even more detail in our full Ribble Gravel SL Pro review.

• Price range: £2,699 - £4,399
• Model tested: £4,399
• Weight: 8.93kg
• Groupset: Shimano GRX Di2 1x11-speed
• Wheels: LEVEL Gravel DB Sport Carbon 650b | 23.5mm
• Tyres: WTB Sendero 650b x 47mm
• Handlebars (in frame size 54cm): LEVEL 5 Carbon Integrated Flared Gravel Handlebar 42cm

Pearson On and On

There aren’t many bike brands which can boast a heritage longer than Cycling Weekly’s own. Both Bianchi and Brooks have the accolade of predating our first publication in 1891, but even they are both whippersnappers in comparison to Pearson.

The family-run bike shop (now on its fifth generation of Pearsons) was established in 1860 and has been officially recognised as the world’s oldest bicycle business still trading today. It's seen plenty of trends come and go: from wooden rims and 35mm tyres in the first Tour de France, all the way to 19mm tubulars at the turn of the 21st century.

More recently, Pearson has moved away from selling big brand bikes and is instead selling its own. The On and On is an open mould frame (due to costs) but Pearson’s design input has shaped every aspect of it. It has a truncated seat tube, aero seat pin, dropped seat stays and internal cabling - as well as mounts on the fork, top tube, down tube and main triangle.

In all, the On and On has a very similar purpose and optimisations compared to the Ribble Gravel SL. It too is designed to be lightweight (for a gravel bike) and fast in a straight line, as well as offering the potential for heavily laden bikepacking. The geometry of both is geared towards being stable under load.

The 45mm Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M tyres that the On and On came specced with were a good match for the late spring slop of Surrey bridleways - though they did prove a bit sluggish on the roads. The stretched out position wasn’t far off a road bike, so if you normally ride with a couple of spacers under the stem, you might still be able to replicate your position on the On & On for greater speed on non-technical terrain.

The On and On is among the cheaper models on test, though Giant still manages to undercut Pearson with its Revolt gravel bikes (when dressed in comparable specs). Still, the price of the On and On stacks up well against the rest of the competition - and there’s the heritage and customer aftercare to consider, too.

Scott Addict Gravel

Scott deserves credit for just how attentive it’s been to the changing contours of the ‘gravel scene’. The first Addict Gravel was unveiled right back in 2017, making Scott one of the first big bike brands to commit to the category. The next step was to refine the racing pedigree of the platform. As such, this second iteration of the Addict Gravel was one of the first models to be designed specifically for the UCI Gravel World Champs.

Like the Specialized Crux and BMC Kaius, Scott’s Addict Gravel prioritises speed over bikepacking functionality: it too eschews a triple-bossed fork in favour of a lighter and more minimalist design. The concessions to luggage are confined to down tube bosses for an extra cage and mounting points for a bolt-on top tube bag.

But where the Crux and Kaius occupy the extreme chin-to-the-bars end of the gravel racing spectrum, the Addict Gravel takes a more middle-of-the-road approach, incorporating a higher stack and a longer wheelbase. The Addict Gravel does still come in lower and shorter than both the Trek Checkpoint and the Giant Revolt - it’s pretty much as close to a midpoint on this spectrum as is possible to get.

The result is a very well-balanced ride, one which is likely to suit the greatest number of people and riding styles. I was able to thread the Addict Gravel through technical trails, wind it up on fast sections of doubletrack and hammer down challenging descents. 

But I was also just as happy riding all day at party pace. I took the Addict Gravel on a three-day bikepacking trip through the Cambrian Mountains in the heart of Wales and it handled all that equally comfortably and confidently.

Of course, there will be those who are after the greater specificity at particular ends of the spectrum. If you know that you need a lower front end and the fastest handling on offer - or if fork mounts and compatibility with 2.1in 650b tyres are deal breakers - then the all-rounder Addict Gravel wouldn’t be right for you. But if you don’t want to commit to either extreme, though, it is an excellent option.

Despite all this, the Addict Gravel does still miss out on the top spot of our Gravel Bike of the Year. However, that is less a criticism of the Addict Gravel but a reflection of how well executed the Giant Revolt is. 

The first concession the Addict Gravel makes regards the seatpost. Whereas Scott has opted for a propriety D-shaped post, Giant’s Revolt both has its cake and eats it. The Revolt also comes stock with a proprietary post (similarly infused with claims of compliance), but Giant gives the option to swap in a traditional round post, leaving your choices open for droppers and suspension seatposts

Second, is the rear axle flip chip. Set in the short mode, the Revolt is more aggressive than the Addict Gravel. In the long mode, though, the Revolt becomes more relaxed. Whereas the Addict Gravel splits the difference, the Giant Revolt provides greater versatility. This bears out in the fork choice, too. The Addict Gravel offers no mounting options, whereas the Giant Revolt has a pair of bosses on each leg.

Just to be clear, none of those points detract from the Addict Gravel in and of itself, but they do cinch the top spot for the Revolt. Still, the Addict Gravel does manage to top the Giant Revolt in a couple of respects. 

First are the paintjobs, which are simply stunning and easily the best on test. Second is the price. I’ll go into more detail in our Best Value category award but, in short, a Revolt with SRAM Rival AXS costs £4,899, whereas an Addict Gravel with the same groupset comes in at £3,199 - I think that speaks for itself.

• Price range: $2,999 - $9,999 / £3,199 - £8,799
• Model tested: $6,699 / £5,799
• Weight: 8.68kg
• Groupset: SRAM Force AXS 2x12-speed
• Wheels: DT Swiss GRC1400 Disc | 24mm
• Tyres: Schwalbe G-One Bite 700x45c
• Handlebars (in frame size 54cm): Syncros Creston 1.0 42cm

Overall Winner - Giant Revolt Advanced Pro

Whereas so many gravel bikes cater for one niche or another, the Giant Revolt manages to straddle a much wider section of the spectrum than most. Still, it’s not a jack of all trades and master of none; it goes toe-to-toe with the best on either end - even offering some unique features which really make it stand out from the crowd.

Let’s take a run through all those spec details which make the Revolt quite so distinctive. After that, I’ll share how it all played together in the ride.

As I mentioned previously, the Giant Revolt manages to both have its cake and eat it regarding the seatpost setup. The stock D-Fuse seatpost is said to provide 12mm of flex (and you really can feel that compliance) but rather than simply being stuck with a proprietary post, the Revolt is also compatible with 30.9mm round seatposts.

This opens up compatibility with a greater range of dropper seatposts than a traditional ‘roadie’ 27.2mm tube, but skinnier seatposts can still be fitted with the use of a shim - which similarly keeps your options open for the majority of suspension seatposts currently on the market. None of the other bikes on test offer such versatility.

The next neat feature is the adjustable rear dropouts - previously also a feature on the Trek Checkpoint, but dropped from the latest iteration. Disappointingly for the singlespeed community, Giant’s design is binary, with only two fixed positions and therefore not much use for tensioning a chain.

For everyone else, though, the functionality is excellent. Set in the ‘short’ position, the Giant Revolt is up there with the most aggressive of racing gravel bikes - not quite in the echelons of the Specialized Crux and BMC Kaius, but slotting in ahead of the Scott Addict Gravel. 

But when set in the ‘long’ position, the wheelbase extends further than the Ribble Gravel SL and Pearson On&On. Only the Trek Checkpoint has a more stable chassis. A secondary benefit of the FlipChip dropouts is that it opens up the tyre clearance to a whopping 53mm (2.1 inches) on a 700c rim - larger than any other model on test.

The Revolt is also well equipped in terms of mounts, with bosses on the down tube and top tube, as well as a pair on each fork leg. That’s not the triple mounts we normally see up front on the forks, so some cargo cages will be incompatible, but it does still open up the carrying capacity to some extent.

Coming onto the ride, the first thing to mention is the compliance, which was utterly exceptional. On the test loop, there were a couple of sections with significant ‘breaking bumps’ leading into the corners. On models such as the Crux, being without any form of suspension (and on 38mm tyres, rather than maxing out the clearances at 2.1in) riding these sections was very chattery and noticeably sapped my speed.

On the Revolt, though, despite the tyres being approximately the same width (40mm this time), the frame did an astonishing job of soaking up the impacts. Sure, there were a few more vibrations transferred up the seatpost than on the Canyon Grail - but then the Grail has a leaf-sprung suspension post with separate parts that move, rather than relying on the post simply flexing as with the Giant. 

But the Canyon’s seatpost doesn’t provide any help at the bars - which contrasted with the front end of the Revolt. At the bars, I felt a similar vertical compliance to the seatpost, but still with a high level of lateral stiffness - I didn’t feel any flexing away from my line when loading it up in the corners.

For our overall Gravel Bike of the Year award, we make our decision based on performance alone, determining which bike is best with money being no object. Still, it is worth giving a mention to the price of the Revolt, because it does actually stack up pretty well there, too. 

The top-end spec is the second cheapest of all on test, with Shimano’s GRX Di2 2x11 groupset and Giant’s excellent CXR 1 Carbon Disc wheels coming in at £5,499 and the wider range starting at under £3,000. 

One criticism I would make, though, is the height of the head tube. With a stack of 586mm, it’s far and away the highest model on test. For pure gravel riding, that’s not much of an issue for me, I’d typically stick a few spacers under anything that’s more slammed. But for anyone who prefers a lower cockpit on gravel, that does present an issue. It would be better if Giant shrunk the head tube down and gave people more choice to set their own stack height.

Still, the Revolt is an excellent bike in so many other aspects - and the way it not only straddles, but excels, in two separate sections of the gravel spectrum is highly unusual and greatly appreciated. 

• Price range: $2,400 - $6,400 / £2,999 - £5,499
• Model tested: $5,550 / £5,499
• Weight: 8.27kg
• Groupset: Shimano GRX Di2 2x11-speed
• Wheels: Giant CXR 1 Carbon Disc | 25mm internal
• Tyres: Maxxis Receptor, 700x40c
• Handlebars (in frame size 54cm): Giant Contact SLR XR D-Fuse 44cm

Best Expedition Bike - Trek Checkpoint

Although we’ve confined this grouptest to bikes which sit in the middle of the gravel spectrum, any slice of that spectrum contains its own (smaller) spectrum. Our Best Expedition Bike category recognises the model on test which is best equipped for the demands of ultra-distance gravel - coming with the carrying capacity, comfort, tyre clearance and geometry best suited to the task.

On these terms, the Trek Checkpoint stands head and shoulders above the competition. As mentioned, it comes equipped with more mounts and storage locations than any other bike on test. Although the Isospeed decoupler is not quite as forgiving as the Canyon Grail’s seatpost, the space for 2.1 inch 650b tyres more than makes up for that.

The geometry of the Checkpoint is notably more controlled than the others on test. It boasts the longest wheelbase by far, and the fork trail (which provides an indication to how stable the steering is) is also amongst the highest.

But although the Checkpoint provides a more composed ride compared to other gravel race bikes, it’s still much faster and more lively than any out-and-out gravel expedition bike at the more extreme end of the spectrum. If you’re up for bikepacking and longer distance rides, but still want to go fast on shorter loops, then the Checkpoint is an ideal match.

Best for Speed - BMC Kaius

Again, acknowledging the existence of 'a spectrum inside a spectrum', our Best for Speed category recognises the bike on test which poses the greatest challenge to a stable of road and gravel bikes - which model best does it all, both trails and tarmac?

A year ago that might have been the Specialized Crux. Its frame is incredibly lightweight - lighter than many of the best road bikes - and its handling stood out amongst its peers as notably peppy and nimble.

But the BMC Kaius has taken things up another notch. Sure, the frame is a little heavier, but the riding position, and the ride itself, is even closer to that of a road bike. It makes you wonder whether ‘all-road’ bikes really have a place anymore - the Kaius is at least an equal on tarmac but still more capable off-road. 

The place of endurance road bikes such as the Giant Defy and Trek Domane even starts to become questionable. Both those brands are quite fortunate that the Kaius isn’t compatible with mudguards (fenders), otherwise those questions would really start to be asked in earnest. 

If you don’t care about 'guards, though, a Kaius with 35mm slick tyres - same as can be fitted into a Defy or Domane - would be a weapon on the road but would leave your gravel riding options still open wide.

Best of British - Ribble Gravel SL

This award does what it says on the tin: it’s for the best British gravel bike on test, designed with British riding in mind. A nod to CW's roots, if you like.

Understandably, there is a convergence between the Ribble Gravel SL and the Pearson On and On, in terms of what each bike is optimised for. Both are lightweight with a dash of aero features. But both are also fully equipped for bikepacking epics and multi-day trips. The greatest distinction between them is apparent in their riding position and prices. 

Regarding the former, the Ribble Gravel SL pairs its long and stable wheelbase with a notably low and aggressive rider position, tipping its purpose a little more towards the racing end of the spectrum. The Pearson, for its part, combines a similar chassis with a higher stack height - making it a little better suited to endurance riding, rather than threshold.

On the question of price, Ribble sweeps the board. Its range topping model with Shimano GRX Di2 comes in over £1,400 cheaper than an equivalently specced On and On. Plus Ribble’s range starts at £2,699 compared to £3,550. 

This, combined with Ribble’s well established bike builder function (which allows you to tweak most elements of the spec) pushes the Gravel SL out front as the Best British gravel bike on test.

Best Value - Scott Addict Gravel

This category arguably requires the most nuance out of all we’re testing for. One basic approach would be to simply see which brand offers the cheapest entry level model and go with that. But out of the nine bikes we have on test, that would be the Canyon Grail. Although great in many respects, with its Hover Bar cockpit, it’s not a model we could hold up as the single ‘one-to-buy’ for the cash conscious.

The next cheapest entry-level models are the Cannondale Topstone and the Ribble Gravel SL. Both are around £2,700 and specced with Shimano GRX 11-speed groupsets. Each is a solid platform and GRX is a dependable workhorse; if your budget is already strained, both bikes are good options.

But is ‘cheapest’ really synonymous with ‘best value’? I don’t think so.

SRAM Rival AXS is a watershed groupset. It’s the least expensive electronic 12-speed gruppo on the market, yet provides you with the same huge range and tight jumps between gears as SRAM’s priciest offerings. You also get the option of running satellite shifters, plus all the other advantages of electronic gearing.

The entry-level Scott Addict Gravel comes equipped with this groupset and, at £3,199, it’s close enough to the Cannondale and Ribble that it would be well worth saving up a little longer to grab that massive step up in performance. 

Unusually for Scott, that £3,199 Addict Gravel is actually the joint-cheapest model with SRAM Rival AXS out of all those on test. The title is shared with the Ribble Gravel SL, which would be the better option if you’re after fork leg mounts, but, overall, the Addict Gravel is the higher performance option - and the best value of all on test.

How we test

Stefan could do it all alone, of course, so a few more members of our experienced test team chipped in with some hard-earned off road miles.

Simon Richardson:  Editor of Cycling Weekly magazine started racing bikes in 1995 and even spent a season racing in Belgium before becoming a cycling journalist. He lives on the edge of England's North Downs which provide an excellent - if often muddy - proving ground for gravel bikes.

Anna Abram: As she's based in South Wales, Fitness Features Editor Anna has access to some of the UK's best gravel riding. Along with Stefan, Anna also regularly puts gravel bikes to the test on bikepacking adventures in stunning locations.

Stefan Abram: Stefan loves gravel - he must do, otherwise how can you explain riding the 320km South Downs double? As well as using his local South Wales gravel, Stefan joined Anna on gravel rides in Morocco and carried out  the back-to-back tests on the forests road trails around Bracknell in Berkshire.

Joe Baker: Cycling Weekly's newest recruit, tech writer Joe was already testing for us before he joined in May. He's raced bikes internationally but most recently completed the Traka 360 long distance gravel race alongside Tom Couzens another member of our Gravel Bike of the Year testing team!

Triban’s line-up of wallet friendly bikes has been extended with the new Triban GRVL 520. With prices seemingly rising exponentially in recent times, even the Triban 520 can’t quite stay under the $1,500 / £1,000 ceiling. But is its competitive spec enough to compete with the best gravel bikes in this price range?

Triban GRVL 520: Construction

Upon first pondering the spec sheet for the Triban 520 I was initially intrigued by what is safe to describe as an unfamiliar set of components for this price range, but let’s start with the frameset.

The Triban GRVL 520 is constructed from 6061 T66 aluminium and shares plenty of features with competitors on the market. 

Among the present features are the dropped seat stays. By lowering the junction of the seat stays with the seat tube, the Triban has been able to build in a little more compliance which helps on longer rides.

As far as geometry is concerned, the Triban opts for a relatively safe set of angles. The 71.5 degree head angle and 73.5 degree seat angle give the bike a slightly straighter stance compared to rivals such as the Cannondale Topstone which reflects pretty accurately upon riding. Meanwhile, the chainstays for the effective size of the bike are a little longer than other bikes on the market - which can slow down the handling slightly, especially when the going gets technical, but for newer riders, this does equate to a more stable ride feel.

The pair of alloy triangles are mated to the new Triban EvoG fork. The alloy 1⅛" steerer adjoins carbon blades to help keep the weight low and features flat-mount brakes. There is plenty of capability too here for mounting various accessories. Adventure motivated riders and commuters can both be satisfied too with a full set of fender mounts, and the capability for fork mounted bottle cages, or luggage space.

And as for style points, well, all cables are still externally routed which does hinder the cleanliness of the frame's angles somewhat, but Triban has kept these mostly out of sight running on the underside of the downtube - and in this instance external routing probably makes sense in combination with cable actuated braking.

Colorwise it’s a pretty easy decision, because you get what you’re given! There are two different versions of the GRVL 520, and we’ll get into those builds in just a minute. The SRAM Apex model comes in ‘Abyss Grey/Black’ which is quietly spoken, but classy matched with tan wall tires. The Subcompact build on the other hand, opts for a slightly more tasty looking ‘Deep Chocolate Truffle/Bright Tomato’ - or Dark Red, in layman's terms.

So we’ve covered the frameset, what about the intriguing spec?

Well, let’s start with a bit of background on those different setups. The subcompact, named in accordance with its 48/32 dual chainring setup, is clearly aimed at slightly higher paced riding and commuting. Set up with 700x40c Hutchinson Touareg tubeless ready tires and also features a part Shimano R7000 105 groupset, pointing its nose less in the direction of technical riding.

While the Apex which we had on test, handles the more rowdy side of riding, with its chunkier 650b wheelset. Shod with the same Hutchinson Touareg tires, but in a much more aggressive 47c width, the Apex definitely lends itself to a more playful ride.

SRAM Apex 11-speed shifting definitely beats out the competition on value at this price point too, and the addition on both models of lesser-used TRP HY/RD disc brakes cements a high specced bike for the money. But given the ride quality which we’ll come onto, I’m rather sceptical about whether the componentry alone truly makes this bike good value.

So to round up then, a somewhat foreign spec sheet, but Triban seems to be keeping the pressure on the competition at least on the spec sheet.

Triban GRVL 520: the ride

The ride of the Triban GRVL 520 is where you really feel the trade off between frame quality, and higher spec componentry.

I endeavoured a wide range of terrain over my time with the GRVL 520 and ended up slightly confused at which consumer Triban has in mind. 

My initial ride encountered predominantly asphalt, with a smattering of rutted bridleways. Here, the combination of 650b wheels and wide tires left the bike feeling slightly more sluggish than 700c rivals. Coupled with the narrower range of gears from the Apex 1x drivetrain, I did feel that an extra gear or two would have been preferable. The actual ride quality itself was a little harsh for my liking too, and even with those 47c tires I found a lack of compliance compared to the Specialized Diverge for example. 

Having established that the bike deserved a slightly rougher test ride, I decided to take the Triban GRVL 520 to my local proving ground - Shotover. Here, I was able to test the bike on much wider range of more technical trails, including some singletrack and fire road, and this was definitely the preference of the Triban.

I was particularly thankful for the extra stopping power provided by the hydraulic pistons on the TRP callipers. But, though a great improvement over cable disc brakes, the hybrid setup from TRP still falls someway short of a fully hydraulic system found on slightly more expensive bikes. One thing I will praise here though, is the simplicity of external cable routing. These brakes require smooth running cables and it is far easier and cheaper to service them when they don’t disappear into the abyss that is the inside of your frame!

From a value perspective, the headline feature on the Triban GRVL 520 is the addition of a 1x11 Sram Apex groupset. Although providing a simple approach to shifting, I still found that doubletap doesn't provide quite as smoother shifting experience as Shimano. Once again it would have been nice to compare between the Apex and Subcompact models to see how the frame performed with different componentry but I can’t help but feel that the Triban GRVL 520 has a somewhat confused character - slightly too slow on the road for mixed surface rides, but not rugged enough to be truly capable off the beaten track. On happy medium terrain though, which for many riders will be the majority surfaces, the bike does pretty well providing a stable ride.

Triban GRVL 520: value and conclusion

If we were to take the $1,699.00 / £1,099.00 price tag and make our minds up purely from the spec sheet, then it would be all praise for the Triban GRVL 520’s groupset, brakes, and solid tire choice - but it’s not quite that simple. Competition at this price point is fierce, with the likes of Specialized, Giant and Cannondale all offering similar specced bikes with, to my mind, more frame pedigree. And in terms of ride feel, frame quality sits top of the pile.

For example, for $1,375.00 / £1,200.00, the Cannondale Topstone 4 offer a similar, 1x11 groupset - albeit microshift. It’s a similar story with Giant’s Revolt too, with the first model coming in at $1350.00 / £1200.00. These are both slightly priced slightly above the Triban GRVL 520, but something like the Cube Nuroad also boasts solid handling at a lower $1,251.10 / £999.00 price point.

To summarise then, A well specced bike but not one for everyone. The Apex build on test seemed to fall just in that awkward territory of slightly slow on the road but not as capable as some of the competition off it. The Subcompact seems like a much more useable option for mixed surface riding but I can’t help but feel Triban has fallen a little short on that frameset.

Triban GRVL 520: Specs

• Frame: Triban EvoG 6061 T6 aluminium 
• Fork: Triban EvoG alloy steerer with carbon fork blades  
• Shifters: SRAM APEX 1 
• Crankset:  SRAM APEX 1, 40T  
• Derailleur:  SRAM APEX 1 Long Cage  
• Cassette: SRAM PG 1130 APEX, 11-42T 
• Brakeset: TRP HY/RD cable pull hydraulic actuated disc brakes  
• Wheels: Triban Gravel aluminium tubeless ready
• Tires and clearance: Hutchinson Touareg 650x47c(Max: 700x42c or 650x47c)  
• Weight: 10.9kg

The simplicity of the Gravel SL Pro’s name belies the true expanse of Ribble’s drop-bar mixed-terrain range. Two platforms with very different geometries are offered - and each of those is available in no fewer than four different frame materials, with each model being subtly different itself.

The ‘Gravel’ I tested here is the burlier and more rugged platform, prioritizing stability and the ability to tackle gnarlier terrain. The other platform is the CGR - which stands for Cyclocross, Gravel, Road - and was one of the progenitors for what are now known as ‘all-road’ bikes.

The ‘SL’ denotes the frame material, carbon in this case, but there’s also the choice of titanium, aluminum or steel - each having a slightly different geometry as a result. Finally the ‘Pro’, this relates to the level of spec, being the second highest that Ribble offers of its stock builds.

But - unlike most of even the best gravel bikes - Ribble also allows you to customize the spec, so you can economize in some areas, splash out in others, and get a bar width and stem length you’re happy with from the start. 

Ribble Gravel SL Pro: the frame

First off, the Gravel SL is quite a curiously equipped model. Some elements of the design are what you’d expect from a nose-to-the-stem racer, whilst others are more what you’d expect from an unabashed bikepacking expedition rig.

For instance, the frame is designed to accommodate completely internal cable routing - including a one-piece carbon handlebar - while the dropped seatstays, D-shaped seat post and overall impressively low weight (8.93kg) all point to a bike built for speed.

Yet the Gravel SL also packs many of the mounts we generally see on burlier, bikepacking models - and even some additional ones! Not only are there the usual two pairs of bottle bosses inside the frame, along with another set on the top tube and underside of the downtube, each fork leg also bears a triple set of bosses for cargo cages and extra luggage. In addition to that, there are the mounts for a set of mudguards/fenders and a rear rack for a pannier. The potential configurations are huge.

The same unexpected combinations extend to the geometry. Up front, the riding position is quite aggressive, with a head angle of 71.5 degrees and a stack of 561mm. This is a little steeper and more slammed than the Scott Addict Gravel, but a little slacker and more upright than the BMC Kaius. But it’s worth noting that both the Scott and BMC are out-and-out gravel race bikes and are on the list of UCI approved framesets.

Suffice to say, all those examples are pretty aggressive. Usually, a burly bikepacking type build would have a slacker head angle and a higher stack - such as BMC’s more rugged aluminum URS platform, which has a head angle of 70 degrees and a stack of 580mm. 

But taking a look at the back of the Gravel SL, the geometry takes a departure from those two race-oriented gravel bikes and is much closer to that of the URS burly bikepacking model. Shorter chainstays make for a more agile feeling ride but are less stable when heavily loaded and, whilst a lower bottom bracket drop does help when railing it hard around the corners, a higher one helps reduce incidents of pedal strikes on rough terrain.

Taking a look at the numbers, the BMC Kaius has the shortest chainstays at 420mm, followed by the Scott Addict Gravel at 425, then the BMC URS at 430 - the Gravel SL actually comes in the longest at a ‘planted’ 435mm. Similarly for the BB drop, the Kaius is super low at 80mm, the Addict a little less so at 71, while the Gravel SL and the burly BMC URS come in the same at 69mm.

So, taken all together, it’s a pretty unique combination Ribble has come up with in the Gravel SL. Just how it handles I’ll be covering later. Before that, though, I’ll run through the components.

Ribble Gravel SL Pro: the spec

Starting with the groupset, although Ribble does have its bike builder, you are limited to only customizing the bike with 1x options - a little curious again, as the frame has the capability to take a direct mount front derailleur, if required. 

As such, this is a 1x11 configuration of Shimano’s GRX Di2 groupset, which is - as ever - functionally utterly excellent. The shape of the lever hoods and the placement of brake levers’ the pivot point makes braking from the hoods exceptional. The braking from the drops is also great, but more similar to what you get from other groupsets. 

Sticking with the braking a little longer, the outright power and modulation are both excellent. I haven’t tested it directly back-to-back against Shimano’s latest 12-speed road drivetrains, but having used the latest Dura-Ace previously, I can attest that GRX Di2 is really very close.

The shifting was excellent as well. Perhaps not quite as smooth as the latest ‘Hyperglide+’ technology on 12-speed Dura-Ace and Ultegra, but still super quick and accurate. Plus, without there being a front derailleur to power in this setup, the battery life lasts for absolutely ages.

There are a few downsides of GRX Di2 in a 1x setup, though. The first is that you simply don’t get much range from the 11-speed 11-42t cassette - it’s easy to run out of gears on a moderate descent, and it’s even easier to come up short on the climbs. Second, the jumps between the gears are quite large, meaning you can often find yourself stuck between two gears, one too hard and the other too easy. 

The issues of range and large jumps are perennial for 1x drivetrains - but they are better mitigated in some groupsets than others. SRAM’s 12-speed XPLR cassette goes from 10 to 44t, offering a wider spread of gears and smaller jumps. SRAM’s 12-speed 10-52t cassette fully solves the issue of range - it offers more than most 2x setups, but the jumps are quite large. 

Essentially, Shimano GRX Di2 in its 1x guise is a really great option if you don't live in an area with many hills. If your riding is more mountainous, you’d likely be better off with one of SRAM’s offerings - as 2x is off the table for this bike from Ribble.

Coming to the wheels, my build had the Enve Foundation AG28 Gravel 650b - but you have the option of Zipp, Level (Ribble’s in-house brand) and a variety of others. The tires were the WTB Sendero 650b, while the handlebars, seatpost and the rest of the finishing kit were all handled by Ribble’s aforementioned brand, Level.

Ribble Gravel SL Pro: the ride

Though some elements of the Gravel SL Pro make for quite unusual combinations, I did very much enjoy my time riding this bike - but with the caveat that it’s quite a specific use case which the bike is most optimized for. That said, the value for money is something that absolutely everybody can get on board with. 

My first rides with the Gravel SL Pro were on flatish, quite hard-packed gravel. There were some tighter twistier sections, but also plenty of wide open doubletrack as well. The hills that there were either didn’t get very steep, but dragged on for quite a bit, or were really very steep, but very short, so it was mainly momentum and a few big out-the-saddle pushes to get over.

On those trails, I had an excellent time. The front end felt planted, but still responsive, and I felt a reassuring degree of feedback and control when railing it through the corners. But in the sharpest turns I did feel like the rear end was a little disconnected, as if I was having to wait a little longer and work a little harder to snap it into line. Still, it was still great fun ragging it about.

The gearing was perfectly sufficient for that terrain, plus the low weight really helped with hard accelerations out of the corners and pushing that final bit over the top of the super steep ramps and banks. I really liked the WTB Sendero tires as well. They were a bit more aggressive than was really necessary - if I was racing I would have swapped them out for something more balanced - but having so much grip was a blast and I didn’t mind the slightly slower speeds on the tarmac and tamer gravel sections.

Later, I took the bike on a 360km bikepacking loop through the Atlas mountains - and there I continued to appreciate the light weight from the majority carbon build. The high point of the ride was about 2,500 and the low point around 400m - with lots of climbing in between. So I had plenty of descents on which to test the braking, ranging from short sharp and steep to long and flowy. In every situation the Shimano’s GRX Di2 groupset was excellent, with the shape of lever hoods and brake-lever pivots being stand-out elements.  

But there were a couple of hitches - the biggest being the gearing. A 1:1 bottom ratio is fine for less hilly terrain (and when you’re just going out on a short, hard and fast blast). But for longer days - and especially when bikepacking in more mountainous terrain - you really need at least one sprocket lower than a 1:1 ratio (preferably two!) but that’s hard to come by. 

A 38t chainring and a 10-50t 12-speed SRAM cassette would have been perfect. As it was, a 42t chainring and an 11-42t cassette was harder on my knees than it needed to be and meant that I had to push on some otherwise rideable terrain.

The second issue was that long rear end again. Although the bike was very stable on the long, flowing descents, on the more technical ones I felt like the rear wheel was getting hung up behind me as it clattered down the rocky terrain. Bikes with a shorter rear end don’t soak up the bumps to any greater degree, but at least they don’t have so much of an awkward ‘see-sawing’ action, with the rear axle tucked a little further underneath you.

Taking this all together, it means that the Gravel SL Pro is a bit hard to recommend to any one particular sort of rider. If you’re all about racing and responsiveness, you’ll probably be better off with one of the newest crop of UCI-approved, racing gravel bikes. If you’re all about burliness and bikepacking, it doesn’t make too much sense to go for such a performance oriented spec, with all Gravel SL Pro’s carbon components and the - functionally excellent, but gearing limited - Shimano GRX Di2 groupset.

But although there might be more ‘focused’ models out there, the Gravel SL Pro was still a lot of fun to ride - on everything from evening blasts to bikepacking. Plus the sheer quantity of mounts and bosses means that you’ll be leaving your options open for a broader range of riding down the line. Ribble’s option to let you customize the spec is an excellent perk as well. So hopefully that sheds some light on what this bike is best for and who it would likely suit!

Ribble Gravel SL Pro: value

At $4,555.95 / £4,399.00, the components you get for the price is pretty incredible - but the biggest question is just what models to compare it to. The Canyon Grizl is probably the closest competitor, although the Grizl is more geared towards bikepacking and less the aggressive racing elements of the Ribble Gravel SL Pro. The Grizl is more expensive though, coming in at $4,999.00 / £4,499 for a similar build with Shimano GRX Di2 and carbon wheels.

If it’s more the racing side of the Gravel SL Pro you’re interested in, the Scott Addict Gravel and BMC Kaius are both more thoroughbred, speed-oriented options - but come in at $6,999.99 / £5,399.00 and $8,999 / £8,350.00, respectively, for a similar level spec. 

Specialized tout the Diverge as the fit-it-all gravel bike – be it racing, back roads or slippery singletrack. That’s either a lot for one bike to live up to or the answer to all our gravelly dreams.

One of the Diverge’s many headline features is its gargantuan tire clearance, up to 47mm for 700cc tire or 2.1” on a 650b wheel. It’s also follows the MTB trend of “longer and slacker” frame geometry with a shorter stem to keep it stable on fast descents and nimble through the trees. 

The Diverge was one of the first gravel bikes to be equipped with ‘suspension’ with its front end Future Shock. The recently launched Diverge STR features the 30mm of rear suspension too.  

We got our bums on the 2022 Comp E5 to see what the more affordable version of the Diverge is capable off, and how it compares to the best gravel bikes.  

Specialized Diverge Comp E5: construction

The Diverge Comp E5 is the top of range of the aluminium-framed Diverges from Specialized, combining the E5 alloy frame with a FACT carbon fork. The highlight of the Comp though is the Future Shock 1.5 which is only otherwise seen on the more costly carbon framed bikes. The Future Shock is a semi-integrated dampening system that gives up to 20mm of ‘compliance’ to smooth the feel of the bars on the rough tracks and trails.

The rest of the Comp E5 build combines parts from in-house, main brand and specialist component companies.

There’s 1x11 SRAM Apex gearing (shifters and mech) on a 40t chainring with an 11-42t Sunrace cassette and KMC chain. The crankset is a Praxis Alba and a threaded bottom bracket. Braking pairs the SRAM Apex hydraulic shifters with matching calipers on 160mm rotors.

Wheels are from Specialized’s in-house AXIS brand. The Elite Disc wheelset has carbon rims for a pacey ride, these are built onto proprietary hubs. Tires are Specialized Pathfinder Sport, 700x38c non-tubeless.

Cockpit, seatpost and saddle are all Specialized’s own with 12 degree flared riser bars. Our test bike was a 54cm frame and on our scales weighed 10.1kg without pedals.

One of the first things you might consider is converting the tubed wheels to tubeless. This will allow you to run lower pressures and really improve the capabilities of the tires and bike on rougher trails. As the AXIS wheels and Pathfinder tires don’t come tubeless ready you’ll need to factor in converting them with tubeless rim tape, valves and sealant. (As they’re not officially tubeless wheels and tires, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be successful and it’s not something we tried during our testing).

A final point of note on the wheels is that the rims have a 21mm internal width. This is fairly standard on a gravel bike as it suits tires of around 25-40mm which is what most of us want to run. It does mean if you were thinking about exploiting the clearance of the Diverge’s frame with a 47mm tire you’d probably want to swap the wheelset for one with a wider rim to optimise the tire profile. 

The Diverge has frame and rack mounts for pretty much every eventuality, ideal for those who want to ride everything and everywhere at one time or another. In total there are six pairs of bottle / luggage mounts for on the frame and forks, and ones for front and rear guards too. There’s also the front mech mount if you want to go two-by.

I might be being rather fussy but I was a bit disappointed with a few finishing details on what is otherwise a very tidy looking frame. Firstly, the internal cables are really rattly on rough terrain which foam sheathes would have easily solved. Then there’s the unused front mech mount which is far from the prettiest I’ve seen. Finally, there’s inconsistent and incomplete capping of the mount fittings. The bottle cages and frame bag mount have small bolts, the fork leg fittings have easy-to-lose rubber bungs and the rack mounts are open to the grime. The spare cable ports on the headtube (which would take a front mech and dropper cable if you ran them) are also left open. This does not look great and, more importantly, it risks dirt and water getting into the frame and clogging up bolt heads.

Specialized Diverge Comp E5: the geometry

The frame varies from the other E5 Diverges, not in its construction, but in its design to integrate the Future Shock. This in turn alters the geometry with a higher stack height (distance between the centre of the bottom bracket and the top of the head tube / Future Shock) compared to the other E5 models and the carbon framed bikes. 

Due to the fixed size of components like the wheels and the Future Shock, proportionally the stack height is much greater on the smaller framed bikes than the larger ones. This means someone riding a 49cm frame will end up with a much higher feel to the bike than a rider on a 61cm version. Our 54cm test bike has a stack of 592cm and reach of 383mm, a 61cm bike has a stack of 659mm and reach of 410mm.

A final point on stack is that due to the Future Shock taking up steerer length there aren’t any spacers above or below the stem. This means you can’t change the height of the bars in either direction unless you flip the stem for a negative angle or swap bars for something with more or less of a rise.

Head tube angle is 70-72.25 degrees depending on the frame size and the fork has a 55mm offset for a balanced feel at high speeds. Chainstays are 432mm across all sizes which is a little longer than other alloy framed gravel bikes but is necessary for the crucial tire clearance.  

Cranks, bars, stem, seatpost and saddles are all sized differently to according to frame size.

Specialized Diverge Comp E5: the ride

As kitted out and built, the Diverge Comp E5 is orientated towards its back-country lane touring mode. The high front end and Adventure Hover bars give a relaxed and comfortable feel. The Pathfinder Sport tires are equally well orientated to trucking forward, a combination that makes you ride a little faster and harder than your legs and lungs would like to take. It’s been absolutely perfect on the tracks and back roads this winter which have really suffered from some extremely wet and cold weather, taking hours and miles of riding in its comfortable stride. Being able to fit full guards makes it a perfect bike for this kind of winter riding.

In contrast, I found the out-the-box set up less suited to the rowdier end of gravel riding. Even in the drops the high front end made it hard to pin weight through the front wheel for grip through tight trails. As I’ve already mentioned, the 54cm frame I was riding does have a relatively higher front end than the larger framed bikes. I also like riding with my bars quite low so others may not find the height of the front end to be as much of an issue.

The Pathfinder Sport tires were also quite restrictive on twisty and rough trails, let alone the soggy British winter tracks I’ve been riding of late. My choice would be to sacrifice some of the straightline speed of the Pathfinder for a tire with a little bit more bite on the shoulders to hold in the turns.

Going the whole hog and swapping the 700c wheels out for my 650b with 2.1” XC mountain bike tires certainly gave a whole different feel to the bike and it was an awful lot of fun. The flared bars helped give a stable position in the drops and a load of manoeuvrability on the trails.

I didn’t think I’d like the Future Shock, I’m of the view that I have suspension on my MTB and don’t need it on my gravel bike too, especially something that isn’t tuneable. It’s worth remembering the Future Shock isn’t there to provide suspension per se, it’s designed to absorb the buzz from the rough trails. I didn’t really notice it at all when I was riding; I could feel the trail through the front of the bike and there was no untoward bobbing or bouncing. Where it did make a difference was to the discomfort I’ve had in my wrists after riding too many inappropriate trails on my gravel bike in the last year. Vitally I could still comfortably hold the bars at the end of my ride and go out the next day for more, something I’ve struggled to do in the last few months.

The performance of the SRAM Apex brakes was brilliant regardless of the conditions. Purists will argue against combining parts from different manufacturers in one drivetrain but I had no issues with the shifting on the Comp E5. The Apex gearing feels quite clunky, you definitely know when it’s shifted, but the actuation of the lever is surprisingly smooth and light.  The 1x11 range of gears suited everything I did on the Diverge during testing but previous experience tells me that I would want a bigger range if I was going to make the most of the luggage carrying facilities or take for big rides in the mountains. There’s not an equivalent 2x build available from Specialized but you could make use of the front mech mount to convert yourself. This could end up being a costly option though as in addition to the front mech you’d need a different crankset and left shifter too.

Specialized Diverge Comp E5: value

With so many gravel bikes on the market the big brands like Specialized don’t always appear to offer the value for money at the lower end of the market that they once did. At $2,500 / £2,550 the Diverge Comp E5 does look a bit on the pricey end. But comparing across components doesn’t give the whole story, bikes like the Diverge have a lot of their value in the frame and component R&D and massively benefit from trickle down technology. There aren’t many other alloy gravel bikes at this price point with front end suspension and so much tire clearance. 

The similarly priced Canyon Grail 7 eTap ($/£2,249) has an alloy frame and carbon fork. The Grail doesn’t have a Future Shock equivalent but instead SRAM Rival eTap electronic shifting. If you’re not bothered about suspension or electronic shifting, then this price point will buy you a carbon framed bike from less prominent companies like Vitus.

Specialized Diverge Comp E5: conclusion

The Diverge Comp E5 is a bike that’s capable of many things. Out the box the build favours the back road and fast gravel trails. A change of tires would open up its capabilities on tight and twisty trails a little more and changing to a tubeless set up is an obvious upgrade.

If you’re keen to have some front end comfort the Diverge E5 Comp is one of the few options at this end of the market to feature a dampening system. The Future Shock does have its downsides, namely its effect on the price and the height of the front end. The height issue is much more evident on the smaller frame sizes, the price issue depends how much you favour front-end squish.

The Boardman ADV 8.6 extends Boardman’s expertise in designing and speccing high value, lower priced bikes to the gravel segment. It’s well kitted out, although the external cabling can be an issue if things get muddy.

The ADV 8.6 spec is the entry model of Boardman’s gravel bike range, with an alloy frame, but it still gets a decent range of low gears and tubeless-ready wheels and tyres. It’s available in men’s and women’s versions, with four sizes for the former and three for the latter. Move up the range and the ADV 8.9 adds in a gravel specific groupset with hydraulic braking, but also almost 50 per cent to the price.

Further up the range, the ADV 9.0 offers a carbon frame and Shimano GRX 11-speed groupset and the ADV 9.0 is equipped with SRAM Rival AXS XPLR. Boardman even sells a Fazua-powered electric gravel bike, the ADV8.9E. 

Boardman ADV 8.6: construction

The Boardman ADV frameset is quite a chunky design, with a broad, rectangular cross-section down tube, a top tube that broadens towards the seat tube and quite substantial stays. The top tube, head tube and seat tube have nicely smoothed welds, whereas those at the bottom bracket and the rear dropouts show the fishtails from the welding process. There’s a carbon fork and the Boardman ADV 8.6 comes with both mudguard and rack mounts. The whole is nicely painted in a matt light blue.

Cables run externally, with the shift cables bare from the top of the down tube and running through guides under the bottom bracket shell. The rear brake cable is fully sheathed, while the front brake cable runs fully enclosed through the left fork leg.

While the next spec up Boardman ADV 8.9 gets a 10–speed Shimano GRX gravel-specific groupset, the ADV 8.6’s Shimano Sora is a 9-speed all-rounder road groupset. That means that it misses out on a gravel-specific clutched rear mech.

There’s not quite the gear range as the higher spec bike either, with Sora providing an 11-34t cassette. That’s paired with a supercompact 48/32t FSA Vero Pro chainset though, offering a sub-1:1 lowest gear that can be helpful when tackling off-road terrain. The bottom bracket is a basic square tapered model with inboard threaded bearings.

Stopping power comes from Tektro MD-C510 mechanical disc brakes.

Although not set up tubeless, it’s great to see that both the Boardman Adventure rims and the 38mm Schwalbe G-One Allround TLE tyres are tubeless-ready. I rode for several weeks with tubes, before converting to tubeless. This was a fairly painless process, just requiring replacement of the rim tape, a set of tubeless valves and sealant, with one tyre seating with just a track pump, although I reverted to a reservoir pump for the other. 

The wheels run on quick release hubs, rather than the now more common thru-axles. In theory the latter give you better precision in wheel alignment and so less chance of brake rub. They should also increase the rigidity of the wheel-frame interface, although as we’ll see later, this isn’t really an issue with the Boardman ADV 8.6.

Like the wheels, the contact points come from Boardman, with the size M tested having a set of 440mm wide, gently flared bars, which sit on a short stem – 80mm for the size M. There’s a Boardman ADV saddle that’s long enough to shift your position as you tackle off-road obstacles.

Boardman ADV 8.6: the ride

The Boardman ADV’s chunky alloy frame profiles have their advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, there’s really good power transfer, so that progress is rapid both on road and off. 

On the flip side, the frameset doesn’t feel very compliant and I found that I was rattled around when riding trails with any degree of unevenness. I suspect that the 31.6mm alloy seatpost doesn’t help here.

On the other hand, the touchpoints are comfortable. I got on well with the Boardman saddle and the Boardman bars are wide and not too flared, with a shallow drop, so they give plenty of steering precision without too much of your weight over the front wheel on descents. The ride position is a good compromise between stretched out and upright and the head tube short enough to give a decent drop to the bars, so that on-road progress is pretty fast.

The Boardman’s road-going Shimano Sora groupset worked pretty well on dirty trails, but I couldn’t help thinking that a dedicated gravel groupset would have been a plus. Particularly when things got proper muddy, shift quality diminished markedly and on one occasion I lost all but the middle ratios once the rear mech and cassette had a decent coating of mud. 

Partly, that’s down to the exposed cable routing, particularly under the bottom bracket, where the cable guide regularly got coated with mud, even in drier conditions. The exposed run under the chainstay was also prone to collect dirt, although there’s a sheath where the gear cable enters the loop of outer leading to the rear mech that helps to reduce contamination.

Yes, it would be nice to see a dedicated gravel groupset like the Shimano GRX400 fitted to the Boardman ADV 8.9, but these start at 10 speeds and are considerably more expensive than Sora. But full outers for the cable runs feel as if they would be more achievable and I suspect would help keep shifting sweeter.

Another advantage of a gravel groupset is that it should give a lower bottom gear, or at least the option to fit one. Although the Sora groupset’s sub-1:1 lowest gear was adequate for most off-road action, I was occasionally reduced to walking steep, dirty climbs that I might have ridden with an even-wider gravel-specific cassette.

On the way back down the other side, the Tektro mechanical disc brakes need significantly more hand pressure to operate than would hydraulic brakes. They have plenty of bite though, once the pads had bedded in.

I was suspicious of the “Allround” in the Schwalbe G-One tyres’ name. This suggested that the tyres might not shine on any particular surface, but this turned out to be an erroneous assumption. The tyres slipped around in sloppy mud more than a gravel bike tyre with a more aggressive tread like the WTB Resolute and the tread tended to clog up in claggy mud, although this soon cleared once on tarmac.

But they coped well with firmer dirt trails and real gravel, as well as rolling well on tarmac, which I reckon is a pretty good spread of conditions handled. If you are looking for a more specialist tyre, check out our list of the best gravel bike tyres. 

Set up with tubes, I kept the tyre pressures at around 40psi. Paired with the rather taut frame, this led to quite a bumpy ride on uneven ground, although the tyres were fast-rolling on tarmac. 

But swapping to tubeless allowed me to drop around 5psi out of the tyres without risk of pinch flats, which did soften things up. The Boardman is still not a compliant frame, but running tubeless definitely helps.

Boardman ADV 8.6: value

Boardman packs a lot of value into its entry level ADV 8.6 gravel bike, allowing the novice and those who don’t want to spend a fortune on a gravel bike to get a quality machine that is one of the dwindling number of bikes that still sit significantly below the £1,000 mark.

It’s spent money carefully where it’s most useful, like the tubeless-ready wheels and tyres while keeping everything simple. You’ll thank Boardman when it comes time to replace parts as well, with 9-speed components significantly cheaper than flashier gravel pieces.

On the other hand, the next spec up ADV 8.9 does give you that gravel-specific groupset with its lower gearing and other enhancements like thru-axles in place of quick release wheels, hydraulic disc brakes and an external bottom bracket in place of the ADV 8.6’s square taper. It shows just what good value the ADV 8.6 is though, that you’re paying 50 per cent more for these extras.

The Boardman ADV 8.6 arguably makes fewer compromises to hit its price point than some other budget gravel bikes options like the Triban 120. The Kona Rove AL has a similarly dialled spec, but is edging £1,000 in the UK, while the Marin Nicasio+ offers a steel frame and fork with chunky 650b wheels, but blows the £1,000 budget.

Boardman ADV 8.6: conclusion

The Boardman ADV 8.6 offers a great value entry level gravel bike that will give you everything you need to head off-road for drop bar fun. It’s cleverly specced with nice features like tubeless-ready wheels and tyres, so your gravel experience is a lot less likely to be soured by repeated punctures.

It’s great fun to ride and has the handling and the gear ratios you need to take on all but the most arduous off-road riding. If you avoid the roughest trails, you’ll not get bounced around too much and if you shun the muddiest ones, the limited tyre grip and external cabling might not be a problem for you.

It’s a bike that would serve commuting duties well too, with the option to fit mudguards and a rack and plenty of air in its tyres to cushion you from city streets.

As a low priced entrée into gravel riding, it’s one of the most well rounded packages out there. 

Boardman ADV 8.6: specs

Frame: Triple Butted 6061 X7

Fork: C7 Carbon

Groupset: Shimano Sora 9-speed with FSA Vero Pro chainset

Gear ratios: 48/32t, 11-34t

Wheels: Boardman ADV tubeless ready

Tyres: Schwalbe G-One Allround TLE 38mm

Brakes: Tektro MD-C510 mechanical disc

Bars: Boardman alloy

Stem: Boardman alloy

Saddle: Boardman ADV

Seatpost: Boardman alloy 31.6mm

Sizes: Men’s S, M, L, XL, Women’s S, M, L

Weight: 11.0kg (men's size M)

Price: £825

Read our full launch story on the Enve MOG, here. 

American manufacturer, Enve Composites, today unveiled "The MOG," a purpose-built gravel steed that's meant to satisfy gravel riders, gravel adventurers and gravel racers all-in-one. 

To Mog around, Master of Gravel, moggy...a verb, an acronym or a noun. Like the cycling term of 'gravel' in itself, MOG is a term that's still very much up for definition or perhaps, it's simply whatever you want it to be.

Impressively, the MOG is Enve’s third bike model in just three years and with it, the Ogden, Utah-based company hopes to continue its brand evolution from aftermarket carbon wheel and component specialists to a full-service bicycle brand.

After launching the Utah-made Custom Road bike in 2021 and the Melee road racing bike  —manufactured at their factory in China— the following year, the MOG, also made overseas, is the brand’s first official foray in gravel. 

While the Melee, with its 35mm tire clearance, was perfectly capable of being raced on unpaved roads, the MOG is a purpose-built off road machine, complete with a beefy 50mm tire clearance, a slacker and more stable geometry and gravel-specific features like fork and frame mounts and in-frame storage.

“The MOG is very much a performance bike without being pigeon-holed as a race bike,” says Jake Pantone, Enve’s VP of Product and Brand. 

It's Enve's  "definition of the modern gravel bike. As avid gravel riders and racers ourselves, our aim was to create a platform that delivers the versatility, simplicity, and performance that we, along with today’s gravel riders, demand.”

The Enve MOG at a Glance

Enve’s definition of a modern gravel bike is one that is fast and lightweight yet also capable and suited to off-grid adventures.

What the MOG has: 

• Lightweight yet durable carbon composite frame.
• Plenty of accessory mounts
• Tire clearance for 700 x 50mm
• Engineered around 700C wheels only.
• Downtube storage
• 1x or 2x drivetrain compatibility
• Threaded T47 bottom bracket
• 27.2 rounded seat tube with dropper or rigid seatpost options
• Downtube bashguard with a topographic design

What it doesn’t have:

• Suspension
• 650b* compatibility
• A geometry altering flip chip

*650b wheels and tires will surely fit but the geometry was tuned around the 700c wheel diameter.

Pantone explains that the smaller 650b wheel diameter was removed from the scope of the MOG after determining that “the one set up that was more confidence inspiring and more fun than high-volume tires on a 650b rim, was high-volume tires in 700c,” Pantone states. 

“We committed to designing the MOG so that one could run large 700c tires, while eliminating the need for flip-chips or other solutions to accommodate two different wheel sizes.” 

Other key details:

• Weight: 950 grams for the frameset only, no hardware. A 54cm chassis with Enve's G23 wheels and a Campagnolo drivetrain weighed in around 16.5lbs.
• Price: the chassis retails for US $5,500/ €5,995/ £5,300/ AUD $9,999 and includes the frame, fork, headset, stem, handlebar and seatpost. 
• The MOG is offered in six stock frame sizes ranging from 49cm to 60cm with three unique fork rakes among them.
• The MOG is available now via the Enve website, Enve ride centers and Enve retailers.

The Enve MOG - First Ride Impressions

My first ride on the MOG was a 45-mile, mixed-terrain jaunt with a healthy dose of climbing in Southern California amid a rare winter storm. In the wind, we tackled a loop just south of San Diego that consisted of paved roads, gravel and singletrack — many of them familiar to those who've raced the Belgian Waffle Race in the past. 

The 49cm steed picked out for me came built with Enve's G23 wheels wrapped in Pirelli Cinturato H tires, a Campagnolo Ekar groupset and an Enve G Series dropper post with 40mm travel. 

The beige/champagne color may not be for everyone but personally, I like the subdued earth tone and understated branding. The hidden cables and thin, aerodynamic bars, while certainly not easy to set up, do look beautifully tidy and leave unobstructed space for a bar bag, should you want one. 

I'm the kind of gravel rider who likes to get shreddy on singletrack, to go on an all-day outings and if time allows it, go bikepacking. As such, the on-the-frame rack, fender and cargo mounts are a welcomed sight. The in-the-frame storage is another noteworthy feature.

Not unlike Specialized's SWAT system or Bontrager's downtube storage, the MOG is equipped with a downtube cargo space, which Enve calls the Cargo Bay, and is made to carry necessities like a repair kit, survival items, a spare jacket or whatever else you can fit in 0.6 liters of storage. 

To access the compartment, you simply slide the latch below the water bottle holder and pull out the cover —painted to match the frame color— to which the water bottle cage is attached. Each bike comes with two neoprene cargo bags made to carry your stuff without rattling.  I found the Cargo Bay easy to use and it felt a tad more substantial that the SWAT system covers I've used in the past. 

Thanks to some pre-ride data gathering , the bike fit like my own. Customers can have a similar experience using Enve's Best-Fit Calculator on the website.

The calculator pairs a rider’s stack, reach and saddle position measurements with a suggested frame geometry, stem length, stem rise, spacer stack and even, saddle offset. The calculator’s output also provides the rider with several frame and component configuration options that the rider and/or their bike fitter can analyze to determine the rider’s best fit.

While performance-oriented, the MOG geometry, and particularly the stack height, reach and rake numbers, sits somewhere between the Melee with 35mm tires and something super capable and slack like the Evil Chamois Hagar. 

As I said, the bike fit me well. It was only the Ekar groupset I needed to adjust too. Perhaps I've gotten too accustomed to SRAM's eTap shifting that the Campy shifting and the distinct angle and bump on hoods always take me a little while to get acquainted with.

But even that was soon forgotten under the crunching of gravel, the navigating of narrow trails and short rock gardens, and the heavy breathing up the climbs. 

The MOG shone on anything off-road. The frame is light and stiff enough to spring into action when called upon to get out of the saddle to close a gap or climb, yet not so stiff that every bump or rock can be felt in your lower back. It may not win a road sprint but it will keep pace, keep you riding comfortably all day and nimbly manoeuvre through twisty, narrow trails. 

The somewhat slackened geometry keeps you safely planted on loose terrain and allows you to descend with confidence. I'd imagine that if loaded with bikepacking gear, the MOG would be a very stable and trusty ride.  

This was also my first ride with the Enve G-series dropper post. And while I forgot to use it on the initial descents I soon grew to like it very, very much. I've long been a dropper post user on my mountain bike and discovered that even the mere 40mm drop was enough to get the saddle out of the way on steep or technical descents, allowing me to shift my weight, lower my center of gravity or let the bike move more freely underneath me. The extra capability and confidence also comes at the small weight penalty of around 400 grams.

This one ride didn't leave me with time to test the bike with a variety of tire widths. I would have liked to compare the ride feel of the bike equipped with something closer to its 50mm tire width max with the ride feel of the suggested minimum width of 36mm.

On the road, the MOG is by no means a slog but it's certainly not as quick and responsive as a road bike either. When asked about the bike's n-1 capabilities for those who want one frame with two wheelsets —one for gravel, one for road— engineer Clint Child smiled and said, "for that, you'll have to wait till the next bike."

So an All-Road may be next for Enve, but in the meantime this All-Gravel certainly positions itself as a capable contender for anyone looking to ride hard, adventure with confidence or, like Alexey Vermeulen, vie for the podium at Unbound.

The Enve MOG - Value & Comparison

Enve is a premium brand so be prepared to pay a premium price. 

In terms of its construction, weight class, geometry and even the build, the MOG reminded me of the Argonaut GR3 we rode in the fall. Perhaps not quite as lively but the MOG is better suited for a range of gravel needs and sports a host of features the GR3 does not, such as ample fender and accessory mounts and an internal storage compartment. Of course, the GR3 is a fully Made in the USA custom bike, made for the individual customer. The MOG is a mass-produced frame that comes in six stock sizes. Yet it’s a grand cheaper than the GR3 and comes with a frame, fork, headset, stem, handlebar and seatpost while the GR3 includes just the frame, fork and stem. 

The S-Works Diverge, similarly mass-produced and stocked with features, retails for a comparable $5,000, frame, fork and seatpost included. Comparatively, $5,500 for a top-end frame, fork, stem, handlebars and seatpost —while still quite a sum of money— does seem in line with its competitors. 

And what you get is a purpose-built gravel machine, no matter what your interpretation of 'gravel' is. With the MOG, Enve strikes a good balance of  comfort and stability, speed and liveliness. It’s no road-bike-replacing, n-1 bike by any means, but if you’re setting out for a fast mixed-terrain ride, a gravel race or a bikepacking adventure, this bike will be a capable and swift companion.

The latest addition to Ribble’s myriad of off-road machines is the all new Gravel 725 range. All three models - Pro (which is reviewed here), Enthusiast and Sport - boast triple butted 725 Reynolds tubing, progressive geometry and a multitude of mounting points for adventure needs - the latter two features found on many of the best gravel bikes.

Arguably Ribble's most capable off-road drop-bar rig, the 725 has continued to impress me since my first ride review just a few weeks ago. But it has not been a totally jovial relationship, with an icy cold snap getting the better of me on one occasion - more on that later. One thing is for sure though the changeable weather over the last few weeks has allowed me to really delve deep into the 725's true character. 

But before the ride, the build...

Ribble 725 Gravel Pro: construction

This was the all-singing, all-dancing top of the range version of the Pro 725. The steel frameset is paired to a carbon fork with a tapered steerer and CarryAll mounts.

The bike's geometry is described as "longer and slacker" than a conventional road bike. And that plays out in the numbers. I tested a size medium, which has 435mm chainstays and a wheelbase that measures 1052.5mm - compare this to Ribble's Endurance road bike, which has 410mm stays and 999mm wheelbase and it's fair to assume that the Gravel 725 should deliver plenty of stability, especially when the terrain gets more challenging. 

Stack height and reach are as you might expect for gravel bike that designed to be rugged rather than racy. The medium has a stack of 584mm and reach of just under 397mm - comparable number's to the Sonder Camino, for example, which is designed with a similar remit as the Gravel 725.

Elsewhere there's a threaded bottom bracket and an array of mounts including three bottle cage options, fitting for a rear rack and a top tube 'bento' box. Whether you're commuting to work or heading out into the wilds on a camping trip, you should be covered.

Another attribute of the steel frame is the simplicity of the construction. Ribble has maintained a classy look with its internal routing - without resorting to a silly, and impractical, fully integrated headset. Plus cleaning is a breeze with so much space round the bottom bracket area compared to carbon bikes - which is especially great as the type of riding this bike encourages means you’ll likely be familiar with your hose pipe, especially through the winter!

The wheels are Mavic's Allroad model in the 650b size. They appear a sensible choice, designed for high-volume tires and as the name suggests, all-road use. Aluminium rims with a 25mm internal width measurement, 24 straight pull spokes front and rear and an Infinity hub adds up to a set that tips the scales at a claimed 1,840 grams - not exactly lightweight but comparable to many other alloy gravel sets. As you'd expect, they are tubeless ready.

Ribble’s in-house finishing kit brand, Level provides pretty much all the finishing kit for the bike and even in the longer term, I haven’t found any issues here. The flared bar, which also features a 20mm rise, felt slightly alien to me on the first few rides, but the more I got used to it the more I enjoyed the added control when in the drops to achieve a wide stance on more technical trails.

The bars and stem, both alloy, seemed stiff enough too, with no unwanted front end flex. Better still, they didn't provide me with a particularly harsh ride - but that could have been masked by such a comfortable steel frame.

The carbon seatpost was a nice touch too, helping to save a little bit of weight on a build that still came in at 10.6kg on the scales.

The top-of-the-range Pro is clad in SRAM’s Force eTap AXS wireless electronic groupset, and the shifting is nothing short of exemplary. Not a single botched gear change in all the time I had with the bike - and I haven’t given the bike an easy time! 

Stopping on the Force 160mm hydraulic disc brakes was effortless, which was greatly appreciated given the recent sub zero temperatures and resulting numb hands. As for the gearing range, it's a whopping 440% thanks to a 10-44t cassette paired with a 40t chainring.

The Pro build is rounded out with some Halo GXC Gravel FD60 tires in a 47mm width and a Fizik Taiga saddle.

Ribble 725 Gravel Pro: the ride

I really enjoyed my time on the Ribble 725 Gravel Pro but I did encounter a couple of minor issues which I'll just get out of the way first.

First was the Halo GXC tyres with their evenly-spaced fairly small knobs. Now, these are perfectly good tires for a certain style of riding; they roll quite fast and the grip is reasonable considering the height of the knobs. But although Ribble's website says that the GXC is the most aggressive tire in Halo's line-up, objectively it's not really that aggressive at all - it's a long way off Schwalbe's Ultrabite tires, for instance.

Of course, with the huge variety of conditions and terrains that a gravel bike can be ridden in, it'd be impossible to spec a tire that is perfect for all people in all places. But considering the geometry and general burliness of the Ribble 725 Gravel Pro, I can't help but feel that a more aggressive tire would be the better fit for most people who'd be buying this bike - Ribble's lighter and faster CGR platform would be the better home for these tires.

And, sure enough, I did end up coming a cropper on a slippery corner - and although more user error than anything else, I didn't have any such problems when switching out to the more aggressive tread pattern of the Pirelli Cinturato.

And after this little spill, I realised another issue with the bike is the paintwork. After such a small impact I found quite a deep scrape on the top tube. The worry here is the subsequent lack of corrosion protection on the frame. Rust is a problem on steel bikes and it's important they stay protected - so a roll of clear frame protection tape seemed a worthy investment to say the least. As well as this after only a month's use, I noticed a few flecks of paint missing on the chainstay from chain bashing.

Now neither of these are by any means out of the ordinary, but both instances happened more easily than I would expect on a bike of this spec - and on one with such a focus on rugged riding, it does have to be highlighted. 

That said though, the two main issues - tires and paint -  are rectifiable, which is important to remember.

But there is lots to like about the Ribble Gravel 725! And for me it’s the fun factor of the ride that comes top of the list. This bike truly made me get out more, even in bad weather - a clear indicator that Ribble has come up with a well thought-out package.

The added compliance from the Reynolds 725 tubing is noticeable and a definite consideration - if you can overlook the kilo or two difference when compared to an carbon or alloy frame. And the versatility of such capable geometry means you can take on a wide range of riding. 

Although I didn't get an opportunity to take this bike out on a multi-day excursion, I did at least have the chance to load up the bike with a full complement of bikepacking kit. 

Unsurprisingly, given the geometry and frame material, it carries weight really well. Combined with the plentiful number of mounting points and you've got a bike that's more than ready for some off-grid adventures.

In my time with the Gravel 725 Pro, I tried three different wheel and tire combinations. My initial switch was the aforementioned Cinturato upgrade. For UK riding, these are brilliant. They tubeless setup was easy on the Mavic Allroad rims and they made such a difference to my confidence with the bike.

With a set of 700c wheels in, the bike handles pretty differently. It was less playful but quicker rolling , which has its place if you're focused on covering more ground, However, I feel this bike just excels on the rougher ground and I quickly found myself reaching back for the 650b wheels for a more playful experience. 

I’ll say right away, Ribble chose wisely speccing this bike with 650b wheels - but it's also impressive that only 2mm of tire clearance is sacrificed when going up to 700c (the maximum recommend clearance is 47mm and 45mm respectively). This certainly keeps your options open when choosing tire and wheel size.

Value

Ribble as a brand has built a reputation for providing great value for money and I think the 725 Pro is, for the most part, no different. For $3,499.56 / £2,899.00 you get a wireless 1x groupset matched to a premium frameset alongside decent wheels and finishing kit. 

For comparison you can get Ribble's Gravel AL Sport for $1,674.85 / £1,699.00. It's a significant saving but you're trading in steel for aluminium and a wireless 12-speed 1x groupset for mechanical 10-speed 2x set-up, namely Shimano GRX 400. Interestingly, though, it only weighs a couple hundred grams more that the 725.

If you're looking for another steel gravel bike to compare it too, Ritchey's Outback comes with a similar number of mounts, making it another great bikepacking choice among other things. However, it's offered as frame only option, costing $1,599 / £1,435. 

Like many bike brands, Ribble has been expanding its gravel and adventure riding offerings as it becomes clear that this new discipline is here to stay. While it already offered cyclo-cross and 'CGR' machines, Ribble has gone no holds barred with this new Gravel range, which features carbon, titanium, electric and the bike on test here, the aluminium AL. 

Like its gravel stablemates, the Gravel AL comes with many of the features boasted by the best gravel bikes, including flared handlebar bars and myriad mounting points for bikepacking bags. Being a Ribble, it comes in a variety of builds too, with this 'Sport', with its 2x10 Shimano GRX group kicking off the range.

Ribble Gravel AL Sport: frame and finishing kit

The frameset looks, first and foremost, like a Ribble frameset. Those telltale dropped rear chainstays have been appearing on the British company's bikes for a few years now, which in theory increases both comfort and lateral stiffness. It can be a bit marmite on the eye, but somehow it suits the Gravel AL, with its smaller wheels and chunky tyres. Dialling up the comfort/stiffness equation is also going to be great for off-road use, where the need for those two things can be amplified.

The frame looks long and low, and with a 1,052mm wheelbase in this medium size, with 435mm chainstays, that's hardly surprising. The slackness in the 71.5deg head angle is easy to see too – although it's not as extreme as the most avant-garde of today's gravel builds, which rake things out as far as 70deg 

The seat tube is a more conventional, though, at 73.5deg. A longish reach at 397mm and compact 90mm stem further add to the bike's gravelly credentials.

Perhaps more obviously, the frame is festooned with mounting points; there are three carryall eyes on each fork blade, mounts for a cockpit bag on the top tube, and three sets of bottle bosses – two in the usual place, one on the underside of the downtube. There are also mudguard eyes at the rear dropouts, though no standard rack mounts on the tops of the seatstays.

The frame is crafted in 6061 aluminium alloy (the fork is all-carbon) and finished rather nicely. With its (mostly) seamless construction, it could pass for carbon were it not for the welds down at the bottom bracket shell. The colour – 'Satin Metallic Green' on Ribble's own chart – is also rather fetching, offering a nod to the surroundings it might find itself in on rides. If you're unsure about it though, for an extra £299 you can specify any colour you like.

Contact points continue the gravel theme, with flared bars that also feature a 20mm rise up front. They're provided by Level, as is the seatpost, while the saddle itself is a relatively chunky Sella Italia X3 Boost item.

Ribble Gravel AL Sport: components

The 10-speed GRX 400 groupset is Shimano's bottom-rung gravel offering – roughly equivalent to Tiagra. More unwieldy than a 1X set-up but it does boast the advantage of having 20 gears on offer and thus a higher chance of finding the perfect ratio. This Sport incarnation is the only bike in the Gravel AL range to come with 2x10 as standard (though they can all be fully customised), which may mean it appeals more to those struggling to escape their roadgoing roots – but there is of course a weight penalty to be paid over 1X, so it's swings and roundabouts.

The brakes also come from the GRX stable and are hydraulic, using 160mm centre-lock rotors front and rear.

If you look this bike up on Ribble's website, you'll find it shod with chunky 47mm WTB Sendero tyres. However the supplied bike came with Halo GXC Gravel (also 47mm), which are less aggressive and tread a path between on-road and off. They should make the bike more versatile, though perhaps aren't the perfect winter choice. In any case, they are now the standard tyres for the bike, according to Ribble's website. They're tanwall and tubeless ready, and come mounted on Mavic's trusty Allroad alloy wheels, with thru-axles front and rear.

Ribble Gravel AL Sport: the ride

At a claimed 10.87kg, the Gravel AL is far from the lightest in class. But with less rotating weight thanks to the smaller wheel size, it feels sprightly and quick enough off the mark despite its voluminous tyres. On Surrey's pockmarked back lane tarmac the bike made some of the most effortless and enjoyable progress I've ever experienced, smoothing out the constant creases, cracks and potholes almost as if they weren't there.

Venturing onto hardpack tracks and bridleway hardly moved the scale in terms of comfort, such is the capability of those tyres. They coped well with rougher tracks too, and it was only when things got muddy that my confidence in them began to wane. Even so, they proved grippier than I imagined they could be, and I began to enjoy the sensation of the bike squirming underneath me in muddy bends, knowing that it would, ultimately, cling on. Only over roots did I remain resolutely cautious. 

If you're doing much of that kind of riding, a separate set of winter tyres with a more aggressive tread might be advisable in order to get the most out of owning the Gravel AL.

As with all gravel bikes, there's going to be a speed penalty to pay back on smooth tarmac, but the Halo GXCs' best-of-both-worlds tread pattern keeps this fairly minimal.

The GRX 400 performs brilliantly, with light, accurate shifts and a nice, low 30x34t gear. That said, if I was spending my own money I'd choose a single ring set-up for its simplicity and weight saving. Ribble does in fact have a SRAM Apex 1x11 option available for the same price.

Braking was powerful and competent, with good modulation and a nice light feel at the lever, though I did experience a small amount of judder at times.

Whisper it quietly, but Ribble says its Gravel AL 'blends gravel performance with the heart and soul of a mountain bike'. This hints at the fact that it was designed to excel off-road, but if your 'gravel' riding is more tarmac than track, all isn't lost. The Ribble will accept 700c wheels with tyres of up to 45mm, which means a pretty impressive range of bases are covered. In fact you can even order this bike with 700c wheels and tyres at no extra cost.

One thing I'd certainly use Ribble's customise function for if I was buying this bike was with contact point set-up. For me personally, partly due to my creaky back, I'd need a shorter stem. The long frame is great for riding gravel, but the 57cm horizontal top tube measurement is a long one for a 5'10" rider, despite the 90mm stem. I'd be speccing a zero-layback seatpost too for the same reason. 

The Selle Italia saddle looked comfy, but wasn't. Not for me in any case. Saddles are of course a very personal choice, so this may well suit others.

Ribble Gravel AL Sport: value

Ribble has long been known as competitive on price, and the Gravel AL is a good example of that, at $1,674.85 / £1,699.00. It's easy to feel as though you should be spending several grand in order to become a 'serious' bike rider on a 'serious' bike these days, but this bike proves you don't have to. 

When you have a bottom tier groupset that's this good, and a frame this capable, the only reason you would pay more is to lose some weight. In the US, that price is among the cheapest, but on the other hand in the UK you could get a GRX 400 equipped bike for even less, with the Vitus Substance VR-2 Gravel available for $1,799.99 or £1,049 (down from £1,399 RRP), and the Cannondale Topstone 2 can be had for $2,000 or £1,359 (down from £1,700 RRP).

Ribble Gravel AL Sport: conclusion

The Ribble Gravel AL Sport is a full-fat gravel machine that will chew up and spit out hardpack and torn up back lanes all day long. It's also a willing enough interloper on rough and muddy trails, though the stock tyres begin to find their limit. The laidback geometry inspires confidence, and there are gears for most eventualities too. On tarmac it isn't road bike-fast, but those tyres iron out so many of the imperfections found on typical British back lanes that progress feels smooth and easy.

Yes, there are lighter gravel bikes and faster gravel bikes, but you'll pay more and they won't necessarily be as capable off-road. What the Gravel AL is is serious fun, and at a seriously competitive price. 

Ribble Gravel AL Sport: specs

• Frame: Gravel AL, heat-treated 6061 T6 aluminium
• Fork: Gravel AL, full-carbon tapered
• Handlebars: Level Gravel riser flared (42/51mm)
• Saddle: Selle Italia X3 Boost
• Shifters: Shimano GRX 400 
• Cassette: GRX HG500 11-34t
• Derailleur: Shimano GRX 400 2x10
• Crankset: Shimano GRX RX600 46/30t 
• Wheelset: Mavic Allroad disc alloy
• Tires: Halo GXC Gravel 47mm
• Weight: 10.87kg