Sick of 10k+ gravel bikes with no clearance - enter Standert's Kieswerk for more real world adventures

Once upon a time gravel was the carefree cousin of the road. These were drop bar bikes that smiled rather than scowled. Practicality over performance, they didn’t need to cost the earth, they just needed to be able to ride over it.

But then gravel became popular. The industry took notice. Quickly it became a discipline. The genre fragmented and pretty soon we had a slew of carbon gravel race bikes with watt-saving aerodynamic tube shapes but little accommodation for bags, fenders and other such practical items. Fast, yes. Cool, most probably. Expensive, certainly.

But gravel, which was always meant to be an alternative, needs bikes that continue to follow this code too. And Standert, the boutique bicycle brand hailing from Berlin, looks like it might just have delivered another one.

The all-new Kieswerk appears to be an antidote to the race-focused carbon machines and their exclusive price tags. Made from aluminium, it’s a bike designed to be affordable (ahem) and versatile. With plenty of mounts and clearance for tyres as wide as 50mm, it seems equipped to perform several duties, from a quick gravel loop to the weekday commute to something altogether more adventurous.

“At Standert, we build bikes that make riding fun,” says Bori Faschina, Director of Marketing & E-Commerce at Standert. The new Kieswerk is our answer to the call for freedom, fun, and versatility. Whether you're crossing a continent or just looking for a fun ride across a local forest, the Kieswerk is built to ensure your adventure is as fun as can be.”

Standert has made a name for itself producing aluminium bikes, such as the crit-ready Kreissäge RS. Here, the 6061 T6 tubing is used for its inherent durability as well as the added bonus of being a sustainable material choice. Standert says that its uses aluminium predominately sourced from recycled materials. And the bike can join this cycle once its been retired from use.

To make it the ‘go-anywhere, do-anything’ bike promised in the promotional literature Standert has equipped it with mounts for both fenders and a rear rack, as well as top tube bag and an additional bottle cage mount on the underside of the downtube. The carbon fork offers yet more potential for bikepacking trips.

The cable routing is fully internal, which might not please gravel purists or home mechanics, but does make for a clean looking bike as well as ensuring protection from the elements. The German brand’s Token-a-Box headset is used to assist with the cable integration

‘Futureproofing’ comes in the shape of a T47 bottom bracket and a Universal Derailleur Hanger, or UDH for short. The claimed frame weight is 1,544g for a size 54.

Initially, the Kiewerk is being offered in complete builds only. Customers can choose from a Sram Apex AXS-equipped bike, which also features a Scope R2.0 carbon wheelset, 45mm Pirelli Cinturato Adventure TLR tyres and a Deda cockpit or a Shimano GRX build, which delivers a mechanical shifting option as well as a DT Swiss G1800 wheelset. The difference in weight between the two bikes is just under 1kg, with the first of the two weighing a claimed 9.2kg.

Prices are €2449.00 for the SHimano build and €3249.00 for the Sram option.