Importantly, these are not custom one-off bicycles that use obscure components. They are all stock gravel bike models you might find in a bicycle shop near you!

How Did These Become The Lightest Gravel Bikes?

Bike manufacturers use different methods to hit their weight targets.

Some start with an ultralight carbon frameset, while others fit obnoxiously light carbon wheels and components. That said, it’s likely a combination of weight savings that will get your bike model on the lightest gravel bikes list.

The frameset weight is one way we can understand how a bike manufacturer went about hitting their weight targets. That’s the combined frame and fork weight usually without small parts like bearings and bolts. When you start with a light frameset, you get a big head start on the components.

The lightest gravel frameset amongst bikes on this list is 1,125 grams and the heaviest is 1,625 grams. When we average out all frameset weights on this list we arrive at 1,396 grams, which typically breaks down to under 1000 grams for the frame and a bit over 400 grams for the fork.

The wheelset weight is another important data point as they are often a bike’s heaviest component. That means they usually have the most weight to lose!

All wheelsets on this list are made from carbon fibre, and the rim depths vary. In some cases, bike manufacturers have traded off some weight for better aerodynamics to create the fastest bikes possible.

Even amongst lightweight gravel bikes on this list, there is over 400 grams of variation between wheelsets. The lightest wheels are just 1230 grams and the heaviest are 1643 grams. When we tally everything up, we find that the average wheels tip the scales at 1425 grams.

Why Bike Weight Is Not About Speed

If you’ve been reading CYCLINGABOUT for a while, you’ll know that bike weight is not that important in terms of speed. This is because a one or two-kilogram weight saving is actually a tiny reduction from your overall total body+bike+gear+water weight.

Spending big money to save one kilogram will not make you as fast as you think. When I run a computer simulation, shaving one kilogram off a bike only saves around one minute on a hilly 4+ hour ride, although it can be as much as two minutes if you’re a lighter and less powerful rider.

The biggest advantage of a lightweight gravel bike is the way it feels underneath you. The bikes listed below offer the sensation of quick acceleration and will feel highly responsive to your pedal inputs. They will undoubtedly encourage you to put the hammer down at any moment.

Weight Corrections

I’ve made a weight correction to the following bikes to level out the playing field.

I’ve deducted weight from bikes with heavier tyres and added weight to bikes using lighter tyres. This is to ensure that bikes that come with wider and/or more durable tyres do not incur a significant weight penalty.

The average tyre weight across all bikes on this list is 480 grams, which is a reasonable weight for a 45mm gravel race tyre. Any tyre above this weight I’ve subtracted from the bike weight, and any tyre below this weight has been added to the bike.

For example: If a bike comes with 580-gram tyres, I’ve made a weight reduction of 200 grams (as there are two tyres) to standardise the bike weights. And if the bike comes with 380 grams tyres, I’ve simply added 200 grams to a bike’s weight. You’ll find the stock tyre weights listed below.

Right, it’s time to inspect the lightest gravel bikes in the world!

Scott Addict Gravel RC (7.92kg or 17.5lbs)

• Frameset weight: 930+395 grams – 96 grams lighter than average
• Wheelset weight: 1490 grams – 65 grams heavier than average
• Tyre weight: 485 grams
• Tyre clearance: 45 mm
• Price: US $9,999

The heaviest-lightest gravel bike is the Scott Addict Gravel RC!

This top-of-the-line model features one of the lighter framesets and builds up into a very capable gravel race bike. Tour Magazin has tested the lateral frame stiffness to be higher than many bikes here, which will make it feel extra responsive underneath you.

In addition, the fork legs will flex back and forth over bumps more than typical, providing additional ride comfort for your hands and upper body.

There has been no expense has been spared on the components here. A SRAM Red AXS drivetrain and Syncros carbon components help to keep the bike under the 8kg (18lbs) mark.

The Addict RC is only one of two gravel bikes on this list with a 2X drivetrain. This allows for closer steps between each gear, making the bike extra suitable for road bike use if you were to fit some narrow slick tyres.

Factor Ostro Gravel (7.90kg or 17.4lbs)

• Frameset weight: 899+425 grams – 97 grams lighter than average
• Wheelset weight: 1632 grams – 207 grams heavier than average
• Tyre weight: 480 grams
• Tyre clearance: 45 mm
• Price: €9799

The Factor Ostro Gravel has more aerodynamic features than your typical gravel bike.

The deeper and more truncated head tube profile, tight integration between the fork crown and frame, dropped seat stays, aero seatpost, and rear wheel cutout will undoubtedly make for a quick gravel race bike in the wind.

But despite all these aero features, the Ostro Gravel is the 6th lightest frameset of this list.

That said, the Factor also has the lowest frame stiffness of any bike here (according to Tour Magazin lab testing). It’s over 20% less stiff at the head tube and bottom bracket than competing products. This will not be a big deal for lighter and less powerful riders, but for heavier riders who can put more power through the frame – it might be a dealbreaker.

The Ostro Gravel has a solid race build. It’s equipped with a SRAM Force AXS wireless drivetrain, SRAM brakes and some fast-rolling Good Year tyres. While the wheels on this bike are surprisingly heavy for their depth, hopefully, this translates to high overall strength and durability.

Vitus Venon EVO-GR (7.88kg or 17.4lbs)

• Frameset weight: 1000+450 grams – 54 grams heavier than average
• Wheelset weight: 1545 grams – 120 grams heavier than average
• Tyre weight: 490 grams
• Tyre clearance: 45 mm
• Price: £4,299

The Vitus Venon EVO-GR is a lightweight gravel bike that offers a raft of aero features. This will make it one of the faster bikes on a gravel race course.

While it doesn’t have the lightest frameset or wheelset, it’s a great overall package that undercuts plenty of rivals on price when you consider the high-grade specification (SRAM Force AXS plus plenty of carbon components!).

One thing to note is that it has a lower torsional frame stiffness than most gravel bikes here, in fact, it has similar stiffness values to the Factor Ostro Gravel. Again, this will be fine for lighter and less powerful riders but might not be appropriate for heavier and more powerful riders.

Allied Echo Red AXS (7.85kg or 17.3lbs)

• Frameset weight: 950+380 grams – 66 grams lighter than average
• Wheelset weight: 1355 grams – 70 grams lighter than average
• Tyre weight: 453 grams
• Tyre clearance: 40 mm
• Price: US $11,355

The Allied Echo is billed as a two-in-one road and gravel bike.

The magic of it is the integrated flip chips at the fork and rear dropouts, which not only change the wheelbase length but also the bottom bracket drop – important when you’re changing the overall wheel+tyre diameter.

When the flip chips are in the “road mode” position, the wheelbase length and BB drop is reduced, making for a more compact layout that gives the bike a more responsive and agile feel. When the flip chips are in the “gravel mode” position, the wheelbase length is extended, making the bike more stable and forgiving on gravel.

Some of the pros of the bike include its quick and easy geometry conversion, excellent stiffness, and notable ride quality. Some of the cons of the bike include its compromised gravel mode geometry, narrow maximum tyre width, quirky stem design, and slack seat tube angle in the smaller frame sizes. It also uses gear ratios better suited to the road rather than the gravel.

Overall, the Allied Echo is a very capable bike that is suitable for a wide range of riders. It is a great option for those who are looking for a single bike that will ride well on both gravel and tarmac surfaces.

Mondraker Arid Carbon RR SL (7.81kg or 17.2lbs)

• Frameset weight: 1250+435 grams – 289 grams heavier than average
• Wheelset weight: 1642 grams – 217 grams heavier than average
• Tyre weight: 525 grams
• Tyre clearance: 50 mm
• Price: €9499

Lauf Seigla Ultimate (7.69kg or 17lbs)

• Frameset weight: 1030+435 grams – 69 grams heavier than average
• Wheelset weight: 1400 grams – 25 grams lighter than average
• Tyre weight: 632 grams
• Tyre clearance: 57 mm or 2.25″
• Price: US $6,290

The Lauf Seigla is the lightest gravel bike with the ability to fit 2.25″ wide mountain bike tyres, which will allow it to handle the roughest gravel roads. The frame has also been designed in a way that allows it to flex vertically, smoothing out bumpy terrain.

This is the first bike we’ve seen without fully integrated cables, and this makes bike maintenance easier and allows you to change the handlebar and stem dimensions with ease.

The Seigla Ultimate is equipped with some lightweight carbon wheels that will make the bike feel fast and agile, and a tough SRAM Red XPLR wireless groupset. Given the Red XPLR groupset retails for around US $4000, this makes the Seigla one of the best-value lightweight gravel bikes!

I’ve made a correction of over 300 grams to this bike as the Lauf comes standard with some wider-than-average tyres with good puncture production. Expect it to weigh under 7.7kg with some gravel race tyres.

Rose Backroad FF Red XPLR (7.67kg or 16.9lbs)

• Frameset weight: 1020+420 grams – 44 grams heavier than average
• Wheelset weight: 1550 grams – 125 grams heavier than average
• Tyre weight: 445 grams
• Tyre clearance: 45mm
• Price: €6999

Specialized Crux Pro (7.67kg or 16.9lbs)

• Frameset weight: 825+400 grams – 171 grams lighter than average
• Wheelset weight: 1408 grams – 17 grams lighter than average
• Tyre weight: 480 grams
• Tyre clearance: 47 mm
• Price: US $7500

The Specialized Crux Pro starts with a sizeable headstart over other gravel bikes, as the frameset is just 1225 grams. This makes it the second-lightest gravel frameset here.

The Crux Pro is a rather traditional gravel bike that will best suit those who ride in a non-competitive sense. There are no fully integrated cables, aero frame sections, or one-piece bar/stems to be found. This not only saves weight, but makes bike maintenance easier, and allows you to dial in your bike fit.

The Crux is equipped with lighter-than-average wheels that will spin up quickly, and one of my favourite components is the Roval Terra Carbon seatpost that flexes vertically with ease and will smooth out the bumpiest gravel roads.

The Specialized Crux Pro is finished with a SRAM Force wireless groupset and fast-rolling Specialized Pathfinder tyres.

Ridley ASTR RS (7.62kg or 16.8lbs)

• Frameset weight: 891+420 grams – 85 grams lighter than average
• Wheelset weight: 1643 grams – 218 grams heavier than average
• Tyre weight: 575 grams
• Tyre clearance: 52 mm or 2.1″
• Price: €11,699

Ridley makes one thing clear: the ASTR RS is a thoroughbred gravel race bike aiming for the podium. The frameset, integrated bar-stem, and wheels are all aero-optimised to create the fastest gravel bike possible.

In fact, the ASTR RS has the deepest and heaviest wheels of any bike on this list. While the DT Swiss wheels are over 200 grams heavier than average, the time savings at 35km/h (22mph) will undoubtedly make up for the minor weight penalty.

This bike has notably wide tyre clearance for a gravel bike (52 mm or 2.1″), allowing you to fit the appropriate tyres required to handle rougher courses.

The new Forza NIMBUS Pro one-piece handlebar and stem measures 360 mm wide at the hoods (to keep your frontal area smaller) but becomes significantly wider in the drops thanks to a generous flare. This should give you ample control over technical descents.

Trek Checkmate SLR 9 (7.61kg or 16.8lbs)

• Frameset weight: 1223+415 grams – 242 grams heavier than average
• Wheelset weight: 1355 grams – 70 grams lighter than average
• Tyre weight: 450 grams
• Tyre clearance: 45 mm
• Price: US $12,000

The Checkmate SLR 9 is a newer, lighter and faster gravel race bike from Trek.

It’s clearly aero-optimised with its large tube profiles, reasonably deep carbon wheels, and one-piece Aero RSL bar/stem (identical to that found on their road race bike, the Madone). The bars are 30mm narrower at the hoods than the drops, which will put your body in a more aerodynamically efficient ride position.

The Checkmate uses what Trek calls its new ‘Gravel Race’ geometry, offering a lower and shorter-reach position than the outgoing Checkpoint SLR. That said, it’s not as low as many bikes on this list.

A top-tier SRAM Red XLPR gravel groupset and moderately deep Bontrager carbon wheels assist in keeping this bike as light and fast as possible.

The Checkmate also employs Trek’s IsoSpeed technology, a decoupler at the intersection between the top tube and the seat tube that assists the saddle/post in smoothing imperfections on the road or trail.

Canyon Grail CFR XPLR (7.55kg or 16.6lbs)

Frameset weight: 1030+372 grams – 7 grams heavier than average

Wheelset weight: 1452 grams – 27 grams heavier than average

Tyre weight: 455 grams

Tyre clearance: 45 mm

Price: €8,499

Schmolke Gravel Infinity (7.55kg or 16.6lbs)

• Frameset weight: 1100+460 grams – 164 grams heavier than average
• Wheelset weight: 1375 grams – 50 grams lighter than average
• Tyre weight: 457 grams
• Tyre clearance: 40 mm
• Price: €8250

Schmolke are carbon manufacturing specialists from Germany who are best known for their ultra-lightweight bike components. But Schmolke doesn’t just make carbon handlebars and seatposts in their Lake Constance factory – they make framesets too!

When compared to the competition, the Schmolke framesets are not anywhere near as lightweight. But their ultralight components more than make up the difference, helping this bike to sit amongst the top 10 lightest gravel bikes available.

This gravel bike is a bit more traditional than most, with its external cable routing, two-piece bar and stem setup and mechanical drivetrain. The Gravel Infinity uses Campagnolos Ekar 13-speed drivetrain, which yields a gear range of 470% – wider than most on this list here.

The cost is kept quite reasonable for a made-in-Europe bike thanks to their direct-to-consumer business model.

Cube Nuroad C:62 SLT (7.49kg or 16.5lbs)

• Frameset weight: 1150+415 grams – 169 grams heavier than average
• Wheelset weight: 1230 grams – 195 grams lighter than average
• Tyre weight: 485 grams
• Tyre clearance: 50 mm
• Price: €5999

The Cube Nuroad C:62 SLT is a great bike for gravel racing, and with 50mm tyre clearance, it’s also a good option for anyone who wants an efficient bike that can handle a variety of terrain.

The frame is made using Cube’s C:62 carbon fibre layup, which is reinforced with nanoparticles to make it stronger, lighter, and more durable. Tour Magazin lab testing suggests it’s one of the stiffest and most responsive framesets on this list, and the fork tests as one of the more comfortable models available.

The Nuroad is also among the cheapest here, in fact, the SRAM Red XPLR drivetrain, brakes and shifters retail for €4,465 by itself. When you factor in the frameset and wheels (which are the lightest here btw), I’m not sure how Cube make any money on this bike!

Overall, the Cube Nuroad C:62 SLT is a very well-equipped bike that offers the highest value for money on this list. It’s light, efficient, and versatile, and should be perfect for gravel racing or simply exploring the countryside.

Superior XR 9.9 GR LTD (7.47kg or 16.5lbs)

• Frameset weight: 827+420 grams – 149 grams lighter than average
• Wheelset weight: 1567 grams – 142 grams heavier than average
• Tyre weight: 445 grams
• Tyre clearance: 45 mm
• Price: €7500

Superior is a Czech brand that offers very high-performance bikes for a reasonable price… well, relative to others here. Superior starts with the third lightest frameset, and goes on to build the fifth lightest gravel bike.

The impressive part is that it has been equipped with one of the most aerodynamic wheelsets featured on this list. If it were to use the same wheelset as the Cube Nuroad, the bike would slot into second place!

You can find aero features throughout the frameset and cockpit, and there is no expense spared on the components – notably the DT Swiss wheels and SRAM Red XPLR drivetrain.

BMC Kaius 01 One (7.40kg or 16.3lbs)

• Frameset weight: 910+400 grams – 86 grams lighter than average
• Wheelset weight: 1355 grams – 70 grams lighter than average
• Tyre weight: 480 grams
• Tyre clearance: 44 mm
• Price: US $12,000

The BMC Kaius is the lightest gravel bike I could find with fully integrated cables.

The Kaius 01 features the fourth lightest frameset (despite having one of the stiffest frames according to Tour Magazin testing) and has been equipped with the fourth lightest wheels too.

This frame has clearly been given the aero treatment with larger truncated frame tubes, dropped seat stays, and a cutout on the lower seat tube to shield the rear wheel. The handlebar also has a small frontal area and aerodynamic shape to save further watts.

A top-tier SRAM Red XPLR 1X drivetrain completes this speedy gravel bike.

Parapera Anemos Masterpiece (7.2kg or 15.9lbs)

• Frameset weight: 1175+450 grams – 229 grams heavier than average
• Wheelset weight: 1485 grams – 60 grams heavier than average
• Tyre weight: 480 grams
• Tyre clearance: 45 mm
• Price: €5999

The Parapera Anemos is the third lightest gravel bike on this list, despite having a heavier-than-average frameset… and wheelset! This means it’s the components where Parapera has really focussed on their weight savings.

At 150 grams, the Schmolke Carbon handlebar is one of the lightest of its kind. As is the 95-gram Selle Italia saddle, and 95-gram Schmolke Carbon seatpost. It’s all these small things that really keep the weight of this bike in check.

The cables are routed externally for quick accessibility during maintenance and a small reduction in frame weight. The classic handlebar/stem setup also offers maximum customizability in terms of length and width.

The Anemos Masterpiece uses Campagnolo’s Ekar drivetrain. This 1X system consists of a chainring with 40 teeth and a cassette with 13 sprockets from 9 to 42 teeth. With a gear range of just under 470%, all speed ranges are largely covered, and even steeper climbs are easy to tackle thanks to the reduction in first gear.

The carbon wheels from Campagnolo are a solid choice. While they are not the lightest, with an inner rim width of 25mm, they are perfectly suited to the 40mm Schwalbe G-One R tyres.

Gunsha SLX Gravel 3.1 (7.15kg or 15.8lbs)

• Frameset weight: 1050+460 grams – 114 grams heavier than average
• Wheelset weight: 1272 grams – 153 grams lighter than average
• Tyre weight: 370 grams
• Tyre clearance: 44 mm
• Price: €5455

You probably haven’t heard of Gunsha before, but this German bike shop and online store stocks a bunch of ultralight wheels and components, as well as complete bikes.

The frameset is heavier than average, so Gunsha has equipped this bike with the third lightest gravel wheels here and has made significant weight savings on components like the brake rotors, handlebar, stem, seatpost and saddle.

Gunsha has also fitted some super light 370 gram tyres to this bike. This would have made it the equal lightest bike if I hadn’t added a weight correction to even the playing field.

While their Shimano GRX drivetrain isn’t as fancy as most, this helps to keep the cost down. In fact, you’re looking at the second-lightest gravel bike with one of the lowest costs here. That’s quite impressive.

S-Works Crux SRAM RED XPLR (6.93kg or 15.3lbs)

• Frameset weight: 725+400 grams – 271 grams lighter than average
• Wheelset weight: 1250 grams – 175 grams lighter than average
• Tyre weight: 480 grams
• Tyre clearance: 47 mm
• Price: US $12,000

The S-Works Crux holds the title for the lightest gravel frameset, and it’s been paired with one of the lightest wheelsets too. It’s no wonder it’s the lightest gravel bike here.

The Crux frameset is around 20% lighter than average, which is a seriously impressive margin to hold over the competition. It’s even more impressive considering that Tour Magazin has measured the frame stiffness and found it to be 30% stiffer than the Factor and Vitus at the head tube.

You can expect the Crux to climb like a dream, float over bumpy terrain, and accelerate faster than any gravel bike before it.

What I like about this bike is that it puts function before everything else. There are no fully integrated cables, aero frame sections, or one-piece handlebar and stem. This undoubtedly makes it a slower bike than the gravel racing competition (eg. Ridley ASTR RS) but it’s also lighter, easier to work on, and easier to perfect the handlebar width and stem length for a rider’s needs.

With top-of-the-line components and even a special carbon layup – this bike is expensive. If you’d like a more wallet-friendly version with similar DNA, check out the Specialized Crux Pro. It’s still in the top-10 lightest gravel bikes but some US $5000 cheaper.

It’s worth noting the S-Works Crux framesets also custom build into even lighter gravel bikes. Take some inspiration from this 5.64 kg (12 lbs) Twisted Wheels build HERE.

Summary

The post The 15 Lightest Gravel Bikes In The World For 2025 (Sub-7kg) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.

All of these fat bikes feature a weather-sealed Pinion gearbox, and many offer belt drive compatibility too. That means no more snow-packed and frozen drivetrains, and no more chain lube either.

Instead, you can expect perfect, reliable shifting and no drivetrain hassle.

To make this happen, Pinion fat bikes use high offset spiders that push the front sprocket out further to achieve the appropriate chain clearance to the rear tyre.

In addition, most of these bikes employ Pinion fat crank arms, which have a wider q-factor or distance between the pedals than typical (40mm extra width).

The fattest fat bikes (4.8″+) are currently using 197mm thru-axle rear hubs. They will all require the Pinion fat bike crank arms with a 206mm Q-factor, which is actually a bit narrower than a fat bike with a rear derailleur.

That said, it’s possible to use narrower stance Pinion crank arms if you build a bike using a 177mm thru-axle rear hub. The only downside is that you will lose a modest amount of tyre clearance. Make sure to consult the frame builder first, but expect around 4.0″ maximum tyre clearance.

Right, let’s take a look at these fat beauties.

Black Sheep

• Frame Material: Titanium
• Tyre Clearance: 27.5 x 4.5″
• Place of Manufacture: USA
• Price: Enquire

James at Black Sheep builds all kinds of quirky custom titanium bikes. This particular bike won an award at the 2019 North American Handmade Bike Show!

This retro-inspired fat bike has been built around a Pinion gearbox and carbon wheelset wrapped with 4.5″ wide Bontrager Barbegazi tyres. It features a tall and wide handlebar that’s also custom-made by James, and a dropper seatpost that allows the rider to maneuver their body around the bike on steep descents.

It looks like an especially fun bike to hoon around on.

Carver Ti Omega Beast

• Frame Material: Titanium
• Tyre Clearance: 26 x 5.0+”
• Place of Manufacture: Asia
• Price: Enquire

The titanium Carver Omega’Beast has more than 5″ of tyre clearance, making it the fattest Pinion fat bike by this USA-based company. It’ll cross snowfields, climb stairs, and descend rock gardens with ease thanks to its big tyre footprint.

Like many fat bikes, you can fit different-sized wheel and tyre combinations on this bike when you don’t need the full floatation of a 5.0″ wide tyre. The Omega Beast will also fit 29 × 3.0″ and 27.5 × 4.0″ wheelsets.

For an extra US $300 Carver will also modify their standard frames to your liking, or allow you to design the frame geometry completely from scratch.

Hilite Pinion Fat Bike

• Frame Material: Titanium
• Tyre Clearance: 26 x 4.8″
• Place of Manufacture: Switzerland
• Price: Enquire

Hilite was one of the first manufacturers of a fat bike with a Pinion 18-speed gearbox and Gates belt drivetrain. Their titanium bikes are all custom-made in Switzerland, and this particular Pinion fat bike was built for a 200cm (6ft7) tall rider.

The rider wanted their bike to be especially upright for their 100cm leg inseam (40″), so the frame head tube was made as long as possible to accommodate an uncut suspension fork steerer.

There is a very neat CNC-milled yoke at the chainstays that provides both excellent tyre clearance and a super clean look. I like that the customer decided to paint the titanium frame, as it now stands out amongst the brushed frame finish that’s more common.

Meriwether

• Frame Material: Steel
• Tyre Clearance: 27.5 x 4.5″
• Place of Manufacture: USA
• Price: Enquire

Meriwether is another company producing custom Pinion fat bikes in the USA.

This steel fat bike build has a trail frame geometry that suits both a 140mm travel suspension fork, as well as an extra-long rigid fork with bosses to mount cargo cages for bikepacking.

The frame and fork are designed to be tough enough for steep technical trails, loaded touring, and winter fat biking. There are dual portage handles at the seat stays to help carry the bike when it’s fitted with a full frame pack.

The frame can accommodate multiple wheel diameters better than most by using tilted sliding dropouts. This helps to maintain a similar bottom bracket height when swapping between plus and fat tyres.

Myth Cycles Chimera

• Frame Material: Steel
• Tyre Clearance: 26 x 4.8″ or 29 x 3.0″
• Place of Manufacture: USA
• Price: Enquire

The Myth Cycles Chimera is a custom steel Pinion fat bike built using Reynolds 853 tubes.

The Chimera uses a slack head tube angle to keep things stable on rocky descents, and it’s built around a 197mm rear hub to maximise the tyre clearance.

This model is equipped with belt drive, which combined with the Pinion gearbox ensures a very long-lasting and almost entirely maintenance-free drivetrain.

The Chimera can be chosen in four stock sizes or custom, and there are ample colour options.

Nicolai Argon Fat Pi

• Frame Material: Aluminium
• Tyre Clearance: 26 x 4.5″
• Place of Manufacture: Germany
• Price: Enquire

Nicolai bikes have one of the most consistent design languages in the industry, and the Argon Fat Pi is no exception. The large diameter aluminium tubes, angular CNC machined parts, and quirky paint jobs create a bike that could be manufactured by no other.

Nicolai’s take on the fat bike is a hardtail mountain bike that not only accommodates 4.5″ wide tyres, but has great trail-munching frame geometry. In combination with the Pinion 12-speed gearbox and Gates belt drive, you should always have a reliable and low maintenance bike that you can count on.

The bike is clearly designed to be ridden year round, but Nicolai specifically recommend taking it to the Iditarod Trail Race across Alaska, or on a big bikepacking expedition to a remote place on Earth.

REEB Pinion Donkadonk

• Frame Material: Steel
• Tyre Clearance: 26 x 4.5″
• Place of Manufacture: USA
• Price: US $10,500

REEB Cycles also take the fat hardtail mountain bike approach. The frame is suspension fork ready, it uses a 67-degree head tube angle to get the front contact patch in the right spot, and the seat tube fits a modern dropper seatpost for steep trail shredding.

This bike is designed to handle Colorado snow. It uses a custom chainstay yoke for big tyre clearance (4.5 inches), and the shortest possible chainstay length to ensure the front wheel is easy to lift over obstacles.

REEB think that Pinion’s light, compact, and carefree gearbox is perfectly suited to the rigours of fat biking as it’s sealed from the elements, works great in cold conditions, and can handle way more torque than your legs can dish out.

Rolling Dale

• Frame Material: Titanium
• Tyre Clearance: 27.5 x 4.5″
• Place of Manufacture: Canada
• Price: Enquire

Rolling Dale specialises in building fully custom titanium off-road bikes. Many of Dale’s builds are for mountain biking, gravel, bikepacking… or fat biking!

Dale uses a 4-axis CNC machine to manufacture the chainstay yoke for maximum tyre clearance, and he even machines and anodises his logo into the frame head tube. It’s all very neat!

Make sure to commission some titanium handlebars and accessories to complete the look.

Smokestone BowTi

• Frame Material: Titanium
• Tyre Clearance: 26×4.8″, 27.5×4.5″, 29 x 3.0″
• Place of Manufacture: Asia
• Price: Enquire

The Smokestone BowTi is another fat trail bike.

It’s a bit slacker than other Pinion fat bikes and can be fitted with a rigid or suspension fork with up to 130mm travel. The top tube is curved, increasing the frame standover for those occasions where emergency clearance is required.

Smokestone says that after riding this bike, switching back to a traditional mountain bike “could come as a shock” as you’ll find yourself riding up rough climbs you never thought possible, and you’ll descend trails you earmarked for your enduro rig.

They go on to say that this bike has the “feel of a full-suspension mountain bike”, but without the maintenance that frame pivots and a rear shock bring to the party.

A cool thing is that this frame is that it’s fully internally guided, meaning you won’t ever need to faff around changing any cables. This also includes routing for a dropper post.

The BowTi comes standard with 197mm rear dropouts for 4.8″ tyres, but you can also get it built with a 177mm option if you don’t need to run larger than 4.2” tyres.

Smokestone is also happy to alter these titanium frames to suit your needs. You can get the frame with rear rack mounts, additional bottle cage mounts, external cable routing, and you can even tweak the frame geometry.

Surly Moonlander

• Frame Material: Steel
• Tyre Clearance: 24 x 6.25″
• Place of Manufacture: Asia
• Price: US $4199

The inspiration for this page was the new Surly Moonlander. This steel bike is unique for two rather obvious reasons: it has absolutely monstrous tyres, and it’s a mid-tail (long chainstays).

This new fat tyre size allows you to run lower tyre pressures than ever before, increasing the tyre footprint on the ground, and providing more flotation over this world’s softest surfaces. You can actually drop the tyre pressure down to just 1 or 2 psi!

The extra-long chainstays make the bike super stable at speed and prevent your front wheel from lifting while riding up steep inclines.

The gearbox model that Surly has picked is the Pinion C1.9 XR. This is a 9-speed box with a 568% range – that’s even more gear range than the best 1X derailleur setups.

Interestingly, Pinion made custom crank arms and a high-offset sprocket spider just for this bike! I suspect the q-factor is around 230mm as a result (24mm wider than normal).

This is also the cheapest Pinion bike on the list as it is not custom-built for each customer.

Travers Bat Fastard

• Frame Material: Titanium
• Tyre Clearance: 26 x 5.0″
• Place of Manufacture: Asia
• Price: Enquire

Travers Bikes in the UK designs their titanium frames in CAD and gets them built for the customer in Asia. The delivery time on their custom frames is usually 4 to 12 weeks.

The Bat Fastard is a Pinion fat bike that can swallow 26 x 5.0″ wide tyres. It uses a 12 x 197mm rear axle, long chainstays, and each of the four frame sizes is notably upright for its size. There are cargo cage mounts on the top and bottom of the down tube.

The Travers Bikes logo is very neatly engraved into the head tube and chainstays of the frame, and there is some super sleek internal cable routing that feeds right into the head tube.

Ventana El Gordo

• Frame Material: Aluminium
• Tyre Clearance: 26 x 4.8″
• Place of Manufacture: USA
• Price: Enquire

Ventana is a mountain bike manufacturer in the USA who have been building aluminium frames since the 1980s. Every piece of every Ventana frame is designed and produced by Ventana in Rancho Cordova, California.

By taking advantage of their rapid prototyping, build-in-house fabrication techniques, and innovative design expertise, Ventana has been on the front lines of adopting non-standard wheel sizes including the fat bike sizes.

The El Gordo is a suspension fork ready Pinion fat bike with clearance for 4.8″ tyres (197mm axle version). You can also choose a 177mm rear dropout for 4.0″ tyres, as well as any colour, sizing or custom frame geometry.

Uniquely, the Ventana El Gordo is available in a broad range of sizes from extra small right up to 4XL.

Bonus: Azub Pinion Fat Trike

• Frame Material: Aluminium
• Tyre Clearance: 26 x 4.8″
• Place of Manufacture: Czech Republic
• Price: €7049

Here’s a bonus Pinion fat bike for you – a recumbent fat trike!

The AZUB FAT is at home on rough roads, beaches or in snowfall. In fact, having three fat wheels will allow you to float over softer terrain than the 4.8″ tyres would usually permit. This is simply because each tyre has less overall load than a typical two-wheel fat bike.

One advantage of using a Pinion gearbox on a trike is that you don’t need the fat bike crank arms. This allows the trike to pedal just like a regular bicycle – no wide-foot stance required.

AZUB employ the Pinion 18-speed gearbox with a 636% gear range to achieve both higher and lower speeds than usual. You’ll find this especially important on a trike as you cannot put your body weight into turning over big gears.

Bonus: Carver Four-Wheel Fat Bike

And lastly, here’s one more bonus Pinion fat bike build for you. This Carver four-wheel bike was custom-designed to ride to the most southern point on Earth in Antarctica.

The titanium bike is fitted with four 5.5″ wide tyres at 2 psi each providing massive float across polar terrain. The 2x front and 2x rear hubs are connected so the wheels do not spin independently.

The Pinion gearbox at the crankset provides all 18 gears on this bike, and is connected to the rear wheel via a driving chain that runs between the rear tyres!

There is only a front disc brake to stop this bike – luckily Antarctica isn’t too hilly. You can read more about this unique bike HERE.

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14 Insane Pinion Fat Bike Builds For Your Desert or Snow Adventures

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The Surly Moonlander Lands On Earth With A Pinion Gearbox!

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This Antarctica Bicycle With 4x Fat Bike Wheels Wants To Stay Upright

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The post 14 Insane Pinion Fat Bike Builds For Your Desert or Snow Adventures appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.

This new fat tyre size allows you to run lower tyre pressures than ever before, increasing the tyre footprint on the ground, and providing more flotation over this world’s softest surfaces. You can actually drop the tyre pressure down to just 1 or 2 psi!

To keep the overall wheel diameter in check, Surly has reduced the rim size to 24″. When combined with the 6.2″ tyre, this matches the overall wheel diameter of a 26 x 5.1″ model found on the Surly Ice Cream Truck (more or less).

With the smaller rim size, Surly can use a standard-length front fork, which in turn keeps the head tube at a reasonable length and the handlebars at an ideal height.

Why Is This Bike Ideal For Soft Surfaces?

Other than the all-new 6.2” Surly Molenda tyres, Surly has made some important frame modifications to suit soft surfaces.

They’ve dropped the top tube as low as possible to minimise the standover height. This should give you enough top tube clearance to dab your foot into the sand and not injure yourself.

In addition, the tall bottom bracket height provides plenty of clearance for backcountry riding and monster trucking over rocks, roots and grasses.

An interesting feature is the small handhold between the nook of the seat tube and the top tube. This makes the Moonlander a bit easier to lift and manoeuvre.

The Surly Moonlander V2 Is A Mid-Tail Fat Bike

Surly has also extended the rear end of the Moonlander. The chainstays are now 562 mm long, which is over 100 mm longer than previously.

These extra-long chainstays make the bike super stable at speed and prevent your front wheel from lifting while riding up steep inclines.

But importantly, the long chainstay length helps to create space for the 6.2″ wide rear tyre AND the front sprocket – it can get especially cosy at the chainstay near the tyre.

The Front and Rear Hubs Are Identical

The Surly Moonlander employs two rear hubs, which are both 197 mm in width. This is a somewhat standard size in the fat bike world, for example, it’s found on the Surly Ice Cream Truck.

The advantage of using identical front and rear wheels is that they’re interchangeable! This would allow you to fit different tooth sprockets on each wheel and swap them depending on how mountainous it is.

Alternatively, if the freewheel of one hub stopped functioning, you could swap the wheels around. Or if you partially damaged one wheel you could move it to the front where it will experience less stress.

The Surly Moonlander Is A Pinion Fat Bike

I’m excited to finally see a Surly bike with a Pinion gearbox!

Pinion gearboxes are less susceptible to damage than derailleurs, they don’t require any tuning or adjustment, they don’t wear out, and you can change gears at any time. There is very little cleaning too – the only maintenance is the 10,000km oil change which takes no more than 15 minutes to complete.

The gearbox model that Surly has picked is the Pinion C1.9 XR. This is a 9-speed box with a 568% range – that’s even more gear range than the best 1X derailleur setups. You can expect the biggest gear to be around 5.7x larger than the smallest, suiting almost all-terrain.

There is a custom high-offset spider that mounts the front sprocket with the perfect chain line for the 197 mm rear hub. Combined with the custom Pinion fat crank arms for Surly, the q-factor (distance between the right and left crank arms) works out to be the same as other fat cranksets (~230mm).

What Are The Moonlander Gear Ratios?

There is a 34-tooth front and 34-tooth rear sprocket.

When we run the calculations, we find that the Surly Moonlander has a 16″ low gear, and a 93″ high gear – that’s 1.3 to 7.4 in metres development. This should be low enough for almost all backcountry riding.

What Frame Material is the Surly Moonlander?

Surly uses double-butted steel tubes for the front triangle and straight gauge tubes for the rear triangle. An electro-deposition coating is applied to the frame, which protects it from corrosion.

What Other Wheel and Tyre Sizes Will Fit The Surly Moonlander?

The Surly Moonlander will also fit 26 x 5.1”, 27.5 x 4.8”, and 29 x 3.0” tyres.

What Mounts Does The Surly Moonlander Offer?

You’ll find 4x cargo cage mounts on the fork, fender mounts, rear rack mounts, and bottle cage mounts on each side of the downtube.

What If You Don’t Want To Use Tubeless?

Surly have a new TPU inner tube in the matching 24 x 6.2” size that can be run down at low pressures (2-10psi). The tubes are US $49 a piece.

As the TPU tubes don’t stretch to fill the tyre, they apparently provide even better sidewall support and improve the tyre’s traction.

How Much Does The Moonlander Weigh?

The Surly Moonlander tips the scales at 21.1 kilograms (46.6 lb).

This is quite heavy for a bicycle but I can assure you this mass will be very easily concealed when the terrain is soft.

How Tall Should You Be To Ride A Moonlander?

The Moonlander comes in four sizes from small to extra-large, and the stack and reach measurements are typical of rigid fat bikes.

This should suit riders from 163 cm through 198 cm (5ft4 to 6ft6).

Can You Fit A Suspension Fork On The Surly Moonlander?

You cannot fit any current mountain bike suspension fork on the Moonlander due to the monstrous front tyre width.

How Much Does The Surly Moonlander Cost?

You can get a Surly Moonlander for US $4,199 (complete bike) or just the frameset for US $1,199 (not including the gearbox).

Read more about the Surly Moonlander at SurlyBikes.

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The post The Surly Moonlander Lands On Earth With A Pinion Gearbox! appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.

Co-Motion has been building tandems and touring bikes that can withstand the rigours of hard riding since the 1980s. Every bike is handmade in the USA with customizable geometry, component choices, and endless paint options.

I actually once rode a Co-Motion touring tandem from Europe to Australia!

The Co-Motion Tumalo’s frame geometry resembles drop bar MTBs like the venerable Salsa Fargo. I suspect the Tumalo will handle very similarly as only a couple of millimetres difference splits the two.

The Tumalo is built with a mix of Columbus Life and Max heat-treated steel tubes. All cabling is kept external with the exception of an internal dropper post routing.

The steel tubes on the Tumalo are lighter and thinner than those used on Co-Motion’s touring models, so expect this bike to ride with some extra liveliness.

The downside to a frame with lighter tubing is that it offers less lateral frame stiffness. As a result, the Tumalo will be better suited to a more minimalist bikepacking setup rather than a heavy touring setup.

Co-Motion Tumalo Setup Options

Option: Rock Shox Reba RL Suspension Fork or Whiskey Carbon Fork

The RockShox Reba 120mm travel suspension fork maximises front wheel traction, enhancing your ride confidence over challenging trails.

The carbon rigid fork reduces the overall bike weight by 1kg/2.2lb and gives you more mounting options for bikepacking cargo cages and front racks.

Option: Pinion 12-speed Gearbox or 1X12 Derailleur Drivetrain

Pinion gearboxes are less susceptible to damage, they don’t require any tuning or adjustment, they reduce bicycle maintenance, and they are unlikely to ever wear out. The only maintenance is the 10,000km oil change which takes no more than 15 minutes to complete.

Pick the Shimano GRX 1X drivetrain for a lighter, more performance-oriented bike setup – it’ll save some money to boot.

Option: Pinion Gearbox Electronic Shifter or Grip Shifter

The Pinion electronic shifter is especially nice on a drop bar bike as the shifting can be integrated with the brake levers. You can also set the electronic shifter to automatically downshift to a pre-set gear when stopped, and up-shift when gaining speed.

The grip shifter is a straightforward cable-operated design with no need to charge any batteries.

Option: Custom Sizing or Standard Sizing

The custom sizing suits those who are especially short/tall or have atypical body proportions. Otherwise, the standard five sizes will fit virtually all cyclists.

If you’re planning to use a flat or sweptback handlebar, I’d recommend custom sizing. The Tumalo is first and foremost designed for drop handlebars so it has quite a short frame reach. A frame that is adequately long enough for flat or sweptback handlebars will usually be 30 to 50mm longer than the standard sizing.

Co-Motion Tumalo Customisation

There are hundreds of custom paint options, and you can add features to the frame such as a steer stopper, silver head tube badge, rear-mounted kickstand or polished stainless steel rear dropouts. Co-Motion has also said they can build Tumalos with Rohloff 14-speed hub compatibility.

Another interesting option is adding S&S couplers to the top and down tube of the frame. Couplers allow you to split the Tumalo frame in two and put your bike into a standard airline-checkable suitcase (no oversized luggage fees).

The Co-Motion Tumalo frameset is US $2995, and complete bikes start at US $6590. Find everything you need to know at Co-Motion.com.

Co-Motion Tumalo (12-Speed Pinion Gearbox)

• Frame: Co-Motion-designed Columbus Omnicrom heat treated double butted Cro-Moly tubing
• Fork: Whisky #9 MTN Carbon or Rock Shox RL 120mm Suspension fork
• Shifters: Co-Motion grip shifter or TRP Hywire electronic shifters
• Brakes: TRP Hylex/Hywire hydraulic with 180mm disc rotors
• Drivetrain: Pinion C1.12 Gearbox & Gates CenterTrack belt drive
• Gear Inches: 16.1″ low gear & 97.4″ high gear
• Cockpit: Salsa Cowchipper flared handlebar & FSA V-Drive stem
• Saddle/seatpost: Selle Italia X3 XP Flow & Co-Motion
• Wheels: WTB KOM i35mm rims & DT Swiss 350 hubs
• Tires: WTB Ranger 29 x 2.4″

Co-Motion Tumalo (Shimano 1X GRX Drivetrain)

• Frame: Co-Motion-designed Columbus Omnicrom heat treated double butted Cro-Moly tubing
• Fork: Whisky #9 MTN Carbon or Rock Shox RL 120mm Suspension fork
• Derailleurs: Shimano GRX RX-822
• Shifters: GRX RX-822 (right lever controls shifting+brake, left lever controls the optional dropper post+brake)
• Brakes: Shimano GRX Hydraulic with TRP 180mm Disc rotors
• Headset: Cane Creek 40 Series
• Drivetrain: FSA V-Drive 32T crankset & 10-51T cassette
• Gear Inches: 18.1″ low gear & 92.8″ high gear
• Cockpit: Salsa Cowchipper flared handlebar & FSA V-Drive stem
• Saddle/seatpost: Selle Italia X3 XP Flow & Co-Motion 31.6
• Wheels: WTB KOM i35mm rims & DT Swiss 350 hubs
• Tires: WTB Ranger 29 x 2.4″

The post The Co-Motion Tumalo is a Pinion Gearbox Bikepacking Bike That Will Go Anywhere appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.

In this article, I’ll examine the best gravel bikes currently available.

I’ve selected these bikes based on many factors, including outstanding overall design, high attention to detail, well-selected components, and excellent value for performance.

I’ll be picking bikes from different sub-categories, and I should note I’ve made these choices through a bikepacking lens.

If you aren’t sure what bikepacking is, it’s essentially a single or multi-night, self-sufficient bike trip with a minimalist setup. The tent, sleeping bag, and cooking pots are all put in bags and strapped to the bike.

The cool thing is that my criteria unearths great commuter and recreational bikes too.

If you want to cover rougher and more technical terrain, you’ll find a better bike in my off-road bike article HERE.

Narrowing Down The Best Gravel Bikes

The four criteria I’ve used to pick the best gravel bikes include:

• An upright frame design with stable handling
• Low climbing gear ratios
• Clearance for wide tyres
• Ample mounts for luggage and fenders

I’ve used my Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide to find the models that best match this criteria.

If you haven’t seen my guide yet, it teaches you what to look out for in a gravel bike, as well as how to properly compare over 150 different gravel bikes found at the back of the book. The best bit is that my guides are updated yearly, for free, so you’ll always have the latest copy.

Frame Geometry and Sizing

A gravel bike needs to be comfortable over long distances and for multiple days in a row. That’s why the first thing I look out for on the frame geometry charts is a notably upright riding position.

Unfortunately, many gravel frames are inspired by the world of racing, and that means you’re forced into lower and more aggressive ride positions. This is great for going fast, but it also compromises your ride comfort.

With a taller handlebar, expect less hand numbness, and reduced strain on your neck and back.

I’m looking for size large frames (sometimes marked 56 or 57cm) with a stack height of more than 600 mm. In comparison, race-oriented gravel bikes in these sizes usually have a stack height of ~575 mm.

Upright gravel bikes also allow you to comfortably use the drop section of the handlebar. This position is the best place to access the brakes, better in headwinds, and a nice change from the hoods.

Some might argue that an upright ride position is too slow. But if speed is your aim, make sure to fit some aero bars to your gravel bike. They are undoubtedly the best way to improve your aerodynamics AND take the strain off your hands and wrists.

Low Climbing Gear Ratios

When a bikepacking bike is loaded with gear, food, and water – it’s heavy. To combat the extra weight, a bike should use lower gear ratios than usual. Adequately low gears allow you to repeatedly ride up hills without overexerting yourself.

I use a unit of measurement called ‘gear inches’ to compare the low climbing gear ratios of different bikes. This is the front chainring size minus the rear cog size, and multiplied by the wheel diameter.

Don’t worry, we never have to convert gear inches into anything – the two-digit numbers are just nice to work with, and you can calculate them on Gear-Calculator.

I’m looking for anything under 25 gear inches for gravel, but ideally, it’s at the 22-gear-inch mark.

Tyre Clearance

There are almost no downsides to using gravel bikes with clearance for wide tyres, so I’ve prioritised bikes that can clear 50 mm or 2.0” wide tyres.

Wide tyres handle rougher terrain, offer more traction, and are extra forgiving to ride.

You might think wide tyres are slow, but interestingly, it’s the rubber compound and sidewall design that largely determine how fast they roll. That’s why some road bike tyres (Schwalbe Pro One TLE Performance at 80 psi) have the same rolling resistance as mountain bike tyres (Continental Race King at 25 psi).

If you still prefer narrower tyres, you can fit them to any of these bikes.

Mounts and Accessories

Most of the bikes here have mounts for all occasions. This is simply to give you every luggage-carrying option possible.

I’ve prioritised bikes that can fit fenders, which keep the water, dirt, and grit on the road, rather than on your bike and body. Fenders allow you to stay dryer when the roads are damp, and your bike will experience less drivetrain wear too. The penalty is just 500 grams or less than one bottle of water.

Value for Performance

I’ve made sure to pick bikes that offer great value. This doesn’t mean the prices are low across the board, but rather – the more expensive choices I’ve made will offer something that improves your ride experience.

If these bikes are still too expensive for you, I’d recommend using the knowledge from this article and purchasing a similar bike second-hand.

Right, it’s time to look at the cheapest bike on this list, the Salsa Journeyer.

Salsa Journeyer Advent

US $999 — 11.8kg — 26” Climbing Gear — 50 mm Tyre Clearance — 598 mm Stack

People often think you need to spend thousands on a well-designed gravel bike with a smart component selection, but the Salsa Journeyer proves that’s not the case. The Journeyer ticks so many boxes, and scored 19/20 in my recent article about the best budget gravel bikes (under $1000).

It has a perfectly upright frame geometry for long days, clearance for wide tyres, tubeless compatibility (which is quite uncommon at this price), all the mounts, and reliable and user-serviceable components.

It gets better though; you can choose your wheel size! One model has larger 700C wheels that are faster on the pavement, and another has smaller 27.5” wheels that trade some speed for better comfort, grip, and control.

The Journeyer has a notably low standover height, giving you more confidence if you need to stop quickly. The low top tube also helps get smaller riders onto gravel bikes (142cm / 4ft8), who are highly underserved in the bike industry.

The only downside to the Journeyer is the climbing gear ratio that’s not particularly low, however, this is an easy mod. You can either reduce the front chainring size to 36 teeth or increase the size of the rear cassette up to 46 teeth.

If you’d like to learn more about the Journeyer, check out my best budget gravel bikes article HERE.

Canyon Grizl 7

US $1999 — 10.7kg — 25” Climbing Gear — 50 mm Tyre Clearance — 605 mm Stack

If you’re after something a bit more refined, it’s hard to go past the Canyon Grizl 7. This aluminium bike comes with a lightweight carbon fork and a carbon seatpost that’s been tuned to flex 5-10 mm vertically, providing a silky-smooth ride.

Canyon offers some of the broadest size ranges of any bike company, so you’ll find eight sizes to suit people of all heights (although the Grizl doesn’t quite get as small as the Journeyer).

The Grizl 7 has been specced with the latest 2X12 drivetrain that will work very well over rolling terrain, it has a decent climbing gear ratio, and the brakes are hydraulic, which is a big upgrade over almost anything cheaper.

Canyon also includes some nice DT Swiss wheels wrapped in 45 mm tubeless tyres. If you’re seeking more comfort, make sure to fit 50 mm tyres down the line.

Fairlight Faran 2.5

£1999 — 11.0kg — 23” Climbing Gear — 50 mm Tyre Clearance — 610 mm Stack

If you have a preference for steel bikes, the Fairlight Faran from the UK is my top pick, and you’ll quickly realise why.

The attention to detail of these frames is unparalleled for the price. For example, the top and down tubes have been ovalized just for Fairlight, providing the equivalent lateral stiffness of a bigger tube but without the added weight. The cable guides are interchangeable depending on your derailleur and brake setup, the rear dropouts are modular, and there are stainless washer plates up the back so your rack bolts don’t scuff your paint.

The Faran is not only available in five frame sizes, but each size is offered in a ‘regular’ or ‘tall’, which is the next best thing to a tailor-made frame. This sizing distinction essentially determines the height of your handlebars in relation to the saddle, and can be useful for riders who have long torsos and short legs (where a regular frame is best), or short torsos and long legs (where a tall frame is best).

The Faran will fit 700C x 50 mm or 27.5 x 2.35” tyres, which is the widest of any bike on this list. It can also be configured around your needs – choose between 1X and 2X drivetrains, and 700C or 27.5” wheels, or go wild with the myriad of component upgrades.

GT Grade Carbon Pro

US $2900 — 9.5kg — 24” Climbing Gear — 50 mm Tyre Clearance — 603 mm Stack

The 9.5kg GT Grade Carbon Pro is not only light and capable, but it’s incredibly comfortable too.

The signature design feature on this bike is the seatstays that extend from the top tube to the rear dropouts without attaching to the seat tube at all. This allows the frame and seatpost to flex up to 30 mm vertically, absorbing bumps and impacts while you ride along.

Our vibration tests (on the previous version) show that GT’s floating seat stay design can damp more vibration than an Ergon leaf-spring seatpost on fast gravel roads, which is quite a feat.

The innovation doesn’t stop there. GT employs what’s known as a ‘progressive’ frame geometry.

The frame reach is longer than most gravel bikes, which puts the front wheel further in front of the rider providing more stability at speed, and making it harder to pitch over the handlebars. To compensate for the long reach, the stem is short (60 mm), resulting in a more direct steering feel.

The Grade is light enough to be a decent road bike with narrow slick tyres, but capable enough for bumpy forest roads with grippy 50 mm tyres. There are Shimano hydraulic brakes to pull you up on a dime, a 2X drivetrain that’s great for rolling hills, and plenty of mounts for bikepacking accessories. The bike has been designed to accommodate a suspension fork too.

Unlike many carbon bikes in this category, the gear cables do not route through the headset, which is ideal for adventure riding as it makes for less gear cable friction and easier cable changes.

Propain Terrel CF

US $4999 — 8.0kg — 25” Climbing Gear — 50 mm Tyre Clearance — 608 mm Stack

If you want an ultralight gravel bike without breaking the bank, you won’t do better than the Propain Terrel CF. This bike is shockingly good value when compared to all other bikes at the 8 kg (17 lbs) or below mark.

This carbon gravel bike comes with a SRAM 1X wireless drivetrain, DT Swiss carbon wheels, lots of carbon components, and some fast-rolling Continental Terra Speed tyres.

Just because it’s light doesn’t mean it’s less capable. Like the GT, it employs a progressive frame geometry, it has clearance for 50 mm tyres, and it’s compatible with a suspension fork.

In terms of features, the Terrel is thoroughly modern. It features a UDH hanger for SRAM Transmission drivetrains, an oversized T47 bottom bracket, frame storage, a direct mount frame pack, and lots of eyelets for luggage and fenders.

The cables do route through the headset, but as the derailleur is wireless, shift performance isn’t compromised. Thankfully, the cables also run underneath the stem, so you can still change the stem length without needing to re-route the cables.

You can configure the Terrel how you like, with a choice of colours, decals, and bar and stem widths. There are lots of part upgrades available too, including a suspension fork.

YT Szepter Core 2

US $2499 — 10.8kg — 22” Climbing Gear — 45 mm Tyre Clearance — 611 mm Stack

My front suspension gravel bike pick is the YT Szepter Core 2.

The topic of suspension on gravel bikes is quite polarising. Every time I discuss it some people are like “Get a mountain bike”, and others are like “This works awesome”.

For gravel riders who split their time between the pavement, smooth dirt roads, and rugged 4×4 tracks, a bit of suspension keeps your front tyre patch glued to the ground, and it allows you to carry more speed over bumps. It also removes some of the fatigue from riding over rough terrain.

The Szepter is designed by mountain bikers and it shows. It has a progressive frame geometry, a big front rotor for maximum stopping power, a Shimano 1X wide-range drivetrain, and a 40 mm travel Suntour suspension fork. There are even two built-in fenders to minimise the debris on your face and backside, and the direct frame pack mounts are a very neat touch.

Even with all these features, the bike is under 11 kg, has one of the lowest climbing gear ratios here, is cheaper than a GT Grade, and comes in a broad range of frame sizes.

BMC URS LT TWO

€6499 — 9.5kg — 20” Climbing Gear — 45mm Tyre Clearance — 603 mm Stack

The BMC URS LT is a unique full-suspension gravel bike with hidden suspension elements in the carbon fork and rear frame triangle. This makes it the most expensive bike on this list, however, when you consider the riding experience on offer – the price is somewhat justified.

The suspension fork features 20 mm of damped travel that can both remove unwanted shock and vibration coming up from the road and keep your front tyre planted to the ground. Compared to a gravel bike with a rigid fork (Open Wide), we’ve tested the URS front end to reduce vibration by 39% after a big hit, which is huge.

At the rear seat stays are two elastomer springs that generate 10 mm of vertical travel to save your lower back from harsh impacts, and this is combined with a carbon seatpost that provides a further 10 mm of travel. In our vibration test, this combination achieved the same level of vibration damping as the best-performing suspension seatpost (Redshift ShockStop Pro Race), which is seriously impressive.

The amazing thing is that the URS LT is light, stiff, and fast enough to keep up with more pavement-focused gravel bikes, and it has a super low climbing gear ratio too. It’s quite the package; make sure to read our full review HERE.

If you’ve read some of my articles and decided that a gearbox and belt drivetrain is right for you, here are my picks.

Priority Gemini

US $3499 — 12.0 kg — 17” Climbing Gear — 50 mm Tyre Clearance — 600 mm Stack

The Priority Gemini is a tough, low-maintenance, and easy-to-use gravel bike that will conquer the steepest roads.

It’s built around a weather-sealed 12-speed Pinion gearbox that can electronically shift your gears in just 0.2 of a second. The gearbox will change your gears under load, while coasting, and even while stationary at the traffic lights.

Compared to derailleurs, gearbox drivetrains are less susceptible to damage, don’t require any tuning or adjustment, reduce bicycle maintenance significantly, and are unlikely ever to wear out. The only maintenance is the 6,000-mile oil change.

The Gemini comes with a belt drive too, which is cleaner, quieter, and longer lasting than a chain. Through my real-world tests, I’ve ridden belt drivetrains over 30,000 km before my sprockets have worn out, which is 3-4X longer than I expect from a chain.

To round out the Gemini, it features hydraulic brakes, a stable geometry, and an unbelievably low climbing gear ratio. It’s available with a titanium or aluminium frame and it will clear 700C x 50 mm tyres.

If you’d like to know more, check out my in-depth article on the Priority Gemini HERE.

Avaghon Grave

€4499 — 12.5 kg — 20″ Climbing Gear — 50 mm Tyre Clearance — 628 mm Stack

If you’ve read my articles about Rohloff hubs and decided these ultra-reliable, weather-sealed, and surprisingly efficient 14-speed gear systems are for you, you might like the Avaghon Grave.

Avaghon is a company based out of a tiny bicycle shop in the Netherlands. But despite their size, they have come up with a steel bikepacking bike with a tall bar height, and 50 mm tyre clearance, which is designed around a low-maintenance Rohloff hub and belt drivetrain.

This gear hub is lighter than a Pinion gearbox, with smaller gear steps, and a higher drive efficiency. If you’d like the fastest possible gearbox bike – a Rohloff hub is undoubtedly the way to go.

The only downside is that the lever throw is quite long, and the shift speed is quite slow compared to the Pinion electronic shifters. Unfortunately, you can’t have it all.

It’s worth noting Avaghon also builds the Grave with flat bars and a regular twist shifter.

Hudski Doggler

US $1600 — 11.0kg — 20” Climbing Gear — 50 mm Tyre Clearance — 606 mm Stack

Speaking of flat bars, the Hudski Doggler is a gravel bike that’s virtually impossible to find flaws in.

It’s well priced, under 11kg, and has a 20″ climbing gear ratio, full carbon fork, 12-speed drivetrain, and a bigger-than-usual front rotor for quick deceleration.

The Doggler leans heavily into mountain bike design principles. The long wheelbase and slack head tube angle create a super stable ride, and the steep seat tube angle puts your weight further forward for cycling up steep roads.

The Doggler comes standard with a tall handlebar with large grip angle (27 degrees) and less reach than a typical flat bar. This results in a relaxed, upright pedaling position for all-day rides.

Summary

That concludes the best gravel bikes for this year! I hope you can appreciate some of the excellent designs and details that have gone into each of these bikes.

This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what’s available, in fact, for each sub-category here, there are multiple bikes in my buyer’s guide that could’ve won.

I’d recommend checking out the Bikepacking Bike Buyer’s Guide if you’d like to see and compare all the bikes available.

The post The 10 Best Gravel Bikes For Bikepacking In 2024 appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.

This ride is self-supported. The clock begins at the grand depart and won’t stop until riders cross the finish line. The fastest rider will complete the course in 13 days, covering approximately 334 kilometres per day (207 mi).

This event is quite cool from a gear optimisation perspective, as a few tweaks to the bike setups will allow riders to knock hours or days off their ride.

Just like my last article, I’ll analyse 151 different bike setups from this year’s Tour Divide, but this time I’ll also look at the fastest bikes to have ever completed the course. Shout out to BIKEPACKING.com who has generously collected many of the statistics I’ll draw upon (HERE and HERE).

Let’s start with a quick look at some of the fastest recent bike setups.

Fast Tour Divide Bike Setups

Justinas Leveika broke the course record this year on a Trek Supercaliber mountain bike. He used flat bars, front and rear suspension, 29″ wheels, 2.2″ wide tyres, and aero bars.

Ulrich Bartholmoes was second quickest down the Tour Divide on a BMC Twostroke mountain bike (title image). His setup was not dissimilar to Justinas, except he prefers drop bars rather than flat bars.

And lastly, Lachlan Morton recently completed an individual time trial (ITT) on the route that was 14 hours quicker than Justinas. He used a Cannondale Scalpel mountain bike with flat bars, a suspension fork, 29″ wheels, 2.35″ wide tyres, and aero bars. You can take a closer look HERE.

Now that have a sense of what constitutes a fast Tour Divide bike, let’s see what riders are using for this year’s event.

Handlebars

• Drop Bars – 48%
• Flat Bars – 52%

The handlebar choice is an interesting place to start, as around half use drop bars, and half use flat bars (48/52). This is the same kind of split we see in the top 10 riders too.

Some might choose flat bars as they offer better bike control in the mud and snow and over the rougher sections of the route. But as this is a very long event, comfort is usually the primary reason for riders choosing one handlebar design over another.

A more crucial component choice on a Tour Divide bike is aero bars.

Aero Bars on Tour Divide Bikes

• Aero Bars – 89%
• No Aero Bars – 11%

Aero bars increase your speed by reducing your frontal area and making your body shape more aerodynamic. They also play a vital role in increasing your comfort, which is why we see them on 89% of bikes this year and 100% of bikes in last year’s top 10.

Aero bars offer your body a break by providing a different riding position that reduces strain on your arms, wrists, hands, and bum. In the aero position, you can stretch out your back and use different muscles.

It’s important to get the aero bars set up not for speed, but for long days on the bike. You’ll notice many bikes have the aero bars sitting quite high and often tilted back – some riders are using 70mm of spacers.

To maximise comfort, it’s also often necessary to fit the arm pads closer to your body. Some riders use the Fred Bar to mount their aero bars on the steerer while others use aero bars that allow you to slide the armrests backward along the extensions.

If you want to go further down this rabbit hole, I have a detailed article about aero bars HERE.

Saddles

• Brooks – 22%
• Ergon – 22%
• Specialized – 13%
• WTB – 11%
• Other Brand – 32%

Another comfort critical component is the saddle.

There isn’t one magic saddle that works for everybody, as we all have variations in our ride position, core strength, sit bone width, soft tissue, and much more. That said, there are a few saddle brands that stand out.

Brooks and Ergon were the most popular saddle brands amongst Tour Divide riders (22% each). Brooks saddles flex and move underneath you, so if the shape works for your backside, they can be quite comfortable to sit on. Ergon saddles are also really popular due to their shapes and responsive foam padding.

A design I’ve noticed becoming more popular is 3D-printed saddles, which are constructed using a liquid polymer that’s printed into a tuneable honeycomb structure. This fancy design better distributes sit bone pressure across the saddle and helps to damp vibrations too. You can even get tailor-made padding structures that can be asymmetrical in design, with support where you need it, and softness where you don’t. Expect to see more 3D-printed saddles in the coming years.

Another interesting design that’s gaining popularity is the Infinity Saddle. These minimise sit bone pressure by placing your body weight on the muscle mass around your butt. Infinity saddles flex similarly to a Brooks, further increasing comfort. I’d love to hear in the comments if you’ve tried one.

Suspension Seatposts

• Rigid Seatpost – 79%
• Suspension Seatpost – 21%

Suspension seatposts are another great way to improve ride comfort. They essentially isolate you from bigger hits and smaller vibrations, which add up over multiple weeks. Most people who try one will agree the weight penalty of 200 grams is well worth it.

Two years ago, 13% of riders used a suspension seatpost (including the carbon Ergon Allroad Pro), and today, it’s up over 21%.

My current pick of the bunch is the Redshift ShockStop Pro, which combines both a steel coil spring and an elastomer spring. This seatpost has a fast but controlled movement and performs the best in our vibration lab tests.

Tyres on Tour Divide Bikes

• Vittoria Mezcal – 46%
• Conti Race King – 13%
• Maxxis Ikon – 10%
• Rene Herse Fleecer Ridge – 7%

Tyres are an important component to optimise over a 4,300km ride, as they need to be both durable and fast rolling.

The average tyre width amongst riders this year is 2.2″, which is also the average width of the top 10 riders from last year. But it’s usually not the tyre width that determines how fast they roll, instead, it’s the rubber compound and sidewall design that are the key factors.

The Vittoria Mezcal is used by 46% of all riders this year, and the next most popular is the Continental Race King, found on 13% of Tour Divide bikes. Of the fastest riders both this year and last, we see similar popularity when it comes to these tyre models.

Lachlan Morton set the fastest known time with Vittoria Mezcal tyres, however, the data suggests that the Continental Race King is about six watts faster per tyre due to its advanced rubber compound and sidewall design. The fast-rolling Race Kings were used by Justinas Leveika to set the current course record, and by the late Mike Hall who held the previous record.

It’s hard to come up with an accurate time saving between tyre models due to the mix of road surfaces, varying rider weights, and more – but a set of Race Kings could be over 10 hours faster than a set of Mezcals (75kg rider, 15kg bike, 140 watts power output).

That said, Race Kings are 25% less puncture-resistant across the top when compared to Mezcals – so riders need to weigh up whether using a more durable tyre is worth the extra rolling resistance.

A great way to boost puncture resistance is to use high-performing tubeless sealant.

Tubeless Sealant

While I don’t have any data on what sealant people use for the Tour Divide, I recently analysed every sealant puncture test available on the internet and compiled the data into one article.

When we look at the MTB tire width puncture tests, Orange Seal Regular comes out on top with some seriously impressive puncture repair characteristics. In every puncture test I could find, this sealant closed the puncture sites with very little air pressure loss. Even with a 6mm cut, there was just 3.2 psi lost.

Make sure to check out my sealant article to see what tests best for road and gravel bikes too.

Wheel Diameter and Wheel Material

• 29″ Wheels – 92%
• 27.5″ Wheels – 8%

In terms of wheel diameter, two sizes are tackling the Tour Divide: 27.5 and 29-inch.

As the largest diameter wheel offers the smallest ‘angle of attack’ over bumps and depressions in the road, it can maintain the highest average speed. It should come as no surprise that the top riders all use the big 29″ wheels.

56% of people are using carbon rims, with the other 44% on aluminium. Carbon rims are often much stronger at a given weight than aluminium, so if they fit your budget – carbon wheels are a great way to save some grams.

Dynamo Hubs

Regular Front Hub – 40%
Dynamo Hub – 60%

Dynamo hubs are a common addition to a Tour Divide bike setup. With around 5 to 10 watts drag, you can power a decent set of lights, or trickle charge a smartphone. And with no devices drawing power, there is virtually zero drag.

But dynamo setups are starting to become less frequently used in ultra racing as battery and light technology are advancing rapidly.

You can now get a 20,000 mAh battery (~60 Wh) that will charge from empty to full in under one hour (100W input). This is enough power for two full smartphone charges (24 Wh) and about 19 hours of light at 600 lumens output (36 Wh).

Given the drag reduction, some quick maths suggests a power bank could conservatively be a 10-hour saving from a Tour Divide run, depending on the light brightness and power consumption of the dynamo setup you’re comparing to, and how much you use it (75kg rider, 15kg bike, 140 watts power output).

Batteries are undoubtedly a marginal gain that riders should now be thinking about. Lachlan Morton ran battery banks and battery lights for his ITT last year, as do about 40% of the fastest finishers.

Frame Material For Tour Divide Bikes

• Carbon – 54%
• Titanium – 27%
• Steel – 13%
• Aluminium – 5%

Carbon is the most popular frame material with 54% of people choosing it. This is followed by titanium at 27%, steel at 13% and aluminium at 5%. Amongst the top riders, 70 to 80% tend to ride carbon bikes.

Carbon frames typically weigh 1.0 to 1.5 kg, while similarly tough titanium frames are closer to 2.0 kg. Steel frames are often 2.5 to 3.0 kg.

To put this weight into perspective, an extra kilogram is likely about 1.5 hours over 4,300km for the average rider (75kg rider, 15kg bike, 140 watts power output). That’s not much time between frame materials.

Popular Bike Brands

• Salsa – 22%
• Specialized – 8%
• Trek – 6%
• Why Cycles – 3%
• Giant – 3%
• Rodeo Labs – 3%
• Bearclaw – 3%
• Other – 52%

61 different bike brands are represented on the 2024 Tour Divide.

The most popular bike brand is Salsa Cycles who make up 22% of all bikes. This is quite a bit down on previous years; in 2022 Salsa made up 39% of all TD bikes. Other popular bike brands are Specialized (8%) and Trek (6%).

The Salsa Cutthroat is still the most popular bike model with 19% of riders using one.

Tour Divide Bike Suspension

• Suspension Fork – 54%
• Rigid Fork – 46%

A big change over the last few years has been the use of suspension forks.

Two years ago, just 30% of riders used a suspension fork in the Tour Divide. Now, you can find them on 54% of all bikes. The top three riders all used suspension forks this year and last, as did Lachlan Morton on his 12.5-day ITT.

Suspension forks give you better bike control and reduce fatigue on the rougher sections of the route. Given that you can lock them out, the biggest disadvantage is simply that they add weight to your bike. This weight penalty should be worth about two hours of ride time for the average rider, which seems to be worth it for the extra comfort.

Drivetrains

• 1X – 86%
• 2X – 5%
• 3X – 1%
• Singlespeed – 6%
• Gearbox/IGH – 3%

In terms of drivetrains, 1X makes up 94% of all bike setups using derailleurs. This should be unsurprising, as the Tour Divide is an off-road route that demands wide tyres and low gear ratios, and almost all bikes that accommodate these features use 1X drivetrains as standard.

SRAM is the most popular drivetrain brand and is employed by two-thirds of riders. I suspect this is because it’s quite easy to pair SRAM drop bar shifters with mountain bike derailleurs.

Gearbox bikes are not very common in this event as they add weight and drive resistance. I’ve calculated that a gearbox could add between 7 to 12 hours of ride time over 4,300km, depending on the model used.

Pedals

• Clip-In Pedals – 87%
• Flat Pedals – 13%

As the performance advantage of clip-in pedals is mostly found under acceleration, there likely isn’t a big speed difference between flat and clip-in pedals on a route like the Tour Divide.

This year, 87% of riders choose clip-in pedals and 13% are using flat pedals.

Tour Divide Bikepacking Bags

• Revelate – 47%
• Tailfin – 36%
• Apidura – 19%
• Rockgeist/Porcelain Rocket – 16%
• Restrap – 13%

And lastly, let’s take a look at the most popular bikepacking bag brands.

Revelate has been making Tour Divide bags since the very first edition, so it’s not surprising that they are represented on a whopping 47% of all bikes. Tailfin is next; we can see their ridiculously well-engineered products on 36% of bikes. Apidura is the third most common brand, featured on 19% of bikes.

Aero bar specific bags are undoubtedly on the rise. We can see them from Restrap, Apidura, Revelate, and Cyclite. I like that the Revelate has feed pockets built into the sides and that the Cyclite employs an aerodynamic profile and unzips open from the front.

Summary

We’ve now had a good look at what constitutes a fast Tour Divide setup. Based on the trends and data, we should see more suspension forks and suspension seatposts in future editions.

The notable places where some riders could make their lives a bit easier are tyre choice, and using quick-charge batteries with rechargeable lights rather than a dynamo setup. These changes could theoretically shave a full day or two off some rider’s times.

The post The Fastest Bikes of the Tour Divide Ultra Race (4,300KM Non-Stop) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.

If you haven’t heard of them before, a Pinion gearbox is a fully-sealed oil bath of cogs located at the crankset that usually offers 12 different gear ratios.

Compared to derailleurs, Pinion gearboxes are less susceptible to damage, they don’t require any tuning or adjustment, they reduce bicycle maintenance, and they are unlikely to ever wear out. The only maintenance is the 6,000-mile oil change which takes no more than 15 minutes to complete.

A great thing about a Pinion gearbox is that you can achieve lower climbing gear ratios than most bikes with derailleurs, which allows you to ride up the steepest hills with minimal effort. The gear range is very wide too (600%) so you will still achieve a fast top-end speed (40 mph+).

Pinion gearboxes pair very well with belt drivetrains. Belts are notably clean, silent, and long-lasting compared to chains. Through our real-world tests, we’ve found they typically last 3-4 times longer than a chain (that’s about 20,000mi / 32,000km).

Belt drive is designed to very effectively shed mud and grit, which makes it better than chain drive when the weather conditions have turned bad. While belt drivetrains don’t technically require any grease or lubrication, in dry and dusty conditions I recommend a few drops of silicone to keep the belt quiet.

Right, let’s take a look at North America’s best Pinion bikepacking and touring bikes. Please note that we also have a list of the best Pinion gravel and commuter bikes that you can find HERE.

Note: We may earn a commission when you purchase a bike through our links. This directly supports CYCLINGABOUT.com and allows us to continue providing high-quality cycling information to you.

The Best Pinion Bikepacking Bikes & Touring Bikes

Priority 600ADX – $3,499

The Pinion Bikepacking Bike For The Price

Crafted with the spirit of adventure, the Priority 600ADX boasts an upright geometry tailored for all-day comfort, an abundance of mounting points, hydraulic disc brakes, and a suspension fork for maximum front wheel traction and an indulgently smooth ride.

If you haven’t heard of Priority before, they specialize in bikes that are equipped with low-maintenance components and an easy-to-use design. This results in zero of their bikes coming with derailleurs or chains – in fact, they are the biggest distributor of Pinion gearboxes and belt drive products in North America.

The Priority 600ADX is the evolution of the Priority 600X, which my partner Laura spent 18 months riding throughout North America, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. The bike now comes in four sizes and will accommodate riders from 5ft3 to 6ft5 (160 to 196cm). It also has notably long chainstays that ensure extra ride stability and ample heel clearance for panniers.

Don’t let the 600ADX’s relatively low price fool you; this bike offers top-notch performance without breaking the bank. It’s perfect for any adventure whether that’s bashing around local trails, going on an overnight trip, or crossing a continent or two.

The Priority 600ADX comes adventure-ready with tire clearance for up to 29” x 2.8” tires, tubeless compatibility, and plenty of rack, bag, or bottle cage mounts.

Priority will ship their bikes the same day directly to your door for US $30. They are also known for their customer service – we’ve heard from many customers who have been helped with spare parts no matter where they are in the world!

You can order a 600ADX directly from Priority HERE.

Priority 600HXT – $3,999

The Best Pinion Bikepacking Bike For Mountain Biking

REASONS TO BUY

1. Great frame geometry for technical MTB trails
2. Electronic gear shifting with a trigger shifter
3. Incredible value-for-performance

The Priority 600HXT brings Pinion Smart Shift to the trails! This hardtail mountain bike has a high-performance build, that will allow you to tackle steep off-road climbs or technical descents.

Engineered for versatility and durability, the 600HXT features modern MTB geometry with a forward riding position. The 140mm travel Fox suspension fork provides ample traction and stability, enhancing ride confidence on challenging trails.

The new Pinion Smart Shift gearbox features electronic shifting that can change your gears in just 0.2 of a second. This 12-speed gearbox will shift gears under a full pedal load, while coasting, and even while stationary at the traffic lights. If you’d like to learn more about the Smart Shift electronic shifting, make sure to check out our detailled article HERE.

The 600HXT aluminum frame will accommodate wide 29” x 2.6” tires and will suit riders from 5ft5 to 6ft4 (165 to 193cm).

As previously mentioned, Priority will ship their bikes the same day directly to your door for US $30. They are also known for their customer service – we’ve heard from many customers who have been helped in sticky situations all over the world.

You can order a 600HXT directly from Priority HERE.

Tout Terrain Outback Xplore II – $5,549

The Best Pinion Bikepacking Bike with Wide Tire Clearance

The Tout Terrain Outback II is an off-road Pinion bikepacking bike that’s just been updated. The 2nd generation version has even more tire clearance, a more stable frame geometry, and even more mounts across the frame.

Premium-quality steel tubes are used in the construction of the Outback II frame, and it’s treated with a special interior coating for better rust prevention. There is a very neat belt tensioner built into the gearbox mounting place, and you’ll find a steering limiter near the stem to ensure the handlebars cannot turn too far.

The Outback is built stiffer than most so that it can ride without side-to-side flex even after you’ve loaded it up with a ton of luggage. This makes it a great option for off-road touring with front and rear panniers.

There are numerous mounting options on the frame for luggage racks, panniers, and bikepacking bags – the Outback is built for any adventure. The frame will clear 27.5 x 3.0″ or 29 x 2.6″ tires.

If you like, you can even configure the Outback II to the most minute detail. There is a carbon rigid fork or 130mm travel suspension fork option, a choice of wheel size, and even the ability to add in a dynamo light and USB charging system.

You can order the Outback directly from Campfire Cycling HERE.

Tout Terrain Tanami Xplore II – $5,664

The Best Pinion Touring Bike for Extended Trips

Tout Terrain has been a standout for many years in the European market for its customizable bikes that are ready for long-distance touring. Now, they are bringing their bikes directly to the North American market.

The Tanami Xplore II is a rugged touring bike with an upright, stable geometry that’s ready for long days in the saddle. It has an integrated luggage rack that is both stiff and scratch-resistant, and the bike comes with all the touring goodies ready to go, including full fenders and dynamo lights.

Like the Outback II, this bike features a very neat belt tensioner at the gearbox, and you’ll find an integrated steering limiter near the stem. This frame is built especially stiff so that it can still track straight with a full touring load.

Unlike the Outback II, the tire clearance maxes out at 2.0″ with fenders, so this bike is most suitable for a mix of pavement and gravel roads, with a few rocky mountain trails thrown in on the side.

You can order the Tanami directly from Campfire Cycling HERE.

Panorama Boreal Pinion – $4,366

The Best Pinion Bikepacking Bike with Classic Styling

The all-new Panorama Boreal has already conquered the Baja Divide and completed a winter crossing of Quebec, so you can rest assured that this bike is designed for adventure. It has wide tire clearance, tons of mounting points, and a stable but quick steering frame geometry.

Panorama has paid close attention to the Boreal’s design, giving it a slack head tube angle and notably a long fork offset to ensure maximum ride stability while keeping the steering responsive. The long rear chainstay length further increases stability – especially when climbing – as your front wheel can remain planted to the ground even on steep pinches.

Like many bikes on this list, the Boreal is quite customizable. Panorama offers a choice of colors, a choice of brakes, and even a choice of wheel/tire sizes. Choose 29 x 2.0” tires for predominately smooth road riding, or 27.5 x 2.6” tires for off-road terrain.

You can order the Boreal Pinion directly from Panorama HERE.

Co-Motion Tumalo Pinion – $8,445

The Best Full Custom Pinion Bikepacking Bike

Co-Motion has been building tandems and touring bikes that can withstand the rigors of hard riding since the 1980s. Every bike is handmade in the USA with customizable geometry, components, and paint options.

The Tumalo model has been designed as an upright dirt road tourer. You can choose between flat bars or drop bars, a rigid fork or a suspension fork, and electronic shifting or manual shifting for the 12-speed Pinion gearbox.

This bikepacking bike is optimized for 29″ wheels and accommodates tires up to 3.0″ in width. This makes it most suitable for rough and loose dirt tracks, and it’ll handle some rocky mountain trails thrown in on the side.

Co-Motion has added many thoughtful touches to the Tumalo, like a classy chainstay yoke, and polished stainless steel dropouts. The bikes come with rear rack mounts, cargo cage and water bottle mounts, and eyelets for a direct mount top tube pack.

In addition to the optional custom frame geometry, you can customize your paint in hundreds of colors, and add frame couplers, a steering stopper, a metal head tube badge, or a kickstand mount. This will ensure your Co-Motion Tumalo is exactly how you like it, making it a true ‘forever bike’.

You can order the Tumalo Pinion directly from Co-Motion HERE.

Viral Wanderer – $9,795

The Best Pinion Bikepacking Bike in Titanium

The Viral Wanderer is a titanium bikepacking bike that has a futuristic look and an equally futuristic frame design. It features a unique and innovative seat tube design that can provide 10-20 mm of vertical travel at the saddle – this is going to be great for any long days over rough terrain.

The Wanderer employs the new Pinion C1.12i gearbox that features electronic gear shifting via TRP drop bar levers. This 12-speed gearbox will change gears under a full pedal load, while coasting, and while stationary at the traffic lights.

The frame itself weighs under 2kg (4.25lb) making it comfortably the lightest on the list. In terms of geometry, the Wanderer features a slack head tube angle, long wheelbase, and long frame reach to ensure maximum confidence while descending. The frame and fork will clear 29 x 2.4” tires, which gives you lots of gravel and MTB tire options.

When it comes to complete builds, Viral only offers a top-of-the-line spec. You do however get to choose between a lightweight carbon rigid fork or a RockShox SID SL Ultimate suspension fork with 100mm suspension travel.

You can order the Wanderer directly from Viral HERE.

The Pros and Cons of Pinion Gearboxes

The Advantages of Using A Pinion Gearbox

Wide Gear range – One of the major benefits of Pinion is the unparalleled gear range, the C1.12 has a 600% gear range. Compared to almost any other drivetrain, you’ll have easier gears for the steep mountain roads (3 mph) while also having harder gears for the high-speed descents (40 mph+).

Maintenance – Pinion gearboxes have few parts that are susceptible to wear, they stay in tune by design, and they eliminate the most fragile part of any bike, the rear derailleur. Plus, with the annual maintenance consisting of a simple oil change, they can last a lifetime.

Sealed Gearbox – If you spend a lot of time riding in harsh conditions, a Pinion gearbox may just be your savior. These gearboxes are weather-sealed from water, mud, grit, dust, snow, and sand, allowing them to last a lifetime.

Shifting – A very handy feature is that you can shift gears anytime with a Pinion gearbox – including while stationary. This means you can quickly shift to the perfect take-off gear while waiting at the traffic lights. You can also shift 5-6 gears at once, thanks to the Pinion gearbox twist shifter.

The Disadvantages of Using A Pinion Gearbox

Weight – With a gearbox, there is no question that you are making a weight sacrifice. The components required to build up a Pinion C1.12 gearbox drivetrain result in a weight penalty of around 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg) compared to a top-of-the-line SRAM Eagle derailleur drivetrain.

Price – Pinion gearboxes are more expensive than derailleur drivetrains. You can somewhat justify the cost of buying a bike with a Pinion gearbox knowing that you won’t need to replace anywhere near as many cassettes/chains/chainrings – but you’ll have to ride your bike for many years to get that payoff. Luckily, the gearbox will probably last as long as you do!

Drive Efficiency – Pinion gearboxes have a higher drive resistance when compared to a clean and well-lubricated derailleur drivetrain. We’ve estimated it to lose 3-4 minutes per 100km when compared to a Rohloff hub or derailleur gear system. You can read our full analysis HERE.

Gear Steps – The Pinion C1.12 gearboxes have larger gear steps than most derailleur drivetrains. This essentially means that the change between each gear ratio is more pronounced. This is not a big problem in practice, but something you may notice on flatter terrain.

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The post The 7 Best Pinion Bikepacking Bikes & Touring Bikes in North America (USA) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.

Let me save you from doing the maths: Lael will need to ride over 260 kilometres (160 mi) every day for almost four months. Seriously! You can see her exact route HERE.

In addition to this endurance feat, Lael will attempt the record unsupported, which means she will need to spend much of her day hunting down calorie-dense foods, and hotels, while maintaining her bike, and constantly working on logistics.

In this article, we’ll be taking a close look Lael’s bike for this record attempt.

Specialized Roubaix SL8: Lael Wilcox Bike of Choice

Lael is riding a modified Specialized Roubaix SL8 endurance road bike.

This bike features a Future Shock hydraulic suspension element just under the handlebar to absorb vibrations coming up from the road. This will save Lael’s hands, arms, and shoulders from shock coming up from the road, and if there are any unexpected potholes, the suspension damper can minimise the impact significantly.

The Future Shock is a product we have tested in the CYCLINGABOUT Comfort Lab. While we primarily test on gravel terrain, we have measured this suspension element to damp a seriously impressive level of vibrations. In fact, the Future Shock offers more gravel road comfort than any front suspension products we’ve tested – and that includes suspension forks.

It’s a similar story at the back of the bike. The S-Works Pave carbon seatpost can flex up to 18 mm vertically (0.7″) and requires very little force to displace. According to the data, just 9kg (20lb) of body weight on the saddle results in this seatpost displacing one vertical millimetre.

Specialized Saddle

Lael’s bike uses a Specialized Power Pro saddle with ‘Mirror’ technology. This is a unique 3D-printed offering that supports the sit bones like a hammock.

These saddles are a super cool product. A liquid polymer is printed into an infinitely tuneable honeycomb structure. This lattice structure is made up of some 14,000 struts and 7,799 nodes that can mirror a rider’s buttocks region.

Mirror technology is a leap forward in terms of comfort. If the saddle shape works for you, these saddles are notorious for supporting your body weight without damaging the soft tissue in your undercarriage.

Interestingly, Lael doesn’t use padded shorts, instead relying entirely on this saddle for sit-bone comfort.

Zipp Wheels & Specialized Tyres

The Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels are light, aerodynamic, and durable. The rim profile has been wind tunnel tested to be notably fast for its depth, thanks to its more bulbous design. While Lael could have used deeper and more aerodynamic rims, they might be a handful in the crosswinds she’ll likely experience along the way.

Tyre choice is crucial for a record of this distance and duration. Lael has chosen sponsor-correct Specialized Mondo S-Works tyres in a 35 mm width. The Mondos have notably good puncture protection, which is going to be essential on some of the debris-heavy road shoulders Lael will be cycling in.

While the Mondo tyres offer a high puncture resistance, they aren’t class-leading for rolling resistance. A better tyre choice is the Continental GP5000 All Season 35 mm, which rolls about 4 watts faster per tyre, while offering a similar level of protection across the tread, and even more protection at the sidewalls.

If we assume Lael averages 25km/h (15.5mph) on her journey, my napkin maths suggests an upgrade to Continental tyres could save her about 17 minutes per day, which is over 31 hours of cycling during this record attempt. Damn, that’s around three days of cycling… that added up quickly!

Zipp Aero Bars

Lael’s cockpit consists of an S-Works Shallow Bend drop bar, and Zipp Vuka Clip aero bars. While there is a clear advantage to cycling in a more aerodynamic position, most aero bar users will agree that the biggest advantage is the extra comfort they offer.

Aero bars provide Lael with an entirely new riding position. With her elbows and humerus (arm bone) supporting the majority of her upper body weight, she’ll reduce strain on her arms, wrists, and hands – preventing long-term overuse injuries. In addition, these aero bars will allow Lael to stretch out and use different back muscles.

Aero bars make it a bit hard to fit accessories, so Ruckus Composites stepped in to craft some custom carbon fibre mounts that place Lael’s smartphone, bike computer, and dynamo light in the optimal position.

The phone mount of choice is by Quadlock. This is the phone mounting system I’ve been happily using for over a decade.

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• Gear

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Lael is using a prototype Revelate Designs Pitchfork Aerobar System for her sleeping gear.

This harness attaches directly to the aero bars and allows Lael to attach a dry bag underneath with two adjustable straps. There are two feed pockets on either side of the bar extensions, which each have one-handed drawstrings to keep snacks safe and at the ready. In the centre of the Pitchfork is a bungee cord for cinching down some clothing while Lael is on the move.

This looks like a well-thought-out, multi-use bag.

Schmidt Front Light

Lael will be lighting her way with a Schmidt Edelux II dynamo light fixed to her aero bars.

This is the best possible light for a round-the-world journey, as the light is very bright (95 lux), you never have to charge any batteries, and the level of mechanical resistance (drag) is significantly lower than many new ultra-bright dynamo light options.

Lael will likely average around 7 watts of drag with her light switched on, but it could be as much as 10 watts at high speeds. Given she will likely only need to spend a couple of hours cycling at night per day, this light shouldn’t be too much of a time penalty.

The Edelux II light is wired up to a SON dynamo hub, which has the undisputed title of being the most efficient and most reliable hub offering available.

How To Choose The Best Dynamo Lights For Bicycle Touring and Bikepacking

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SRAM Red Groupset

Lael has the latest SRAM Red 2X wireless groupset with 46-33 tooth front chainrings and a 10 to 36 tooth rear cassette. This yields a low climbing gear of 25 gear inches, which is about as low as it gets for a road bike groupset. These gear ratios are going to be some relief when her legs are fatigued at day 100.

SRAM Red is a fully electronic groupset, so Lael will need to carry 2 or 3 spare batteries and a charger to keep her gears operating. According to Lael, she’ll be in hotels at least every other night, so this should be easy to keep on top of.

The big advantage of electronic groupsets for ultra-endurance cycling is that the gear change buttons are much easier to press when your hands are cold. In addition, after the inevitable nerve damage associated with long miles on a bike, it should be easier for Lael to change gears with numb fingers.

Revelate Bikepacking Bags

The rear seat pack is by Revelate Designs who have been making top-tier bikepacking bags since 2008. The Terrapin mounts onto the bike using their ‘Spinelock stability system’ that connects the saddle with a plate inside the bag to ensure it cannot sway side-to-side. It’s a nifty system.

Lael is also using a Revelate MagTank top tube pack that very elegantly bolts to her frame. Unlike most top tube packs, these bags use a flap secured by a magnetic buckle, which allows for quick one-handed opening and closing.

The Best Stabilized Bikepacking Bags & Harnesses (With Rack Supports)

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Summary

Lael Wilcox’s bike is looking very fast, lightweight, reliable, and comfortable. I’d expect the total weight of the bike, bags, and luggage to be somewhere just shy of 20 kilograms (44 lbs).

Other than the choice of tyres, I think this setup looks perfect for a 29,000 km bike ride around the planet. Good luck next week, Lael!

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The post Analysing Lael Wilcox’s Around The World Record Bike (29,000km in 110 Days) appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.

If you haven’t heard of them before, a Pinion gearbox is a fully-sealed oil bath of cogs located at the crankset that usually offers 12 different gear ratios.

Compared to derailleurs, Pinion gearboxes are less susceptible to damage, they don’t require any tuning or adjustment, they reduce bicycle maintenance, and they are unlikely to ever wear out. The only maintenance is the 6,000-mile oil change which takes no more than 15 minutes to complete.

A great thing about a Pinion gearbox is that you can achieve a 30-40% lower climbing gear ratio than most gravel bikes with derailleurs. This allows you to ride up the steepest hills with minimal effort. The gear range is very wide too (600%) so you will still achieve a fast top-end speed (40 mph+).

Pinion gearboxes pair very well with belt drivetrains. Belts are notably clean, silent, and long-lasting compared to chains. Through our real-world tests, we’ve found they typically last 3-4 times longer than a chain (that’s almost 20,000 miles).

Belt drive is designed to very effectively shed mud and grit, which makes it better than chain drive when the weather conditions have turned bad. While belt drivetrains don’t technically require any grease or lubrication, in dry and dusty conditions I recommend a few drops of silicone to keep the belt quiet.

Right, let’s take a look at North America’s best gravel and commuter bikes with Pinion gearboxes.

Note: We may earn a commission when you purchase a bike through our links. This directly supports CYCLINGABOUT.com and allows us to continue providing high-quality cycling information to you.

The Best Pinion Gearbox Gravel Bikes & Commuter Bikes

Priority 600 – $2,499

The Best Pinion Gearbox Commuter Bike For A Lower Budget

Priority is a relative newcomer to the market but they are bringing a lot of excitement with their stylish yet functional bikes. Based in NYC, Priority specializes in bikes that are equipped with low-maintenance components and an easy-to-use design. The best bit is that they can ship their bikes directly to your home for $30.

The Priority 600 is the ultimate low-fuss commuter bike that’s ready to hit the streets. It comes loaded with all the essential upgrades for city riding, including dynamo lights, fenders, tubeless wheels, hydraulic disc brakes, and a convenient kickstand. The Priority 600 has been designed to make your daily commute a breeze.

Don’t let its affordability fool you; this bike offers top-notch performance without breaking the bank. It’s equipped with a C1.12 Pinion Gearbox, 27.5″ tubeless-ready wheels, and fast-rolling 1.9″ wide slick tires. The aluminum frame is available in three sizes to accommodate riders from 5’4″ to 6’5″.

You can order the 600 directly from Priority Cycles HERE.

Priority Gemini Aluminium – $3,499

The Best Pinion Smart Shift Gravel Gearbox Bike

REASONS TO BUY

1. The Pinion gearbox electronic shifting is exceptional
2. Incredible value-for-performance
3. Wide tire clearance

The Priority Gemini is North America’s first readily available gravel bike with Pinion “Smart Shift”.

The new Pinion C1.12i gearbox features electronic shifting that can change your gears in just 0.2 of a second! The gearbox will shift gears under a full pedal load, while coasting, and even while stationary at the traffic lights.

The Gemini’s geometry is designed for all-day comfort, and the four frame sizes will accommodate riders from 5’2” to 6’4”. The frame clears 700C x 50mm tires, which is a width that an ever-growing number of gravel bikes are available with. It also comes with a full carbon fork and seat post which takes chatter out of the road.

The Priority Gemini is offered with an Aluminum or a Titanium frame, depending on your budget, and your ride preferences.

Right now, Priority is offering a sizeable discount on pre-orders of the Gemini, and their bikes often sell out months in advance! If you want to know more about this bike make sure to read our in-depth article HERE.

Alternatively, you can order the Gemini Aluminium or Titanium directly from Priority Cycles HERE.

Carver Ti All Road Pinion – $5,764

The Best Pinion Gearbox Gravel Bike in Titanium

The Carver Ti All-Road Pinion was designed for those who want to travel quickly and comfortably. This titanium frame has a relaxed and stable geometry that’s intended for both commuting and long days in the saddle (on paved or unpaved roads).

The part specification of the All-Road can be configured to suit your needs. You can choose between different wheel sizes, brakes, handlebars, forks, seats, seatposts, tires – the list of options is seemingly endless!

Carver has also integrated many thoughtful touches on the All-Road. There are rack mounts, fender mounts, and three water bottle mounts for both bike adventures and commuting. With 11 standard frame sizes ranging from 44 cm to 64 cm, there should be an All-Road Pinion for nearly every height rider.

If this all sounds good, but you want to customize your frame even more, you can also add frame splitters (couplers), rim brakes – or any other feature your heart desires.

You can order the All-Road Pinion directly from Carver HERE.

Co-Motion Klatch Pinion – $8,495

The Best Full Custom Pinion Gearbox Gravel Bike

Co-Motion has been building tandems and touring bikes that can withstand the rigors of hard riding since the 1980s. Every bike is handmade in the USA with completely customizable geometry, accessories, and paint options.

The Co-Motion Klatch is the company’s first gravel bike. It offers much more versatility than a road bike but is still very fast and efficient. The Klatch comes with a Pinion 12-speed gearbox, belt drive, Rolf Prima tubeless wheels (made in USA), 45 mm wide tires, and a steel or carbon fibre fork.

Co-Motion also offers upgrades like adding S&S Travel couplers, stainless steel polished dropouts, or a fancy head tube badge that reflects the Oregon coast where they are from.

You can also customize your paint in hundreds of ways to ensure the bike is exactly how you want it! The Co-Motion Klatch is undoubtedly a “forever bike”.

You can order the Klatch Pinion directly from Co-Motion HERE.

Tout Terrain Scrambler Xplore GT II – $5,664

The Best Pinion Gearbox Gravel Bike in Steel

The Tout Terrain Scrambler Xplore GT is ready for any adventure, whether that’s an after-work ride or a week-long tour down the Continental Divide. It’d also make a versatile commuter bike with the right accessories fitted.

Tout Terrain is a German brand known for its very high attention to detail. High-quality steel tubes are used across the frame, there is a very neat belt tensioner at the gearbox, and you’ll find an integrated steering limiter near the stem. These frames are also built especially stiff so that they can still track straight after you’ve loaded them up with luggage.

The Scrambler employs a stable frame geometry and has notably long chainstays (455 mm) that provide ample heel clearance for rear panniers. Fit up some 2.0″ / 50 mm wide tires and the Scrambler would provide a very high level of comfort while barely slowing you down.

The Scrambler comes with a carbon touring fork with plenty of cargo mounts, and internal cable routing for a dynamo light. There are also numerous mounting options on the frame for luggage racks, panniers, and more – the Scrambler is built for adventures.

You can order the Scrambler directly from Tout Terrain HERE.

Tout Terrain Tribeca Xpress – $5,334

The Best Pinion Gearbox Gravel Bike With A Flat Bar

The Tout Terrain Tribeca Xpress is similar to the Scrambler but with a greater focus on commuting.

Thanks to the use of flat bars, you can enjoy a more upright riding position compared to other bikes on this list, as well as more effortless steering and control. Navigating through city traffic has never been easier.

The Tribeca Xpress comes with lots of accessories for commuting. Of note is the incredibly neat fender and rack system that will keep you dry on wet days. You’ll also never have to think about recharging bike lights again – the included dynamo lights will keep shining bright, mile after mile.

You can order the Tribeca Xpress directly from Tout Terrain HERE.

Tout Terrain Tribeca Xpress GT – $5,774

The Best Pinion Gearbox Commuter Bike

If you like the idea of the commuter-specific Tribeca Xpress, but prefer drop bars – you’re in luck! Thanks to Tout Terrain’s collaboration with TRP, the Shift:R box was born, which offers a mechanical shifting solution for drop bar bikes.

The Tribeca Xpress GT has the same frame geometry and features as the flat bar model. This means it comes with neat fenders, an integrated rack, and dynamo lights. The bike is ready for adventures of all types, whether that’s around town or a week away.

If you live in the Tucson, Arizona area you can now test ride one before you buy at their North America flagship store. Make sure to check the Tout Terrain website, as they are currently adding more regional dealers in the United States.

You can order the Tribeca Xpress GT directly from Tout Terrain HERE.

The Pros and Cons of Pinion Gearboxes

The Advantages of Using A Pinion Gearbox

Wide Gear range – One of the major benefits of Pinion is the unparalleled gear range, the C1.12 has a 600% gear range. Compared to almost any other drivetrain, you’ll have easier gears for the steep mountain roads (3 mph) while also having harder gears for the high-speed descents (40 mph+).

Maintenance – Pinion gearboxes have few parts that are susceptible to wear, they stay in tune by design, and they eliminate the most fragile part of any bike, the rear derailleur. Plus, with the annual maintenance consisting of a simple oil change, they can last a lifetime.

Sealed Gearbox – If you spend a lot of time riding in harsh conditions, a Pinion gearbox may just be your savior. These gearboxes are weather-sealed from water, mud, grit, dust, snow, and sand, allowing them to last a lifetime.

Shifting – A very handy feature is that you can shift gears anytime with a Pinion gearbox – including while stationary. This means you can quickly shift to the perfect take-off gear while waiting at the traffic lights. You can also shift 5-6 gears at once, thanks to the Pinion gearbox twist shifter.

The Disadvantages of Using A Pinion Gearbox

Weight – With a gearbox, there is no question that you are making a weight sacrifice. The components required to build up a Pinion C1.12 gearbox drivetrain result in a weight penalty of around 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg) compared to a top-of-the-line SRAM Eagle derailleur drivetrain.

Price – Pinion gearboxes are more expensive than derailleur drivetrains. You can somewhat justify the cost of buying a bike with a Pinion gearbox knowing that you won’t need to replace anywhere near as many cassettes/chains/chainrings – but you’ll have to ride your bike for many years to get that payoff. Luckily, the gearbox will probably last as long as you do!

Drive Efficiency – Pinion gearboxes have a higher drive resistance when compared to a clean and well-lubricated derailleur drivetrain. We’ve estimated it to lose 3-4 minutes per 100km when compared to a Rohloff hub or derailleur gear system. You can read our full analysis HERE.

Gear Steps – The Pinion C1.12 gearboxes have larger gear steps than most derailleur drivetrains. This essentially means that the change between each gear ratio is more pronounced. This is not a big problem in practice, but something you may notice on flatter terrain.

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This gravel bike is built around a weather-sealed 12-speed Pinion Smart Shift gearbox that can electronically shift your gears in just 0.2 of a second. The gearbox will change your gears under a full pedal load*, while coasting, and even while stationary at the traffic lights.

This bike will be best suited to bikepackers, commuters, and gravel riders who want the lowest-maintenance, and most easy-to-use bike.

*There is an input torque limit of 250Nm, which can be surpassed under low RPM pedalling situations. When 250Nm is exceeded, the system will delay the shift until it is safe to do so. But keep in mind, the standard, non Smart Shift Pinion gearboxes cannot shift under a 250Nm+ load either.

How is the Priority Pinion Gravel Bike So Cheap?

Priority is a direct-to-consumer bike brand that specialises in bicycles with gearboxes, internal gear hubs, and belt drivetrains. As they sell their gearbox bikes in such large quantities, they can be significantly cheaper than the competition!

The Priority Gemini is available with an aluminium frame for US $3499, and a titanium frame for $5499. This is an amazing price given the Pinion 12-speed gearbox alone is valued at more than $2000. Should you live overseas, Priority can also ship internationally via DHL for an additional $850.

Note: We may earn a commission should you purchase a bike through our links. This directly supports CYCLINGABOUT.com and allows us to continue providing high-quality cycling information to you.

Why We Love The Pinion Gearbox With Electronic Shifting

The new Pinion C1.12i gearbox with electronic shifting could be the best available gear system for bicycles.

Compared to derailleurs, gearboxes are less susceptible to damage, they don’t require any tuning or adjustment, they reduce bicycle maintenance significantly, and they are unlikely to ever wear out. The only maintenance is the 6,000-mile oil change, which takes no more than 15 minutes to complete.

Thanks to the Pinion gearbox, the Priority Gemini features a 30-40% lower climbing gear ratio than most gravel bikes with derailleurs. This allows you to ride up the steepest hills with the least effort.

The gear range is very wide too (600%) so you will still achieve a fast top-end speed. This is the equivalent of using a 1X drivetrain with a 40-tooth front ring and an 10-60T rear cassette!

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Why We Love Belt Drive

Belt drivetrains are clean, silent, and long-lasting. Through my real-world tests, I’ve found they typically last 3-4 times longer than a chain (that’s over 30,000km).

Belt drive is designed to very effectively shed mud and grit, which makes it better than chain drive when the weather conditions have turned bad. While belt drivetrains don’t technically require any grease or lubrication, in dry and dusty conditions I recommend a few drops of silicone to keep the belt quiet.

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Should You Choose A Priority Gemini In Aluminium or Titanium?

The Priority Gemini is offered with two different frame materials, depending on your budget.

Priority has made a name for itself by building its frames using reliable 6061 aluminium. These frames don’t have advanced tube shapes, fancy welding, or special paint. Instead, they are engineered to be tough and durable at the best possible price.

I would recommend the aluminium frame to anyone who wants the best price-to-performance possible.

You can see more pictures of the Priority Gemini Aluminium HERE.

Priority has more recently started building frames using 3AL-2.5V titanium tubes. Titanium frames are often 30% lighter than steel frames, they do not rust, and any scratches can easily be buffed out. These characteristics allow titanium frames to look great after many years of use.

Titanium frames can also be engineered to have slightly more side-to-side flex than aluminium when accelerating, giving them the ‘springy’ or ‘lively’ feel that many people wax lyrical about.

I would recommend titanium to those wanting a gravel bike with a timeless look, those seeking the ‘lively’ ride feel, or those wanting a ‘forever bike’ that’s high cost can be justified over the long term.

You can see more pictures of the Priority Gemini Titanium HERE.

What Are The Priority Gemini Frame Specs?

The Priority Gemini frame has characteristics typical of most modern gravel bikes.

The steering speed is stable, the frame geometry is designed for all-day comfort, and the four frame sizes will accommodate riders from 5’2” to 6’4” (157 to 193 cm).

You can find the frame geometry details, as well as recommended leg inseam lengths on the Priority website.

The Priority Gemini frame clears 700 x 50mm tyres, which is a width that an ever-growing number of gravel bikes are available with. Should you wish to use full-length fenders, the frame will still clear 40mm wide tyres.

The wheelbase of the Gemini is slightly longer than some gravel bikes. This is in part due to the new mounting plate for the Pinion gearbox, which requires slightly longer chain stays. The good news is that a gravel bike with a longer wheelbase is more stable at high speeds.

The rear sliding dropouts are designed to easily tension the belt. These dropouts feature an integrated bolt that will make very fine adjustments to the belt tension, suiting your power output and riding style.

You will find rear rack mounts on the Gemini, along with four bottle cage mounts above, below, and inside the frame triangle.

What Components Does The Priority Gemini Use?

Both Priority Gemini bikes utilise identical part specifications.

The Pinion C1.12i gearbox is paired with TRP Hywire electronic shifters and fully-sealed hydraulic brakes. The small integrated battery for the shifters will make 10,000 shifts before needing a recharge (about 100 riding hours).

The wheelset is lightweight and tubeless compatible. It features WTB KOM Team rims, laced with Sapim stainless steel spokes onto sealed bearing hubs. Both hubs are standard thru-axle (12 x 100 and 12 x 142mm) and the rear hub has a notably high number of engagement points.

The wheels are wrapped in WTB Vulpine 40mm tires for a fast-rolling setup. If you’d prefer even more comfort and speed, Krzysztof over at the Comfort Lab has found the Soma Cazadero in a 50mm width is the best available.

Both Priority Gemini models employ a full carbon rigid fork to keep the overall weight in check. Should you want a bit more comfort from the front of the bike, I would recommend a suspension stem by Redshift, Vecnum, or Kinekt.

The seatpost is made from carbon fibre which should take some buzz out of the road. That said, the diameter of this seatpost is quite large and it will likely be stiffer than most. If you’d like to maximise your ride comfort on this bike we like short-travel suspension seatposts like the Redshift ShockStop Pro or carbon flex seatposts like the Ergon AllRoad Pro.

You can see the full spec list over at Priority Bikes.

What is the Priority Gemini Bike Weight?

The weight of the Priority Gemini Aluminium is 26.5 lb (12.0 kg), and the Priority Gemini Titanium is a touch lighter at 25.3 lb (11.5 kg).

Gearboxes incur a small weight penalty compared to derailleur drivetrains. When we add up the required components to build an entire drivetrain, a top-tier SRAM 1X wireless derailleur setup works out to be about 2.9 lb (1.3 kg) lighter than a Pinion C1.12i gearbox.

This might sound like a lot, but my real-world testing, along with the numbers from the mathematical models suggest that a kilogram of extra weight adds 1-2 minutes on a hilly 100km bike ride. And on a flat route, a kilogram is likely worth 10 or 20 seconds over 100km. It’s not that much.

When is the Priority Gemini Available?

If you’re interested in the Priority Gemini, you can get one sooner and cheaper by pre-ordering. Priority offers a sizeable discount on pre-orders ($500), and the bikes often sell out months in advance.

The aluminium bike will first ship June 30th 2024 and the titanium bike will ship July 31st 2024.

Pre-order your Priority Gemini Titanium for $5499 HERE
Pre-order your Priority Gemini Aluminium for $3499 HERE

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The post The Priority Gemini Pinion Gravel Bike Has A Gearbox & Belt Drive For $3499 appeared first on CYCLINGABOUT.com.