A retro look despite its 32-inch wheels: The Cybercycles Grawall steel gravel bike

Gravel bikes with steel frames hold a special place in people’s hearts. Fans rave about the nostalgic look of slim tube diameters and straight lines. The team behind Cybercycles are also passionate about a classic aesthetic. At the same time, they create bespoke frames to the very latest standards. Their latest creation: the Cybercycles Grawall. It is the first 32-inch gravel bike from the small Jena-based brand and thus offers a glimpse into the future: handcrafted, beautifully finished and featuring a novel wheel size.

Conclusion

As a steel bike enthusiast, I’ve been a fan of Stefano and Horst’s work for many years. Cybercycles’ components have a wonderful retro feel, yet still meet modern standards, making them cool customisation parts for enthusiasts. The brand’s bespoke frames are sure to delight tech enthusiasts. The new Grawall gravel bike with 32-inch wheels is no exception. - Jan Timmermann, TOUR editor

The look of yesteryear

​Stefano and Horst from Cybercycles have a soft spot for the style of the 80s and 90s. That’s why they keep conjuring up cranks, stems, forks and even frames with a retro look. By their own admission, they also love to lose themselves in the details. Stefano Agresti is the duo’s operational mastermind and has been welding titanium and steel tubes into bicycle frames since 1989. Horst’s real name is actually Christian. His fascination with the bike tinkerer Horst Leitner – the inventor of the hydraulic disc brake for bicycles and the legendary Horst-Link rear suspension system – earned him the nickname. ‘Horst’ particularly enjoys developing concepts with a distinctive, colourful style. The exquisite Cybercycles products are developed and designed in Jena. Manufacturing and logistics are handled in Offenbach am Main. This makes the small company an exemplary illustration of the shared love of bikes that bridges East and West Germany.

The most sought-after item in the small Cybercycles range is the Cyber Cranks. With their slender steel arms, they are reminiscent of BMX cranks and old-school mountain bike technology. Thanks to modern expertise and uncompromising quality standards, these steel components are actually lighter than many aluminium or even carbon cranks. Naturally, the new Grawall 32-inch gravel bike also features a Cyber Crank – specifically, the gravel-specific GR version. Weight: 495 grams, price: 479 euros. The steel crankset accommodates various chainrings via CNC-milled spiders.

Gravel bike with giant wheels

Like all of Cybercycles’ custom-built frame projects, the Grawall gravel bike is a one-off, built specifically as a show bike for Bespoked 2026 in Dresden. It was only finished shortly before setting off for the trade fair, which caused Stefano and Horst quite a few headaches. The bike, christened the “Grawall”, is a further development of the “Grawumm” model, which rides on classic 28-inch gravel wheels. Back in the 90s, no one would have imagined that gravel bikes with 32-inch wheels would one day become all the rage. But even though the Grawall has a classic look, this show bike is right at the cutting edge of technology, featuring 3D-printed components and CNC-machined details.

The chainstay yoke on the Cybercycles Grawall is 3D-printed and ensures that the rear end of the gravel bike remains just 435 millimetres long, despite its huge wheels. In general, the developer duo paid particular attention to achieving a compact geometry with a low bottom bracket to keep the handling agile despite the large wheels. The eccentric dropouts are also brand new. The custom fork is made of titanium and goes by the name of “Vector Blade”. To achieve the desired geometry, it wasn’t simply a case of using an off-the-shelf model. The Grawall’s rigid fork is specifically tailored to the 32-inch wheels in terms of installation length and rake. The solid crown, like the post-mount brake mount, was 3D-printed from titanium powder. As a result, the Cybercycles Vector Blade weighs just 740 grams. Titanium is also used for the stem. It is a retro model from the cult brand One Off. On the Cybercycles, the cable routing runs internally for a clean look. A SON dynamo transmits its energy wirelessly between the front wheel hub and the fork.

The chainstay yoke on the Cybercycles Grawall is 3D-printed and ensures that the rear end of the gravel bike remains just 435 millimetres long, despite its huge wheels. In general, the developer duo paid particular attention to achieving a compact geometry with a low bottom bracket to keep the handling agile despite the large wheels. The eccentric dropouts are also brand new. The custom fork is made of titanium and goes by the name of “Vector Blade”. To achieve the desired geometry, it wasn’t simply a case of using an off-the-shelf model. The Grawall’s rigid fork is specifically tailored to the 32-inch wheels in terms of installation length and rake. The solid crown, like the post-mount brake mount, was 3D-printed from titanium powder. As a result, the Cybercycles Vector Blade weighs just 740 grams. Titanium is also used for the stem. It is a retro model from the cult brand One Off. On the Cybercycles, the cable routing runs internally for a clean look. A SON dynamo transmits its energy wirelessly between the front wheel hub and the fork.

What do you think: do you like the combination of craftsmanship, a retro look and 32 inches? Share your thoughts in the comments!