How awful would it be if all cyclists had to ride the exact same gravel bike? Variety is the spice of gravel cycling. Sure, the shop round the corner probably only stocks four or five brands. But in our connected world, there’s the chance to find out about a whole range of other options. Giant, Trek, Scott, Merida: everyone knows the industry giants. But have you ever heard of Equilibrium, Pegoretti, Tulipp, Scarab or Soulrider? We’re here to shed some light on the matter and put five lesser-known gravel bikes in the spotlight.
Conclusion
All over the world, people are building beautiful bikes. The choice doesn’t stop at the carbon and aluminium models from Canyon, Cube, Specialized and the like; it goes much further still. Anyone prepared to delve into exotic niches may well find their next dream bike there. Whether steel or titanium, a custom paint job or standard colour, made to measure or with a set geometry: the world of gravel bikes is a colourful one! - Jan Timmermann, BIKE editor
1. From Tokyo with love: Equilibrium Brutalist
The elegantly designed Equilibrium Brutalist tells a multicultural story. The man behind this gravel bike hails from Latvia and learnt his craft from Japanese frame-building masters. The Brutalist also combines classic titanium with modern 3D printing and an aesthetic that truly evokes the monumental clarity of Brutalist architecture. The printer produces, for example, the seatstay junction, where the seatstays run past the seat tube at a shallow angle and join the top tube. This is designed to allow the material to flex slightly more and enhance riding comfort.
- Intended use: gravel bike
- Ground clearance: 50 mm
- Frame material: titanium
- Fork material: carbon
- Weight: approx. 8.5 kg
- Price of the frame set: approx. 6,000 euros
- Special features: made in Japan, custom geometry and design
2. One of a kind: Pegoretti Orlando
Dario Pegoretti is both a master of his craft and an artist. His workshop in Verona sees itself not as an industrial bicycle factory, but as a ‘bottega’. With the Orlando, gravel cyclists can give tangible form to their passion for cycling and, despite the steel frame, need not compromise on modern standards. No two Pegoretti bikes are alike. As well as a single-colour finish, there is the famous Ciavete finish. At Pegoretti, this stands for freely designed, abstract and hand-painted surfaces. The manufacturing process typically takes six to eight months, or even longer for particularly elaborate projects.
- Intended use: gravel bike
- Ground clearance: up to 50 mm
- Frame material: steel
- Fork material: carbon
- Weight: from approx. 7.9 kg
- Price of frame set: from 4,000 euros (excluding VAT)
- Price of the complete bike: from 8,500 euros (excluding VAT)
- Special features: made in Italy, custom geometry and paint finishes available, compatible with suspension forks
3. A tailor-made adventure: Tulipp Adventure A65
At the heart of the Adventure A65 is its steel frame. Tulipp crafts this by hand in Montreal. This Canadian gravel bike is not simply an off-the-shelf production model, but is individually tailored to each rider using a carefully considered ‘do-it-all’ approach. It is not the bike that should determine where the journey takes you, but the rider. The Canadians’ high-quality frames and forks can also incorporate even the most unusual special requests. Thanks to its generous tyre clearance, the Tulipp is the ideal robust touring bike for almost any terrain.
- Intended use: gravel bike
- Ground clearance: 57 mm
- Frame material: steel
- Fork material: steel
- Weight: from approx. 9.5 kg
- Price: N/A
- Special features: made in Canada, custom geometry and paint finish
4. A passion for cycling: Scarab Paramo Integrale
Scarab is synonymous with meticulously crafted bespoke bikes from Colombia, and the Paramo gravel bike is, of course, no exception. Handcrafted in El Retiro near Medellín, this custom bike combines a bespoke Columbus steel tube set with a clear focus on contemporary technology. The Integrale version, for example, features fully integrated cable routing through the fork, handlebars and frame. The paint finishes are created in-house at Scarab and are among the most technically sophisticated features of the gravel bike.
- Intended use: gravel bike
- Ground clearance: 50 mm
- Frame material: steel
- Fork material: carbon
- Weight: N/A
- Price of frame set: from approx. 3,300 euros
- Special features: size-specific tube set, custom paint finish and geometry, fully integrated cable routing, made in Colombia
5. Gravel bike in Turkish: Soulrider Sile
A lovely name, a lovely bike: the Soulrider Sile is an elegant steel gravel bike that hardly anyone in Germany has heard of. This Turkish gravel bike hails from Istanbul and takes a refreshingly classic approach. Rather than maximum integration and minimal weight, this bike is all about versatility, robustness and the freedom to carry on riding where the road has long since ended. At the heart of the Şile is a hand-built steel frame. This is one of the so-called ‘ready-made’ models – meaning it isn’t designed entirely as a bespoke build, but is available in various sizes and colour options.
- Intended use: gravel bike
- Ground clearance: 40 mm
- Frame material: steel
- Fork material: carbon
- Frame weight: approx. 1875 g
- Price of frame set: from around 1,200 euros
- Special features: Mounting points for mudguards and luggage racks, made in Türkiye
What do you think: which of these five exotic gravel bikes is your personal favourite? Let us know in the comments!
Jan Timmermann
Editor