Gravel bike for Gavin B.

Gavin B. wanted a gravel bike for enjoying the dirt roads around Reno and Truckee. Although he doesn't race, he was keen to design the bike for efficiency.

Every year he likes to sign up for a couple of gravel event rides to motivate him to maintain his fitness. He hoped a new bike would help his speed and comfort for local events like the Lost and Found Gravel Festival.

For riders who might dabble in some mellow singletrack or ride steep and loose terrain, I like to design the bike for a shorter stem. This allows me to make the front end longer without affecting fit. A longer front end will prevent toe overlap with the front wheel and provide a little more descending confidence.

You'd think the shorter stem would make the handling feel twitchy. But the combo of the larger tire mass and slacker head tube angle balance things out.

Gavin selected a nice collection of parts for the build. Ritchey supplied the cockpit and seatpost. Sram provided the shifting duties with a 1x11 setup. White Industries classed up the joint with the crank, bottom bracket, headset, and the finest headset spacers on the market. Whisky took charge of the fork. Industry Nine brought the hoops, and Rene Herse iced the cake with some 700x42 knobbies.

Ollie at Dark Matter Finishing laid down the British racing green paint with masked tan graphics. It's a winning combination.

Don't be shy if you'd like me to make you a similar bike. Here are my contact details.