Like shooting fish in a barrel – I spotted a new Argon18 aero gravel bike while trying to have a beer after work at The Traka

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We don't know much but it has the set menu of gravel race bike features

Argon18 gravel bike
New bikes are everywhere in Girona for The Traka (Image credit: Will Jones)

Spotting new bikes at The Traka is a bit like shooting fish in a barrel. Simply ambling around the start paddock you’ll see an unreleased Ridley with monster tyres and a road-like aero package, or a prototype Canyon, but beyond the walls of the event one can easily spot the latest and greatest gravel tech just by keeping your eyes open around town in Girona.

Walking home on Thursday, flush from spotting a plethora of cool stuff for my upcoming tech gallery, I sat at a cafe with a frosty European lager for some editing when something caught my eye: a brand new Argon 18 gravel bike.

I shan't drop the rider into hot water, but they were kind enough to let me lean it up against a wall in an alley for five minutes while she chatted with a friend. We’ve had no details yet from Argon 18, despite asking nicely, so we will have to wait and see what the actual situation is, but it’s clear it’s ordering from the set menu for new gravel bikes, and drawing inspiration from the latest Nitrogen Pro road bike.

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Argon18 gravel bike

Big tyres? Check. Aero tubes? Check. Huge BB? Check. (Image credit: Will Jones)

Argon18 gravel bike

I'm a real sucker for details, and this equation is top notch for nerdy tech spotters like me. (Image credit: Will Jones)

Argon18 gravel bike

It's clear the new bike is drawing from the brand's aero rad bike, the Nitrogen Pro. Deep head tube, truncated tubes, but paired with huge tyres. (Image credit: Will Jones)

Argon18 gravel bike

Much like the Ridley I spotted earlier this week, the bottom bracket is huge, and naturally it seems to be a 1x only machine. (Image credit: Will Jones)

Argon18 gravel bike

MTB tyres are gravel tyres now, and the fork can swallow tyres measured in inches not millimetres. (Image credit: Will Jones)

Argon18 gravel bike

The combination of a narrow headtube and hyper-wide fork makes for quite a front end. (Image credit: Will Jones)

Argon18 gravel bike

We will have to wait and see the actual details, but this is certainly a cutting edge machine. (Image credit: Will Jones)
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Will Jones
Will Jones
Senior Tech Writer

Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.

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