The new Chapter2 AO: A bike for all things gravel

Chapter2
(Image credit: Chapter2)

It wasn’t that long ago that gravel bikes were mismatched road and mountain bike frames with odd wheel combinations, questionable brakes, and ultra-wide tires. At-home mechanics tried their best to toe the line between on-road and off-road, with technology borrowed from road, mountain, and cyclocross bikes. Combining disc brakes, wide tyres, and drop bars, the gravel bike was born. 

In the beginning, gravel bikes were heavy and slow, but they could sure handle the tough, off-road terrain. Gravel riding is unpredictable, and you could experience everything from a soft gravel path to a muddy singletrack trail, to a thick sea of rocks that looks like a construction site. Comfort and capability are of the utmost importance for gravel bikes, but the recent trend towards gravel racing means that they also need to be fast. 

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