ADVENTURE

2020 BUYER’S GUIDE

No. 22 Drifter X $14,000

Perhaps you’re a rider who can never quite find the right size of bike on the showroom floor. Or maybe you just want something different than everyone else on the gravel group ride. Either way, the Drifter X could be the answer. The Drifter X is a made-to-order titanium frame designed for aggressive handling and a high stiffness level. It’s based on No. 22’s Drifter model, but taken up a few notches. As with the geometry itself, the Drifter X is available as a highly customizable build kit that comes with a frame-specific carbon fork and a wide range of drivetrains. This spec includes a sram etap kit, No. 22 carbon wheels by Boyd and custom No. 22 cockpit parts, which, like the frame itself, can be anodized in 10 colours. The Drifter X carries a 10-year warranty against manufacturing defects. ( 22bicycles.com)

Norco Search XR C2 $4,499

The Search line from Norco has established itself as a versatile, go-anywhere option with loads of tire clearance and plenty of mounts to carry whatever you might need for a long haul. The new XR C2 offers this versatility in a lightweight hi-mod carbon frame and fork that further push the boundaries of a one-bike-for-everything possibility. The C2 comes stock with a Shimano grx 1 x 11 drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes, a 50-mm X-fusion dropper seatpost and thru-axle Easton EA70 AX tubeless-compatible wheels. wtb 42-mmwide tires and a mix of Easton and Norco bits complete the spec sheet. The two smallest frame sizes of Search (45.5 and 48) ship with 650b wheels; the rest (50.5 to 60.5), with 700c hoops. ( norco.com)

Cannondale Topstone $5,000

Many years ago, the Cannondale Scalpel set the bar for lightweight cross country bikes that offered just a touch of suspension through carbon chainstay technology. With the rise of gravel bikes, Cannondale is once again leading the way. In this case, it’s the Kingpin suspension, which takes the edge off the bumps with as much as 30 mm of travel without the use of shocks. The Topstone Ultegra RX is a capable, value-packed carbon gravel bike with internal cable routing, disc brakes, 40-mm tire clearance and Cannondale carbon wheels. The Topstone has more bottle- and gear-mounting options than just about any bike on the market and a Shimano Ultegra drivetrain that can handle whatever you can throw at it. ( cannondale.com)

T-lab R3 Omni $5,650

Quite possibly the perfect bike for the mixed terrain found in T-lab’s home province of Quebec and across much of Canada, the T-lab R3 Omni is a titanium-frame all-rounder that performs well on any surface. Hand-built in Montreal, the R3 Omni uses T-lab’s Grade 9 titanium that is cold formed to offer unique tube shapes. The frame has short chainstays for quick handling, but can still accommodate 700c x 35c tires. This build includes a full Shimano Ultegra drivetrain and disc brakes, along with Mavic Allroad wheels, Mavic Yksion Elite tires and Ritchey cockpit components. ( t-lab-bikes.com)

Cervélo Áspero $8,000

When it comes to the Áspero, Cervélo is unapologetically single-minded: go fast on gravel. Designed for racing rather than long-distance touring, the Áspero is a stripped-down frame with just what you need to win races or snag koms. Available in six sizes from 48 cm to 61 cm, five builds and three colour combinations, the Áspero’s carbon frame can accommodate tires as wide as 700c x 42c or 650b x 49c. The Force etap axs 1 Disc build features Cervélo’s full-carbon Áspero fork, sram’s reliable Force drivetrain and brakes, DT Swiss grc 1650 wheels, 40c Donnelly X’plor tires and Easton cockpit components. ( cervelo.com)

Brodie Romax Carbon $3,999

When there’s only room for one bike in the quiver, the Brodie Romax Carbon 2x 650 is a perfect choice. Load it up to go bikepacking or strip it down and throw on skinny tires to go road racing, the Romax can do it all. The carbon frame is matched to a fullcarbon fork with 12-mm thru axles and extra cage mounts. As the name suggests, the 2x 650 comes with a Shimano grx 2 x 11 drivetrain and 650b Alex A-class Boondocks 3 wheels with wtb rubber. The Romax Carbon comes in four sizes and is also available in 1-by configurations. ( brodiebicycles.com)—dandakin