My Dream Gravel Build
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Every once in a while, it's nice to daydream just a little. Especially during the tougher times that we are currently enduring, it's almost therapeutic to let your imagination run wild to dream up what you could achieve if there were absolutely no restrictions in terms of resources and funds. One example of an activity that provides the perfect opportunity for a mental escape is to piece together a dream bike set-up. That's exactly what today's post is all about and unlike other articles about "dream builds" where they actually lay out the parts and build the bike, this post will be exactly as stated, a dream. Yep, no big budgets were spent in the process of putting together this article, but instead a very enjoyable trip down imagination-lane was taken to come up with a list of components that make up my dream gravel bike set-up.
Sorry to disappoint those who came here looking to see another $10k+ bike being pieced together, but I can assure you that if you stick around, you will learn about a few interesting parts and components that I would add to my custom dream gravel bike. I’ll want to walk you through each part of the process to highlight what my perfect bike looks like (at least at the time of writing, since things can change so quickly). This list has been carefully researched and isn’t just simply the lightest and/or most expensive components that you will find on the market. I’ve truly given much thought to each part and will explain the significance of each part as I go along. There are surely a few parts that will surprise you, as they don’t fall into the conventional choice category when it comes to designing a dream gravel bike.
My requirements for a perfect gravel bike
Before we dive into the details about the parts, it’s worth setting the stage for this build by looking at what I want in the perfect gravel bike. This will help explain the selections that’s I’ve made for my dream bike. My current gravel bike is the 3T Exploro (Pro GRX model) and I’ve written an extensive review about this bike, should you want some more information about this particular model. I have high praise for this bike and find it tremendously enjoyable to ride. The 3T Exploro provides so much of what I want in a gravel bike, an all-round bike that is equally impressive on the road as it is off-road. The “GravelPlus” design of this bike allows for incredible versatility and its ability to accommodate both 650b and 700c wheels allows for tire sizes that range from 25mm all the way through to an impressive 55mm (on 650b wheels). This bike provides great aerodynamic benefits that make it ideal for a fast ride along paved roads, but at the same time also offers exceptional performance when it comes to more technical riding conditions that require stability and comfort. This is what I need in a gravel bike, a bike that can do it all - a true n=1 bike.
If my current bike is so great, why the need for a dream build? Well, like any true nerdy cyclist, I’m always fighting the desire to look for areas where I can upgrade or improve my bike set-up. There will just always be those areas that can be improved to push the bike that small step further, making the ride smoother, faster or more efficient. This feeling was exactly what motivated me to draw up this list of what a perfect bike will look like if I had the choice to pick each component and construct my ideal gravel bike from the ground up. Enough with the background info, let’s get into it!
The frame
Judging by my explanation above, I think it’s already pretty clear that I favor a particular brand when it comes to my choice of a gravel bike frame. In fact, I might even go as far as to say that I favor a particular designer when it comes to frame designs: Gerhard Vroomen. His legacy of bike design can be seen in the likes of Cervelo, 3T and also OPEN, to name a few of the major brands. The products that have come to life as a result of his vision is truly remarkable. My choice of the ideal gravel frame basically comes down to a toss-up between two Vroomen bikes, the 3T Exploro LTD (surprise, surprise) and the OPEN U.P.P.E.R.
On the one hand, the OPEN offers exceptional modular abilities for the perfect gravel creation, especially when it comes to the seat post design (which can accommodate a dropper post, unlike the 3T). On the other hand, you have the 3T that is designed for speed and aerodynamics, offering performances that rival many top-end road bikes. Both of these frames are equally versatile, and both can run a wide variety of tire choices as a result of the GravelPlus frame design. The OPEN and 3T both carry fairly similar frame geometry characteristics as is evident in the shorter and dropped chain stays. At the end of the day, my roadie background really shines through and being a sucker for all things aero draws me towards the 3T Exploro ever so slightly. Given that I’ve had the opportunity to ride a lower end 3T Exploro model over the last 8 months, I have great confidence that I won’t be disappointed with this choice of frame for my dream build. Whereas my current bike is fitted with the Exploro PRO frameset, my dream build will be based on the Exploro LTD frame. This frame (size M) comes in at a mere 990g - much lighter than my current PRO model. I know, the OPEN U.P.P.E.R comes in even lighter at 880g, but in this instance, I’ll take the extra weight in return for the additional aero benefits provided by the Exploro.
The wheels
The next important element to any dream build is the wheel selection. Given that my frame of choice can run such a wide variety of tire sizes and can accommodate different wheel sizes, it makes no sense to limit the selection to only one wheelset. Yep, I’m going to provide two choices when it comes to the wheels. First, I’ll take one 700c all-road wheelset that can take on both paved roads and smoother gravel roads with ease. For the second pair, I’ll go for a smaller wheel size, which can be used to run wider tires on those days when it comes to riding rougher gravel roads and trails.
Let’s start with the all-road wheelset first. I’ve long been a massive fan of a nice set of carbon wheels and have even written a post about how the beauty of a carbon wheelset alone can add to my performance. Well built wheels are true (no pun intended) works of art and when picked correctly, can add massively to ride comfort and performance. A wheel brand that has certainly caught my attention in recent years is Enve. Graveleurs will most likely have seen the likes of Colin Strickland sporting some seriously impressive Enve wheels during any of his gravel rides. Enve has plenty of amazing wheels on offer, including the gravel specific G23 series, but my dream 700c wheel of choice comes in the form of the SES 3.4 AR Disc wheelset. I mean wow! These things can do it all. To build a true all-round bike requires a true all-road wheelset. In my humble opinion the SES 3.4 AR offers the perfect mix of aerodynamics and high-quality design. The 39mm (front) and 43mm (rear) rim depths provide a sweet spot between aero and all-round versatility. The 25mm internal width and 32mm external width of the rims provide exceptional benefits when it comes to 28mm-32mm tires, but it can just as easily accommodate wider gravel tires. Another great benefit with this wheelset is that a bike nerd, like me, can get even more custom and opt to go with either Chris King or Industry Nine hubs to complete the package. Since this is my fictional dream build, why the heck not? Let’s throw in the Chris King hubs to sweeten the deal even more. The combination with the King hubs will bring the total weight for the pair to around 1436g, but who’s counting right?
Onto my second wheel of choice. This one is meant for rougher gravel roads and more MTB-like terrain. You might find this a bit of a surprising pick, but once you click through to their website and see this wheelset for yourself, you’ll understand why I picked it. It’s sure to turn a few heads as you cycle by. The Xentis Kappa2 27.5 wheels are just absolutely beautiful to look at. I can’t really provide that much more in terms of my explanation for this wheel choice, other than the fact that it just immediately catches your attention with the 4-spoke design. Perhaps my background in triathlon also shines through when it comes to this wheel choice. The tri-spoke wheel designs that featured so prominently in triathlons during the 90’s really comes to mind when you look at the Kappa2. Aside from the aesthetic appeal that comes with the Kappa2 wheelset, one can also think of some very functional aspects that makes this the perfect choice for rugged off-road riding. The simple 4 spoke design makes this a breeze to clean, especially after a super muddy ride. After struggling with wheels in the past that have gone out of true from heavy use, I can surely appreciate a design that can overcome the need for constant spoke tensioning. The 27.5-inch wheels with 30.2mm external rim width will allow for wider MTB tires, providing perfect grip and comfort over the rugged surfaces. The pair weighs in at an impressive 1384g.
Between the two wheel choices as listed above, my dream bike can really provide the best of all worlds. Want a fast paced and snappy ride over all kinds of roads? Then the SES 3.4 AR will be the go-to option. Want to go for that epic spin through the park along my favorite trails? Then the Kappa2 wheelset can give everything I need plus make me look seriously sharp while doing so.
The brakes
I know that this is a very odd component to list fairly early in the build, but in this instance, I’m going to break away from more conventional gravel builds. You’ll soon see why my selection of brake calipers creates a knock-on effect when it comes to the other parts of the bike. As much as hydraulic brakes provide you with exceptional stopping abilities, the installation and maintenance that comes with them are far from ideal. Rim brakes on the other hand have one major thing going for them - they are super easy to maintain and require minimal specialized tools to install. Hydraulics are time consuming components that require bleeding kits and other more complicated maintenance procedures. Rim brakes are unfortunately not an option anymore since most wheel designs (including the two that I selected) are now disc brake specific. Mechanical disc brakes do exist, but they are for the most part pretty terrible when it comes to braking performance. That got me thinking, is there a disc brake system out there that can combine the best of both worlds? Could I find a solution that provide the sharp braking performance of hydraulic brakes, but the maintenance and installation ease of a cable-based rim brake system?
Turns out there is a solution to the problem! The Yokozuna Ultimo flat-mount cable-actuated hydraulic disc brakes. Yes, you read that correctly. These brakes operate with a hybrid design that combines a closed hydraulic system with the ease of cable-actuated mechanisms. Brilliant! Do follow the link that I provided and check it out for yourself. It’s any home mechanic’s dream. With a few simple wire cutter tools, you can install and adjust these brakes yourself. No need for all the complicated hydraulic bleed kits. That also makes it perfect for longer gravel bikepacking trips. Should anything go wrong with the brakes while you are in the middle of nowhere, you could most likely fix the problem yourself. These brakes come with a few other neat features such as brake cables and rotors already included with the purchase. They also don’t weigh that much either and come in at 139g per brake caliper. The simple one knob brake pad adjustments that come with these brakes will make wheel interchangeability much easier when switching between different wheel sets.
To me, this is what a dream build is all about - finding little gems like these brake calipers and picking them for my bike set-up. Mass production will never give you the flexibility that come with a custom build. You can see how this choice of braking system will now impact the selection of gear shifters, since this will have to account for the cable-based brakes. Let’s dive into that part of my dream build next.
The shifters
A dream bike build won’t be complete if it doesn’t come with a sleek finish. That means there shouldn’t be any unnecessary wires sticking out of the bike, which in turn can mean only one thing - wireless shifting. Wireless shifting ties in perfectly with the theme that drove the brake selection, i.e. ease of installation. My weapon of choice comes in the form of SRAM’s RED Etap AXS wireless shifters. This set-up is super simple to install and negates the need for any complicated internal cable routing. Since my brake selection relies on a cable-actuated design, the shifter that has to be added to the bike comes in the form of the SRAM RED Etap AXS shift-brake lever. The shift brake version of the RED AXS shifters offers some interesting benefits when compared to its hydraulic counterpart, the biggest of which relates to the shape of the shifter hoods. The shift-brake version of the RED shifters comes with much smaller hoods, as it does not need to contain the hydraulic reservoir inside the unit. I’ve never been a big fan of the oversized hoods that you find on modern shifters, and a small, compact design is just so much more comfortable to hold in your hands. Personal preference I guess, but the SRAM RED Etap AXS shift-brake levers provide the perfect addition to my dream gravel bike.
The crankset
The crankset is one of those bike parts that can become a bit of a sticking point when planning out the perfect bike build. The first question to ask is if this should be a 1x or 2x set-up. I’ve gone back and forth on that debate so many times in my mind. A double chainring gives you all the gears that you will ever want, but a 1x set-up provides the mathematical simplicity of a gear range that runs along a perfect continuum. The 2x set-up provides better chain lines and this in turn can provide more efficient shifting, especially at the extreme ends of the gear spectrum. Then you have the visual appeal, and this is where a 1x just blows the 2x set-up completely out of the water. The clean minimalistic look of a 1x set-up provides a look that just cannot be matched by the cluttered look obtained from fitting a front derailleur. One last advantage that you get from the 1x set-up is the lack of interference when it comes to running wider tires, since there is no front mech that can bump into the tire. It basically comes down to efficiency and sufficiency (2x) vs. looks and simplicity (1x). I might regret this, but let’s go with the simpler option, purely because it allows me to make the crank selection as listed next.
I’m going to gravitate back towards my favorite gravel brand when it comes to this one. Follow the link provided to see why I’ve chosen the 3T Torno crank for my dream bike build. It’s a work of art, period. There is just no other crankset like it on the market. Lightweight carbon design, aerodynamically shaped and Italian-made, does it get any better? Well, actually it does. I’m a massive fan of Wolf Tooth components (see my blog post about their Gnarwolf chainguide) and the Torno crank comes fitted with a seriously awesome-looking Wolf Tooth chainring. Two of my favorite brands joining forces to create a fantastic product? Now that’s dream bike worthy indeed! For my dream set-up I’ll opt to go with a 44 tooth chainring. You’ll see in the next step how I can make such a big front chainring work with a 1x set-up.
The drive train
Now for the fun part of the build, when all the other puzzle pieces picked thus far need to be linked up with the drive train. The 1x set-up that I want to create needs to be equally capable of fast-paced road riding by providing enough gears to push hard on flats or downhills, but at the same time also give enough gearing to scale the most epic of mountain passes during a gravel race. A bit of wishful thinking you say. Not really. This is where the cross compatibility of the SRAM AXS components become super useful. The Red AXS road shifters that I picked out earlier are in fact compatible with the SRAM Eagle AXS product line-up. That means I can create one seriously awesome mullet (business=road in the front, party=MTB in the back) set-up.
The SRAM Eagle AXS rear derailleur offers massive range and can run through the 500%, 10-50Tooth Eagle cassette with ease. That’s some serious gear range when grouped with the 44T front chainring. The gear ratio nerds reading this will already know that the range runs from 4.4 to 0.88, more than sufficient when it comes to the type of riding that I want to do. Since this is a dream build, I might as well get very specific with the color of the components that I want. One of the options for the Eagle cassette comes in a stunning gold color and that’s exactly what I would pick. Add to this the SRAM XX1 Eagle 12-Speed gold chain and I have my dream gravel bike’s drive train looking all sharp.
The handlebars + stem
The last two major components for my dream gravel bike relate to the steering parts. We’ll start with the handlebars first, and my selection will certainly convince you that I am a bit of a 3T fanboy. Yep, not only do I want a 3T frame and crankset, but the handlebars that I see fit for my dream gravel bike are also from 3T. In fact, this is a brand-new bar that they only released in May 2020. You might have seen the Superghiaia gravel bars in the past that offer a unique flare that does not rotate the hoods inwards. They’ve taken that design one step further and it’s called Aeroghiaia! Similar to the Superghiaia, the hoods are spaced apart at a distance that is equivalent to a regular road bike’s handlebar, but then the bar flares out below the hoods, providing a wider hand position for greater control when it comes to trickier riding scenarios. The additional aerodynamic design sets the Aeroghiaia apart and the flat top also provides some extra comfort, since the flatter part allows the hands to rest more easily. The Aeroghiaia comes in three sizes (40, 42 & 44cm) as measured from hood-to-hood. My ideal set-up will include the 40cm bar, as this will provide an excellent tucked position, while riding on the hoods, but when shifting to the drops, the flare provides a fairly wide 47.8cm width. True to its gravel nature, these bars offer a fairly shallow drop, at only 110mm - exactly what I want from my dream bars!
The stem for my gravel bike will actually be a fairly standard pick. By standard, I mean that it won’t be anything over the top or crazy light. In fact, I’ve seen enough articles that suggest that it might be best to pair an aluminum stem with a carbon bar, to provide the best shock absorbing properties. A stem is not the place on the bike that I want to compromise, and I’ll always pick a heavier or stronger stem over a more lightweight alternative. That’s why my dream gravel bike will be fitted with a very modest Zipp Service Course stem.
The smaller details
We are very close to the end of my dream gravel build and only a few smaller parts still need to be determined. I’ll briefly mention my selection for the bottom bracket, tires, seat and pedals/power meter.
To give the drive train that extra boost, and to make it run as smoothly as possible, I’d opt to go with a ceramic bearing bottom bracket. My selection will come from the US-based Kogel product line-up. I particularly like how they provide the option for “Cross” bearings, as this will be able to stand up to the rigors of gravel riding much better than a traditional road ceramic bearing will.
The tire choice will vary greatly, and given the fact that my selection of wheels allows for riding over so many different kinds of conditions, I really don’t want to pick just one. To envision the picture of a complete bike, I’d start with the WTB Nano tires as a solid all-round tire. In fact, I’ve been riding these tires for some time now and you can find my full review about them here.
I’m not too picky when it comes to saddles and have always just adapted to whatever saddle comes as the stock option with my bikes. When it comes to dream builds that are constructed from the frame up, why not just go for those parts that you’ve always wished you could try out. That means that I would opt for a Fizik Arione K:ium saddle to slide into the seat post that comes as a part of the 3T Exploro frame-set.
The last part of this build comes down to the pedals. If you’ve been following along closely, you would have noticed that this very expensive dream bike that I’ve been constructing is missing not only pedals, but also another fairly critical component - a power meter. That means that my last selection will need to cover both bases in one go. “Easy,” you say. “Slap on a set of power pedals.” The trick comes in that this should be a gravel specific set-up, and that means that pedals should at least be compatible with mountain bike shoes. As of the time of writing, no commercial product exists that offers a power pedal with mountain bike cleat compatibility. SRM is fairly close to launching this exact type of product, but to make this a life-like dream build, I need to assume that I can’t actually buy that yet. This brings me to a very clever pedal hack that involves the Favero Assioma power pedals and the Xpedo mountain bike pedals. It involves taking the power measuring unit from the Assioma’s and combining it with the pedal body from the Xpedo pedals. You can see a step-by-step guide on how to create it here. If the Assioma Duo pedals are used, it can even provide some useful stats about pedal dynamics. This is, of course, not a perfect solution and will void the warranty on the pedals. But hey, this is my dream bike, and if it solves a problem, then I say go for it. Pedals and power meter for a gravel bike sorted!
Wrap-up
There you have it. That was a detailed look at what I consider my ultimate dream gravel bike set-up. Sure, this won’t be a bike for everyone, but that is the beauty of gravel riding - it means different things to different people. The build that you find listed above is what I consider as the perfect combination of parts to make for a true all-round powerhouse gravel bike. Unfortunately, as stated at the outset of this article, this build will remain but a dream for now. If you would like to support this blog you can make a purchase through one of the supplied links, go to our tip jar or even support us through our Patreon profile. Who knows? Through your support, I might just actually be able to put together this dream bike one day!
Thanks for reading! If you are a fellow bike nerd and have some ideas of other parts that could make this build even more deluxe, then please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
- Wiehan
