Bespoke Blog

Gravel bikes have taken the cycling world by storm in recent years. The concept of a drop-bar bike with fat(ter) tyres and an ability to tackle rougher surfaces is nothing new, but the gravel boom has greatly increased the range of options available and brought these incredibly versatile bikes in to the mainstream.

Most bikes are targetted at "gravel/adventure" and feature a full complement of rack and mudguard mounts, and are built to handle load lugging for those bikepacking expeditions.

Cervélo have taken a slightly different tack with the new Áspero. This is a bike that has more in common with the likes of the OPEN U.P.P.E.R. and 3T Exploro (or even the 3T Strada).

The Áspero is very much aimed at those looking for maximum speed on mixed terrain. It'll accept 700c wheelsets with tyres up to 44mm wide, and 650b wheels with up to a 49mm tyre (there's a clever 'flip chip' in the front dropouts that adjusts the rake to suit either wheel size).

The emphasis may be on speed rather than hauling luggage, but this is still very much a "more than road" bike, with provision for a dropper post and a number of bosses for mounting bottles and bags (including a top-tube "bento box" mount for on-ride nutrition).

So, whilst this may not be a bike intended for multi-day expeditions it should prove to be very capable for epic all-day rides (and with the proliferation of frame-mount bags now available we're sure this'll appeal to speed-focused bikepackers too).

The Áspero is also available as a frameset only, if you prefer to custom build.

Whichever option you choose we can ensure you find the perfect fit.

Cervélo's first dedicated gravel bike is certainly a looker. We'll be testing and writing about the new Áspero more in the coming weeks - meanwhile feel free to try out some sample builds of your own in our online Bike Builder!

below: Cervélo introduce the new Áspero in this video: