Last year, I wrote about the Monster Gravel bike concept, even considered how to design one and the challenges they present.
Since then, I’ve thought a LOT more about this fat tire, drop bar mashup. And, being a bike nerd, continued thinking about how I’d actually design one.
Which really had me thinking four things:
- Is it a mountain bike or is it a gravel bike?
- What is the intended purpose?
- Where should it be ridden?
- What is the environment where it would be most successful?
Meanwhile, homegrown franken-monster gravel bikes are showing up at races and blowing up on social…with the inevitable “this is just a mountain bike from the 90’s with drop bars” trollery.
Those comments aren’t entirely wrong, but they’re also not right.
And they’re missing the point.
Modern gravel bikes can fit bigger tires than most 1990’s mountain bikes.
And the brakes are better, the geometry is faster and safer, and they’re largely more capable.
Once we actually get to mountain bikes, well, you know where we’re at. Long travel, efficient suspension, 2.6” tires becoming the new standard, and long/low/slack geometry making them adept at extremely technical terrain while still climbing well.
So, where does “Monster Gravel” fit in?
Events like the Leadville 100, Traka, the Fuego XL at Sea Otter, Cascade Gravel Grinder, and similar events would be a great place to start.
Those events have long distances, where gravel geometry and drop bar aerodynamics provide a clear benefit.
But their terrain is more technical than what’s comfortable on a gravel bike, especially one with a rigid fork.
Because people are always looking to push themselves, more and more events are cropping up that fit this style of bike nicely. And this is where something like a Monster Gravel bike will shine, if…
Fits in, but does it fit?
As a bike nerd who happens to have a bike brand, the opportunity to build something for this growing segment was too interesting to ignore.
But, any new model needs to provide a clear benefit to justify its existence. And, it needs to work with current components.
But, I still need to be able to make something that will provide a clear benefit AND can be made within the limitations of current component selection AND fit the rider.
Let’s talk fit, first.
My body position on my Optimator XC bike versus my Storm King GP gravel bike are very different, and here’s why:
- On a MTB, riders need to be centered on the bike so when the saddle is dropped, the rider remains in a neutral position to control the bike in various types of terrain. Plus, the overall riding position is more upright due to the wider bars and steeper, rougher terrain.
- On a gravel bike, the body position is much more aggressive with an eye towards “attacking” since the terrain won’t bite back, and a lower, more aero position is more advantageous.
My saddle position is the same on both, but because of the different stem lengths and handlebar heights, the stack, reach & head angle figures force the bikes’ geometry to be vastly different. Which had me wondering…
What if you could combine them?
Here’s where the magic starts happening. Basically, I wanted the best of both worlds:
- Speedy position of a gravel bike
- Capability and tire clearance of a mountain bike
To do this, I applied my Storm King GP bike fit to the Optimator frame, then redesigned the front end around a 100mm MTB fork so I could fit 29×2.25” or larger MTB tires. The current crop of gravel suspension forks won’t fit a tire that size.
This required me to:
- Shorten the head tube
- 100mm MTB forks are taller than 40-50mm gravel forks
- Bigger tires are taller
- Shorter headtube necessary to keep stack height low
- Still requires -17º stem, can go down to -35º
- Steepen the seat angle
- Gets the saddle in the right position
- Allows for more aero riding position
- Adjust the top tube length
- Adjusts for new geometry to keep reach where I want it
- Adjust the fork trail
- Tuned to blend provide stability at speed & nimble handling
The end result is a completely new bike, but the real question is…
Did it work?
With the geometry dialed in between the Optimator and the GP, and a prototype built, I headed to Sea Otter Classic, home of a very gravel-like XC course that combines long stretches of dirt road, open areas with wind, and tight singletrack forays into the woods.
In theory, this new bike was going to be faster on the gravel/ pavement sections than the Optimator, while also being faster on the singletrack than the GP.
After riding the bike on the Sea Otter Fuego XC course, I’m happy to welcome it to the Sage family.
Enter, the Droptimator!
From the moment I started designing this bike, I knew I wanted to ride it. There are some trails here in the Portland area that would be perfect for the bike, but in the scramble to get it ready for Sea Otter, its first shake down ride was the Sea Otter Fuego XC course where I could give it a proper shakedown on some very challenging terrain.
I’m working on a complete “first rides” story, because it’s such a different bike I want to share my impressions of it. Sure I’m a proud papa, but there’s more to the story than just “OMG, this thing’s amazing”.
In the meantime, here’s a bit more about the technical side of it, because it’s not just the frame I had to figure out…
Here’s how it came together:
The frame is one thing, but road and mountain bike parts can make for strange bedfellows. Fortunately, SRAM’s AXS parts make that easy, with the ability to pair drop bar shifter levers with mountain bike derailleurs.
The last piece of the puzzle for the bike was the Rockshox SID with Flight Attendant. Flight Attendant was originally designed to work in concert with a rear shock and a power meter for XC full suspension race bikes, and specifically not with hardtails.
Fortunately, a recent firmware update allows Flight Attendant forks to work on a hardtail as long as you are using a power meter for it to read pedal forces.
This works perfectly for the Droptimator.
When you’re hammering on fast, flat gravel/paved/dirt sectors, the fork is firm and efficient. When you hit the bumps, the sensors open up the compression damping (faster than you can blink!) and the fork is full on working to soak them up.
This means you get the best of everything: A fully locked out fork when you need it, and a fully open fork when you need that. No more reaching down to lock out the fork, then forgetting to open it back up for the rough stuff.
Want one? Preorders are open now!
If the Droptimator seems like your kinda bike, let’s talk. Because of the unique nature of the bike, every one includes custom geometry to fit you and your chosen cockpit. We also have fork options if you prefer something other than the SID.
All bikes are made to order, and current lead time is 6-8 weeks. If you want this in time for summer’s big races, let’s get one going now!