As the adventure road bike sector keeps expanding, we’ve seen some intriguing and often excellent machines at the top end of the market – bikes such as GT’s Grade, Genesis’s Datum and Cannondale's Slate.
Gravel grinding on a shoestring
But what really keeps catching our eye are the quality machines at much more affordable prices – bikes such as Calibre’s all-new Dark Peak, which is available at GO Outdoors' shops or online. After all, not everybody wants to part with well into four figures for a branch of cycling that’s still very much in its infancy.
The Dark Peak is based around a slickly welded, double-butted and hydroformed aluminium frame paired with a carbon fork – pretty similar to what you’d get on any 750-quid road bike. But this also gets mudguard and rear rack mounts, which takes it into all-round, commuting and light touring territory, especially if your regular rides includes byways and unsurfaced canal towpaths, which is the case for several of our testers.
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The Dark Peak is specced with the sort of branded kit that is good to see on a bike at this price, including a Ritchey stem, bar and 27.2mm seatpost, and a Selle Royal saddle that’s as long as Fizik’s endurance-friendly Arione.
The compact drop handlebar has a good shape that’s friendly to bigger hands, but on our 58cm test bike we’d have expected a 44cm width – which GO Outdoors has informed us will be the case on production models. Instead our test ride came with a narrow – and cramped-feeling – 42cm offering. It was however wrapped in plush, thick, cushioned bar tape for when things get a bit bumpy.
A bike that wants to stay off-road
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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