In the present day, Ridley has introduced the discharge of its newest off-road machine, the Ignite GTX.
Together with a brand new title, the Ignite GTX additionally seems to be trailblazing one more gravel style, with Ridley referring to the brand new bike as an ‘alpine gravel bike’. That’s as a result of it is a gravel bike, which is designed from the bottom up with mountain bike geometry in thoughts – and that’s received us considering: have gravel bikes come full circle to the ‘outdated hardtail with drop bars’ cliche that we’ve been listening to for years?
The driving place is a far cry away from even most gravel bikes available on the market in the present day.
(Picture credit score: Ridley)
New Ridley Ignite GTX
Initially, let’s cowl the main points of the brand new bike. The standard claims, in fact, nonetheless stand. The Ignite GTX is lighter, extra succesful, and extra versatile than its predecessors, designed to deal with rocky mountain passes, sandy trails, and all the pieces in between.
So, if the Ignite GTX isn’t a conventional gravel bike or a full-fledged mountain bike, what’s it, and who’s it for?
Ridley says the brand new bike is designed for ‘ultra-racing, bikepacking, and excessive journey driving’. Whereas mountain bikes can deal with tough terrain, they lack the velocity and effectivity of a gravel bike. Then again, gravel bikes battle with technical off-road circumstances. Enter the Ignite GTX, a motorbike that hopes to mix the 2.
In different phrases, it’s a rugged gravel bike, or some might argue, a drop bar onerous tail – extra on that later!
At its core, the Ignite GTX is constructed on mountain bike geometry, taking inspiration from Ridley’s Ignite SLX hardtail. The slacker head angle presents stability, whereas ‘flex-stays’ are mentioned to introduce extra consolation over tough terrain. And let’s not overlook the huge tyre clearance – this bike accommodates as much as 29 x 2.3” knobby tyres – that actually is a mountain bike tyre.
When specced with a inflexible fork, the GTX entrance finish seems to be extremely lengthy
(Picture credit score: Ridley)
The geometry additionally permits the bike for use with a suspension fork, although not the 40mm of journey we often see on aggressive gravel bikes. As a substitute, the Ignite GTX could be speced with both a inflexible carbon fork, or with 100mm of journey – as soon as once more the type of spec you’ll usually see on an XC onerous tail mountain bike.
Now as I discussed, the Ignite GTX could possibly be construed as a drop bar mountain bike – which might be why Ridley has opted for nearly the ‘flattest’ drop bar you should buy. The Ignite GTX is specced with a Ritchey Venturemax hanldlebar, which options 24 levels of flare and a brief drop for extra management on technical terrain.
The bike will likely be accessible in 4 completely different construct choices, with three Sram builds – together with a mullet setup, and a Shimano GRX 800 mullet construct too. For the uninformed, this implies a 27.5” rear wheel, and a 29” wheel up entrance.
Are we again to sqaure one?
I’m undecided any one in every of us would deny that gravel bikes have come a good distance, however that doesn’t cease releases just like the Ignite GTX sparking up outdated debate.
Within the early days, earlier than manufacturers rushed to outline the class, many riders had been merely modifying outdated hardtail mountain bikes, slapping on drop bars, and heading off into the unknown. The end result? A succesful, go-anywhere machine that might deal with tough terrain whereas providing the effectivity of a road-style cockpit.
But, as gravel bikes developed into their very own distinct breed – lighter, extra aerodynamic, and extra specialised – there was all the time a lingering joke amongst cynics- “Aren’t gravel bikes simply outdated hardtails with drop bars?”
After all, it is not fairly that easy, however there may be actually an argument that gravel bikes are beginning to bleed into the mountain bike realm, with an increasing number of bikes being specced with suspension forks and extra aggressive geometry.
So, have we come full circle?
Gravel racing is getting extra technical yearly
(Picture credit score: Life Time Grand Prix / Chase in Colour)
To reply that we actually must have a extra detailed take a look at gravel bike geometry, and the way that compares to the cross-country mountain bikes of in the present day and yesteryear.
Let’s take the two-time Gravel Bike of the 12 months-winning Big Revolt X for instance. We praised this bike for its consolation, and extra importantly, dealing with after we reviewed it, so what do the numbers appear to be?
In a dimension small, the Revolt X has 387mm stack, and 560mm attain. A 2010 Specialised Epic hardtail, in the identical dimension, is 13mm longer, and 13mm decrease by comparability – so on stack and attain, the Revolt X is shorter and better. For each bikes, chainstays are at 425mm, nevertheless check out the pinnacle angle, and you will see that the Epic continues to be an entire diploma slacker on the entrance finish, making it significantly better suited to steeper terrain. There are actually similarities within the design, however the intricacies nonetheless make for very completely different dealing with bikes.
Nevertheless, with all that mentioned, there may be actually a divergence of the 2 classes, one thing which 2023 Australian Gravel Champion, Connor Sens, believes stems from racing.
“Mountain bikes and gravel bikes are undoubtedly merging collectively. Now you are seeing extra aerodynamic, clear dual-suspension and hard-tail mountain bikes utilized in gravel races. Gravel races are additionally getting extra technical with single monitor sectors thrown amongst the programs.”
Sens went on to explain how the restricted will increase in rolling resistance seen from working ultra-wide tyres are encouraging their adoption too.
Sens continued, “the enhancements in bike expertise will change individuals’s driving kinds and the place they experience, due to much less limitations. With individuals now not being ‘under-biked’ it will probably progress additional and also you’ll see an increasing number of technical sections in gravel racing as racing evolves as a result of individuals are going out driving, or coaching on the paths.
However are gravel bikes simply onerous tails with drop bars? I do not assume so – or no less than not fairly. What the discharge of the Ignite GTX, and different bikes prefer it present, is that the gravel self-discipline is constant to develop and diversify.
Persons are pushing gravel bikes additional and additional, be that within the route of technical singletrack, or quick racing, and people new calls for present the route for bike manufacturers to chase after. Nevertheless, when’s all mentioned and performed, it solely means one factor: extra alternative for us customers, and in my opinion, that needs to be a superb factor.