A new gravel bike class? Race Race Gravel

BIKE: Markus, will the gravel boom continue?

Markus Storck: Absolutely. By all accounts, around twice as many gravel bikes are now sold in Germany as road bikes.

BIKE: That's not surprising. On a road bike, traffic is becoming more and more of a stress factor. Gravel offers the same speed, but out in nature.

Storck: That's exactly the point. You have speed, freedom and adventure in one package. With a gravel bike, you can put an arse rocket on your bike, pack some clothes and just set off. Two days, three days, it doesn't matter. The bike knows hardly any limits.

A return to the roots

BIKE: Gravel is actually nothing new.

Storck: Not at all. To be honest, that's exactly how cycling started. The first racing bikes were gravel bikes. The roads were bad, often unpaved. My grandfather was a professional racer. Back then, people were already riding tyres with a width of 35 to 38 millimetres. They had bottle cages on the front of the handlebars and carried clothes and food on their bikes. There were no support vehicles.

BIKE: There were even flare handlebars back then.

Storck: Exactly. Many things that are sold as innovations today already existed a hundred years ago.

South Africa as a source of ideas

BIKE: You're actually a road cyclist. How did you get into gravel cycling yourself?

Storck: Through South Africa. The roads there are often rough and bad. At the same time, there is an incredible amount of gravel riding. In some places, every second sports bike in South Africa is a gravel bike. It was there that I realised how useful a fast gravel bike can be.

BIKE: What was the Fascenario.5 based on?

Storck: We asked ourselves: Why don't we build a gravel bike with the speed of an aero road bike? We are constantly testing road bikes in the wind tunnel. So why not gravel bikes too?

BIKE: An approach that hardly anyone takes.

Storck: Correct. Most manufacturers initially only fitted wider tyres. We were interested in how fast a gravel bike can actually be.

From Swiss Army Knife to Aero Graveler

BIKE: How does your portfolio differ?

Storck: The Grix.2 is our Swiss army knife. Lots of attachment points, plenty of tyre clearance, lots of comfort. You can even fit tyres up to 2.1 inches. This appeals to riders who want to replace their hardtail.

BIKE: So bikepacking, touring, adventure.

Storck: Exactly. Above that is the Fascenario X. It combines the aerodynamics of the Fascenario with genuine gravel geometry: longer wheelbase, slacker steering angle, smoother ride. A thoroughbred race gravel bike.

BIKE: And your new bike?

Storck: The Fascenario.5 takes a different approach. It is our fastest all-rounder. With modern wheels and our Aero 5 Cockpit the aerodynamics of the bike are already on a par with many aero racing bikes. And yet it can be ridden with wide tyres. A race-race-gravel bike, if you like. Or even better: two bikes in one: racing bike and gravel bike.

Comfort is in the carbon

BIKE: Many manufacturers rely on suspension forks or damping systems. Not you. Why is that?

Storck: Because we integrate comfort directly into the structure. Carbon can work in different directions. A handlebar can yield vertically and at the same time be extremely stiff when sprinting. What others solve through mechanics, we solve through fibre flow and construction.

BIKE: So comfort without additional components.

Storck: Precisely. Less weight, less complexity, less maintenance.

BIKE: Do you keep an eye on the competition?

Storck: Of course you look. But at the end of the day, I'm not interested in marketing campaigns.

BIKE: But?

Storck: Measured values. Wind tunnel. Stiffness. Comfort. Facts. Many manufacturers claim to build the fastest bike in the world. That sounds good. But sometimes the wind tunnel shows something else. I have nothing against good marketing. But at some point the product has to deliver.

Single or double?

BIKE: Finally: 1x or 2x?

Storck: Depends on the intended use. For a Grix.2 I would ride a 1-speed at any time. Simple, robust, wide range.

BIKE: And for a Fascenario?

Storck: More like 2x. If you are travelling fast on asphalt or riding in a group, you will be pleased with the finer gradation and the higher top speeds. And if 1 x 13-speed, then always with a ten-speed sprocket at the rear. You have a clear advantage with the fast gear.

BIKE: So it's not a question of faith?

Storck: No. As is so often the case with bicycles, the best system is the one that suits the rider.