Liteville 4-One Mk2 on test: All black through the Alps - the new Liteville gravel bike
In this article, we use so-called affiliate links. With every purchase through these links, we receive a commission from the merchant. All relevant referral links are marked with . Learn more.
One thing is already clear on the first test ride around the Plansee lake, which starts and finishes in Garmisch-Partenkirchen: The Liteville 4-One Mk2 Pro gravel bike is so conspicuously inconspicuous that some passers-by stop and look in front of the Cristallo ice cream parlour. The tubes, black as night, run in a straight line and join together to form an elongated, flat main frame. The matt black add-on parts don't jump out at you, but match the black anodised aluminium frame perfectly.
The bike almost swallows the light - but if you step closer, the fine details become apparent: the scales of the weld seams run elegantly, all frame openings such as cable outlets or threaded bushes are meticulously crafted and sealed flush; all cables are concealed; the few inscriptions are lasered razor-sharp into the anodised finish. And long-distance fans will immediately recognise that the frame offers space for up to three bottle cages.
Behind it all is Liteville and Syntace mastermind Jochen "Jo" Klieber, a lightweight builder by conviction and a fanatic of omission, which explains the complete absence of frills. The Liteville 4-One Mk2 is the modelled new edition of the first gravel bike of his brand Liteville. The aluminium frame with a long reach - more on this later - and stub stem has a super-slack 70-degree steering angle, a long wheelbase and now has an asymmetrical rear triangle.
This is why it also contains special, symmetrically spoked wheels from Syntace. Another technical highlight: the derailleur hanger, which is the product of a great deal of engineering skill because it cannot bend, but whose bolt has a predetermined breaking point to protect the rear derailleur in the event of a crash. A spare bolt is located behind the bottom bracket in the frame. And last but not least, the minimalist tool in the rear wheel axle. With a 5 mm Allen key and a 25 mm Torx spanner, you can use almost all the bolts on the gravel bike.
Liteville 4-One Mk2 - gravel bike or what?
Liteville advertises the 4-One Mk2 as four bikes in one: gravel, cross, all-road and bikepacking. But even on the first ride, it becomes clear that the extremely smooth ride qualifies it as a gravel bike. It lacks both the agility and the flexibility to carry a cross bike, and the compact frame makes shouldering difficult. The latter should be a rare occurrence, as the 40 millimetre wide Schwalbe G-One Allround tyres, mounted tubeless on extra-wide Syntace carbon rims, mill through deep gravel as easily as over soft forest trails. You almost want to let go of the handlebars to test whether it could ride all by itself.
Well supported by the wide rims, the tyres are still good on the road even with soft pressure, do not flex and provide good comfort. The thick P6 Hiflex carbon seatpost (34.9 millimetre diameter) provides noticeable damping thanks to its leaf spring design. This is a good thing, because the frame of the Liteville 4-One Mk2 is otherwise very rigid. The tubes are multi-butted, their wall thickness is more than 1.6 mm thick in critical areas, but less than 1 mm in places. The frame is also optionally prepared for the lowerable (but harder) Eight-Pins Vario seatpost.
The 500 mm wide Syntace Racelite carbon handlebar provides a lot of control in the unusually wide brake lever position, especially off the road. According to Liteville, it is probably the lightest handlebar on the market in this width. However, the lack of flare in the lower grip position seems a bit old-fashioned. If you have narrower shoulders, you will find yourself gripping the lower grip somewhat unnaturally around the upper part of the handlebar, which is not very comfortable. The comparatively long reach for a gravel bike is also unusual.
On the other hand, Liteville has opted for comfort as standard with the saddle: the 4-One is fitted with the comfortable SQlab 611 Ergowave Carbon, which ensures relaxed seating even on long tours. Downhill, the geometry offers a lot of confidence; the bike handles small jumps over gullies and the like with ease and - thanks to the full carbon fork from Columbus - is well damped. Great: The Liteville rides rattle-free.
Liteville 4-One Mk2 - Aluminium in top form
The radio-controlled 12-speed Sram Rival XPLR eTap AXS drivetrain on our test bike impressed us with its smooth gear changes and intuitive operation. In a test conducted by our sister magazine TOUR, the testers found that the chain grinds noticeably in the two lightest gears. The heaviest gears also ran rough, and the chain even tended to jump under high loads.
This was not noticeable in our test, which may have been due to the fact that our colleagues had a Sram Force groupset fitted, whereas we had the Rival. The equipment variant with the Force groupset is also no longer available. However, the Liteville gravel bike basically follows an asymmetrical rear triangle concept, with the cassette positioned slightly further out than usual.
The gear ratio from a 40 chainring to a 10-44 cassette is also sufficient for mountainous tours, even if not at the level of an MTB drivetrain, which would make steep climbs or rides with heavy luggage easier.
In the tested configuration, the Liteville 4-One Mk2 Pro with Rival equipment now costs around 4000 euros. The frame alone weighs 1376 grams, which is around 300 grams more than a lightweight gravel carbon frame. With pedals, the Mk2 Pro weighs just under 9 kilos.
However, the robust design speaks in favour of an aluminium frame. In case of doubt, the tube can take a bump off-road with a small dent. The solid T47 bottom bracket with large thread and the exemplary rear dropout are carefree technology and good for many kilometres. Liteville also offers a five-year warranty on the frame (plus five years discounted repair).
Conclusion on the Liteville 4-One Mk2 Pro - robust & versatile
The Liteville 4-One Mk2 Pro is a robust, uncomplicated and versatile bike that impresses above all with its clever details and high practical value. The timeless design also puts the sporty purchase price for an aluminium gravel bike into perspective. However, it should be noted that the bike has an immense reach value. Liteville specifies a body height of 168 - 178 cm for size M. However, if you can't or don't want to adopt the very stretched riding position, you would be well advised to choose a smaller size. We had the opportunity to ride both frame sizes and even in S, the posture can still be described as sporty from the perspective of the 173 cm tall author.
However, it was the Liteville 4-One Mk2 Pro's smooth ride that impressed us the most. You notice the flat geometry adopted from the MTB, which allows the gravel bike to steadfastly follow its course. The frame is anything but comfortable, but - on the contrary - stiff as a rock. We, and Liteville itself, see room for improvement in the handlebars, which look so straight and out of date on a gravel bike. However, its vibration damping together with the seat post, fork and tyres provide the necessary and very good compromise between frame stiffness and riding comfort.
Liteville 4-One Mk2 Pro in detail
- Price: from 4499 Euro (RRP) >> available here
- Weight frame/complete bike w. pedals:* 1376 gram/8860 gram
- Frame sizes:** S/M/L/XL/XXL
- Seat/top/head tube: 470/589/150 millimetres
- Stack/Reach: 569/415 millimetres
- Wheelbase: 1069 millimetres
- Chainstay length: 420 millimetres
- Steering angle: 70 degrees
- Seat angle: 73 degrees
Equipment
- Drive/gear shift: Sram Rival XPLR eTap AXS, 12-speed
- Brake shift lever: SRAM Force eTap AXS
- Chainring: Sram X-Sync DM, 40 teeth
- Cassette: Sram XG-1271 XPLR, 10-44 teeth
- Fork: Columbus Futura Adventure, Carbon
- Brakes: Sram Force (160 millimetres)
- Wheels/tyres: Syntace W25i/Schwalbe G-One Allround, 40 millimetres
- Handlebars: Syntace Racelite Carbon, 500 millimetres
- Seat post: Syntace P6 Carbon HiFlex, setback, 34.9 millimetres
- Saddle: SQlab 611 Ergowave Carbon, 14 cm seat width
* Weighed weights
** Manufacturer's test size bold
