Titanium gravel bikes on test: The Chirp Chirp Lark - gravel bike with MTB orientation
Jens Klötzer
· 29.03.2024
The Chirp Chirp brand is by far the youngest of our titanium bike suppliers. It was founded just four years ago by two friends in Berlin. The first and so far only model is the Lark, which means "lark". The bike was created out of necessity, as the market offered no suitable options for the adventurous duo and their territory, which is characterised by cobblestones and soft sandy ground. The frames of the Chirp Chrip Lark are manufactured in China and transported to Germany by rail exclusively for environmental reasons. There they are finally assembled according to the customer's individual wishes.
On MTB trails with the Chirp Chirp Lark
A striking feature of the Lark is the exceptionally large tyres for a gravel bike. Both the fork and the frame offer space for thick mountain bike tyres up to 2.2 inches (55 millimetres) on 29-inch wheels, and with the Vittoria tyres fitted, the maximum volume is almost reached. These tyres can handle big challenges off-road and roll surprisingly well on hard surfaces. In muddy conditions, however, they reach their limits early on, but there is the option of using extremely grippy tyres from the mountain bike range.
Otherwise, the bike is kept pleasantly simple; standardised add-on parts are used and the brake lines and shift cables run on the outside of the frame for easy maintenance. This eliminates the need for tedious fiddling when changing positions or shifting cables. The riding position on the bike is decidedly sporty, but this is less due to the frame than to the components. A seat post with a lot of offset and the wide Ritchey handlebars with a long reach stretch out the position on the actually quite comfortable frame. However, due to the fact that there are only four roughly graduated sizes, it is usually necessary to adjust the seating position with the add-on parts. One compromise necessitated by the enormous tyre dimensions is that the Lark can only be ridden with a chainring with a maximum of 42 teeth.
Sporty look, but heavy
Our drivetrain with mechanical SRAM Force does not offer the same comfort when changing gears as modern electronic gears, but the price remains reasonable. The sporty look with carbon rims is a little deceptive, as the bike is one of the heaviest in the comparison: the extremely robust frame with the (optional) titanium fork weighs 2800 grams, and wide tyres and aluminium add-on parts mean a total weight of just under ten kilos. At the customer's request, the manufacturer can also fit higher quality parts to the bike to reduce the weight to under nine kilos, but this is difficult. The frame set is available for 2999 euros, with the option of a slightly lighter carbon fork with adjustable pre-bend and a matching bag set.
Chirp Chirp Lark - Info & test grade
- Test grade: 2,6
- Price: 5500 Euro
- Weight of complete wheel: 9.9 kilos
- Frame sizes: XS, S, M, L (test size greased)
Geometry
- Seat/top/head tube: 560/565/150 millimetres
- Stack/Reach/STR: 592/372 millimetres/1.59
- Stack+/Reach+/STR+: 647/554 millimetres/1.17
- Wheelbase/caster: 1030/63 millimetres
Equipment
- Drive/gear shift: SRAM Rival/Force XPLR (1x12; 40, 10-42 t.) | Grade: 2.5
- Brakes: SRAM Force (160/160 mm) | Grade: 1.5
- Tyres: Vittoria Mezcal XC Trail 53 mm (eff.: 53 mm) | Grade: 2.0
- Impellers: Acros Allroad Disc Carbon
- Impeller weights: 1681/2184 grams (front/rear)
Advantages and disadvantages
- Plus: Plenty of tyre clearance, maintenance-friendly design, lifetime warranty
- Minus: Heavy frame, only four roughly graded sizes
More titanium gravel bikes from our test:
Jens Klötzer
Editor
