A great all-rounder that ticks all the boxes
The winner is…
THIS BIKE TEST HAS PROVEN THAT gravel bikes are a wide-ranging genre these days. It should also have given you plenty of food for thought if you’re planning to invest in one in 2023, helping you think about what kind of surfaces you’ll mostly be riding on and what kind of riding you’ll be doing, as well as helping you form a list of must-have details and accessories.
In this test, it’s clear that Focus, with the Atlas 8.9, has shown a great understanding of what many riders are looking for in bigtyred drop-bar rides. The bike’s so capable in the rough and can carry and cope with all you’ll need to deal with on adventures big and small. Be aware that the load-ready Boost back end will, however, limit your wheel choices.
Basso’s Palta is a beautiful machine. The attention to detail in the frame is exceptional and, for a bike that’s handcrafted completely in Italy, it’s not overpriced. However, the Palta is more of a transitional gravel bike. It’s as fast as an endurance bike on the road and excels on unmetalled surfaces, cobbles and cut-up tarmac. It’s not a singletrack slayer but if your gravel ambitions are fast rides on open terrain rather than weaving through woodland trails, the Palta is exceptional.
Specialized’s singular focus on lightness for the Crux frameset is singularly successful. It’s astonishingly light without compromising essential large tyre clearances. It handles brilliantly and the design simplicity will be very easy to live with. A lot of the bike’s budget, however, has been swallowed up in the frameset so the build isn’t quite what I’d expect at this price and the tyre choice isn’t right for UK conditions. It would be great if bike specifications could take into account where and when a bike is being sold. That means you may want to upgrade some of the components as you go along with t
