READY FOR UNBOUND GRAVEL: SHIMANO’S GRX LTD. BIKE GALLERY

As explained with the launch of Shimano’s new  GRX Limited gravel components, while there are no actual changes made to the 11-speed mechanical drivetrain, Shimano still thought it worthy to inject some new aesthetics with a hefty dose of  polish. Polished parts – you remember what those were don’t you?!

And what better way to showcase the new parts than have some celebrated bike builders get a hold of the few groups being produced for a big launch held at the Unbound Gravel race in Emporia, Kansas.

In looking over the bikes there are two things worth noting; 1. Polished parts are a wonderful option, and 2. There are no black plastic (aka carbon) bikes in this elite lineup. When we asked Shimano’s Nick Legan about the idea behind the bike builds, his reply was simple, “We just thought it would be good to find some builders who warranted some love. There are certainly some smaller carbon builders out there, but we thought the polished finish was best suited for some more traditional looking bikes.”

THE EMPORIA TEN: SHIMANO’S GRX LTD GALLERY

The Oregon based Speedvagen frame shop has a storied history building gorgeous cyclcocross bikes and so this gravel bike is right up their alley of expertise.

SPEEDVAGEN BIKES

 

The pride of Boulder, Colorado, Mosaic founder Aaron Barchek took a different turn and built-up his titanium GRX bike with a flat handlebar using the GRX trigger shifters.

MOSAIC CYCLES

 

English Cycles has been spinning the frame building world upside down for years – check out this video of Rob English as he explains the how and why behind his always unique & beautiful bikes. It’s nice to see that  Rob maintained his signature “pencil thin” seatstays on the bike.
In addition to the GRX parts, Shimano’s in-house component brand Pro also has a variety of new gravel inspired saddles, stems and handlebars to choose from…and how abut that fork!
Leave it to Rob English to bring a wholly unique chainstay design to the build.

ENGLISH CYCLES

 

Shimano extended the GRX Ltd invitation all the way to Spain for this sleek Angel with a radically dropped driveside chainstay and fastback seatstays.

ANGEL CYCLEWORKS

 

For anyone looking for a handmade aluminum frame, San Francisco builder Andrew Low is a name you should know as he has dedicated himself to the material.

LOW BICYCLES

 

Chumba USA creates steel and titanium frames out of Austin, Texas. This steel Terlingua is built to be a high-performance machine.

CHUMBA USA

 

Hailing out of Waterford, MA, Seven Cycles has been in the business of building some eye-popping titanium bikes for over 25 years. Here’s a look at another Seven build.
This is what a first-class design and build looks like.

SEVEN CYCLES

 

The chainstay says it all…Canadian built since 1969

MARIPOSA BICYCLES

 

Famous for their meticulous builds and fabulously anodized frames, Boston based Firefly Bicycles stayed on a straightforward path with their GRX bike. Here are some of previous bikes from FireFly that we’ve featured.

FIREFLY BICYCLES

 

We first spotted the British brand a few years ago at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show and  eventually we got to test an Enigma Elite.
The Enigma reminds that there are few things as enticing as as the combo of high luster paint and chrome and that’s where the pay-off of the polished GRX parts shine.

ENIGMA BIKES

For More: SHIMANO

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