New Bike Day: A Long Time Coming
So for those of you who may know me, I’ve been pretty vocal about riding gravel. Not so much against it per se, but when everyone tells you that you need a gravel bike…you dig your heels in and rebel. Maybe it’s my punk upbringing, while fighting against the system? Who knows, either way I held out for a long time…UNTIL NOW! So back in November (yeah, this was a process!) I went to Eighth Hour Bike Studio and we got to work. I wanted something similar to my Tarmac but for off road, we ended up on the Echo with its best of both worlds-ness.
Fast forward a few months and it arrived, even better than I could’ve imagined. Turns out, it’s also one of two that were the final Echo’s built in the Bentonville factory, which is kind of cool. I’ve got out a few times on it so far and it’s just so much fun, who would’ve known!? It definitely caught some people by surprise, that I had finally caved and joined the dark and dirty side of gravel but there is no turning back! Build info and some photos below.
See you on the trail?
Specs:
Frameset: Allied Echo, size XXS
Seatpost: Enve 0mm setback
Groupset: SRAM Force XPLR RD
Cassette: SRAM Force XPLR 10-44
Chainring: Garbaruk 44T Aero
Crank and Powermeter: Quarq Dzero Dub
Chain: SRAM Force E1
Bars: Enve SES AR Road 38mm
Wheels: Zipp 303 SW
Tires: Simworks x Tomii Cycles ‘Faraway’ 40mm
Pedals: Look X-Track Race Carbon Ti
Built by Eighth Hour Bike Studio
