New Bike Tech: From Drop-Bar MTBs to Pro-Level Aero Gravel

I don’t control what comes out in a given week, but I’m not sure I could plan it better if I did. This week, while the Tour de France is in full swing, I’ve got a group of gravel launches to share.

Obed TTR Frankenbike

Are you feeling like you can’t decide between a mountain bike and a gravel bike? If so, Obed is the latest company to enter the market with a drop-bar XC bike. To be fair, though, the Obed TTR feels a bit different.

Although I often come down on the side of the “Frankenbike” being less than ideal, I appreciate that Obed didn’t just take an existing mountain bike and slap bars on it. The TTR is a ground-up design that always had a drop-bar position in mind. Beyond that, the bike does look like a mountain bike with a deeply sloped top tube and “Detour Seatstays” that actually bypass the seat tube to add vertical compliance. The real compliance, though, comes from the RockShox SID SL Select up front with 100mm of travel and the 2.4” Vittoria Mezcal MTB tires.

In terms of builds, one of the strengths of all Obed bikes is the amount of customization available. Everything is built to order in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but it starts as a base build for $4,499. That includes a SRAM Apex Eagle mechanical drivetrain, a RockShox SID SL Select fork, and Industry Nine 1/1 Sector Alloy wheels. You can also add a dropper post, or opt for a Shimano XT Di2 rear derailleur with GRX shifters, as well as the option for a SRAM GX Eagle T-Type derailleur with Force levers. If none of that is exactly what you want, just get in touch via the Obed bikes website and put together whatever build you want.

Campagnolo Zonda wheels

If the Obed TTR is for riders who can’t decide between a mountain bike and a gravel bike, the new Campagnolo Zonda Carbon All Road wheels are for those blurring the lines between road and dirt. What’s interesting here is that, as much as anything, these wheels mark the end of an era.

The Zonda nameplate is not new at all. It goes way back and it’s always been a more affordable way to get into the performance of a Campagnolo wheelset. That has also always meant both road and aluminum. This new Zonda is a carbon 50mm aero wheel that gets the “all-road” moniker because of the 25mm, hooked, internal rim width. Although it wasn’t long ago that some brands were saying that width was the future of road wheels, Campagnolo is acknowledging that the pendulum has swung a bit, and these 1,550-gram wheels are meant for tires ranging from 29mm to 40mm wide.

As before, these are a more affordable option. The wheels still feature Campagnolo’s signature G3 lacing pattern with an asymmetric spoke layout for improved lateral stiffness, along with the traditional Campagnolo adjustable Cup & Cone bearing system. You also get high-modulus unidirectional carbon with a C-LUX direct mould finish, all manufactured in Campagnolo’s European facilities. The price drops by €870 compared to the up-market Bora X gravel wheels, making the Zonda Carbon All Road available now for €1,420.00, with options for N3W, HG11, and XDR freehub bodies.

For more information visit the Campagnolo website.

Reserve Wheels 48|53 GR

While Campagnolo is pushing a 25mm internal width for its “All-Road” category, Reserve is joining the wide-rim gravel club with the new Reserve 48|53 GR. The headline spec is a 30mm internal width. Like Zipp and Enve, Reserve claims this design helps keep air attached to larger gravel tires by reducing the “lightbulbing” effect. I’m not sure if “larger” is the right description, though, as these wheels are likely best paired with a 45mm tire, given that the external width is 44mm.

Whatever size tire you opt for, the challenge is always that a bigger wheel requires more carbon and is inevitably heavier. Reserve is combating that with a design called “Hollow Hook,” which the brand claims “shaves weight from the outermost section of the rim without sacrificing any of the strength and reliability.” Backing the wheels is a lifetime warranty, and our Pinkbike colleagues tell us these are the wheels that Cannondale Factory Racing has been using for the XCC races at World Cups.

The Reserve 48|53 GR has no rider weight limit, a semi-hooked rim profile, and weighs 1,433g for the DT 180 build or 1,528g with a DT 350 hub. Prices start at $1,799 for the heavier option and jump to $2,499 for the DT 180 option. For more information, visit the Reserve website.