Can a Bacchetta really do Gravel?
So in case you didn't know, we love doing custom builds. Max reached out to us last spring to start figuring out the custom build he wanted to do for his next CA3.0. He purchased his first one from Zach Kaplan Cycles in Alameda, but was tired of swapping out wheels depending on riding conditions.
To give you an idea of the kinds of riding Max likes to do, check out this Strava post. To say Max is serious gravel enthusiast is an understatement!
We started with a stock 700c CA3.0 large frameset and then completely customized from there. Max loves e-thirteen components, so we used their 9-50t gravel cassette and a 1x crankset with a 36t chainring. The clearance was close on the underside of the frame, but with the T-Cycles Bacchetta 23t idler kit, we made it work with a few millimeters to spare.
Industry Nine build some amazing gravel wheels! These 650b hoops were paired with Shimano XT brakes, 180mm rotors and an Exotic rigid mountain bike fork. With 40mm tubeless tires, they fit well on the CA3.0 frameset.
Finally, the AXS 12s drivetrain provides smooth, crisp shifting under the most trying circumstances.
Knowing what Max has in store for this bike, we can't wait to hear back from him!
As shown for the gravel monster, MSRP at time of writing is $6699.
4 comments
I had a Vision R44 USS I rode single track. 26/20. Reconfigured the chain line based on the Bacchetta. Used the 60mm idler kit. Worked great. Had a 2.2 trail king in back and knobby bmx in front. 2 in travel shock. Couldn’t do bunny hops. Lol
Zero doubt in my mind that the frameset will handle it. These were weight rated to 250lbs. Maybe not quite as burly as the old steel framesets from pre 2005, but nearly as robust.
Given the number of miles he has already put on his other CA3.0 on gravel, I don’t think it will be an issue. The Bacchetta frames go through such rigorous testing – they should be fine.
Will the Carbon fiber frame hold up to the rigors of trail riding?