Gravel and all-road are terms used for this rapidly growing segment of the drop bar bike market. These bikes have generous tyre clearance and geometry that is more stable and forgiving than traditional road bikes.
Gravel bikes were born out of the American Midwest, where racing on gravel roads took hold a decade ago and has steadily gained popularity.
In the early days, riders tackled these endurance events on cyclocross bikes with the largest tyres that would fit between the stays. Today, there are numerous purpose-built machines that gravel-curious riders can choose from.
Jaroon
The Jaroon is the new steel frame dedicated to the gravel world. A high-quality frame, welded with a special technique that hides all welding material inside, making the frame appear clean, and the seams flawless. Technologically speaking, the frame has a rear through axle, differentiated diameter head tube, 27.2 mm diameter seat-post for greater comfort, flat mount disc brake system, racing handlebar with 12° flare-out and monocoque all-carbon fork with through axle . For maximum versatility, the frame has been designed to mount mudguards and front and rear racks and frame and front fork tire clearance is up to 42mm.
** update May 8th 2020
I visited Italian Cycle Experience and decided to have one ordered, now it is just waiting for the delivery.
Buying some essentials
While I am having already a handlebar bag for bigger storage I wanted some small bag for smaller gravel rides. The bag should be big enough to fit a rain jacket and some arm/leg sleeves. It also needs to be cool because it is always “Go slow but look Pro”. My choice is the Rapha Bar Bag in orange.
As I am getting older my eyes are getting worse, so a bigger Navigation device for my gravel adventures is necessary. As I have a Garmin ecosystem that was of course the obvious choice. As I have the Edge 820 on my road bike I did not want to purchase the expensive 1030 but the Edge Explorer. This device is really targeted for navigation more then for racing features, which is perfect for graveling. I will be using Komoot for planning my gravel rides.