Suspension, motors and hub gears: Gravel trends from Rouleur Live

The Rouleur Live cycling exhibition opened its doors at the Truman Brewery in London on November 2 to reveal a treasure trove of cycling tech. It provides a personal environment for people to get hands-on and liaise with the brands that they know and love, who all show up in force, eager to showcase their latest and greatest products.

Something that became apparent during the opening evening is that gravel tech is seeing a wealth of development. Brands are pushing the boundaries on what a gravel bike can be, in a multitude of ways.

Is this a sign that the hardest-to-define niche of cycling is set to cast its net even wider?

Here’s all of the gravel tech that caught our attention at the cycling exhibition.

Cinelli Nemo Gravel

© GCN/ Rouleur Live

Cinelli has redesigned the Nemo Gravel to give it more tyre clearance and the option to spec it with a steerer-based suspension unit

Launching at the show was a new gravel bike from Cinelli, the Nemo Gravel. This bike has seen some redevelopment from its previous iteration, with new flat-profile chainstays that offer a far more generous tyre clearance.

The most notable addition to the new Nemo Gravel is the HiRide Sterra suspension system. This is a hydraulic and elastomer unit that offers 20mm of travel and is the same system that BMC has used on its revamped URS gravel bike. The unit sits between the fork crown and head tube with an adjustable dial on the top of the stem. This allows riders to lock out the suspension unit when it is not needed.

© GCN/ Rouleur Live

The HiRide Sterra suspension system offers 20mm of travel that can be controlled by a dial on the stem

The Nemo Gravel is available without the suspension unit and this will save £900 on the build price. One thing is for sure, you won't struggle to find a finish that you like, with the brand offering 69 paint and finish options.

• Read more: Five tech highlights from Serenissima Gravel

3T Exploro Racemax Boost Italia

© GCN/ Rouleur Live

3T has managed to keep the silhouette of the Exploro Racemax Boost Italia identical to the existing model

You would be forgiven for thinking that there isn't anything particularly noteworthy when looking at this bike in the flesh. 3T has kept the silhouette of this bike identical to the original Exploro Racemax, but this model packs a bit more punch than the original version.

A small button just behind the stem acts as the power button for the motor concealed within the bike. A Mahle X20 motor system supplies 200 watts of assistance to the rear wheel and this is paired with an internal battery that fits inside the down tube.

© GCN/ Rouleur Live

The larger than usual hub is all that gives away the secret to this bike

For riders looking to push the limits of what the bike is capable of, an additional battery pack can be fitted as a range extender. What is particularly neat is the way 3T has solved the mounting issue that often thwarts range extenders. Typically they are mounted into one of the bottle cages, limiting your ability to carry fluids. To combat this, the range extender mounts to a third bottle cage point on the downside of the down tube, which keeps both traditional cages free.

You might be thinking that there would be a significant weight penalty for an e-gravel bike, but 3T is claiming that this model comes in at just under 11kg for a complete bike.

Classified G42 hub geared gravel wheel

© GCN/ Rouleur Live

The Classified Hub uses an internal step down gear to offer a compact and neat solution that doesn't require a front derailleur

Classified has been a hot topic within bike tech for a little while now, with its pioneering hub design aimed at removing the need for a front derailleur without the loss of gear choices. These hubs have been seen within the professional peloton, with Team Uno-X trialing them on the road this season.

• Read more: Classified releases white paper to prove Powershift hub efficiency

The hub offers two ratios: either a direct 1:1 ratio or a reduced 1:0.7 that mimics closely what you would expect from a double chainring set-up. Classified says that there are multiple benefits to using a hub gear, including increased efficiency, which it recently released a white paper on.

© GCN/ Rouleur Live

The G42 uses the same hub as the road wheelset but with a gravel-specific rim

Freshly announced at Rouleur was the brand's first foray into gravel with the dedicated G42 gravel wheelset. While using the same hub as the road wheels, it offers riders a wider range of gears whilst keeping the aesthetic of a 1x gear configuration.

Additionally, these wheels are ideal for gravel through a wider rim profile with a 25mm internal rim width, which is capable of accepting high-volume tyres.

The classified G42 wheels will be available to buy as part of a complete bike from Ridley with their Kanzo Fast, or 3T with their Exploro Racemax.

With plenty more hot tech on display at the Rouleur Classic, keep your eyes out for even more content from the exhibition.

3T

3T is a component and frame manufacturer, known for making innovative aero gravel bikes.