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The new Pursuit Cycles’ All Road is kinda like a gravel bike, only faster

pursuit cycles all road gravel racing road bike shown in a field of wheat
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Pursuit Cycles’ All Road is their latest rift on the Lead Out/Pure Road, their inaugural small-batch custom carbon road bike they launched with in 2018. The All Road is like a road bike, only more capable. Or, like a gravel bike, only faster. And you can take it mountain biking.

The idea was to build a really fast drop bar bike that could handle all the roads, hence the model name. To do this, they tweaked the geometry a bit, and opened things up to fit 40mm tires.

That’s narrow by today’s crush-anything, go-anywhere gravel bikes. But it’s far bigger than what any road bike can handle, and likely bigger than most cyclocross frames would fit, too. And that’s exactly what they wanted…

Pursuit All Road frame details

pursuit cycles all road gravel racing road bike front view
All photos courtesy and by Pursuit Cycles and/or Pascal Beauvais.

“It’s not an adventure bike, it’s a true all road bike that’s geared towards going fast on any surface,” says Pursuit’s co-founder Carl Strong. “Anything from pure road to lightweight mountain bike riding.”

“Instead of a mountain bike gone road, it’s a road bike gone mountain. It seems to me like when you get to a lot of these adventure bikes, they’re like mountain bikes with drop bars on them. This one’s a road bike that isn’t going to limit you to pavement, but be ridden fast like a road bike on whatever you surface you want.”

And with the ability to swap to 650b x 50mm tires, that means singletrack is on that list, too.

pursuit cycles all road gravel racing road bike drivetrain closeup

Two layup options are offered, the Standard and the Extralite. The Standard layup adds a bit more, and different, material to reinforce lower sections against rock chips and reduce vibration. The Extralight sheds material and refines the small parts (cable guides, bottle bosses, etc.) to drop unnecessary grams…up to 200g in some cases.

frame detail closeups for the pursuit cycles all road bike

All of the modern road and gravel standards are here and include:

  • T47 threaded BB with titanium frame inserts
  • 27.2mm seatpost diameter for a smoother ride
  • 12×100 / 12×142 thru axles
  • Flat mount disc brakes
  • Mechanical or Electronic shifting compatibility
  • Fender mounts are optional

How much does it weigh?

pursuit cycles all road gravel racing road bike rear view

Strong says they’re 925g on average, unpainted, for the standard frame in a size 56. They also make an extralite version that saves about 125g, coming in around 800g, depending on what the customer’s needs are.

As a refresher, Pursuit’s unique feature is that they all have custom layups, but use stock sizes and geometry. This lets them offer semi-custom with much quicker turnaround times, US manufacturing, and lower prices than full custom. But, also, they’ve just started offering custom sizing, too.

sex pistols custom paint scheme on a pursuit cycles all road carbon bicycle

They list weights without paint because all of the custom paint jobs are so different that it’d be impossible to have a meaningful average. For example, this Sex Pistol’s paint job? Strong says it added about 160g.

Pursuit All Road geometry chart & pricing

pursuit cycles all road bike geometry chart

The main differences between this and the Lead Out road bike are:

  • Slightly longer wheelbase to add tire clearance
  • Slightly lower bottom bracket so it will work with 650B wheels, too
  • Slightly taller headtube & stack height for a more upright riding positions
pursuit cycles all road stock paint color options
Single-color paint schemes are the base option, but they’ll do full custom if you want. Soon, they’ll have a 3D online rendering where you can upload your artwork and see what it looks like on their frame.

Complete bikes start at $7,985 (and go way up from there), and they build each one with the components and drivetrains you specify. That build means every little detail, so if you order a bike with Di2, you’ll have ports for a hydraulic rear brake hose and the shift wire…and that’s it. Each bike’s cable or wire ports have only what that particular build needs, so you don’t have any accommodations for things that aren’t being used.

Framesets start at $4,800 for the standard layup and $5,200 for Extralite. These include your choice of ENVE All Road or Columbus Futura Gravel forks, Chris King Dropset headset and bottom bracket.

What else are they working on?

Want something in between this and their road bike? Stay tuned for the Supple Road, which will fit up to a 32mm tire and likely be more of an endurance road bike. That’s planned for early in 2021, but they might be willing to take a pre order now if one was so inclined.

PursuitCycles.com

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34 Comments
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Batta
Batta
3 years ago

Give me a brake! Almost 8000!

Involuntary Soul
Involuntary Soul
3 years ago

do ppl really pay S-works price on a frame where the fork does not even match the heattube?

Sevo
Sevo
3 years ago

When it’s better than an S Works who cares? And news flash: A lot of people have been riding frames that don’t match the fork for 50 years. 😉

Involuntary Soul
Involuntary Soul
3 years ago
Reply to  Sevo

better than S-works in what way?

Steve
Steve
3 years ago

Well for one, it doesn’t have a future shock.

Involuntary Soul, every comment section you chime in on, you’re just spouting negativity. You are a bummer for everyone in the bike world. Even though this bike is more expensive than I consider reasonable, every time you post it just puts on display exactly how little you know about how the bike industry and production processes work.

Consider contributing a little positivity to this world.

Carl Strong
3 years ago

We offer several fork options each offering a different ride characteristic and each has different crown size. We designed the frame around the largest crown because we thought it looked better than a smaller headtube and larger crown. The top picture really accentuates the difference but in person it’s not that noticeable and we think worth it for the added tunability it allows.

advcyclist
advcyclist
3 years ago
Reply to  Carl Strong

Carl,

What’s going on with the geometry chart? According to the chart, a frame with a 55cm ETT has a longer reach than a frame with a 56 ETT, and I see that trend repeated for a number of different sizes. I look at Stack and Reach far more than ETT, but it does invoke some cognitive dissonance when I see so many measurements that do not correlate across sizes.

carlo mariani
3 years ago

The Fork that doesnt mach the HT is one of my favorite features, and highlight nice concept behind!

scotterob
scotterob
3 years ago

The term is “riff”

Hans
Hans
3 years ago

I’m confused. Why would a lower.bottom bracket work better for 650B wheels? I’d assume the opposite.

JH
JH
3 years ago
Reply to  Hans

It is the opposite. The article is mistaken, it has a 5mm higher BB than the pure road model.

Jeff
Jeff
3 years ago

Why would you buy this when you could buy an Open and have money left over? Never thought I would actually say that.

Sevoo
Sevoo
3 years ago
Reply to  Jeff

Because it’s hand made in the United States by a guy who’s been making bike frames longer than anyone at Open…and technically the big guys at Open haven’t actually physically made a frame in their time, much less as many frames as Carl Strong. He actually made a lot of the Ibis steel frames and steel/Ti frames for a few other brands you respect when he had a production facility.

Carl’s one of those few true masters of the torch who’s made frames out of every kind of bike tubing and fit a lot of people. A good 30 years of experience easily. And a damn nice guy to boot.

While yes, maybe an Open is cheaper. But it’s always cheaper to buy once, and any production frame you’ll be tempted to get the next fanciest model when it comes out, just like everyone else with an Open. You won’t be seeing many Pursuits and it’’ll likely be the last bike you buy.

Jeff
Jeff
3 years ago
Reply to  Sevoo

All carbon frames are hand made so i don’t care about that. unless you can prove with actual facts, not feelings, that his $5k frame is better than an open mold frame or even an entry level carbon frame from a name brand then you are just paying for feelings. maybe it makes you feel good to spout all those facts anytime someone asks about your bike and i am sure you are the guy that does. for me, bikes are tools and this does not accomplish the goal any better. just at a much higher price. I would also rather buy 10 open mold frames as things evolve in the industry than one of these. imagine if you plunked down 5k on a good old 26er only to have the option and choices you do now.

E B
E B
3 years ago
Reply to  Jeff

The beauty is the market decides. Carl and Open are both businesses. Both have customers. Both vote with their dollars, instead of costless internet blather. We are all better off in that both of them decided to go out and make something in the world for us to collectively choose from, instead of sitting at their computers harping on others. I’m a fan of both to be honest.

Mark
Mark
3 years ago

Way too much money for an ordinary bike. Where in the world is this frame worth 4800 usd alone? In 2014 I bought a Taiwanese Gravel (disc) frame for 1/10 of this price and built a super strong and light gravel bike which has taken incredible abuse, tough roads, jumps (and my heavy weight) for the last 10k miles with not a single issue. And it is true the headtube does not even match the fork., pretty much an OEM frame with a gold price paint job

Tyler Reid
Tyler Reid
3 years ago

I have a bike that I have built up to be like a road bike for dirt. Its a Trek Crockett cyclocross bike, I just put wide range cassette (9-42) with a 44t chainring and the widest tires the frame will take. I have it setup like a road bike with big dirt tires, and it hauls ass on dirt and pavement.

Andrew
Andrew
3 years ago
Reply to  Tyler Reid

I did the same with a Cannondale SuperX. I swap back and forth between a 1×12 and 2×12 setups, but the thing Hauls A$$!

Bryin
Bryin
3 years ago

Pretty bike… but I won’t pay custom money for a stock bike. For the money this bike/frame costs you could easily (and in many cases save money) get a full custom bike. I can never understand why people are paying this sort of money for a stock carbon bike. If you are after a really light bike then I sort of get it… but then you would not use disks. If you are OK with an extra 1.25lb for disks then why not go custom ti and have a much more durable frame? Plus, if you are ready to spend $10k on a bike then I would think you would be ready to have a perfect fit… Plus they don’t say exactly where this is made… if it is in the USA then I get the price but if it is a Chinese frame it is stupid. Not that Chinese frames are not good but if they are going to charge these sorts of prices it should reflect a US wage to make the frame. Otherwise someone is making too much money.

Carl Strong
3 years ago
Reply to  Bryin

Hi Bryin, believe me, we are not making too much money 🙂 The frames are made in the US, Bozeman MT to be exact. We offer stock sizing but for no additional cost we also do custom sizing, custom geometry and layup. They are expensive but they are made in low volume and the quality and attention to detail and finish reflects that.

Josh
Josh
3 years ago
Reply to  Bryin

They’re made in Missoula, Montana by actual framebuilders and riders. I know Carl personally (so I am somewhat biased) and can attest to the level of detail and care that goes into these bikes.

What makes you say titanium is more durable than carbon? Any material can be built strong & durable or light & disposable. The article even says they give you a choice of layup so you get exactly the balance that suits you. Something metal frames can’t control with nearly the same granularity.

E B
E B
3 years ago
Reply to  Bryin

Is it really a practical consideration of ti vs carbon frame life? There’s Look’s, Trek’s, Calfee’s kicking around from the early 80’s still. As long as the build wasn’t weight weenie limited layers, carbon has proven its durability.

John caletti
3 years ago

Carl Strong has been at the top of the custom handmade bike building world for a long time, and now brings all that expertise to a carefully US made, handcrafted bike in carbon. It’s well built, engineered and refined. Far more unique and exciting that what big brands are making in Asia. Costs a bit more, worth much more. I’m glad to see great products made with passion in the US. Bravo to Carl and his team at Pursuit!

Jeff
Jeff
3 years ago

Everything you said means nothing. Who cares who Carl is or how many frames he has made. The dude in a Chinese factory has probably made more frames than Carl.

Matt Johnson
Matt Johnson
3 years ago

Hi Carl, how do you make the molds in order to be able to change the geometries for each bike?

serrico
3 years ago

it’s an eight thousand dollar surly straggler.

Bryin
Bryin
3 years ago

Titanium is far more durable than carbon in the real world of cycling. A carbon bike can be rendered useless from simply falling over, a crashed carbon bike probably should be tossed. (pro teams almost never ride a crashed carbon frame and go through frames almost as fast as they replace chains). Can a ti bike fail? Of course it can. But the likelihood of a ti frame failing is FAR lower than that of a carbon frame. There is no way around this, the properties of carbon are such that make it vulnerable to the sort of accidents happen fairly often in cycling.

Robin
Robin
3 years ago
Reply to  Bryin

You do realize, don’t you, that CF can be repaired, right?

Dinger
Dinger
3 years ago
Reply to  Bryin

Lots of misinformation here. Carbon is nowhere near as delicate as you claim it to be, more is it prone to catastrophic failure as some of the luddites would have you believe. It is popular because no other material can match it’s strength to weight and ability to be shaped and engineered.

I have carbon bikes and a ti bike. I love to ride the ti bike but I’m under no illusions about which yields higher performance.

Involuntary Soul
Involuntary Soul
3 years ago

since you know so much about the bike industry, please tell me what justifies charging $5k on a basic frame without any features. At least specialized spend the money on R&D, what R&D did this frame have?

E B
E B
3 years ago

Gold star Steve.

E B
E B
3 years ago

Jeff – it’s simple. First, try a little sunshine. Second, Carl cares and rides, and listens to his customers. The guy in the Chinese factory? Nope. Sounds like you’re ripe for a Wal-mart bike – why don’t you go hit the comment forums there?

Ed Roll
Ed Roll
3 years ago

Nice deets overall but hard to justify the moola in today’s economy for the average cyclist. Then again, perhaps this bike is NOT for the average cyclists. Love some of the paint jobs. I am sure it’s a great bike and something worth aspiring too when we can all feel safe doing the Belgium Waffle ride again.

Matt
Matt
2 years ago

If you knew him personally then you know that he has been based in Bozeman for over a decade

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