8bar’s versatile alloy Mitte v3 has just simplified its transition from road to gravel, then back again thanks to a unique set of dropout flip chips. Now all you need is two dedicated wheelsets to go from everyday road riding on 28mm tires to weekend gravel exploring on 45mm knobbies, with just about a minute with a multi-tool to swap from one mode to the next…
All-new 8bar Mitte v3 transforms from road bike to gravel bike
Developed in Berlin, the Mitte has been one of the most adaptable & affordable road, all-road, cross, gravel, and bikepacking bikes since it came onto the scene five years ago. While that initially involved interchangeable forks, sliding dropouts, and a lot of adjustment going back-and-forth. Now it’s as simple as turning around a set of flip chips at each axle.
2in1 Twist thru-axle flip chips & adjustable geometry
The simple, why-didn’t-I-think-of-that 8bar secret is their new Twist thru-axle flip chips. The 2-position adjustable alloy inserts at both the front & rear thru-axles move each wheel 10mm towards your brake pad, meaning once you flip them around you don’t even need to adjust your brakes.
You just have one set of wheels for road riding with road tires, a cassette & 140mm rotors, and a separate gravel set for off-road riding with up to 45mm tires, the same cassette & 160mm rotors. Swap back & forth as quick as you can unthread two axles, flip the Twist inserts around, and pop in the second set of wheels.
Instant shorter chainstays & wheelbase, lower stack, lower center of gravity, and 1/2 degree steeper head & seat angles when going from gravel to road modes.
No other adjustments needed.
Tech details
Beyond the easy-to-use new flip chips. The 2in1 Mitte v3 keeps most of the same features that made the original versatile. 8bar’s classic triple-butted 6061 aluminum tubing keeps the frame reasonably light at a claimed 1700g, responsive, and affordable. The new bike features a tapered headtube & internal headset for a 1.5″ tapered steerer, a PF30 bottom bracket, 27.2mm seatpost, flat mount disc brakes, and 12mm thru-axles. It gets internal cable routing in the main triangle, dropped seatstays for a bit more comfort, and three sets of water bottle bosses (3-pack on the toptube, plus a pair below). The frame also offers fender mounts, although only the dedicated gravel fork has its own fender tabs.
8bar offers three full carbon fork options depending on what you want to do with your Mitte. The 500g 2in1 fork is the most versatile & most expensive with the Twist flip chips to swap geometry back & forth, but no extra mounts. The regular fixed axle Gravel fork weighs the same, costs less, and adds fender tabs and a pair of cage bosses on each leg. The regular fixed Road fork has a slimmer, tapered leg design that weighs less with the shorter axle-to-crown length & no extra bosses, and costs the same as the fixed Gravel fork.
Pick the 2in1 for the easy swaps, or a regular fork if you won’t go back & forth from road to gravel on separate wheelsets.
Tire clearances in each mode:
- 2in1 road: Mitte v3 frame & 2in1 fork – max 700×35mm or 650×2.0″
- standard Road fork alone: max 700x30mm
- 2in1 gravel: Mitte v3 frame & 2in1 fork – max 700×45mm or 650×2.0″
- standard Gravel fork alone: max 700×50mm or 650×2.0″
8bar Mitte v3 all-road / gravel bike – Pricing, Options & Availability
The all-new alloy 8bar Mitte v3 is available now in as many options as you can dream up via their online configuration tool. The alloy 2in1 Mitte v3 frame itself sells for just 599€ in matte black or raw polished aluminum, and custom colors are even available for 200€ more. The full Carbon 2in1 fork adds another 400€, or either regular fixed axle carbon fork for 250€.
Complete 2in1 bikes start around 2020€ with a Shimano GRX 400 2×10 and alloy wheels, or just 1750€ as a singlespeed. A more premium Ultegra build can have you easily pushing 3500€ or more. Then, adding a second wheelset to complete the 2in1 option is an extra 600€ fully set up.
Frames & framesets in five sizes (XS-XL) are in stock & available now in limited numbers, shipping out essentially as quickly as 8bar can get them out the door. Complete bikes are built one at a time and everyone is swamped, so 8bar says current lead time is 8-12 weeks if you order today.
