Today, Ari Bike launches the third iteration of its do-it-all gravel bike, the Shafer 3.0. It builds on the solid foundation laid by its predecessor but features a handful of updates to keep up with the ever-changing gravel market. Most notably, the new Shafer frame is over 200 grams lighter and it gets a massive boost in tire clearance to fit modern gravel tires. An in-frame storage compartment has also been added, and the geometry has been updated to provide a more balanced ride across the size range.
According to Ari, “To better serve the needs of the evolving gravel cyclist, the Shafer has adapted. From high-speed champagne gravel to the backcountry bikepacking epics, the all-new Shafer 3.0 is ready to help riders capture a PR or bag the route they’ve been dreaming of.” Let’s dig into the details to see what the Shafer 3.0 is all about.
Ari Shafer 3.0 Frame Details
The new Shafer 3.0 frame has a silhouette that looks nearly identical to the previous version. It comes in carbon fiber only, and Ari tells us that they achieved significant weight savings by refining the tube shapes and junctions without decreasing strength. In fact, they say the new frame is over 200 grams lighter, with the size medium coming in at 928 grams. The carbon fork adds another 491 grams to the total frame weight.
Clearance For Massive Tires
Ari has somehow managed to lighten up the frame while simultaneously adding significant tire clearance. The Shafer 3.0 frame and fork can clear massive tires up to 700 x 58c or 29” x 2.25” on all frame sizes. The brand also mentions that they have made additional space above the tire tread for mud clearance. All of the complete bikes come with rims with at least a 25 mm inner rim width and either 50 mm or 55mm wide tires in their stock configurations.
Suspension Ready
If the big tires don’t smooth the ride enough, the Shafer 3.0 frame is compatible with gravel suspension forks with up to 60 mm of travel — like the new RockShox Rudy XL. The standard rigid carbon fork is suspension-corrected, so geometry and handling should be preserved if/when switching over to a suspension fork.
In-Frame Storage
In keeping with modern trends, Ari also added a “Cache” in-frame storage compartment to the Shafer 3.0 frame. Now riders can cache tools, tubes, snacks, and other gear in the downtube. A co-molded nylon/rubber door seals around the compartment’s opening to keep the elements out, with a robust aluminum lever to lock it in place while riding.
Mounts and Dynamo Routing
The previous Shafer was already equipped with lots of frame and fork mounts, and the 3.0 appears to have a few less, but still plenty. There are mounts and room for two bottles inside the front triangle on all sizes, along with top tube mounts for a feed bag and three-pack mounts on the fork. The fork also features internal routing for dynamo hubs, if that’s something you’re into.
Other Features
Based on the photos, it appears that the Shafer 3.0 has through-headset routing only. And while we doubt that was something riders were asking for, the brand says that it made other changes based on customer feedback. One example is the traditional seat clamp that replaces the awkward frame-integrated clamp on the previous version. Other examples are geometry-related, which we’ll discuss below.
Geometry
The Shafer 2.0’s geometry was pretty well dialed and helped to make that bike incredibly versatile and a true all-rounder of a gravel bike. For the 3.0, Ari says they took that proven geometry and made some subtle changes based on rider feedback. The biggest difference is the move to size-specific chainstay lengths, a move intended to provide better fore-aft balance and an “in-the-bike” feel for riders of all sizes. The chainstays grow incrementally from 425 mm on the XS frame to 440 mm on the XL.
Stack heights have also increased on some frame sizes, but otherwise, the geometry doesn’t look too different from the previous version. The stable and confidence-inspiring 69-degree head tube angle remains, although with a longer fork offset to keep trail in check. The effective seat tube angle is 74 degrees across the board, and the bottom bracket height sits at 277 mm.
Ari Shafer 3.0: Builds, Pricing, and Weight
The new Shafer 3.0 is being sold in five complete builds with pricing ranging from $2,549 for the Shafer Sport to $8,499 for the top-of-the-line Shafer Team. As with all Ari Bikes, the brand provides several customization options at checkout, including upgrades like carbon wheels, the RockShox Rudy XL fork, a Reverb XPLR dropper, or Maxxis Aspen ST tires. The Shafer 3.0 is also available as a frame-only for those interested in building up a custom ride.
The Shafer 3.0 Team build and frame-only come in a Limited Edition Raw carbon/Ozark Sunset Color in recognition of Ari’s Bentonville grand opening. The rest of the complete builds come with White Gold or Rootbeer Metallic paint jobs.
Ari Shafer 3.0: Availability
The Shafer 3.0 is available starting today. Like all Ari Bikes, they are only sold directly through the brand’s website, so head there to learn more or pick one up for yourself.
