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Just In: Foundry Overland Titanium Gravel and Cyclocross Bike

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FoundryOverland2015-1

Coming from a “Racing Matters” background, Foundry Cycles designed the Overland to be the most versatile of all the ‘cross bikes they offer. Specifically, they refer to it as a Drop Bar Course Killer. With a frame constructed from titanium, this bike is strong enough to handle the rigors of a six hour gravel race, yet nimble enough for racing cyclocross in the fall.

Where the Overland differs from a regular cross bike is in the bike’s geometry – it’s designed to accommodate varying road surfaces and types of riding. Starting with a 68mm bottom bracket drop for better cornering stability, the theme continues with an increased tire clearance of 41mm, and compact 425mm chainstays built to tuck in the rear wheel for improved traction. Traction is handy in cyclocross and UltraCross, another area the bike excels at. Think tackling rocky and rooty terrain, and you get the picture…

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Disc brakes are virtually standard equipment on cyclocross and gravel bikes these days, and the Overland doesn’t disappoint. Equipped with SRAM Force 22 hydraulic brakes, 160mm front and 140mm rear rotors, braking performance is excellent. As a further positive, the frame sports thru axles front and rear (15x100mm and 12x142mm) mated to DT Swiss R24 Centerlock tubeless ready wheels.

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The virtues of thru axles are well known. They provide a solid connection to the front and rear of the bike, which helps to resist braking forces against the frame and fork. Additionally, the DT’s RWS thru axles ensure consistent alignment with the brake calipers and rotors time and time again.

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The Overland’s drivetrain is all SRAM Force 22, with seatpost, stem and handlebars provided by Zipp. Rounding it out is Whisky’s #9 tapered cyclocross fork with fender mounts, Cane Creek headset and Velo saddle.

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Bucking the trend of internally routed cables, the Overland keeps it simple, routing the mechanical shifting and rear brake along the top tube – some would consider this “retro”. Assuming a mechanical drivetrain, the front derailleur requires a pulley mounted onto a threaded boss residing behind the seat tube. As many mechanics will tell you, externally routed cables are a blessing in disguise, drastically easing maintenance.

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Electronic shifting is not forgotten. The Overland routes all electronic cables internally, through conveniently located ports on the down tube, seat tube and right chainstay.

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Overlands are available in five sizes from XS to XL, with effective top tubes ranging from 52cm to 60cm. At 5’11”, I’ve chosen the size Small (54cm top tube), but have substituted the stock length stem and seatpost for additional length and setback accordingly. Sizing does determine some of the component lengths and widths on stock builds, such as stem, crankset and handlebar. However, your friendly Foundry dealer can likely substitute such components as stems should the stock lengths be unsuitable.

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Regardless of the bike size chosen, all stock builds feature SRAM’s GXP carbon crankset with 46/36 chainrings and a SRAM PG1130 11-32 cassette. Another really nice touch is the 68mm bottom bracket shell – no press fit bottom bracket standards to be found.

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Want to build your own Overland? The frameset retails for $US 2,495, with the complete build as detailed above, retailing for $US 4,695.

From a spec, build and quality aspect, first impressions are very good. Look for a full review of the Overland after we put it through its paces at multiple gravel rides and races throughout the year.

Photos by Gravel Cyclist. Jayson O’Mahoney is the Gravel Cyclist: A website about the Gravel Cycling Experience.

Foundry Cycles

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Tyler
Tyler
9 years ago

It blows my mind when bikes like this and the Moots Route 45 use a top tube routed fd cable and pulley on the seat tube. My cross bike has this, and that is its ultimate weakness. If conditions are sloppy that pulley gathers all sorts of junk and eventually stops working…I have lost my fd shifting twice because of this….why folks, why?

Dave B
Dave B
9 years ago

After nearly disappearing for years, Ti seems to be making a bit of a comeback. My 10 and 20 year old Litespeeds are going to be fashionable again.

Skip
9 years ago

I think a top pull FD cable would be so much better…less junk in the way also. Other wise nice looking bike.

Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
9 years ago

– Sounds like you’re the perfect candidate for a 1x grouppo. 😉

Veganpotter
Veganpotter
9 years ago

I really wish this bikes had rack/fender mounts. It would add almost no weight, they already bucked the trend of a PF bottom bracket of any sort and added weight there. This would a potentially great bike for touring(or light touring) or maybe someone simply wants stable, full coverage fenders

Bob
Bob
9 years ago

Dave B, I agree with you. My 2001 Litespeed is still going strong abet with new wheels & drivetrain. Other than a few wrinkled & scuffed decals it looks like new. There have been a lot of ti frames shown here lately. Assuming it’s easier to access & work with for small builders and that’s a good thing for fans of ti frames, myself included.

Heffe
Heffe
9 years ago

Could you use a top-pull front derailleur or are those not made for road groups?

muf
muf
9 years ago

at this price id expect internal routing for this a bike. cross with exposed cables sucks.

look at carver’s TI bikes for example, they have it.

then again i guess few crossers are on ti bikes.. its expensive, its nice looking, etc. most are cheap alu or carbon and the bikes take a beating.

Magnetic Wheel Co.
9 years ago

Re: Heffe

Shimano CX70 front derailleurs are top pull road/CX and will work with Sram shifters as well.

Fall
Fall
9 years ago

Mixing Shimano 10 speed front derailleurs (cx-70 is 10 speed only) and Sram 11 speed drivetrains on a production bike? Come on, thats the kinda thing you cobble up in your garage, not ship on a production build.

Veganpotter, it has fender mounts, Foundry says they are removable. Check out their website.

JBikes
JBikes
9 years ago

@ vegan –

100% agree. Almost all of these new “gravel” bikes, meant for all around non-race riding, are lacking in rack mount bosses. Why? They are not weight weenie race machines, what are you saving?

Thankfully brands like Jamis and Norco have put them on their steel adventure bikes, although I’d like to also see them on their CF versions, maybe with a Kevlar skin on the SS/CS to prevent abrasion.

dockboy
dockboy
9 years ago

The Raleigh Willard has full rack and fender mounts – even on the carbon fork. It’s a nice looking bike, much like how I would build a gravel grinder (and have for customers in the past few years).

John
John
9 years ago

Yet another CX bike masquerading as a gravel bike. Sheesh!

Note to builders: Ride the Almanzo or Oregon Stampede on your so-called gravel bike frame and get back to us — the shortcomings of your CX frame with twitchy geometry, high BB and top pull front derailleurs should be pretty obvious by that point.

adrian
9 years ago

Hi @veganpotter this bike does have removable fender mounts, but not rack mounts!

Kernel Flickitov
Kernel Flickitov
9 years ago

@John, 2nd place at Almanzo this year was nearly a 1st place by only 4 seconds, and riding this Overland.

Gianni
Gianni
9 years ago

John – and anyone else who’d like to chime in: Serious question – what is wrong with a CX bike “masquerading” as a gravel bike? I raced the Crusher in the Tushar last year (70 mi, 40/60 split b/w tarmac and dirt & gravel sectors) on my old 2008 Ridley X-Fire carbon fiber cyclocross bike – with cantilever brakes – and got 5th place in the competitive 40-44 age group. A good friend took 1st in the Crusher (same category) the previous year – also on a carbon fiber Ridley X-Fire with cantilever brakes. Ridley cyclocross bikes are as “cross-y” as it gets – high BB’s, very high top tubes, and quick / nimble cx race geometry. In other words, everything a “gravel bike” is supposedly not. I’ll be honest – I’ve been tempted at the thought of buying a “real gravel bike” – but I’m not convinced there’s any real benefit to a “gravel bike” vs. my ‘cross bike for dirt road riding and the occasional “gravel grinder” style race. I’ll be doing the Crusher again this July and probably Rebecca’s Private Idaho in Sept – on my Ridley X-Fire – unless I am convinced to buy a “gravel bike.”

Joe Yang
9 years ago

Such a beautiful bike, this has to be one of my personal favorite, all the details are just gorgeous. We helped Foundry develop this frame, and it has to one of my favorite projects in the last year.

TypeVertigo
9 years ago

A lot of people have mixed Shimano CX70 front derailleurs with SRAM shifters — with great results. It’s not as if it hasn’t been done before.

Tyler Benedict
Admin
9 years ago

JBikes – The Jamis Renegade Expert carbon model does have rack and fender mounts. They’re removable little bits that thread into stealth mounts at the bottom of the fork legs and ends of the rear dropouts. The design is so good you don’t notice it at all when they’re not installed. I didn’t put them on when we reviewed the bike, so they’re not in photos on that post, but they are included with the bike.

JBikes
JBikes
9 years ago

Tyler,
Your wrote up explained as much but I didn’t see any place for the upper rack stays. Do you need to run a seatpost adapter?

pilf
pilf
9 years ago

Literally every person I have known who has done the Almanzo 100, did so on a standard cyclocross bike. Same goes for the Oregon Stampede, with the exception seeming to be the randonerds on 650b low-trail bikes.

JBikes
JBikes
9 years ago

pilf – don’t you know you can’t ride gravel unless on a gravel bike 🙂

I’ve ridden road, CX, and “gravel bikes”. Although maybe dedicated gravel bikes are a tad more stable, as in slower to steer, I question anyone who has issues riding a CX bike on gravel due to “stability” issues.

The biggest issue with gravel is tires. If my Cervelo could fit even 30’s, it would be my gravel bike.

Tool
Tool
9 years ago

It’s a tool not a trophy…wait or is it a trophy now?

Scoobie
Scoobie
9 years ago

@Fall… the latest 10sp Shimano front derailleurs, the ones designed to not need a trim function on the front shifter, work great with SRAM shifters. Way easier to set up than Yaw derailleur. I have 2 road bikes and a cross bike w/ Force22 shifters and Ultegra 6700 derailleurs. they work beautifully together.

G
G
9 years ago

Just to throw this concept in: Q has a plethora of options for a rack ready bike. The Overland, much like the Warbird, are designed with performance adventure touring in mind. It’s difficult to express in purpose, but when you see these rigs, you get it: http://salsacycles.com/files/bikes/adv_warbird_11.jpg

Straight from Q & Salsa — these will NEVER have rack mounts. These bikes are not designed with them in mind. The hole they fill, while not for everyone, is to have a capable and playful touring/cx/gravel rig.

JBikes
JBikes
9 years ago

G
I fail to see how rack mounts on a frame prevent it from being a capable and playful bike. Again these are not aero and weight optimized race machines. A rack boss will not cause anyone to lose a cx race, nor make the bike a boring ride.

Whambat
Whambat
9 years ago

Rack mounts. Who needs rack mounts? Go minimalist and get a revelate designs seat bag. Running a frame bag, seat bag, and handlebar bag way less tippy than old panniers for my bikepacking adventures.

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