Fezzari’s direct-to-consumer lineup had been missing the hot new category until Sea Otter, where they introduced the new Shafer gravel road bike. While the carbon frame looks racy, the design makes some interesting geometry choices to make it a little more capable, but the spec provides all the top shelf components needed to make it competitive.
They also had completely redesigned versions of the Timp Peak 150mm trail bike and Hidden Peak XC race full suspension mountain bike, plus an updated Foré T5 triathlon bike in the booth…
The Shafer’s head tube is tall (195mm on a 58), putting the rider in a more upright, commanding position. You could still get low enough for a race-ready position by using a negative rise stem, but the emphasis here is on comfort for all-day rides. The fork gets fender mounts and clearance for 40mm tires. Flat mount disc brakes and 12mm through axles sit on both ends of the bike.
The rear end gets fender and rack mounts and also clears a 40c tire. This bike’s shown with Schwalbe tires on it, but production spec is Mavic’s complete Ksyrium All Road wheel-tire system (which is tubeless ready, just add sealant).
A third bottle mount on the bottom of the downtube sits just above the brake hose and shift cable exit ports. Both the brake hose and the rear shift cable pop back into the chainstays for a short stretch.
A metal chain guard protects the chainstay behind the chainrings. The BB drops a deep 72.5mm, and chainstays are a longish 440mm, putting the rider down “in” the bike and keeping the rear end very stable.