With gravel bikes popping up from some of the industry’s biggest names and BASP’s cyclocross season premier already slated for late September, it’s no secret that the cycling world is hungry for some miles off the pavé.
And with that off-road craving comes a guaranteed gear lust – envying your buddy’s disc brakes? Begging for some front end stiffness? Tired of trying to race on a jarring aluminum can? Look no further – Milwaukee Bicycle Company has you covered with their revamped Mettle cyclocross frame! Shred through the break for more details.
Maintaining the Made-In-The-USA craftsmanship and the True Temper OX Platinum ride quality of its little brother, the new Mettle cyclocross frame undergoes a modern update, acquiring a head tube for a 1.125″-to-1.5″ tapered fork that MBC says puts the frame in a truly race-oriented category.
The frame features a double butted, oversized front end for added stiffness, while maintaining the same geometry and rear end from previous years, all in a 4.4 pound frame. Add in a Cane Creek headset and a Whiskey No. 7 carbon cyclocross disc fork, and the whole package tips the scales at 5.5 pounds.
While this might be a little bit heavier than a comparably-featured aluminum frame, it will certainly ride a lot smoother, and will no doubt be light enough to haul over a few barriers each lap. At $874.99 for the frame, it won’t set you back all that much either.
The frame will come in five sizes from 50cm to 62cm, and all but two are currently available – look for the stragglers in late June or early July.
Worried Milwaukee would you leave you hanging on the gravel bike front? Rest easy, the company has a surprise up its sleeve for later this summer…
