Redline Conquest for Gravel Grinder
Redline Conquest Team. The 2015 models are all disc-brake, so my cantilever brake version is almost a throw-back. Personally, I’m not convinced that disc brakes are all that necessary, but that is definitely the direction that the market has gone. At the Gran Fondo Leavenworth, almost all of the newer cyclocross bikes and gravel-grinder bikes were disc brake, but it’s hard to say how many were recently purchased with disc brake as a motivating factor versus how many bikes had disc brakes simply because that’s what’s readily available on current complete bikes.
After 3 seasons of cyclocross on this frameset, I’ll vouch for the geometry and handling. Redline’s Tim Rutledge really nailed the recipe for cyclocross, but the bike handles gravel grinders well too. If I had to complain, I wish that the bike had a little more tyre clearance, especially at the rear. A 35mm width is pretty much the practical limit on the back; 38-40mm for the fork. However, with the UCI limiting CX tyres to a measured maximum width of 33mm, it’s not terribly surprising that there isn’t more space. This isn’t a big deal for me, but big dudes might want more grab for traction on loose climbs and cush for technical descents.