While visiting the Belgian Cycling Factory, home of Ridley, Eddy Merckx, Nukeproof and Aeres Bikes, I spotted an interesting-looking 32in steel gravel bike.
I’m in Belgium checking out and getting an exclusive first ride of the new prototype Ridley aero gravel bike, one of the new bikes we spotted at The Traka – but more on that later.
While wandering around the BCF's Bike Valley complex, I spotted the new 32in gravel bike being pored over bike by the company’s head of R&D, Pieter Potters and Pieter Vanheeswijck, communications manager for Eddy Merckx Bikes. So, being the nosey tech journo I am, I went in search of more details.
Potters explained the 32in steel bike is a research mule – a proof of concept he'll be riding over the coming weeks. He hopes to prove his 32in geometry works, and green-light the project.
New 32in steel fork
Potters gave away few details about the bike, although he was at pains to say BCF has fabricated a new 32in steel fork for the mule. He explained that using an existing 32in mountain bike fork would upset the steering geometry.
The idea behind the design was Potters wanted to keep the handling performance as close to current 700c gravel bikes as possible, while getting the benefits of the larger 32in wheel size.
Potters is an experienced gravel racer, who used the unreleased Ridley RSS (Ridley Speed Shop) aero gravel bike in this year's 350km Traka. It's a bike we initially thought was called the RS2 (the logo on the frame stands for Ridley Speed Shop).
I managed to get a 10-minute ride on the mule bike, but only in civilian clothes and with flat pedals. No gravel was involved, just a few hundred metres of Belgian cobbles.
While it took a few pedal strokes more than a 700c-wheel gravel bike to get up to speed, the 32in mule held speed very well and rolled over the rough Belgian cobbles magnificently.
I expected the steering to feel barge-like and sluggish thanks to the increased wheel diameter, but it didn't at all. However, the real proof will be getting a bike off-road with a few singletrack sessions and a bit of elevation.
I asked Potters if the bike goes into production whether it would be made from steel, titanium or even carbon. He replied, "You’ll have to wait and see". I can’t wait!
