Evans Cycles argues that the Arkose was a gravel bike before the term ground its way in to our collective consciousness. As it’s been around for several years, Evans has a point.
This latest iteration of the model gains a raft of tweaks that should widen its appeal to the maturing UK all-road bike market and, with such a large retailer behind it, it looks great value too.
The frame is built from 6013-T6 heat-treated alloy with triple-butted top- and down-tubes, smooth welds and large reflective panels and graphics for visibility.
The brake hose and cables are routed internally through the down tube as far as the bottom bracket shell, and the fork and steerer are all carbon fibre.
At 178cm tall, I'm at the top of the recommended height range for a medium bike, so the reach on my test example feels fairly short, especially with its 80mm stem.
Nevertheless, it’s a comfortable position that feels well balanced and gives easy control over the well-shod front end, as larger tyres can be a little slower to change direction.
The 72-degree head angle is about normal for this style of bike. Together with its very low 77mm bottom bracket drop, it maintains a good mixture of stability and agility when the surface starts to get gnarly.
An overall weight of 10.15kg is reasonable at this price and large volume tyres and a comfy saddle make a huge difference to ride quality and versatility.
It will never touch a road bike for speed and acceleration, but the D3 can muster a bit of a sprint and tick along nicely in the high teens without too much effort.
Upward drags and climbs unsurprisingly paint a different picture, and the effort required to climb longer gradients does increase exponentially in relation to their length and steepness. Even so, there’s purpose in your progress, and that helps.
The D3 romped convincingly through miles of loose gravel interspersed with a generous helping of large, jagged stones, allowing accurate line control and, along with its plush WTB saddle, ably absorbing the constant bumps.
The cockpit and 27.2mm seatpost are aluminium and do their bit to soak up vibration, but key to comfort are those big 45mm tyres, which measure 43mm here and pumped up to 35psi their suppleness conforms to tortured surfaces.
Shimano’s 105 is as robust as ever, from its high-class hood and lever feel to the reliably effective hydraulic brakes. Adding Praxis Works’ aluminium Alba chainset with my favourite 48/32 ring combination is a masterstroke, giving the D3 perfect gearing for its intended usage.
It all works together perfectly, and the 48 ring allows you to use it more of the time than if anything larger was specced. The women’s version has an equally well thought-out 46/30 combination as standard.
It’s a practical frameset for anyone planning to expand on the D3’s obvious terrain, with mounts for a third bottle cage beneath the down tube, a rear rack and full mudguards. There’s even internal routing for front and rear dynamo lights.
Although supplied with 700c x 45mm tyres, narrower tyres such as 28mm could be fitted, or smaller diameter 650b wheels and up to 52mm tyres are an option too.
The Arkose D3 has all the adventure, training and commuting bases covered and at this price it’s a bargain.
Pinnacle Arkose Dirt D3 specifications
- Sizes (*tested): S, M*, L, XL
- Weight: 10.15kg
- Frame: 6013-T6 heat treated alloy, triple-butted top tube and down tube
- Fork: Full carbon with dynamo wire routing
- Chainset: Praxis Alba 48/32
- Bottom bracket: Praxis Works M30 BSA
- Cassette: Shimano HG700 11-34
- Chain: KMC X11
- Derailleurs: Shimano 105
- Shifters: Shimano 105 hydraulic
- Wheelset: WTB ST i21 TCS on Novatec hubs
- Tyres: WTB Riddler TCS 45mm
- Wheel weight: Front, 1.71kg; rear 2.39kg
- Stem: Pinnacle alloy road
- Bar: Pinnacle 6061 alloy gravel
- Headset: FSA Orbit C-40-ACB, No.42
- Saddle: WTB Volt Comp 142
- Seatpost: Pinnacle aluminium
- Brakes: Shimano 105 hydraulic disc, 160mm RT66 rotors
Pinnacle Arkose Dirt D3 geometry
- Seat angle: 73.5 degrees
- Head angle: 72 degrees
- Chainstay: 43.4cm
- Seat tube: 51cm
- Top tube: 56.2cm
- Head tube: 15.5cm
- Fork offset: 4.85cm
- Trail: 6.9cm
- Bottom bracket drop: 7.7cm
- Bottom bracket height: 28.2cm
- Standover: 79.2cm
- Wheelbase: 1,034mm
- Stack: 58.95cm
- Reach: 38.7cm
- Price: £1,300 / $1,463
