For several years now, I have been presenting interesting and inspiring bicycles at the end of the year. Of course, I am continuing this tradition and have found eight bikes for bikepacking and cycling trips that I would like to share with you.
This time, these are bikes you wouldn’t necessarily come across when looking for a new ride. And even if you’re as deep in the bikepacking rabbit hole as I am, the following models are quite a surprise.
Let’s get started!
Diamant 140
- Quick Facts: Limited special edition, Shimano GRX 1×12, Suntour suspension fork, front rack included.
- Link: https://www.diamantrad.com/de-DE/140-our-movement-is-free-time/
For its 140th anniversary, Diamant has introduced the 140 as an adventure gravel bike. The bike is a limited edition collection model, built on the Diamant Mahon aluminum frame and combines suspension with wide tires. The installed 75mm Suntour suspension fork and the 62mm wide Schwalbe tires (27.5 inch) offer high comfort and plenty of traction.
Additionally, there’s a practical front rack that invites you to go bikepacking. Shifting is done with a 1×12 Shimano GRX setup (42/10-51). The system weight is a pleasingly high 136kg. The bike itself weighs almost 15kg – due to the components, which are a bit heavier (suspension fork, wheels).
A beautiful all-around bike and, at a price of 1,900 euros, an interesting offer for anyone who doesn’t want high-tech but is looking for a bikepacking bike that would even withstand the moon – at least according to Diamant.
Ridley Ignite GTX
- Quick Facts: “Monster Gravel”, pure mountain bike geometry, 100 mm suspension travel (optional), 2.3″ tire clearance.
- Link: https://www.ridley-bikes.com/de_DE/bikes/SBIISXRID307
The Ignite GTX from Ridley is a true drop bar MTB and visually a rocket. It combines the stability and off-road capability of a mountain bike (pure MTB geometry) with the aerodynamics and grip variety of a road handlebar. With space for up to 29 x 2.3 inch wide tires and an optional suspension fork (up to 100mm), it’s designed for demanding, alpine gravel rides. The monster gravel, with its aggressive design language and delicate carbon frame, is more suited for sporty, ambitious riders – and of course, bikepacking is possible with it.
Price-wise, it’s currently available for around 2,600 euros. The regular price is 3,600 euros, which is reasonable for this machine. Unfortunately, Ridley provides no information about the frame and bike weight, nor about the system weight.
Nua Bikes Roure
- Quick Facts: Titanium frame, Pinion or Rohloff drive, custom-made, all-terrain adventure.
- Link: https://www.nuabikes.com/nua-roure-titanium-bikepacking-bike
Ah, titanium! I came across the Nua Roure from Spain through coverage of Eurobike. It’s designed as an all-road adventure bike, and I like this modern interpretation of a touring bike. The focus is on durability and maintenance-free operation: it’s only available with Rohloff or Pinion gearboxes and is aimed at people planning long bike trips, even to remote areas. With the robust material and many mounting points, it’s literally designed for travel to the moon, as the manufacturer says.
The Roure is flexible with wheels and accepts 76mm wide, 27.5″+ and 2.4 inch wide 29″ wheels and tires. In the configurator, you can choose many details, such as 12 or 18-speed Pinion, extra mounts on the top tube, and kickstand preparation. And if you’re at it, the titanium front and rear racks match perfectly.
Prices start at 5,000 euros, and the total weight – depending on individual equipment and component choice – is 13.5kg.
Cinelli Speciale Gravel
- Quick Facts: Columbus steel frame, Italian elegance, aggressive gravel geometry, mullet options.
- Link: https://cinelli-milano.com/collections/speciale-gravel
The Cinelli Hobo was one of the first bikes I looked at many years ago when I entered the world of bikepacking. With the Speciale Gravel, cult brand Cinelli combines the Italian flair of a high-quality steel frame with modern equipment for maximum gravel performance and bikepacking adventures. The frame is made of Columbus steel and offers the typical comfortable ride you appreciate on long distances. And: everything is handmade in Italy!
Tire clearance is 2.2 inches, and there are enough mounts for racks and bags. If you like, you can also install a dropper post and direct mount derailleurs or any others via UDH.
The Speciale Gravel comes with various gear options and some great colors. All very tasteful – Italian style. If you want, you can buy just the frame (for 2,800 euros) and build your own model. Complete bikes start at 4,800 euros.
Official weight information is only available for the frame at 2.12kg and the carbon fork at 534g. The estimated weight of a complete bike is around 11kg.
Female Explorer x veloheldin Gravelbike
- Quick Facts: CrMo steel frame, ergonomic focus (handlebar/saddle selectable), limited Female Explorer Edition, triple cage mounts.
- Link: https://www.veloheld.de/produkt/veloheld-iconx-female-explorer-edition/
This limited special edition was created in cooperation with the Female Explorer collective and is based on the veloheld.iconX. The lightweight CrMo steel frame offers plenty of comfort and a well-thought-out geometry, including a low top tube for more freedom of movement when dismounting.
The highlight is the ergonomics: handlebar and saddle width can be individually selected to ensure maximum riding pleasure even on long tours. Handlebars are available in widths from 38-44cm, saddles from 12-16cm.
The price is 3,200 euros. The permissible system weight is 130kg.
Grind Franky
- Quick Facts: Gravel/all-road, drop bar, reliability and simple aesthetics.
- Link: https://grindcycles.com/products/grind-franky
Tested at the Atlas Mountain Race and made for adventure: the Franky from Grind Cycles is a light and sporty drop bar MTB. It’s equally designed for fast rides on the road and multi-day tours on gravel and forest trails. It offers many individual configuration options, so every Franky is a personal Franky.
The carbon frame weighs under 1,000g, direct mount ready or UDH, tire clearance is 29×2.6 inches, a suspension fork up to 100mm can be installed, and – unusual for carbon frames – it comes with a BSA threaded bottom bracket.
Price-wise, it’s in the upper segment depending on configuration. But you can also buy just the frame and build your own Franky.
Lee Cougan Innova Supergravel
- Quick Facts: Structural rear suspension (ISS), 100 mm front travel (Fox), lightweight carbon, 2.4″ tire clearance.
- Link: https://leecougan.com/de/fahrrad/gravel-fahrrade/innova-supergravel
I always associated Lee Cougan with enduro/cross country. But with the Innova Supergravel, they present an interesting drop bar MTB with a carbon frame that not only comes with 100 mm front travel but also integrates a structural rear suspension (ISS) into the frame. This system uses the carbon frame itself to absorb shocks and offers 30 mm flex at the rear. Nevertheless, the frame weighs only 1.3kg, the bike 11kg.
The suspensions increase comfort and control – designed for races and adventures on the toughest and longest routes in the world. Mattia de Marchi, for example, rode the Innova Super Gravel at the Traka and the Atlas Mountain Race.
Tire clearance is 2.4 inches. The price for the complete bike is 4,900 euros. You can also buy the frame and build your own Innova Supergravel.
Bombtrack Beyond+ Midtail
- Quick Facts: Steel cargo bike, integrated rack, 2.6″ tire clearance, Shimano Deore 1×12.
- Link: https://www.bombtrack.com/my25/complete-bikes/beyond-plus-midtail
Now for something completely different: cargo bikes for bikepacking don’t have to be bulky and unwieldy. There are now many good approaches and examples of how to build robust adventure cargo bikes. And one comes from Cologne: the Bombtrack Beyond+ Midtail. This bike combines bikepacking and cargo transport in a pretty nice way.
Its CrMo steel frame is built for heavy loads and long distances and features an integrated rear rack (midtail). With a tire width of 2.6 inches, a 12-speed drivetrain, and Shimano 4-piston brakes in front and 2-piston in the rear, it’s designed for demanding, remote routes – ideal for large expeditions where a lot of gear needs to be transported.
That’s why the system weight is an impressive 200 kg. The bike itself, however, weighs 17 kg, which is honestly less than I expected. My Norwid Gotland touring bike weighed 17 kg.
If you like, you can also install a suspension fork at the front. The price is said to be 2,900/3,000 euros, and the Midtail will be available in 2026.
