Words by Peter Stetina
Remember when, years ago, MTB and ATB (All Terrain Bicycle) were synonymous? Gradually, the industry trended towards MTB and the idea of an ATB became essentially forgotten. But, with the introduction of wide tire clearance gravel bikes and even mild travel suspension, I’ve long felt a drop bar mountain bike is the true ATB. Sure it sounds great for adventuring, but I’ve yet to find a race scenario where it’d be faster than either a hardtail MTB or a rigid gravel rig.
Enter Lifetime’s Chequamegon 40 MTB race. As far as I can tell the course is old school, predominantly wide, pedally, and punchy. If ever there was a moment to try this build against a class of MTBs, this was it.
As my mechanic, Big Tall Wayne and I drove across the American West this summer we rang up my tech confidante, Shimano’s Nick Legan. Was this dream scenario even possible? There were a few hurdles to address to make this rig competitive. What you’ll see detailed below is the product of brainstorming, the cross pollination of Shimano’s groups, and a blend of parts old and new. It turns out that while Shimano’s group sets perform at their very best when used as a unified system, it is possible (with the help of a skilled mechanic) to merge them into a unique, bold blend.
I don’t know if this will actually be faster than today’s ultralight hardtail, but I think it might be. Regardless this project was just plain FUN and sometimes that motivation in itself can be the difference maker.
The Canyon Grizl boasts clearance for up to 50mm (2.0”) tires, but if it's not muddy one can always squeeze a bit more in there. As you can see I am comfortably fitting 52 (2.1”) tires.
I've paired IRC Mythos 2.1” tires to Shimano's GRX carbon wheels, which sit great with the 25mm internal rim width. Orange Seal sealant is a must!
I had to source some older discontinued IRC Mythos 29x2.1” (700x52). This is one of IRC’s most successful tread patterns but they've since modernized it to 2.2” for today's MTB styles. The 2.2” didn't fit so I begged them to scour the warehouse for some old 2.1's.
I had these custom created for the predecessor of my Paydirt gravel event, the Sierra Prospect Road Fondo. The gold alludes to California's Gold Rush and provides some extra motivation to go for gold myself.
PRO's Turnix saddle sits atop Canyon's split rail VCLS 2.0 post. I don't need a dropper for this event but some bump compliance is a must given thinner tires. I use this post for all my gravel racing.
Ever since Fox debuted the 32TC gravel fork I've been wracking my brain for a race worthy scenario to justify the weight gain for 40mm of travel. This might just be it. Wayne, my mechanic, had to get creative to match the two given the Fox fork has a narrower steerer tube than Canyon's headtube. I can confirm it rides great!
I've opted for the Canyon Grizl adventure gravel bike over a hardtail MTB. Complete with the new gravel suspension fork and nearly Shimano’s entire family of groupsets, mixing and matching parts from road, gravel, and MTB.
Coming from road my road career I much prefer handling a bike with drop bars vs flat bars, and the flare we see on the PRO Discover line makes handling technical terrain enjoyable. I'm also using Wahoo's Bolt with an aero mount.
Shimano GRX RX815 Di2 levers for precise shifting and braking.
I'm using a Dura-Ace 9100P powermeter crank and GRX RX815 Di2 front derailleur. Chainrings are 46-36 and I'm hopeful I can use the bigger gearing of a double chainring against the MTB's single rings.
We sourced an 11spd XTR 11-40 cassette and paired it with the GRX RX817 Di2 rear derailleur. While not meant to pair with a double chainring, the design of this model matches the shift path of the 11-40 cassette, allowing for a much wider range of gears and still shifts like an absolute champ! I now have a 36-40 for the steepest pitches and the 46-11 for the fastest sections. The rear derailleur can even handle a cross-chain of 46-40 although I'll try not to stress that system too much.
