THE NEW SILEX

Function has a style all of its own. When we introduced the Silex, people didn’t know what to make of this quirky-looking bike designed for riding something called ‘gravel’. Then they rode it - and the awards and positive reviews started piling up. The Silex turns any ride into an adventure, opening up fresh possibilities for fun, whether you’re doing the daily commute or a multi-day bikepacking trip.

The Silex has always been an off-road machine, first and foremost, it's not just a road or ‘cross bike’ with a few tweaks. With mountain bike-inspired geometry, it breaks free from the confines of what a drop bar bike should do, tempting you to explore the road less travelled. Take the next turn off-road, head down that singletrack, see what’s over the next hill or load up your gear and turn it into an overnighter. It blends drop-bar speed on hardpack surfaces with mountain bike ability and calm, composed handling.

The Silex isn’t just for big adventures in the middle of nowhere, it’s an incredibly practical everyday machine too. Whether it’s fitted with pannier racks to carry the shopping or mudguards to keep you clean on the commute, it’ll get you there in comfort with a relaxed, upright riding position and composed character, on any surface.

Gravel riding has increasingly split into different disciplines with distinct identities. On the one hand, there is a competitive race element, focusing on endurance competition events where outright speed is the priority and the terrain is generally more groomed.

Alternatively, there is adventure biking, where camaraderie is key and the only competitive aspect is between an individual rider and their own limits, pursuing long-distance ride or trips into the unknown. For these riders, comfort and carrying capacity are more important than outright speed and it's essential the bike can take on unpredictable and constantly changing surfaces.

The Silex continues to be spiritually closer to adventure riding so we have added more off-road capability without impacting the handling and versatility of the previous generation. In the process, we’ve also created the option to add gravel-specific equipment such as dropper posts and suspension forks but we know that when you’re on a trip in the middle of nowhere, simplicity is key. That’s why we’ve steered away from gimmicks and overcomplicated design features and focused on what really makes a difference for riders.

Whilst there’s no good reason you can’t slap number plates on it and enter your favourite gravel race, the Silex doesn’t solely live to hammer out the miles as quickly as possible. It focuses is on long-distance races and multi-day events, where the stable handling and off-road ability of the bike will shine through. If short-course gravel racing is your thing, then the Scultura Endurance GR may better suit your needs.

The Silex is for the rider who dreams big but still wants a bike that can handle the everyday stuff. Long, unsupported adventures with a fully laden bike. Overnight bivvy trips that’ll take you back to the real world refreshed. Rides with friends where you’re chasing the sunset down any path that appears, not following Strava segments.

Its versatility means that it’s the perfect partner for backcountry exploits but it’s also able to deal with day-to-day tasks, whether that means being laden down with shopping or ducking and diving down varying paths to spice up your commute to work.

We've maximised the off-road performance of the new Silex but it’s still as versatile for everyday riding, whether you’re commuting, taking on a road sportive or seeking a stable, comfortable companion for long winter rides. Both carbon CF and aluminium Lite frames have mounts for full-length mudguards, and the Lite frames can also be used with a pannier rack.

The head angle is the only significant change to the geometry and is now 1.5° slacker at 69.5°, improving stability at speed on rough terrain or when heavily laden. The handlebar position is at a very similar height but there is now a much shorter headtube length paired with a longer fork that’s compatible with the latest generation of gravel suspension forks. This means the new Silex offers the same riding position that made it such a hit but with much more aggressive looks and an aesthetic that is much more closely aligned to the dynamic look of the Reacto and Scultura road ranges.

At the rear end of the bike, we’ve moved to a dropped chainstay design that gives the tyre clearance we needed but retains the ability to run a 1x or 2x drivetrain, allowing riders to choose the drivetrain setup that suits them best. Going 1x reduces weight and gives simplified controls; a 2x setup delivers short gaps between gears for even cadence. What works best is up to you.

We’ve backed up the increased off-road capability with improved stopping ability; all bikes now run 180 mm rotors front and rear for much stronger, fade-resistant braking performance, especially when bikepacking. The weight penalty over the more commonly used 160 mm rotor is minor but the increase in power is significant, especially when riding laden on long descents. The carbon fibre framed CF models will use our Disc Cooler brake mount heat sink technology to help cool brakes faster for improved performance and reliability.

The seatpost clamp is now integrated into the top tube, creating a cleaner, more modern look.

The Silex is compatible with internally routed dropper seatposts and the fork has internal routing provision for a hub dynamo to power lights or small electronic devices on long trips.

The new Silex will be available in both lightweight CF carbon fibre framed models and high-value Lite aluminium frames, both sharing the same carbon fibre fork. The geometry is identical between the two frames, but the CF frame saves 680 g over the aluminium version.

Weight aside, key differences between the two frames are that the CF bike has a Disc Cooler heat sink rear brake mount and a Fidlock mount integrated into the downtube, while the Lite aluminium frame has mounts for a rear carrier rack in addition to the mudguard mounts.