Argon 18 Subito E-Gravel Gravel Bike

The Argon 18 Subito E-Gravel Bike: Unlocking Speed and Power for Gravel Riding

As fun as gravel riding is, it can also be hard to get together enough time in the day to enjoy a real trek through the unpaved hinterlands. Adding the Argon 18 Subito E-Gravel bike to your arsenal will give you that extra surge of speed and power to help you tackle those more interesting, longer gravel routes in time to be home and ready for family duties.

All rides are fun, but some rides are more fun than others. An e-gravel bike like the Subito can guarantee that your gravel rides will never descend into life-questioning abysses of struggle but will always comfortably ride the crest of the totally awesome time wave. After all, that’s what gravel riding is all about. The gravel version of the Subito uses the same platform as the road version but incorporates a gravel specific finishing kit. So the wheels are spec’d as 650b with 46c tires. The frame can accommodate up to 47c tires if you build it up yourself. And then things like the handlebars and stem are gravel focused. But the frame is the same fantastic, lightweight Subito with the added oomph of the Ebikemotion X35 pedal assist system.

The Argon 18 designers recognize that this will be a bike you’ll use less to focus on racing and more to pile on the happy, dusty miles. That’s why they have given it an appropriately endurance-oriented geometry, more laid back compared to the racier geos you’ll find on the Gallium Pro, for instance. Using the nifty 3D+ System at the front end to ensure that the handling will feel stable and the fit refinable to your personal preferences. This system allows you to adjust the front end stack according to your needs – 0mm if you rather like a steeper drop to the bars, 15mm if you like to stay fairly low, but want to give your back a break, and a whopping 30mm if you really do like the added comfort a higher stack can offer you. The clever integration with the head tube of this seamless rise system has been enhanced in the Subito E-Gravel’s integration of the Ebikemotion control button in the extension of the 3D+ cap.

Weighing just 3.5kg, the Ebikemotion X35 pedal assist system is one of the lightest and user-friendly pedal assist systems currently on the market, and it is also just about the smartest as well. The X35 works with a 250 watt hub motor and a battery neatly hidden in the down tube. They particularly liked this set up because it allowed them to create a stiff and light frame since the battery requires only small cutouts in the frame material, rather than large sections of the tubing which would naturally compromise the overall strength of the frame. As for the motor assist, it will cut out once you are riding over 20m/h and though Argon 18 says that battery life is contingent on a number of things, they suggest a reasonable expectation is that you can do approximately a 47 mile ride on one charge without a battery extender. And if you do want to do bigger miles, an additional battery can fit neatly in the downtube water bottle cage.

Keenly focused on comfort, especially for an endurance-oriented bike like the Subito E-Road, Argon 18 has developed what they call their Topological Compliance System. Focusing on the fork as well as the frame, it is a concept that incorporates a level of springiness where it will do the most good, like the fork legs and the seatstays, without compromising how well the frame responds to your pedaling power. Most of the magic might be hard to see with the naked eye, though you can understand a little of what they are doing by looking at the fork design, with its shape to enhance vibration absorption and handling control.

Six Sizes Available for the Subito E-Gravel Bike

Just like the road version, the Argon 18 Subito E-Gravel bike comes in six sizes that will even suit the very small and very tall among us. It is a gravel bike that will open up new ride opportunities with the advantage of having extra power to keep things fun and moving fast.

Also check Colnago gravel bikes.