thesis gravel bike

Thesis OB1 All-Road Bike Review: Where Performance and Versatility Intersect

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As the lines blur between road, gravel, and adventure in the cycling industry, Thesis has carved its own path. We rode the Thesis OB1 bike on singletrack, trail, and tarmac for this review.

Utilizing unique manufacturing relationships and custom builds for each rider, Thesis has created an accessible high-performance, all-road bike. And it may be the quiver-killing ticket to more adventure in the saddle.

Thesis founder Randall Jacobs launched the brand in 2018 around the idea that one size and style does not fit all. The Thesis team instead claims that brands should build bikes around your unique fit, terrain, and fitness needs. The outcome is the Thesis OB1  — an all-road performance bike that is designed to take on everything from spirited road rides to sloppy singletrack.

In short:  The OB1 blends performance, versatility, and access to a unique community that can’t be overlooked. High-end build spec, customization options galore, and an impressive price point make this bike a unique and refreshing offering in the cycling space. And with a bike that is as comfortable on sprints as it is packed down for a multinight adventure, the OB1 may be the solution for the n+1 challenge that every cyclist faces.

The Concept: Thesis OB1

Every OB1 ($3,299 ) is built to order and includes the option of a consultation with the Thesis team to ensure you are getting exactly what you need. Thesis works directly with the industry’s leading brands’ factories to put together, in its words, “one of the most capable and versatile bikes on the market.”

Thesis’s direct relationships and built-to-order model keep overhead low, making it possible for it to offer a carbon frame, carbon wheels, and a premium spec at an impressive price.

Assembling the Thesis OB1 All-Road Bike

Thesis states that its bikes arrive on your doorstep 85% assembled. The company suggests that you either take your bike into your local shop for the final touch or complete the build yourself following the  online guide . While I am not particularly handy, I have done enough work on my bikes to take a crack at this assembly.

I popped open the assembly video and went to work, admittedly skeptical. Not 20 minutes later, I had the OB1 fully assembled and propped up against my garage for its first #baaw photo.

All of the parts were clearly labeled and organized, and it was simple to follow the walkthrough. Thesis even had the tires seated so that all I had to do was add sealant and air them up with a floor pump. Assembly is as straightforward as it says.

In the Saddle: Thesis OB1 Bike Review

After assembling the Thesis, my first impression was how tight the bike feels. If you know, you know. There were no rattles or creaks, no rubbing of rotors, or clicking of gears. The bike was incredibly sound and ready to ride immediately after assembly with crisp shifting and responsive handling. The bike felt familiar, even on my first ride.

Maybe this shouldn’t come as a surprise seeing as I went through a custom fit consultation with Randall, but I’ll be honest that I was skeptical about getting a bike to fit correctly without actually sitting on one. A few minor adjustments to saddle height and off I went.

The bike also has a great aesthetic — a beautiful blend of aero-road and adventure-by-bike. I had seen enough photos of OB1s previously, so I knew I liked the look, but it looks even better in person.

Thesis OB1 Bicycle Review: Testing

At the time of writing this article, I have nearly 1,000 miles on the OB1. These miles include road, gravel, hero dirt, and singletrack across Minnesota and Colorado. I’ve used my OB1 for everything from spirited group rides to solo endurance rides and commutes, as well as a multinight bikepacking trip along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.

Exceptional versatility is what elevates the OB1 from worthy mention to must-see. Its endurance road geometry makes this bike comfortable on long days. The optional dropper gives you added control and confidence when exploring new gravel roads and singletrack. When you’re ready to burn more KJs, the OB1 happily kicks up a gear while you chase down your local KOMs.

Wheelset(s)

Thesis offers two different thru-axle carbon wheelsets — a wide and aero 700C and an ultrawide 650B — that are both dialed in for efficient, hassle-free wheel swaps. Each wheelset provides you with a different set of advantages to play with on your OB1.

Thesis’s RGC44 (Road-Cross-Gravel) 44mm depth 700c Carbon Wheelset weigh in at 1,595g and feature 22mm internal and 30mm external widths, as well as an offset profile to balance spoke tensions for improved strength and durability. These wheels can work with 28-30mm road tires and also handle higher-volume tires run at lower pressures to smooth out the ride. Thesis hand-builds these wheels with 24 lightweight aero spokes to ensure a precise lightweight build.

Thesis’s GT27 (Gravel|Trail|27mm Internal) Carbon 650B Wheelset is built around an asymmetric XC mountain bike rim, with a 27.3mm internal width and a tubeless, hookless design to support high-volume tires at low pressures. These 28-spoke wheels come in at 1,460g and are also handbuilt to withstand whatever abuse your rides throw at you. I was impressed at the stability of the bike while ripping down a steep descent at over 40 mph, fully loaded with all of my bikepacking gear.

Both Thesis wheelsets use DT Swiss’s DT350 hubs and SRAM centerline lock rotors, so there is virtually no recalibration when you switch wheelsets. Thesis says that wheels can be swapped in 90 seconds  — often without any adjustments — and I found that was true; swapping is a cinch.

The simplicity of the wheel swap, and thus of transitioning between tarmac and singletrack modes, is what makes the OB1 special. The same bike that I was hammering on a Friday night road ride could be transformed into a gravel-crushing machine for a Saturday morning adventure ride.

Thesis offers SRAM mechanical 1×11 and SRAM AXS electronic 1×12 drivetrains with its builds. Within each ecosystem are different chainring and cassette options to calibrate each wheelset’s gearing to your fitness and terrain.

During the custom fit process, the Thesis team will guide you through each drivetrain option. While there are too many options to walk through here, Thesis offers detailed information and helpful guides on its website.

Mounts & More

The OB1 offers mounting points galore and the option to add a dropper post. I put both through their paces during a multinight bikepacking trip along the Great Divide in Colorado. Admittedly overpacked, I utilized nearly all of the available mountain points with a mixture of Blackburn’s Outpost Elite bikepacking bags and Ortlieb’s Fork Bags .

The OB1 pleasantly surprised me by how well it carried the weight. At times, I found myself forgetting that I was riding a fully loaded bike. During longer endurance rides. I outfit my OB1 with a Handlebar Bag   and  Frame Pack from Post Carry Co .

Manufacturing Transparency

Thesis isn’t shy about sharing its business model and where it has its bikes and components made. It is quite the opposite, in fact. Jacobs and the Thesis team welcome this discussion and see it as a driving force behind why they can make a custom performance-driven bike at a relatively low price point for consumers.

The brand has built direct, in-person relationships with their manufacturing partners and facilities. Their frames and components are made at the same manufacturers as some of the “premium” brands in the space.

My Thesis OB1 Bike Build

The Thesis team recommended that at 5’8″, I roll on a medium frame size. I opted for the Slate Gray Gloss frame color with Caramel Matte bar tape. And I wanted to get a feel for the bike with both wheelset options. The 700c wheelset is set up with a 9-46T gear ratio and the 650b wheelset with 10-50T. My OB1 had SRAM’s 12-speed AXS drivetrain with Thesis’s hollow-forged crank and a 44T front chainring.

Randall recommended 165mm crank arms to achieve their recommended 22% ratio of crank length to saddle height. (But Thesis offers lengths down to 155mm for smaller riders.)

Finally, they equipped my OB1 with a 405mm dropper post for getting extra sendy. The stock OB1 with Thesis carbon wheels comes in at 18.5 pounds (size medium).

The available options for building your custom OB1 are too long to outline in total here, but you can check out every option and detail on the Thesis website .

Why I Love the Thesis OB1 All-Road Bike

• Versatility in a performance package
• Simple and quick wheel swaps, completely changing the ride
• Tailored fit, with rider-specific gearing
• Tons of mounting points for water, bags, racks, etc.
• Beautiful aesthetic
• Active and engaged community that is committed to inclusion
• Affordable (relative to comparable builds from other brands)
• Responsive support, warranty, and crash/theft replacement
• Currently in stock and ready to ship (October 2020)

Potential Drawbacks

• From a purist’s perspective, the OB1 is a do-it-all bike and not focused on one discipline
• Currently 2-5 weeks out for design and shipping; no availability at local shops for test rides
• If you’re introverted, you’ll hate the attention that this bike draws

More Than a Bike: The Thesis Community

Thesis places a unique emphasis on inclusion and creating a community around its bikes and those who ride them. Thesis owners have access to a Slack community forum where other riders share ride photos and stories, routes, new ideas, and bike questions. And they connect with people who live close for social rides.

The brand started  RidersClub , its umbrella project that includes several initiatives to make Thesis bikes accessible to more people, foster relationships and connections within the cycling community, and have an impact beyond just riding bikes.

The InThisTogether  program provides at-cost replacements in the event of damage or theft. And their BringAFriend program rewards owners and new riders with a $100 gift card as a thank you for helping to spread the word. It even offers the option to donate said rewards to nonprofit organizations that provide bikes to underprivileged populations.

With Thesis, you don’t just get a versatile all-road bike — you become part of a community.

Final Thoughts

A high-performance gravel bike that is versatile enough to chase down roadies and rail singletrack turns, the Thesis OB1 is the closest bike I’ve seen to a true quiver-killer. While purists may argue that it’s not top in any one category, the combination of versatility and performance proves it is a contender to anyone looking to diversify their riding.

When you add a price point that is significantly lower than similar builds and a brand ethos focused on community, it’s hard to ignore what Thesis built.

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Zach Burton is a Contributing Writer for GearJunkie. He has been writing about hunting, fishing, fitness, and outdoor pursuits for over 5 years. Prior to that, he spent as much time outdoors seeking adventures that pushed his limits and expanded his life experiences. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Zach can be found fly fishing, hunting, riding or racing bikes, shooting photos, in the gym, or planning his next adventure.

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Ridden and Reviewed: Thesis OB1 Carbon All-Road Bike

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In the bike industry, he found his calling, moved to Asia and learned Mandarin. For a decade he learned how the global bike industry worked.

Through this experience Jacobs thought he could deliver a better experience to the rider and local bike professionals. His observations:

• The bike industry is hurting because of internet-price driven consumer
• Local bike shops are saddled with inventory, but service is where the LBS excels.
• People don’t know what bike to get.

Jacobs and his co-founder Alice Liu self-funded Thesis Bike and created one bike, the OB1, designed to be ridden anywhere.

The company’s website outlines the Thesis: “Keep it Simple” tops the list. So One Bike, with a nod to old Ben Kenobi: OB1, “Now that’s a name I have not heard for a long time.”

Thesis sent us a blue review OB1, and we put it to good use on all kinds of roads and trails.

Does Thesis pass the test of providing an all-road bike at home everywhere? Find out in our review.

The OB1 has a Toray carbon fiber frame with an open mold design. Jacobs sourced the frame from a reputable Taiwanese manufacturer he knows.

Thesis produces the OB1 in small batches and sources materials from Asia with components curated from companies that follow the ethos of the Thesis founders.

Jacobs and Liu seek to offer a bike at a reasonable price with complete transparency about where the cost goes while helping support local bicycle professionals.

As a fluent Mandarin speaker, Jacobs is able to work with Asian companies to customize aspects of the frame.

The geometry of the OB1 is fairly standard for a road bike with a 72-degree head tube angle, paired with a 73-degree seat tube, 42cm chainstays and a 7.3cm bottom bracket drop. Those measures combine to yield a 102.5cm wheelbase with a 616mm front center.  

Our size L frame has a 57.0cm effective top tube and a tall 180mm headtube giving a reach of 388mm and a stack of 595mm.

The fork axle-to-crown height is also a road-bike-like 385mm, as compared to a cyclocross standard of 395mm.

Longer fork blades accommodate ’cross tire clearance with 700c wheels and mud clearance. This did not present a problem when I put a 700c wheel with a 40mm tire into the OB1 fork.

There is no cable access below the bottom bracket; the control lines run through the frame above the bottom bracket and are foam padded to keep them from rattling. There is a drain hole on the BB shell. The area behind the BB shell is smooth with no mud shelf.

A provision for a direct mount front derailleur is on the seat tube, either electronic shift or bottom pull cable.

There are attachment points for fenders, a bento box, a rear rack and five water bottle cages, two in the usual spot, one on each fork leg and one beneath the down tube.

Fork blade mounts often have three bolts for a large format cage like the Salsa Anything Cage, but Jacobs did not like the idea that riders would load too much weight outboard on the fork. Low rider pannier racks will also fit on the fork, and the crown has a piercing for a front rack mount.

A notable detail of the frame is the integrated reversed seatpost clamp. It offers a nice aesthetic while clamping the post in a secure fashion, unlike hidden bolt compression or wedge systems.

Jacobs is equally proud of the parts mix he’s curated for the OB1. So much that on the website he explains his reason for choosing every part of the build.

One remarkable example his attention to detail is the DT Swiss 350 hubset on the Thesis-branded wheelsets.

If a buyer chooses to purchase two wheelsets with the OB1, Jacobs seeks out two hubsets from the same lot to assure easier exchange of the wheels without a brake caliper adjustment.

There are two basic build packages available for the OB1 presently based around wheel size and tire width. “The Shredder” is the 650b model and “The Roadie” is the 700c version.

Thesis also offers an “Omni Edition” package that offers two wheelsets, both with tubeless tires set up, rotors and separate cassettes for $1,300 more. (That’s four wheels, four tires, four rotors, and two cassettes!)

Our review sample Thesis OB1 had SRAM Force 22 shifters with a Rival 1 long cage rear derailleur that shifts across a wide-range SunRace 11-46 11-speed cassette.

The hollow-forged crankset has a direct mount single wide-narrow chain ring with 44 teeth, leaving a 108-inch top gear with a lower than one-to-one 26-inch low gear.

The left shifter actuates an internally routed dropper post cable, which is an option available for an additional $200. The post and cable add 250 grams.

The drop section of the black aluminum handlebar has a mild flare, the stem is forged aluminum. The slotted saddle has a short nose and wide rear, similar to the Specialized Power saddle.

The Thesis OB1 comes with bar tape that matches the color of the frame, in the case of our review sample, a brilliant blue.

The bottom bracket is EVO 386 and Thesis uses a BB with cups that thread together, similar to the Wheels Manufacturing design.

The Thesis 650B wheelset has asymmetric rims with a 27.5mm internal width, perfect for the 47mm-wide tires. The wheels have 28 spokes with external nipples laced 2x around DT Swiss 350 hubs with Centerlock rotors for a durable build.

Our build came with 650b x 47mm WTB Byway tires that feature a relatively smooth tread.

The claimed weight for the tubeless wheelset is a reasonable 1,400 grams. Both the 700c and 650b wheelsets are available separately.

Our review bike weighed 21.3 pounds without pedals and 12.6 pounds with no wheels. That’s a bit heavy for a carbon bike, thanks in large part to the dropper post. The company said it is working on a lighter frame.

​While reviewing the Thesis OB1, I got the chance to ride with Jacobs after a rainy day. With most of the ride off-road, it became evident that despite the large contact patch of the 47mm tire, the slick tread disallowed traction on wet soil or grass, even with the advantage of staying seated using the low 26 inch gear or descending with the dropper down and in the drops, butt hanging over the rear tire.

He’d set the bike up for me initially with the tires at 35 psi, which is a lot for me with such a high volume tire. Jacobs is a former XC mountain bike pro and intuitively knows that knobs are necessary for any serious off-road pursuits.

He will offer some knobby tire options in the near future as a customized request. He later swapped the WTB Byway smoothies for 650b x 47mm WTB Senderos that have a knob pattern similar to the WTB Resolute or CrossBoss .

That changed the experience for the off-road adventures, especially since rain punctuated our review period.

Though Jacobs likes the single ring option, he also knows some riders like smaller steps between gears and don’t feel the need for a dropper, so he will offer a double ring setup. I don’t mind the single ring set up as it frees up the left shifter to actuate the dropper post.

I dislike the look and shifting over the ultra-wide range cassette. I would prefer a 38t front ring with a 10-40t cassette on an XD driver.

However, Jacobs explained that availability, cost and weight made him decide on essentially the same range over larger cogs and freewheels, with an added benefit of offering slightly better wear properties.

The 42mm chainstays are 0.5 to 1.0cm shorter than most cyclocross bikes today. That has the theoretical advantage of making the bike more responsive, since more weight is over the rear wheel or because there is less flex of the stays.

These subtleties are not really felt on a bike with big soft tires. However, put on the road wheels and tires and you may think differently.

As discussed earlier, the 700c wheels with road tires have the same rolling diameter as the 650b rims with 47mm tires. That means with a wheel swap, the bike standover and geometry should be the same.

To me it made little difference. I rode the bike with 700c wheels and tires between 30 to 40mm wide and there were no dramatic handling differences. The standover height was noticeable but not bothersome since I primarily ride cyclocross bikes.

Compared to standard 7.0cm BB drop of many modern cyclocross bikes, the lower BB drop was not even noticeable. If I was coming from a high BB bike like the Sage PDXCX or the Fuji Altamira CX 1.1 , then it might be apparent.

On the Thesis OB1, 700c wheels with slightly larger rolling diameter than cyclocross tires felt like a normal modern cyclocross bike due to the low bottom bracket the bike starts with.

The limitation of the shorter chainstays is that with 700c wheels, 40mm is the tire clearance limit, perhaps 42mm with a squeeze.

The widest part of the inner chainstays is for a smaller diameter. The bigger diameter also runs close to the seat tube. That’s not a problem, just a consideration.

The OB1 is available with a package that includes both a 700c and 650b wheelset, each with appropriate tires, rotors and cassette.

Jacobs specs those bikes with the same DT Swiss 350 hubsets from the same production lots if possible for an easy “hot swapping” of the wheels. That means no brake caliper adjustments when switching between 700c wheels with 30mm smooth road tires and 650b with 47mm gravel tires.

The OB1 is a stiff platform. Take into account that I rode the bike with 47mm tires at 20 to 25 psi, much wider than habitual for me. I also rode the OB1 with various other 700c wheelsets with a variety of tires from 33 to 40mm, most typically at 25 -30 psi.

I am lucky to ride a lot of different bikes with various wheelsets and tires repeatedly over the same terrain. Tire compliance helps a lot, but you can still feel the heart of the bike.

Despite what some say, frame compliance plays a role in the overall ride quality. The stiffness is not objectionable and makes the bike feel racy and offers great road manners on pavement . Its ride quality is on par with the Fezzari Shafer .

With cyclocross wheels, 700c with knobbies , or with a monster cross setup, 650b with 47mm knobbies , the fun really began. The frame stiffness, short chainstays and quick front end made tight courses fun.

Despite my preference for a more compliant frame, this bike feels quick, responsive and racy. It handles fast courses with smoother track very well.

When the knobby WTB Senderos were on the Thesis, I can’t help but think of Jacqui Phelan’s drop bar Cunningham mountain bike. Only the brakes are better now, and the dropper post is better than a Hite-Rite.

The dropper post offers the novelty of moving the saddle out of the way for a steep descent or lowering the center of gravity for corners, all adding to the fun.

With the dropper down you can slide back over the rear wheel more easily and brake from the handlebar drops which increases your feeling of control on steep drops. There is no denying this makes descents addictively fast and fun.

I even found myself lowering the saddle a bit when approaching a corner on the road to better rail it. Sometimes I’d lower the saddle at a stop light to stay in the saddle with my feet on the ground just because I could .

The added weight, 250 additional grams up high from the seatpost is noticeable when you carry the bike and when you throw the bike around chicanes. The dropper post is certainly fun to have, especially handily paired to the left shift lever, and it makes the bike more capable.

Many riders don’t have the luxury of multiple wheelsets easily swappable on a disc brake equipped bike. With the OB1 two wheel package, that becomes possible for an affordable premium considering the second wheelset comes with tires, rotors and a cassette.

Then you can have one bike that offers great on-road performance and very capable off-road performance.

Though swapping wheels is only a minor inconvenience for someone who likes to work on their own bike, the luxury of having the wheels pre-matched for rotor spacing is nice. You can make your ride decision on a whim knowing it will be adjusted.

The ability to fit 650b with wide tires and all the mounting points makes the OB1 a versatile bike, ready for bikepacking or a long adventure. The stiff frame will be advantageous with a load aboard. The chainstays are short so panniers are not ideal.

Jacobs prefers a frame bag to keep the heavy items low and centered, a preference of modern bike packers anyway.  Long haul tourists will likely look for a longer bike specific for the task.

The Verdict

There’s no such thing as a quiver-killer, perhaps a quiver-reducer though. This is Jacobs’ thought of what that best one bike might be.

The Thesis OB1 is a versatile, fun bike, especially with the dropper post and the design around the 650b wheels with the ability to accommodate 700c.

Other similar bikes exist out there, but where Thesis differs is Jacobs’ thought for the sustainability of the bike industry, partnering with shops and local bike professionals. He also is delivering a great bike at a lower cost to the consumer.

We recommend the two wheelset package and the dropper post option. If you are looking for a bike that will cover a lot of ground, the Thesis OB1 should be on our short list.

For more on the Thesis OB1, see the specs and photo gallery below.

Thesis OB1 Specifications

MSRP: $3,300, $3,500 as tested with dropper post option Frame: Thesis Carbon fiber, 12mm thru-axle, flat mount disc Fork: Thesis Carbon Fiber with carbon steerer: 1 ⅛” -1 ½”, 12mm thru-axle, flat mount disc Weight: 21.3 pounds, no pedals; 12.6lbs without wheels or pedals Shifters: SRAM Force 22 HRD, 11-speed Crankset: Thesis hollow forged aluminum, 44t Narrow-Wide profile Brakes: SRAM Force HRD, SRAM Centerline rotors 160mm front, 160mm rear Cockpit: Thesis 10cm stem, 42cm flared bar Seatpost: Thesis Aluminum dropper, internal cable routing , 27.2mm, two-bolt clamp Saddle: Thesis ergonomic Wheels: Thesis 650b rim, 27.4mm internal width, Centerlock disc hubs, j-bend bladed spokes, external nipples Tires: WTB Byway tubeless, 650b x 47mm Warranty: Five years, frame and fork (original owner) Country of origin: Taiwan More Info: thesi s.bike

Photo Gallery: Thesis OB1 All-Road Bike

Our demo bike was set up with 650b road-plus tires and a dropper post. Thesis OB1 Do-It-All Carbon Bike. © C. Lee / Cyclocross Magazine

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New Thesis Prototype adapts from Road to Gravel & EVERYTHING In-Between

“ Thesis has unveiled a novel adaptable-geometry prototype that transforms from a fast and responsive road bike into a stable and capable gravel bike and everything in-between. Featuring classic road aesthetics, generous tire clearances, extensive component-compatibility, and thoughtful design to make setup and service a breeze, it may be the only drop-bar bike you’ll ever need.” – Thesis Bike

“ Relative to road bikes, gravel bikes are characterized by slacker head tube angles, increased fork offsets, longer wheelbases, bigger tires, and dropped bottom brackets. While components and fit are substantially similar, considerable differences in positioning, handling, and tire clearance have long meant choosing between a terrain-specific bike, a blended all-road bike, a partially-adjustable bike that compromises some geos for others, or an entire stable of single-purpose bikes. This is part of what gave rise to the belief that the optimal number of bicycles is always one more than you currently have – N+1.”

But what if one bike could be many bikes?

That was the inspiration behind “Project N1”, the code-name for Thesis’ effort to create the first bicycle that adapts quickly and completely from road to gravel and everything in between.

Rotate, Stretch, Drop

“ Thesis’ Project N1 prototype switches from gravel geometry to road in just a few minutes with nothing more than a hex wrench. When swapping wheels, the rider loosens Thesis’ unique diagonally-sliding rear dropouts to completely transform the bike’s character. To switch into gravel mode, the rider slides the rear axle up and back. This slackens the head tube angle while increasing the wheelbase for stability, and drops the BB to correct for larger tires (making the rider feel more in the bike than on top of it).”

“ The lengthened chainstays enable generous tire clearances of 700x51mm (29×2.0”) and 650x57mm (2.25”) with a 68mm road BB for chainline and q-factor, without having to revert to dropped chainstays.”

“ To finish the transformation, riders invert the flip-chips in the fork (currently under development) to move the axle 10mm away from the caliper. This extends the fork’s axle-to-crown distance, further slackening the head tube angle. At the same time, it allows fork offset to be corrected and front-center to be increased for bigger tires. Utilizing a 160mm rotor on their road wheelset and a 180mm rotor on gravel eliminates the need to move the caliper when swapping the flip chip, while providing enhanced braking power off-road.”

“Figuring out how to make the swap between modes simple and approachable for novice riders with limited mechanical knowledge was essential to the success of the design. We’re happy to say that it’s incredibly easy to switch the bike between gravel and road setups; going from end to end on the rear sliders completely transforms the bike without any need to tinker with the brake caliper. This is truly a do it all bike that people will be able to swap between a road and gravel bike as frequently as they want to, enabling an immense amount of latitude within one bike. The idea was to vary the handling from Land Cruiser to Lamborghini, and without a doubt it delivers.”

A Rider-Centric Approach

“ While Thesis designed the geos and features for each ride experience, they engineered the platform for reliability, serviceability, and adaptability to make sure it delivers those experiences for years if not decades to come. This philosophy is reflected in their commitment to proven open standards, extensive component-compatibility, and future-proof design.”

Highlights Include:

• Threaded T47 68mm BB
• Straight 44mm head tube
• Round 27.2 seatpost secured by a traditional collar
• Future-proof UDH & Transmission-compatible dropout system
• Micro-adjustment screws the rear dropouts
• Compatibility with 1x/2x mechanical & electronic, internally-geared hub, & single-speed drivetrains
• Support for fenders, racks, dynamos, wired lights, droppers as well as partial-internal, full-internal, & full-external (fork-only) routing.

The Road Ahead

“ While pricing has yet to be announced, Thesis will be providing updates and a special pilot-program offer via its newsletter and dealers. Titanium production is slated for late summer, followed by a high-value performance steel version currently under development.”

Learn more at the Thesis Bike Website

Now that would one very interesting bike review. Long term even better.

That’s gorgeous. I can’t remember the brands but there are others that have done similar things using flip chips but do any of them result is such huge geometry changes? That really is a total transformation.Maybe it’s just me but I’d prefer a bit slacker seat tube angle in both configurations.

Very cool bike. Thanks for doing the write up!

Reminds me of the Flaanimal, but I like this geometry shift better.

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Gravel Options: Thesis OB1 and Rodeo Labs Traildonkey 3.0

Yes, gravel bikes are hot and every manufacturer now has one in their lineup. While there’s a plethora of options from mainstream brands, don’t be so fast to pull the trigger on something from your LBS — there are plenty of other options. Gravel-minded brands like Thesis and Rodeo Labs have a ton to offer at very competitive price points. Since both the Thesis OB1 and the Rodeo Labs Traildonkey 3.0 were built as gravel bikes from the start, there are no UCI handcuffs and each one is optimized to be a true one-bike-quiver.

Since the disc brake fuss has died, and standards established, can we just relish in the fact that gravel and cyclocross bikes are now more capable and versatile than ever before? Monster tire clearance combined with versatile geometries have resulted in bikes that are a blast to ride on any terrain. Dare I say “one-bike-quiver?”

I want to highlight these two bikes in particular. Thesis has a single frame that can be kitted out for road, gravel or adventure flavors while Rodeo Labs has a small array of bikes, with the Traildonkey 3.0 leading the way. Both companies have modern, all-road riding in mind but both are doing things a little differently.

Thesis OB1: Factory-direct in Three Flavors

The vibe these days at the local bike shops can be depressing. One local shop in particular is a ghost town. I’ve never seen anyone in there on my drive home every night. Many blame Amazon or other direct-to-consumer brands for the downfall of the LBS. Knowing their plight, Thesis embraces the local bike shop by shipping your chosen OB1 only 20% assembled with the intent that the finishing touches will be performed by a qualified, local mechanic for a few hundred dollars. In turn, Thesis maintains a solid $2999 price point across-the-board.

The Roadie, Gravel Shredder and Adventurer options all at the same price point. Each build includes Thesis-branded tubeless-ready carbon clinchers in either 700c or 650b sizes. The drivetrain is a mix of Thesis and SRAM Rival 1x with wide-range cassettes.

How does Thesis do it? Well, founders Randall Jacobs, and Alice Liu use their combined pro cycling and entrepreneurial background to deliver a customized open-mold frame and wheels at radically-affordable prices. By working directly with the manufacturer, they deliver bikes factory-direct — thus enabling you to spend a little more money on a proper build and fit. You can read more about Thesis and how they do it on their blog .

More: See the Thesis OB1

Rodeo Labs Traildonkey 3.0

The third iteration of the venerable Traildonkey promises to be the best yet and bucks the “lighter is better” trend by building a better-riding, better-handling and longer-lasting frame that’s backed by a lifetime warranty. It’s no lightweight (1300 grams for 56cm and 600 grams for Spork 2.0), but rest assured that this 100% proprietary frameset will last a long time and take its share of abuse.

Rodeo Labs sells the frame/fork for $2650 with complete builds northward of there. You can customize the build to your liking and even go with  custom paint , if you want something truly unique. Founder, Stephen Fitzgerald is a passionate bike builder who is equally-passionate about living and riding in Colorado. He aims to spend as much time perfecting his bikes as he does getting lost in the Rockies and wide-open plains of his home state. The Traildonkey 3.0 is a reflection of that passion and experience with ultra-wide tire clearance (57mm in 650b and 50mm in 700c) and thoughtful designs.

More: See the Traildonkey 3.0

All photos courtesy Thesis and Rodeo Labs — thanks!

• X (Twitter)

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Jason quickly developed a love for the outdoors and a thing for mountains. That infatuation continues as he founded this site in 1999 -- sharing his love of road biking, mountain biking, trail running and skiing. With extreme attention to detail, he has been a technical product manager for top 10 web properties, eCommerce businesses and SaaS companies for 20+ years. The combination of outdoor experience and technical savvy gives him a unique perspective that is channeled into every gear review. Utah's Wasatch Mountains are his playground. He rigorously tests every product and usually uses them beyond their intended purpose -- just for the sake of testing. (Note: Jason receives sample products in exchange for authentic reviews. He is not paid, nor influenced to share anything other than his honest opinions.)

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The Radavist

The Thesis Bike N1 Adapts From Road to Gravel

May 8, 2024

Thesis Bike, known for its OB1, or “one bike” model, just announced a sneak peek at its forthcoming N1 model, a titanium chassis road bike that can adapt from road tires to up to 27.5 x 2.25″ tires by turning a few simple bolts…

Project N1 fully realizes the one-bike-to-rule-them-all vision, with a geometry that is adaptable depending on the terrain: road, CX, gravel, and everything in between. Each size utilizes specific tubesets scaled to deliver the same riding experience under riders large and small. Clever packaging enables generous tire clearances of up to 700 x 51 mm and 27.5 x 2.25″, all while preserving the timeless look and feel of a road bike.

The result is a one-bike dream fleet that empowers riders to invest once in higher-quality components, a professionally honed fit, and only as many wheelsets as necessary for their style of riding.

Check out the all-new N1 at Thesis where you can sign up for updates.

Thesis OB1 Road/Gravel/Allroad bike or?

I am looking to swap around bikes this winter and looking for a new road/gravel bike. I acquired some nice GRX 2x11 takeoff groupset and a set of DT Swiss wheels so I am thinking a frame up build or a budget carbon bike and upgrade with what I have.

The Thesis OB1 frame kit for $1499 looks like a killer option.

Anyone care to chime in on what’s hot for all road/gravel bikes right now? I can’t keep up with all the new bikes, lol!

Nothing wrong with that bike. If you don’t mind ordering from the manufacturer directly, it’s an open mold frame from Carbonda (CF 505). But Thesis made a couple of tweaks and claim better quality control / warranty etc. (nothing wrong with their approach). It was more just an FYI if you are interested in that specific model - Carbonda also has newer gravel frame sets (696, 707).

Cervelo aspero is awesome

I’m in a similar boat, I’m slowing ruling out bikes, and the current two that remain on the list, are:

Santa Cruz Stigmata frame only for $2299 MSPR

Or a complete Cannondale Topstone alloy.

I only want a threaded bb frame, and ideally one that can run 650B with 2.0 and 700c with around a 40mm. The cannondale isnt talked about running 650B, but it’s been around for maybe 3 years, so I expect they’ll announce a new one at some point, and likely add 650B compatibility.

I have ridden neither.

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• All Episodes

Randall Jacobs - THESIS Bike

Jun 25, 2018

Randall Jacobs, Co-Founder of THESIS Bike drops in to talk about the development process and vision for the OB1 bicycle.

THESIS Bike Online

THESIS OB1 Specifications

CRAIG: All right. Hello everyone. Today we've got Randall Jacobs from THESIS Bike here, live in person. We're going to talk to him about the THESIS Bike Company and what his inspiration was. We actually just got back from a sample ride here in Marin county riding the new OB1 bike and I'm really excited to introduce everybody to Randall. So thanks for joining us.

RANDALL: Thanks for having me.

CRAIG: I always like to start by finding out a little bit about your background as a rider. Did you start more on the mountain bike side or on the road side?

RANDALL: So I started racing mountain bikes as an undergraduate. I was playing football and broke my foot. Cycling was the first thing I could do and I took to the bicycle on the mountain bike side and did the collegiate series, found that I was reasonably good at it and stuck with it. It's become a real lifestyle ever since.

CRAIG: And did that lead you into other elements of the sport?

RANDALL: I went on to move overseas for a period and rode on and off. When I was 25, I had a life event where my father became sick. I was looking at where he was. He had a brain tumor at the time, so pretty bad prognosis. I said, what are the things I'd like to have accomplished in his position? Being a pro athlete was one of those things. So I started training full time. I was lucky to win a couple of national championships as an amateur shortly after he passed and then spent the subsequent couple of years living out of my Honda Element traveling around the country with a fleet of bicycles that was worth probably 5X what the car was worth.

CRAIG: So you're racing on the national mountain bike scene at that point?

RANDALL: Yeah. I was, you could say, pack fodder on the US Cup circuit, and then I'd have a few good results in the local circuits.

CRAIG: What a great journey. Spending that much time doing it. I think it's something that a lot of people aspire to just following their dreams of bike racing and going out there and doing it and it's certainly not without its sacrifices.

RANDALL: It's certainly is.  I was fortunate in my case in that I had started a career in international trade and supply chain architecture where I could work remotely anywhere in the world. So in that regard it didn't cost too much, but you definitely put certain other things on hold being on the road all the time.

CRAIG: So when you hung up your racing cleats, what was next for you professionally?

RANDALL: From there I started a product development company where we were working with the same set of Chinese manufacturers that I had cultivated during my period running product and market development for the Chinese trading and manufacturing company. I then sold that company to one of our partners and went to work for Specialized in 2013. At Specialized, the Diverge project was in its early days. I actually ended up naming that bike and was the product developer for the project, so doing all the bike builds and negotiating all the deals with the vendors and so on, and coordinating the product and supply chain sides.

CRAIG: So you were helping sort of spec out the supply chain and the specifications for the original Diverge bike while you were there?

RANDALL: Correct. And doing a lot of the field testing and component compatibility testing to make sure everything was fully dialed, which is where you see my obsessive attention to detail come in.

CRAIG: The Diverge bike, it was really one of the first production, quote unquote gravel bikes to hit the market from a big manufacturers that right?

RANDALL: For sure. The first bike that was called a gravel bike. I mean, there had been people riding such bikes for quite some time. When that bike came out, it was the early days of drop bar disc brakes, which really opened up a lot not just for braking power and modulation, but also for tire clearance. That was a key enabling technology that allows you to have the sort of bikes we have today, the other one being tubeless tires. And in today's world, tubeless tires with really wide rims allows you to have a bicycle, a drop bar bike, that is fast like a road bike on the road and as capable or more so than what a mountain bike would have been not too long ago.

CRAIG: Gotcha. So the Diverge, was it the end all be all?  Was it everything you wanted to make in a gravel bike?

RANDALL: No. Of course, there are constraints on what we were able to do at that time for a variety of reasons. When you work for a big company, there's always going to be product decisions that are more due to a cost structure or needing to support a certain margin and marketing story. So with the OB1 it was really something I had been incubating for quite some time and it's my opportunity to take an unfettered approach to product from the ground up. I've had to compromise on nothing: not tire clearance, not stick-on or bolt-on magic elastomers attached to the frame, nothing. I just went ground up with pure evidenced-based curation of the components and the setup.

CRAIG: Interesting. So we're here to talk about your new company that you cofounded, THESIS Bike, and you just referenced your first model, the OB1. Some of the motivation has already come out in the conversation about why you wanted to start this company, but why now? What are the trends you're seeing? You're doing some unique stuff at THESIS that we'll get into as far as the bike itself and the business model, but why now and why are you guys the people to do it?

RANDALL: If you look at what we're doing, the primary innovation here is this business model. But the product itself is really cool and one I've been thinking about for awhile, so let's start with the product itself. So you saw bikes like the Open UP come online, which really brought an almost monster cross capability in a form factor that is more akin to an endurance road bike that's slacked out a little bit.

We wanted to go a step further. So if you look, we don't do a frame set. We do a complete bike for the cost of a frameset from the companies were competing with, and that's enabled by the business model innovation.

On the product side of things, [we have] a flat top handle bar with a shallow drop and a 10 degree flare so you’re narrow and relatively aero on the hoods, but in the drops you have that additional control which has benefits not just in gravel but also when you're just doing a road descent. You just had that much more leverage. Or even like in a sprint. You see this on ENVE’s road handle bars. They have a model that has a four degree flair, a little subtle thing. And I think you'll see flare bars start to catch on across disciplines, even with roadies or at least the more progressive roadies who aren't so traditional in their equipment choices.

On the wheels, we do 650B and 700C wheel pack package options. In our case both wheel packages use a high end carbon rim. With the 650B we go really wide, 27.3 internal width, so 33.3 external. And what that does is it takes your tire, like the WTB Byway we have as standard, and it brings it out from 47 to almost 50 millimeters and changes the profile such that the side knobs engage a bit sooner and you can drop the pressure down and not have the tire flopping around. So I'll ride out to the trail chasing down roadies at 45 psi and then I'll drop it down to 30 and the rear in 27 in the front and ride it like a full on cross country bike. And I'm passing people on dualies. So that's another kind of small detail along with the flare bar.

The other thing is the dropper post, which you experienced today, which really transforms the bike. Anyone who's coming from the mountain scene knows that you'd probably rather give up a couple inches of suspension rather than your dropper. On the gravel bike gets that much more game changing because you're starting with no suspension.

CRAIG: It was certainly an interesting moment for me. Randall generously let me take the dropper post on all the descents today. So I had a good time doing that and it was interesting because I've obviously I've ridden the dropper posts on my mountain bike quite regularly for the last half dozen years or so. And I was quite familiar with the benefits to that with the gravel bike. It was interesting creating that sort of pocket of space underneath me because I simply wasn't familiar with it ever doing that on a drop bar bike. And I definitely appreciated the tight integration with the lever so that on the SRAM shifter, Randall has hacked it so that it controls the dropper post for you. So instead of having a front chain ring, a shifter, I can shift the dropper posts down right from the handlebars.

RANDALL: Yeah. And that's a pretty simple hack that we will be documenting with a video real soon. But essentially with SRAM’s modern hydraulic front shifters, there's a one minute hack that's fully reversible to remove the ratchet mechanism and allow that shift lever to swing freely and thus actuate the dropper post, which is really slick. I use it more than I ever used the front derailleur.

CRAIG: So that was interesting. As most people who listened to his podcast know, I tend to ride my gravel bike on more mountain biking style terrain than the kind of flow and fire roads that are often known in other parts of the country for gravel. So for me, this is something I've been thinking about for awhile, checking out a dropper post. So it was a lot of fun. And I definitely will say that if you're on the type of steep terrain that sort of characterizes the terrain in Marin County, it's definitely a value add. And there's a small weight penalty but not a dramatic weight penalty given that sort of benefits of speed going down.

RANDALL: Yeah. There is this common misconception I'll describe where you pick up a bike and you say, “Oh, that's really light. It must be fast”. But really there's a lot of ways in which you can make a bike heavier and faster. So as an example, with a dropper post, you're able to descend that much faster, not just on the super steep terrain that we were riding today, but even on less steep but really fast terrain with loose sweepers where you don't drop it all the way down. You drop it down just enough so that you have a little bit more control and you can shift your weight back and so on, and you go through with more confidence. The other thing is you can brake that much harder. So you're braking vastly more with the rear brake versus the front brake. And you can break with both of them in a “holy crap” sort of situation and have more traction and not be ready to go over the handlebars like you would be if you were sitting on top of a fully extended post.

CRAIG: Yeah, I think it's one of those things that we will definitely start to see more and more of. I think there is a somewhat of a sentiment in gravel to be respectful of our road brethren and then the changes maybe are slower to be adopted for more aesthetic reasons than anything else, but I can definitely vouch for the, the sort of performance benefits of the dropper post from what I've evidenced today in today's short ride. I do want to talk about a little bit more about the frame set too. It's a carbon frame set, correct?

RANDALL” Yup. Full carbon frame set.

CRAIG: And you've got a lot of mounts spec’ed down there, which I think is interesting. So let's talk about the mounts and some of the other things that make this bike essentially a quiver killer. Something that you can replace your road bike. And many other bikes in your garage.

RANDALL: The frameset [features] a full carbon frame and fork. I'm using the same Toray carbon fiber that everybody else uses. In our case it's T700 to T800 other people give it some fancy acronym for the same thing. It's all mostly coming from the same place.

We've done a few things that are common and few things that are unique. So on the common side, we have a full suite of bosses: cage mounts inside the frame, third cage on the down tube, a bento up top. But we've [added] to the fork blades more bottle cage bosses that are also sturdy enough to handle a front rack. We have rear rack mounts as well. So you could set this up as a full touring setup and put 10 kilos or more on the front and 15 on the back, plus a frame bag, and be on your way for your next epic adventure.

Some other smaller details that I think are really important are on the fork. Steerer tube failure has always been a big concern of mine or you've seen a bunch of recalls in the industry, some of them associated with improper manufacturing but some of them associated with the clamping force of the stem actually crushing the carbon. And so if anyone in the audience has built a carbon frame of the carbon steer before they'll see that you have this expansion plug that goes in. And we looked at all of them and none that can be found on the open market did a good job of fully supporting the steerer. So we actually bonded an aluminum tube with a built in star nut into our forks, which you can then cut and shorten. And that's a safety feature. You really have no way to install it improperly because you don't install it. It's already there. And if you're traveling a lot and you're removing your stem and reinstalling it, you can over-torque it, but it's still not going to crush the carbon. Carbon is a brilliant material in tension, but it's terrible in compression. So that was another small detail where we really paid a lot of attention.

The other thing that you noticed is we decided to forego the drop stay which you see on a bike like the Open or the new Ibis Hakka. Those bikes accommodate a slightly larger tire. I think they can go up to like a 2.2. Our bicycle is optimized around a 700C x 40 or 650b x 47, which has the same radius as a 700C x 30. And that [the 700C x 30) is actually what we use on the road.

For our [650B] wheelset, we went with a wide rim that expands the tire to almost 50 millimeters. And what we found is that’s kind of the sweet spot for maintaining a road geometry, look and feel while still giving you all the capabilities of a borderline monster cross or light XC bike.

CRAIG: Gotcha. And you're offering both a single chain ring and a double chain ring. Correct?

RANDALL: Yeah. If you're considering going with the 1x, go for it. I’m all in on 1x myself. We’re offering the double because there's a lot of people who want to go that route. We can talk about pluses and minuses here. With the 1x you get the clutch so the chain’s not slapping around. It also frees up the left shift lever for the dropper, which I think, once you've experienced it, you won't want to ride without it. I think it's really a game changer as much as anything else you can do. But yeah, we'll do a 2x as well.

In both cases you have a few different gearing options so you can really dial it in. If you're not super fit and you live in a really hilly area, go with a 38 or 40 in the front. If you're super fit and live in a flatter area, go with a 46 with a 10-42 in the rear to give you plenty of high end. Same with the double. We're working on 46/30 or 48/32 options. We're just doing the compatibility testing right now before we offer it.

CRAIG: In addition to designing the frame, you've also designed the wheel set and some of the other components. Is that right?

RANDALL: Well, so this word designed . We started with a frame set that had all of the characteristics that we wanted. The same is true for the rims. And that's true in wheels in particular. Almost nobody is designing their own rems or if they do, they just spec a profile and they say to an engineer at the factory, please do the layup for me. So we started with a frame that met the vast majority of our criteria and then worked with the factory on over 100 different line item changes to bring it up to where we thought it needed to be. So simple things from additional chainring clearance, to adding 3K carbon reinforcement under every single boss and cut out in the frame to give it that much more strength and fray resistance, to adding fiberglass at all the interfaces with metal so you don't get galvanic corrosion. All these little granular things that you don't think about until it's a year down the road and you're trying to remove your seat post and it won't come out because it's bonded to the carbon. We did all of those things.

CRAIG: Presumably you were traveling overseas to work directly with the factory.

RANDALL: Oh yeah. Yeah. So I've spent a couple of weeks in the factories and then quite a bit of time late at night on calls. That gives us a big advantage.

I've been working in supply chain since I started working. This was back when I was 21. I'm approaching 36 now. I'm a fluent mandarin speaker, so that allows a degree of relationship and interaction that's just not possible if you're an English speaker. So I go into a factory and I don't just speak English with the boss, I am speaking Mandarin with a line worker to understand the process that they're going through as they're making that part, what are the common failure modes as they're doing that so we can then work the engineers to design around it. And this is something that's really important to me and that I enjoy doing tremendously.

CRAIG: For those of our listeners who aren't that familiar with the bike industry, how different is that process from what a major manufacturer goes through? Are you dealing with the same types of factories, the same types of materials that you would be at a Specialized or a Trek?

RANDALL: Everyone's using from the same subset of factories, using the same materials, the same manufacturing techniques. There's almost nothing new in our industry. It’s rare that you come across something new, which is why you see quite a bit of odd looking “innovation”. It's really just a way of trying to stand out in some way. So part of our thesis is that we innovate only where that innovation provides a genuine benefit to the customer. So as an example, on our wheelset, we didn't design a custom profile. We went and found one of the best manufacturers in China, who's manufacturing rims for all the big players. They had an off the shelf rim. We worked with them to modify the layup slightly to make it optimized for a gravel application. So in our case, that meant taking a mountain bike rim with a mountain bike width that gives you that tire stability on the 650B set, and lightening the layup because it doesn't need quite as much of a burly build as it would for, say, the enduro application for which it was designed.

CRAIG: Gotcha. So in addition to the sort of manufacturing processes of the bike, you're reinventing how you're going to sell to customers. Obviously selling direct is not something totally new, but for the bike industry and customers purchasing a bike, it is a relatively new experience to go direct to a smaller brand and buy online. Can you just talk a little bit about that decision and the type of relationship you want to foster with the customers and why you thought it was important to direct?

RANDALL: Sure. From a product standpoint, it allows us to offer a very granular degree of customization. When you buy a traditional bike, you're buying a complete bike. If the handlebar width isn't right, the crank length isn't right, the gearing isn't right, you're then spending money after the fact to swap that out or you're just dealing with it. And that's unfortunate given how many times that bike has been marked up and what you're paying for it.

The other thing is, our price point is $2999, and for what we offer, that is, I mean, there's nothing else that approaches that. You can buy competing frame sets that cost that much or even slightly more. The way that we're able to accomplish that is by being as close to factory direct as you can get.

And it's actually better than factory direct because when you go factory direct, first off, no factory is going to sell you one handlebar, right? So you need a certain amount of buying volume to get that pricing. Additionally, component compatibility.  You'd have to deal with “how do I high spec my bike with all these components that I've curated”. You don't have the same access to information and resources that say somebody on the inside like myself is fortunate to have.

We took a model where we work directly with the same factories who are supplying all the big brands. We work with the top of the line, open components. So we have a hollow forged crank from Samox that is lighter than Rival and comes with a spindly chain ring, and it's a really stiff and bomb proof package that can take a rock strike.

That’s one example. It’s the same with our frame set, same with our wheel packages and so on. We do assembly of the wheels and bundling of certain components in China and ship those out. And then we bundle all the components from Taiwan and we ship those out from there. So you receive two boxes of components that have been validated to work really well with each other and that you've been able to customize to your particular body, your use case, and even to your style if you want to. If you had a baby blue car with little metallic flecks in the paint when you were in high school or something like that, and you want to replicate it, send us a Pantone number and for a small up-charge we’ll get you exactly the color that you want.

CRAIG: Wow. So you mentioned two boxes are going to get shipped. The bike is not assembled correctly when it arrives. That's a little bit different than some of the other direct to consumer brands who are touting [that] all you need is an allen wrench and we'll be ready to go in five minutes. Let's talk a little bit about that.

RANDALL: So there are some brands that I've heard do a pretty good job there. Canyon is one that stands out, they do a pretty good quality build is what I've heard from mechanics, but that is not the general standard. So if you talk to many who work in shops, the really good ones tend to disassemble a factory built bike and then reassemble it to make sure it's done right. It's just hard to get that attention to detail on a mass assembly line and furthermore, they're not fit to the rider. And so you're still having to do a bunch of tweaking and so on.

So going back to why we named the company THESIS, we saw a way to both have the net cost to the rider be lower and get them a product that fits them and their riding style much better. A frame up assembly at Sports Basement [a Bay Area retailer] is 280 bucks. And now you have a local mechanic who did that build to your standard, helped you tweak it and fit it and so on. Obviously a full on custom fit is going to be a little bit more money, but that's the case with all of these bikes. Nobody's bundling in a fit, and furthermore, it would cost us more to ship everything to a single facility, have it assembled poorly or not as well as it could be done locally, and then put it in a big box with yet another bit of packaging, and put everything in a big box and then ship it with higher tariff codes to some location where you receive it and still have to finish putting it together. And it's probably not dialed in and tuned properly. Right? So we looked at the experience and quality of product and the net cost to consumer all having a big advantage with this type of model.

CRAIG: Interesting. So the bike, the OB1 really can be quite a versatile chassis, if you will. It can be almost a platform for every type of riding that you want to do. As we've talked over the day that we've talked about road riding. So talk about the OB1 as a road bike.

RANDALL: Gravel bikes in general are just the road bikes that the industry should have been selling regular people all along. So you look road bikes and generally they’re race replicas. The head tubes are short. The steering is more aggressive. The tires are really skinny. People are still riding 23mm tires at 130 PSI, which not only is not comfortable, it's actually slower than a higher volume tire. Not to mention the braking on carbon rims in the wet and all these other issues. The OB1 we designed to be...the one bike for every road.

So as a road bike it's got an endurance road type geometry and the road wheel package that’s a 44 depth, 22 internal, a 30 external rim that we pair with a supple 30 millimeter tubeless tire from WTB that rides super smooth and super fast. So I'll take that bike and go out and hammer with the local hammerheads on Scotty's ride or do some of the longer road rides that we see out here and keep up just fine. There's no deficit., and actually with the dropper, I'm descending faster than they are because I can do it more confidently and more aero because I can get into that crazy tuck.

You get a lot of questions on the gravel side. We spoke about the advantages of the flare bar and the dropper and swapping in the 650B wheelset. In my case, on my road we'll set I run an 10-42 [cassette] to give me a little bit taller gearing on the high end. And then on the gravel set I run an 11-46, which gives me a little bit more low end so I can climb up all the dirt walls here in Marin. For touring. the geometry is long and stable enough where you can do light touring, which with today's gear makes it entirely capable. It’'ll take 10 plus kilos in the front and the rear. It has all the bosses for that. If you’re bike packing, it has plenty of room in the front triangle and again, has all the mounting points for anything you'd want to take.

If you look at the actual differences between these types of bikes, it's mostly tire clearance, mounting points, and marketing. Those are the primary differences between a road bike and gravel bike and a cross bike and all these other bikes. Some might add geometry, but that's more at the extremes. With the OB1, we have a geometry that is at the overlapping point in the Venn diagram of all these different sub-niches. So you really can have one bike for everything. And with this bike, we wanted to demonstrate that the myth of N+1, which is used to sell more bike, is false… At most, you need one bike with two wheel sets.

CRAIG: Yeah, it's interesting. I'm going to think that's a realization that many cyclists will come to in time. And it's, it's fascinating to me. And for those of my listeners who have listened for a long time, they know my journey to gravel riding came from this notion of bike packing that I never truly realized. But having a bike in the closet that enabled me to ride on the road, ride on gravel, which is my primary pursuit, and occasionally get out there and do some light touring or bike packing really was a revelation. And the realization that one bike really could do it all. And frankly when I'm in a group road ride, it's not my bike that's the limiting factor. It's generally my legs which goes to show [it’s not] the bike I'm riding. And I think your bike...can do it all. When you're really honest about the type of rider that you are and can be like, neither one of us are on the pro tour, so we're not looking for marginal gains that on the extremes.

RANDALL: And those marginal gains are very marginal. 80% of aerodynamic drag is your body. A good chunk of what remains is the wheels, and we have an aerodynamic wheelset that's paired with the wide tires so you really can get very close to the bleeding edge and still not have a machine that is compromised for every other application. If you're gonna go out and do the local crits, you might want to get a road bike. For all the rest of us, get one really good bike that you'll have a much better time on. You'll probably be faster with that one good bike versus spreading those same resources over several mediocre ones.

CRAIG: Yeah. Well it's a really interesting bike. It's a beautiful bike. I encourage everybody to go to the website. I'll put that in the podcast notes. So people can check it out and I think it's a bike that begs to be looked at. I think you show a lot of the different ways in which the bike can be used on the website, which is great. I think it gives our listeners a lot to think about. So what's next for THESIS bike? When can we order one? How can people find you? How can they learn more about the philosophy and just get to understand the brand and you as a designer?

RANDALL: By the time you broadcast this podcast, we will probably have sales live or be approaching it. We have a waitlist currently that is getting increasingly long. We've done a few sales with friends and family at this point just to run them through the buying process and work out all the kinks before we open it up to a general audience. But yeah, we're expecting within the next couple of weeks, so by the time this podcast goes out.

As far as what's next for THESIS, we mentioned that the bike comes 90 percent unassembled. We have some very interesting partnerships in the works for local assembly and are hoping to have that as a checkbox option at checkout when you buy your OB1.

A part of the vision here, in addition to wanting to make a great product and an innovative business model, is to really provide an opportunity for the unsung heroes of the bike industry, your mechanics and fitters as well as the factories that are actually producing and increasingly engineering things...for them to have new and better opportunities to be compensated for the work they do. Having a model where a mechanic can get paid for their expertise in helping you with your curation and fit, and then make money on the assembly experience as well. And have, instead of an oppositional relationship between mechanic and customer where the customer doesn't know if the mechanic is just trying to sell them something, to have a relationship. We work with those parties to provide the rider with the best experience possible, whether it be with equipment or maintaining that equipment.

The single best return on investment that you can get in cycling is not equipment. It may be diet, but after diet and training it is definitely a professional build and fit. You'll be more comfortable. Your equipment will last far longer. And we want to have a model that provides the right incentive structure where people take advantage.

CRAIG: Interesting. Well we definitely look forward to learning more about that. If people have questions for you are there social channels they can connect with you on, or an email address, website and the like?

RANDALL: You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can contact me at [email protected]. or if you just have general questions, [email protected].

CRAIG: Okay, great. Well best of luck with the brand. I look forward to riding with you again and continuing to spend a little bit more time on the bike. As I said, my initial ride shows it's a lot of fun, so I'm looking forward to that and I wish you guys all the best. For my listeners, definitely check out the website. I'll put it in the notes, put that in the media podcast notes so people can find you easily. And yeah, I hope you have a great summer with this.

RANDALL: Yeah, thanks a lot. Looking forward to that next ride.

CRAIG: Awesome.

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About the Podcast

The Gravel Ride is a cycling podcast where we discuss the people, places and products that define modern gravel cycling. We will be interviewing athletes, course designers and product designers who are influencing the sport. We will be providing information on where to ride, what to ride and how to stay stoked on gravel riding.

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This Gleaming Stainless MADE Bike Has a Secret

Everything seems straightforward but there’s one detail hidden in this english cycles bike that even the camera didn’t catch..

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I’ve started to get to know Rob English a bit. He’s based in Oregon not too far away from me and I first met him years ago when competing in a hill climb time trial in Southern Oregon.

Then my most reliable riding partner spent over a year obsessing and planning before finally picking up his very own Rob English bike.

If you read my stories regularly you’ll remember that colliding with that bike left a Trek Madone in pieces even though it escaped without a scratch. From there English and I seemed to run into each other everywhere.

When I see an English bike, I can always tell who made it.

He works in steel but to call his bikes timeless isn’t quite right. Rob English bikes aren’t so much timeless as they are out of time. They are thoroughly modern yet the steel forms that make up the modern designs look as if they came from another time.

There’s this beautiful balance of past and present and the two come together in a Rob English bike like the yellow steel TT bike he showed at Enve .

I could have featured any of the bikes English had on his MADE display but I let him choose. What he picked was a gleaming stainless steel gravel bike.

Like the best show bikes, it’s got clear signs of use. The bar tape is a bit dirty, there’s scratching on the Enve carbon fork, and it’s not all that clean.

Despite that it shines like nothing else at the show.

It actually shines so much that I missed its greatest trick. This is a folding bike but I looked at it and I walked around it with a camera shooting all the details and I missed it.

You can’t tell in person that anything is off. When fully assembled there’s nothing to give away it’s true nature.

The details are there though. English bikes shift between electronic and mechanical as customers desire but this one is fully mechanical to make sure it’s easy to pack up.

Instead of worrying about hydraulic lines, there’s a set of Growtac Equal Mechanical disc brakes . They don’t look too bad either as they carry the blue anodization that matches details like the Wolf Tooth headset.

Handling shifting duties, you’ll find a set of Campagnolo Chorus mechanical levers. English told me this is his bike and he had the groupset sitting around so he used it.

What you won’t find on these levers is the trademark Campy thumb button on the left control. Instead, English dismantled it and modified it to activate the dropper post that carries a Bjorn Setka 3D printed saddle.

You also won’t find other Campy parts on the bike.

There’s no front derailleur as this is a 1x by gravel bike. In place of the rear derailleur, English has an Ingrid RD1 in place. He’s gone with the silver colorway again sticking to the blue and silver color scheme and the crank plays its part in that as well.

Instead of a Campagnolo crankset, English chose to use a Garboruk road and gravel 1x piece . It’s 7075-T651 Aluminum Alloy with a blue anodized finish and a contrasting black chainring.

Given the tight relationship with Enve that Rob English has, you will definitely find a number of Enve parts on this bike. The wheels are a set of Enve G23 race gravel wheels shod with Schwalbe G-One R tires and English stuck to only 45 mm tires despite for up to 50mm even with the short 425 mm chainstays.

There’s also the fork I already mentioned plus an Enve carbon stem and Enve AR handlebars.

The real star of this build is the tubing. I’ve already gotten a bit poetic about the stainless but it’s hard to overstate the case. I like to shoot the headtube straight on but I had to angle myself out of the frame.

You can see all the parts reflecting in the mirror like finish and the joins are true artistry.

Rob English bikes do require a wait but if you like the idea of a bike out of time, take a look at the English Cycles website and see if you like the sound of the story being told.

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The Best Gravel Bike Trails in Saint Petersburg, Sankt-Peterburg (Russia)

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Our Ultra-Wide Carbon 650B and Aero Wide Carbon 700C wheelsets were designed for hardcore enthusiasts who want strong, versatile, responsive, confidence-inspiring wheels. Using the same obsessive, evidence-based approach as we took with the OB1 , we built these wheels to last for years of serious riding.