Survey results part 2

Maximum tire width: 40 or 50 millimeters?

The gravel bike has triggered a real innovation boom in the tire sector. Before that, in the days of cyclocross bikes, tires were usually 35 millimeters wide. The rear triangles of the frames didn't offer any more space either. With the gravel bike, there were suddenly tires with a width of 45 millimeters, which has become the new standard. However, the range of tires and variants is much larger. It ranges from the classic 35-millimeter model to super-wide tires for rock-hard terrain, which tend to fall into the mountain bike category. The big question is: what should the maximum tire width be for THE SUPERFAST?

5th place: 40-millimeter
Tires with a maximum width of 40 millimeters are light and appreciated by gravel bikers who like to ride at full throttle on wide gravel and asphalt roads. However, the tires reach their limits when the ground becomes rocky. Only 2 percent voted for this category.

4th place: 60-millimeter
Mountain bikers who love rough terrain ride 60-millimeter-tires, better known as 2.3 inches. You also see more and more of these tires on gravel bikes. Although they are more often crossover versions of gravel and mountain bikes. Perfect for expeditions and adventures. But too heavy and sluggish for a race gravel bike. And THE SUPERFAST is supposed to be just that.

3rd place: 55 millimeters
This tire width is also found on mountain bikes (2.1 inches), but on lighter ones like those that were common in cross-country and marathon races a few years ago. They are great for gravel rides on hard terrain. After all, 11 percent of you would like to see a tire width of this size.

2nd place: 50-millimeter
With a width of 50 millimeters, tires have become increasingly popular in recent years. They still roll well, are not too heavy and also allow touring in rougher terrain. 50 millimeters corresponds to 1.9 inches. In the nineties, mountain bike tires had this width. With them, bikers crossed the Alps and rode in cross-country world cups. 34 percent voted for this category.

The Winner is: 45 millimeters
The result is clear: almost half of you want a gravel bike with 45-millimeter tires. Most sporty gravel bikes have this tire width. Voilà! THE SUPERFAST will also have 45-millimeter tires.

Bottom bracket: BSA or press fit?

We were particularly curious about the result. The threaded BSA bearing is very popular. After all, it is easy to assemble and is considered robust.
Press-fit bearings are light and look elegant. However, they have a reputation for creaking. This is almost always due to inaccurate fitting. In particular, price-aggressive frames from series production often have tolerances, so that the bearings do not fit exactly and then make noise.

To be clear: Our frames are manufactured with such precision that we exclude this problem. Pressfit would be our first choice. But we want to let you decide. Given the popularity of classic BSA bearings, the result surprised us a bit.

62 percent of you voted for press-fit. 38 percent would have liked a threaded bottom bracket.
A clear result. But it also shows that there are many fans of BSA bottom brackets. That's why we'll find a solution for both variants. Stay tuned.

Seat post clamp: clamp or integrated?

We expected a real neck-and-neck race on this question. The classic clamp is by no means old-school, but can be an important design element. It is also practical, as it is easy to get to with the tool. Integrated clamps are elegant, but often fiddly.

64 percent voted for an integrated clamp, 36 percent for the classic clamp. A clear result. BUT! After evaluating the survey, our engineers came up with something that combines the best of both worlds. More on this soon.