Czech bikemaker Superior tease an all-new aero XR GR evolution of their versatile gravel bike. Superior is about to be one in all three predominant sponsors of the 2024 UCI Gravel World Championship this October in Flanders – along with Skoda & Lotto – and that’s the place the brand new gravel bike will see its official launch. So, particulars stay a bit for the time being on this mannequin 12 months 2025 bike. However we’ve obtained a fairly good close-up take a look at it in each gravel and street builds, and know the important thing upgrades over its predecessor…
2025 Superior XR GR light-weight aero carbon gravel bike
“The quickest and lightest gravel ever by Superior”
Superior is fairly enthusiastic about their new XR gravel & all-road bike. It’s not a significant departure from their present X-Street mannequin – first launched again in 2016 – now sharing a merely tweaked identify.
However the brand new bike takes an enormous leap ahead in efficiency and flexibility.
And at a claimed 827g for the brand new hi-mod carbon body, it actually falls now into the light-weight gravel body class. And with that comes an obvious increase in each stiffness for energy switch and refined dealing with.
What’s new?
At first look, the massive modifications give attention to aerodynamic optimizations – extra built-in fork crown-to-downtube shaping, deeper truncated airfoil tube shapes, an even bigger rear wheel cutout, extra aero fork blades & dropouts, and dropped seatstays, for instance. And naturally, fully built-in absolutely inner cable routing by means of the headset.
However a very powerful change was actually a shift to larger tire clearance. Now, it formally sports activities clearance for as much as 45mm tires. Which means the brand new Superior XR GR will be constructed up with fashionable 40mm tires for fast-paced racing, however greater knobby 45mm tires give it extra versatility and luxury for leisure gravel driving, as effectively.
Tech particulars
Different key options embrace new built-in rubber downtube & chainstay safety, a SRAM UDH, and a glossy Litemove LED taillight that’s neatly connected to the again of the aero seatpost.
Plus, there are many carry-over tech particulars just like the 12mm thru-axles, flat mount brakes, PressFit backside bracket, detachable entrance derailleur hanger for 1x or 2x builds, digital or mechanical shift compatibility, and an inner wedge-style clamp for the proprietary aero seatpost.
On each street & gravel builds, Superior’s personal aerodynamic 1-piece carbon One ICR built-in carbon cockpit with 10° ahead sweep to the tops and delicate 4° flare within the drops.
Superior says the brand new XR street and gravel bike is UCI-approved, though we haven’t seen it within the official listing but. And this UCI sticker itemizing the bike as Superior-001, doesn’t comply with the present UCI body code normal (which might probably be SIP-XR-GR)? So, maybe that is only a placeholder in the intervening time.
The flagship gravel bike construct will likely be this 2025 Superior XR 9.8 GT that may promote for 5000€ with a Shimano GRX Di2 1x groupset, 1-piece carbon cockpit, and carbon DT Swiss GRC 1600 gravel wheels wrapped in 40mm Schwalbe G-One Allround tires.
XR GF gran fondo all-road model, too
Simply just like the X-Street earlier than it, Superior gives this new XR evolution in additional conventional street builds, too.
It once more provides a gran fondo identify, because the XR GF will function greater street tires for extra consolation and extra all-road versatility. Plus, it’s nonetheless the identical 2-in-1 frameset, so the XR GF remains to be gravel-ready for consumers who wish to combine it up between street and gravel.
As for specs on the street, the builds will lean in the direction of conventional 2x street groupsets, though largely with compact or mid-compact gearing. The flagship street construct for 2025 will likely be this Superior XR 9.8 GF, promoting for 6000€ with an Ultegra Di2 2x construct, 1-piece carbon cockpit, and carbon DT Swiss ERC 1400 endurance street wheels wrapped in 32mm Schwalbe Professional One tires.
Superior XR GR gravel bike – Gravel World Championships & availability
Superior says they may formally launch the brand new XR GR gravel bike at 2024 Gravel World Championships in Halle-Leuven, Belgium this coming October 5-Sixth. So we’ll have to attend till then for extra concrete particulars on what’s new – like up to date geometry, extra spec choices, and a full pricing breakdown. Formally, it’s a mannequin 12 months 2025 bike, so we count on availability of the brand new fashions no sooner than the tip of 2024, with some fashions probably solely arriving within the begin of subsequent 12 months.
