Gravel framesets

Building your gravel bike from a frameset

A frameset consists of the frame and fork, supplied with their frame-specific parts — headset, seatpost or seat clamp, derailleur hanger and bolts. Everything else is up to you. For gravel, this approach makes particular sense: how you ride is highly personal, and complete bikes almost always involve a compromise.

What you’ll find in this section

ZEEN, the in-house brand, with the X-Race geared towards performance, and theExplorer geared towards distance and carrying luggage, available on their own or in a bundle with the ZEEN Gravel Combo handlebar. And ENVE, with the MOG — a race gravel bike with generous tyre clearance — and the MOG Recon, its more adventure-oriented version.

The measurements that matter most

• The maximum tyre clearance, for both 700c and 650b. This specification defines the bike's character: a frame that takes 50 mm tyres serves a different purpose from one limited to 40 mm.
• The size, using reach and stack rather than the stated frame size, which means different things from one brand to another.
• The bottom bracket standard, which determines which chainset you can fit.
• The derailleur hanger : a frame with a UDH accepts SRAM XPLR E1 groupsets with Full Mount; the others do not.
• The headset, which you should check using the SHIS code before buying any headset components.

The mounting points

This is the defining gravel criterion, and you can't change it afterwards. Check the mounting points : bottle cages (often three), top-tube mounts for a bag, rack eyelets and fork mounts. A race frame has few; an adventure frame has them everywhere. Decide how you'll use the bike before choosing the frame, not the other way round.

Cable routing

Most recent gravel frames require fully internal, which means a compatible cockpit and a considerably longer build process. Plan on taking it to a workshop if you don't have the right equipment: the tools and time required are not the same as for a conventional build.

Before you order

Make a complete list of the parts you still need and what they'll cost. A frameset build almost always costs more than an equivalent complete bike: it's not the cheaper route, but the route that gives you a choice.

To find out more: How to choose a gravel bike for the way you ride

See also: Gravel forks · Complete gravel groupsets · Gravel wheels