XMCS: 2026 Aero Gravel bike

[jfcb]

I 100% agree with eins5eins statement above. When moving towards a more premium pricing, your brand needs to follow towards that feeling to the customers.
Also rather than talking about logo, premium frames have often nice paintjobs. If you only offer a one color paint, the frame becomes boring with the result the first thing people will look at is the logo which is written on it rather than the aestetic pleasing of the painting.
To give you an example: I noticed when looking at the TREK checkpoint, they use the most crappy logo placement on a frame possible, but since they play with the colors on the frame, this bad logo placement is not standing out.
Evolve learned this the hard way with multiple iterations of their logo placement.

[Requiem84]

They are very valid points to which I fully concur. I even see it a step further.
It’s the entire end to end ‘journey’ (cough, dirty word) for a customer. From learning about the brand, checking its feeling on all channels (website, insta, forums), to the ordering process (for example, status tracker of your order!), to the way your package is packaged, the way the box looks, the manuals included, some nice little extra’s like bolts with xmcs logo (they are already there).

But you have to start somewhere, and be mindful not to lose the dna of what makes xmcs great: factory direct. Before you know it, you suddenly have a different brand and it will move away from what xmcs really is.

Anyways, wheels should arrive today or Monday. Monday we could make some time to start the build. And we have the go to share some photo’s of the final build prior to Eurobike.

[Requiem84]

56.8mm tire fits easily at the rear. About 6-7mm clearance.

46T fits. Spacers as per Bikone BB manual (6mm DS). Chainline around 49mm. At 47.5mm it will be quite close. Don’t think you’ll manage a 48T with a 47.5mm chain line. If you’ll stick to 49mm… maybe yes.

That’s a 6mm allen key between CS and tire.

Unfortunately the 2.4 tires I have are a PITA to mount. Will give it another go as they’ll be great for Eurobike to show the huge tire clearance.

[wintermute]

Wow. I honestly thought that chainring rumour was so improbable as to be a joke. I made this point on another thread, but stuff like this really highlights the immaturity of some of the Chinese OEM to consumer markets. I wonder if the team can fix it before open release?

[Requiem84]

The rumor on page 12 was 1x max 42T.

Now that would have indeed been a problem. 46T, or 48T with a 1-2mm wider chain line / or running it a bit closer to the CS is good enough when you look at the competition.

Shame I have to build up another bike and don’t have the time now to throw on the 50T to see how far we’ll come with that.

[hubba]

Test fit a front derailleur to the frame now that you can, don't need to install it fully.

[rhenders]

The new crux can fit a 52t, willier rave 50t, ridley astr 52t, tavelo grow 50t, evolve cima gr 50t

A maybe-48t with a bad chainline is surprising and disappointing given how perfect everything else about this bike seems to be so far. And I say that as someone who arranged a preorder for it with Peter already.

[Requiem84]

Which one of those fits a 57mm WAM in the rear with 6mm(+) clearance though?

If you widen the chain stay for more clearance, it will obviously impact the space for the chain ring at some point. Particularly if you keep the CS at 425mm.

I’ll duck down until Eurobike for now ^^.

[xcelrec]

I’ll duck down until Eurobike for now ^^.

Nooo, don't forget the photos before euro bike

[Requiem84]

Yes, will definitely do that as promised.

[eins4eins]

A Fara GR4 also has 57mm tire clearance and fits a 48t chainring with Sram wide cranks / 47.5mm chainline. So its possible to make bigger rings work.

This frame only allowing a 46t with a tight fit shows a lack of overall understanding.
I’m not sure yet whether it will put me off buying it though. It will make the bike less versatile. With wide 29" tires, 46 - 10 will be okay as the fastest gear. But it won't work as a fast road/light gravel setup and 40-45mm tires.

[Requiem84]

To make a proper comparison, we’d need to see a proper photo of how the chainring clearance with a 48T is with the Fara.

I couldn’t find the perfect photo, but on the imperfect shot it does not look like there is a lot of space between the CR and CS.

[Kofsw4]

Also really keen to know clearance (tyres and rings) for a 2x setup

[eins4eins]

To make a proper comparison, we’d need to see a proper photo of how the chainring clearance with a 48T is with the Fara.

I couldn’t find the perfect photo, but on the imperfect shot it does not look like there is a lot of space between the CR and CS.

What does the 46t with a standard 47.5mm chainline look like on the XMCS?

[wintermute]

Which one of those fits a 57mm WAM in the rear with 6mm(+) clearance though?

If you widen the chain stay for more clearance, it will obviously impact the space for the chain ring at some point. Particularly if you keep the CS at 425mm.

I’ll duck down until Eurobike for now ^^.

Argon 18 Antimatter clears 55+6mm with 52t front ring and 425 chain stays.

But the thing is that those are all in many ways competing priorities that don't make sense given the position of the bike.

It is advertised as an aerodynamic gravel race bike. Which means that it has to be fast. Fast is defined as low aerodynamic drag and enabling low drivetrain losses and low crr losses. If you can't fit more than a 46, you are losing non-significant watts from your drivetrain and you will struggle to get a good cadence.

If it was a bike-packing or ultra endurance bike with mounts, you'd care about 57mm+6mm (or even larger), but then you wouldn't mind the chainstays and you'd have no need for the low geometry and focus on aerodynamics.

Don't get me started on the meaninglessness of the 425 chainstay obsession and its impact on packaging.