2023 road & gravel bikes
By Evan Lee
New bike day is happening daily at WRC, with many riders getting ready for the upcoming season. We have deep stock and plenty of options in every size and color.
With our multiple vendors and product lines, innovation and design has reached the point where there really are no bad bikes. Final purchase decision is largely defined by how well the bike rides for your particular style, your budget, and any brand allegiances you may have.
Here are some of the road and gravel bikes with which we are truly enamored for 2023:
trek domane
Domane is classified as an endurance disc-brake road bike by Trek, as it features versatility, comfort, and speed. It also features Trek’s IsoSpeed in the carbon frame, a suspension system that allows the seat mast to flex independently of the main frame, which provides a bump-smoothing benefit that enables you to ride long and faster with less fatigue. It’s light and aerodynamic, and Trek has lightened it up even further for 2023.
Available in various trim kits from SL to SLR, Domane is a terrific bike for roadies looking to explore gravel and vice versa.
specialized diverge
One of the first bikes specifically designed for gravel, Diverge maintains its position at the top of the field for 2023. With a frame weight under 1,000 grams, it loses nothing in the capability arena. That light frame seems racy, but it’ still perfect for the long, gear-laden bikepacking trips. The frame is also one of the most accommodating for tire widths, accepting up to 47mm on 700c, and a whopping 2.1 on 650b! If you’re one of those gravel riders who likes to get on singletrack as well, Diverge is your huckleberry.
Comfort is provided via Future Shock, Specialized’s answer to increased control, compliance and superb handling in the rough stuff. Front Future Shock appears on all models, with the revolutionary new rear Future Shock engineering featured on STR and S-Works models.
Available in trim from Comp to S-Works, there’s a Diverge waiting to take you on all the divergent terrain imaginable. And get this – the EVO iteration is designed around flat bars!
Cervélo aspero
Arguably the roadiest and raciest of gravel bike options, Aspero is the one-bike-quiver answer in this riding discipline. It’s far stiffer than other bikes from other makers in this category, and features no suspension engineering as seen in the previous two bikes. It’s a highly-responsive and aggressive, and responds to power input like the fastest of road bikes.
Aspero is designed to accommodate most wheel configurations on a bike that’s just as capable on the road as it is on the gravel. To that end, Cervélo has integrated a chip into the fork legs to compensate for swaps between 700c and 650b wheel sizes.
As always, you can opt for Lunch Ride upgrades on 2023 Super Bikes.
santa cruz stigmata
Originally conceived as a cyclocross racing rig, Stigmata has now become a favorite gravel grinder courtesy of the company that makes some of our most popular mountain bikes. Stigmata features all the best aspects of Santa Cruz design innovations in carbon layup, internally routed cables and hoses, excellent tire clearance and 12mm thru-axles. Plenty bottle mounts and fender mounts make this a capable bike packing option as well.
juliana quincy
Remember when you learned that Santa Cruz frames are the same frames used in the Juliana line? Same goes here. Add all the size-matched and women specific spec details in saddles, and bar widths, and you get a deliriously capable, superbly handling, well-tailored gravel rig.
e-Groad: trek domane+
That's no typo -- this bike is gravel AND road worthy! Take everything we love about Domane above, and electrify it for Domane+.
Available in three attractive iterations, Domane+ is the hill-flattening e-road bike you’ve been seeking. It’s got the comfortable endurance geometry, the IsoSpeed suspension, and plenty space for tire clearance in everything from road to gravel widths.
The motor behind Domane+ is revolutionary in its design. Most motors use gears and belts, which can slip, rattle, and wear out over time. They’re also heavy. The unique TQ harmonic pin ring transmission is smaller, lighter, and with so few moving parts is much smoother, very quiet, and more durable. Take a look at how it works:
check 'em out
Most of these bikes are in stock, built and ready to test ride today. Others arriving an minute. Get a jump on the 2023 buying season and be ready for winter’s end by stopping in and checking these out ASAP!