This carbon Advantage Jumbo is the primary manufacturing gravel bike to embrace 750d wheels, and we received an unique likelihood to be the primary to test-ride it. Sure, it is a new wheel measurement. Sure, the tire and wheel choices are nonetheless fairly restricted. However particularly for taller riders, 750d may make some sense. So we needed to provide it a better look…
Advantage Jumbo 750d big-wheeled carbon gravel bike
The driving issue of an all-new wheel measurement is tire and rim availability. WTB set this ball in movement after they rolled out their prototype 750d x 40mm Nano final summer time earlier than the MADE present, with alloy i25 750d wheels to match. Then at MADE, we received a better have a look at the customized titanium Moots CRDD gravel bike that showcased the brand new wheel measurement. However 750d hasn’t fairly taken the world by storm simply but, and that CRDD nonetheless hasn’t made it into the official manufacturing line-up in Steamboat.
Nonetheless, WTB has added a fast-rolling Byway 750d semi-slick now, too.
Greater wheels imply higher rolling over tough terrain, the flexibility to run decrease tire strain, and thus improved grip. Everyone knows how 29″ wheels had been a game-changer that made 26″ out of date. (And WTB was the first to make a 29er manufacturing tire, a Nano too!) And for a gravel bike that additionally simply means smoother using over those self same washboard gravel roads. Plus, for longer-distance using, these bigger diameter (and thus heavier) wheels ought to assist keep momentum, too.
However the different actual large profit here’s a higher match for greater riders. And never solely as a result of it seems to be extra proportional.
And Advantage has you lined now!
Geometry, not so totally different than we’re used to
The Advantage Jumbo 750d could have a lot greater wheels than we’re used to. However the geometry right here isn’t all that totally different. Advantage did in reality design this big-wheeled bike for taller gravel cyclists, but it surely’s actually not all that large. Design, and prototyped in titanium (which can even be supplied down the highway), now the carbon bike is prepared. The L will match a whole lot of medium to taller riders, the XL & XXL although are fairly solely for taller riders who might need hassle becoming on a standard bike.
The smaller of the three sizes on supply – the Giant that I examined – has a shorter body Attain and decrease Stack than the M Grail that I not too long ago examined, however barely longer/increased than the M Ruut or M Yasei. The Giant Jumbo’s match on paper is a bit between a M & L in my thoughts.
It will get fairly quick 435mm chainstays to handle these extra-large wheels. And comparatively steep 70° head angle and 72° seattube, once more to assist in giving this extra-wagon-wheeled bike a quick really feel. The bigger 750d wheels and further rubber are invariably going to be heavier than 700c, so the faster dealing with is there to forestall a sluggish really feel.
Jumbo 750d – Tech particulars
Advantage developed this all-new carbon Jumbo 750d body from scratch with the identical Carbon body producer that has been making their standard 700c carbon gravel framesets since round 2015. But it surely’s additionally not a lot greater than an adventure-ready 700c gravel bike, so you could possibly nonetheless run 700x50mm gravel/XC tires for a extra standard setup.
- 1100g body (claimed, measurement L)
- full carbon 1.5″ tapered steerer fork
- 1.5″ IS headset with full inner cable routing
- common derailleur hanger (UDH) with T-type direct mount compatibility
- T47 backside bracket
- 27.2mm seatpost, with a 31.8 standard seatpost clamp
- flat mount FM160 disc brakes, 180mm rotor doable within the entrance solely
- Highway Increase thru-axle spacing – 12x110mm entrance & 12x148mm rear
- 750d x 45mm max tire clearance, or 29×2″ / 700c x 50mm (+5mm clearance within the fork)
- 1x solely, with a 46T max chainring (47.5mm chainline)
- 3-bolt downtube & 2-bolt seattube bottle cage mounts, plus toptube bag mounts
Advantage Turbo 750d Carbon Gravel Wheels
A giant a part of making this 750d venture make sense was lighter wheels. As quickly as WTB was able to announce their 750d Nano gravel tire to the world final summer time, in fact, they wanted a rim to mount it to. Simply making a barely bigger diameter i25 aluminum rim was simple sufficient. However the tires are already going to be about 10% heavier than 700c, and the wheels had been going to be even heavier because of the want for extra spokes and wider hubs.
So from day 1, Advantage got down to make lighter carbon 750d rims, as effectively. Opening up their very own new mildew, Advantage opted for a light-weight 35mm deep carbon rim, with a 25mm inner hookless bead. That helped them shed just a few hundred grams off the entire wheelset. The vast carbon rim supplies good help to the WTB tires, initially designed over 7 years in the past for narrower rims.
Advantage says a giant profit to the bigger diameter wheels is definitely the broader Increase hubs and longer spokes, which do a very good job at absorbing gravel highway buzz whereas sustaining good lateral stiffness for predictable dealing with. Advantage constructed the carbon wheels I examined with CX-Ray spokes (a number of the finest within the business). However in addition they examined a brand new wheel construct with carbon spokes that might be considerably lighter, whereas conserving the wanted energy & stiffness.
- 25mm inner
- hookless tubeless bead – 660mm bead seat diameter
- 31mm exterior x 35mm deep with a basic blunt nostril aero profile
- 495g per rim (claimed)
- full wheelsets constructed up with alloy Bitex Highway Increase hubs with 12mm thru-axles
- 28 straight-pull Sapim CX-Ray bladed spokes per wheel, anticipated to be lighter with carbon spokes
- full wheelset weights of round 1650g now as I examined
750d vs. 700c sizing comparability
The Jumbo doesn’t truly look all that jumbo in actuality. I would say proportion-wise that this Giant with 750d wheels seems to be fairly just like a standard Medium gravel bike with 700c wheels. So how does this large wheel measurement evaluate to the rollout or circumference of different wheels in our workshop?
- 750d x 40mm on a 25mm inner rim measures 43mm vast and is 756 in diameter, for a calculated circumference of 2375mm.
- A 700c x 40mm tire is measured at 2190mm round at 697mm in diameter,
- a 29er (additionally 700c) x 2.4″ XC tire measures 2305mm in circumference for a 734mm peak general
- a 29 x 2.6″ enduro tire measures 2320mm round to come back in at 738mm in diameter.
So sure, 750d is sort of a bit greater than basic 700c – and can make you 8% sooner with the identical gearing and tire measurement. However in comparison with a correct 29er mountain bike tire, you’re a wheel that’s solely about 1cm greater in radius, or an axle that’s 1cm increased off the bottom. It’s a sufficiently big distinction I couldn’t match the 750d wheel within the gravel bike I’ve fitted with a 2.4″ mountain bike tire.
Placing the 29×2″ mountain bike tire that Advantage says will match within the Jumbo would solely have a couple of 3% change in your prime velocity vs. the 40mm tire. In truth, it will be just one.5% smaller than the 34mm WTB Byways that I test-rode.
Using Impressions: A First Journey Evaluation
OK, however how does it experience?
Final week, I took one of many first two pre-production Advantage Jumbo 750d to acquainted gravel roads and singletrack mountain bike trails on the outskirts of Prague to see the way it dealt with. With out geometry tables, I simply set my saddle peak and rode away. And my first impression, was wow, this bike is large. Then, I noticed the saddle was slammed all the best way again, and a bit too low. So, shortly placing the saddle in the appropriate spot, instantly it felt like I used to be on the right-sized bike unexpectedly.
The bike is undeniably large, but it surely’s probably not the geometry. The geo and match of the bike had been fairly near what I would need in a contemporary gravel bike with a brief stem and a comparatively slender bar. (I’m 185cm tall, and generally experience a big gravel bike, however typically measurement all the way down to a medium.) I used to be snug on the Jumbo 750d, however initially of the experience after I moved from doubletrack forest roads to singletrack, I may immediately really feel that it was extra work to maneuver these large wheels by means of twisty spots, and fast ups & downs
The Jumbo made clean work of an in any other case bumpy discipline crossing. The large wheels rolled over roots within the path like they weren’t there. They smoothed chunky rocks, too. Even with these comparatively low-volume, 36mm vast (marked 34×750) WTB Byway semi-slicks. And but, it was nonetheless manageable on tight sections.
However it is a bike that begs for quick open stretches…
Shining on open filth & gravel roads
Yeah, it is a bike meant to rack up kilometers. On longer, straighter sections I may spin the massive wheels on top of things, and they’d effortlessly keep there. Possibly described as barely sluggish on technical singletrack, on the gravel roads this bike was truly designed for, it was downright quick and secure. All-day consolation involves thoughts.
My solely actual draw back is that I’d quite swap on an 80mm stem (vs. the 100mm Redshift) and a narrower handlebar (vs. Advantage’s personal 46cm vast carbon Rodla loop bar that’s 10cm wider within the drops.) However Advantage expects they’ll promote most of those as framesets anyway.
These large wheels are at all times going to be a bit slower to show, so a bit faster dealing with cockpit setup would do wonders to steadiness that out. I used to be pleasantly shocked by how a lot grip I received out of the slick & slender Byways. However except you might be using extra asphalt than gravel, the 40×750 Nano is the most effective tire alternative for the Jumbo. Now, we simply want extra folks to purchase into the 750d idea, so extra light-weight tire choices will come to market!
At 9.1kg full with 1650g wheels, it’s not a lot heavier than standard gravel bikes, and not one of the elements listed here are ultra-fancy, weight weenie tech. So there may be weight to be saved if you would like. In any case, I had a simple time maintaining with a good friend on an 8.5kg 700c gravel race bike with 1550g aero wheels that sells for about 10% greater than the Jumbo.
Advantage Jumbo 750d – Pricing, choices & availability
So, it seems to be just like the Czech gravel specialists at Advantage Bikes are the primary to convey a 750d manufacturing gravel bike to market. And actually, it simply seems to be like a standard, well-proportioned bike.
The brand new Advantage Jumbo 759d carbon gravel bike is obtainable to pre-order now right here in all three sizes (L-XXL). Framesets retail for ~1600€ (40,000czk). However in actuality, solely the Giant mildew is already 100% completed and examined. So, pre-orders for these first L framesets would be the first accessible, with deliveries to begin this October. Advantage is finalizing the XL & XXL body molds now, and people sizes are anticipated to ship to prospects in January 2025.
Full bike pre-orders are additionally doable now. The whole Advantage Jumbo 750d Rival GX Mullet AXS bike construct like I examined with carbon 750d wheels sells for ~4800€ (120,000czk). Advantage will supply extra full bike builds, as soon as the frames can be found in inventory. Advantage commonly ships its frames, wheels, and full bikes throughout the EU. And generally works with consumers additional afield as effectively.
Advantage has toyed with the design of a fourth Medium measurement that they could make accessible sooner or later if there may be actual client demand. In addition they talked about opening gross sales of their full carbon forks down the highway – if customized metal, aluminum, or titanium body builders wish to supply a 750d choice to their line-up. Advantage even designed the Challenge 750d carbon fork so as to add 3-pack something cage mounts sooner or later, if the 750d bikepacking scene takes off in a giant approach.
Are you prepared for greater wheels once more? Tell us within the feedback beneath!
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