Argon 18 has released a new bike for ranging far and wide on gravel: the Argon 18 Grey Matter. The Montreal-based company drew from its carbon-fibre gravel racer, the Dark Matter, to create a bike for tackling long, rough routes. The Grey Matter’s frame is aluminum and it has features that let you load up for multi-day bikepacking trips.
New frame, lots of mounts
The Grey Matter frame isn’t exactly an aluminum-ified Dark Matter. The Grey Matter doesn’t have the Dark Matter’s curved top tube, seatstays with bends at the seat tube and dropped drive-side chainstay. Still, the Grey Matter has some modern touches with the sloping top tube and lowered seatstays to boost stiffness. The carbon fork has the signature bends first introduced on the endurance-focused Krypton and then adjusted for gravel on the Dark Matter. The bends help to lessen the effects of road vibrations. In the case of the Grey Matter, its fork has mounting points to help you carry extra gear on big outings.
On the subject of mounts, there are two on the top tube, five on the down tube and three on the seat tube. You can also affix fenders and a rear rack.
The frame has clearance for 42c tires on a 700c wheel. You can go as wide as 47c with 650b hoops.
Changes in geometry compared with the Argon 18 Dark Matter
If you take a medium-size Grey Matter and compare it with a Dark Matter of the same size, you’ll see a few differences. The Grey Matter’s wheelbase, 102.7 cm, is 3 mm shorter. The head tube at 160 mm is 11 mm shorter. The bottom-bracket drop (7.5 cm) is 0.5 cm greater. The stack of the Grey Matter (58.5 cm) is 0.5 cm less, and the reach (38.8 cm) is 1 mm greater.
The Grey Matter has Argon 18’s 3D+ fit system. It is an innovative way to add stack at the head tube without relying too heavily on spacers. Too many spacers beneath your stem reduces the stiffness at the front end. With the 3D+, you add an extension that contains the top bearing for the headset. My model came with a 25-mm 3D+ extension and a 15-mm cap on top of that, through which the cables and hoses pass. I set the stem on top of the 15-mm cap.
The smart spec of the Argon 18 Grey Matter
My test bike, on which…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…