FAST GRAVEL ACCORDING TO BIANCHI

Gravel has reached a fork in the road. What was once seen as the discipline that defied categorisation has now become divided into spheres, and these sub-divisions are becoming more clearly defined. A fault-line is emerging between the world of gravel racing, typified by high-performance competition in Gravel Earth series, Lifetime Grand Prix events and the UCI World Championships, and the more laidback style of gravel riding sometimes known as adventure cycling and often closely associated with bikepacking and exploration.

There’s no reason one individual can’t enjoy both, but the specific needs of the rider are different in either sphere, and becoming more so. With this in mind, Bianchi has designed the new Impulso family as a solution for those gravel riders driven by a need for speed on a mixture of terrains, from hard-packed sterrato, to loose gravel, mud and the occasional paved section.

In reflection of the long-established obsession of road cycling, aerodynamics are becoming increasingly important. Lightness, too, is highly prized by today’s gravel racer. On the sporting side, the level is rising and margins of victory are becoming ever finer, with competitive riders ‘converting’ to gravel from both road and mountain bike backgrounds. We are also seeing more and more non-racers, who simply want to experience a faster mixed-terrain experience.

In redesigning the Impulso, Reparto Corse set out to see just how fast a gravel bike can be. The result is the all new RC model, which combines the performance innovations of our pioneering road models with a race-ready gravel-specific approach, comprising frame design, specification, tuning, geometry and material choice. The Impulso family includes the elite RC model, the Pro and the Comp, each with their own intended rider.