Following fast on the heels of its recent Ouray all-road, Parlee is introducing its all-new Taos gravel bike, replacing its Chebacco with a new frame that features a dramatic, sloping monocoque design and a minimalist waxed finish ( i.e. no paint), giving the bespoke brand full control over the frame’s carbon lay-up process by eliminating unnecessary cosmetic layers, finishing, bonding, joint overlays etc, resulting in a 20% increase in compliance.
“Gravel has become more than just riding on dirt roads. More than a way to escape traffic and routine. It’s how we immerse ourselves in our environment, and the all-new Parlee Taos delivers an entirely new level of compliance that not only elevates its ride quality above anything else, it delivers Velcro-like traction to inspire supreme confidence on any terrain. We purpose-built the Taos to deliver more than comfort. More than confidence. It is designed to deliver new experiences, blurring the line between bike and rider, moving with you over the terrain and offering traction like nothing you’ve ever felt before,” boasts Parlee.
Elsewhere, the Taos sees a traditional around seatpost and a T47 bottom bracket, as well as an integrated headset for internal routing, along with standard 160mm rotors up front, but with the option of going as large as 180mm without the need for special adapters.
Regarding clearance, the Taos is designed to handle tires as hefty as 50mm. However, the use of a flip-chip dropout changes the fork offset from 45-51mm, allowing tires as narrow as 32mm to be run.
“Clearance for up to 700×50 tires lets you run any rubber you want. Suspension-corrected geo lets you add a suspension fork without altering ride quality. And a front axle flip-chip lets you adjust the wheelbase and head angle when using smaller tires for a more road-biased ride quality. Run it 1x or 2x with a removable front derailleur mount. Combine that with fender mounts, internal downtube storage, top tube bag mounts, and stealth dropper seatpost routing and you have a bike that’s ready for any adventure, whether you’re racing the clock or chasing daylight. Modern touches like full internal routing with integrated cockpits, electronic-only shifting, and minimalist front brake mounts combine with proven open standards like a T47 threaded bottom bracket and UDH derailleur hanger for easy (and future-proof) component compatibility,” explains Parlee.
The Taos is offered in six frame sizes, along with the option for a standard or tall headtube setup, along with a number of custom build options.
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Parlee
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