IN BRIEF
Priority Bicycles is adding a flat-bar version of its Apollo gravel bike, sold at $1,799 on its own site, or $100 less than the drop-bar version. Like the rest of the family, it swaps chain and derailleur for a Gates Carbon Drive belt and a Shimano Alfine 11 internally geared hub, whose gear range reaches 409%. The butted 6061 T6 aluminium frame, paired with a carbon fork, takes tyres up to 700c x 53 mm and ships with 40 mm WTB Byways. The brand claims 24 lb on the scales and four sizes, from S to XL, in a single Deep Space colourway. The bike is offered as a pre-order, with $100 off via a promo code valid until 31 July.
| Price | $1,799 (flat bar) · $1,899 (drop bar) · $2,999 (titanium) |
| Claimed weight | 24 lb |
| Frame | Butted 6061 T6 aluminium |
| Fork | Priority “adventure” carbon |
| Drivetrain | Shimano Alfine 11-speed internally geared hub, 409% range |
| Belt | Gates Carbon Drive CDX 115 teeth, 46-tooth front sprocket, 24-tooth rear sprocket |
| Brakes | Tektro HD-R285 hydraulic, 160 mm rotors |
| Wheels | WTB KOM Team tubeless-ready rims, WTB Byway 700c x 40 mm tyres |
| Tyre clearance | Up to 700c x 53 mm, 650b compatible |
| Sizes | S, M, L, XL |
| Colourway | Deep Space only |
| Maximum permissible weight | 275 lb, rider and cargo included |
Some bikes you buy for what they add, others for what they take away. The Apollo belongs to the second category: no rear derailleur, no chain, no derailleur hanger to bend against a rock. Priority Bicycles, the New York brand that has built its entire range on belts and derailleur-free drivetrains, added a flat-bar variant to its in-house gravel bike in late January 2026. It sells for $1,799 on the brand’s site, against $1,899 for the drop-bar version and $2,999 for the titanium frame.
What the Priority Apollo Flat Bar changes
The frame keeps its butted 6061 T6 aluminium and its 27.2 mm carbon seatpost with 15 mm of setback, but the geometry and the fork have been reworked for this new cockpit. In place of the drop bar, a 700 mm flat bar with 25 mm of rise and 8° of backsweep, and the Alfine shifter under the thumb rather than built into the brake lever. The braking follows suit: hydraulic Tektro HD-R285 on 160 mm rotors, where the drop-bar version makes do with cable-actuated hydraulic calipers.
Eleven gears in the hub, a belt in place of the chain
The heart of the matter sits in the rear wheel. The Shimano Alfine 11 hub packs eleven ratios into its shell, for a 409% gear range — enough, according to the brand, to cover steep climbs as well as fast drags. It is driven by a 115-tooth Gates Carbon Drive CDX belt, with a 46-tooth front sprocket and a 24-tooth rear sprocket. The appeal is well known: a belt does not rust, does not stretch and does not mark a trouser leg, and gears can be changed at a standstill, red lights included.
The flip side is just as well known. At Bikerumor, which published its review on 28 July, Steve Fisher calls it “a fast, solid commuter with zero upgrades” needed, but takes issue with the gear spacing on rough gravel: he would happily have traded the Alfine’s tallest gears for one or two shorter ones. He voices the same reservation about the braking, which he finds enough for the daily commute but not powerful enough on steep or sustained descents, and lists a more biting set of brakes among the changes that would make the Apollo more at ease off tarmac. The outlet also notes a 69° head angle and 438 mm chainstays.
A gravel bike aimed first at the daily commute
Priority files the Apollo under gravel, but the build tells a slightly different story. The WTB Byways fitted as standard in 700c x 40 mm are tyres with a smooth centre tread and side knobs, cut out for tarmac and fast trails. The frame does leave some headroom: up to 700c x 53 mm in 700c, and a claimed 650b compatibility.
The rest is consistent with an everyday bike: WTB KOM Team tubeless-ready rims, a WTB Volt saddle, four sizes from S to XL, a single colourway — Deep Space — and a maximum permissible weight of 275 lb, rider and cargo included. The brand claims 24 lb on its spec sheet; Bikerumor recorded 24.85 lb on its own scales.
That leaves the awkward question on this side of the Atlantic: Priority sells direct from the United States and the product page mentions no price in euros. The bike is for now offered as a pre-order, with $100 off via a promo code that the brand says is valid until 31 July.
