IN BRIEF
Sonder, the bike brand sold by Alpkit, has unveiled the Rubicon: a titanium 3Al/2.5V adventure gravel bike designed from the outset around a 60 mm RockShox Rudy suspension fork. It takes tyres up to 55 mm and adds plenty of mounting points for touring. It comes with Shimano GRX at £3,249, with SRAM Rival AXS XPLR at £3,699 and as a frameset at £1,799, available to pre-order on Alpkit’s website.
| Price (United Kingdom) | £3,249 (GRX) · £3,699 (Rival AXS XPLR) · £1,799 (frameset) |
| Frame | titanium 3Al/2.5V, UDH hanger, 12 mm thru-axles |
| Fork | RockShox Rudy XL Ultimate, 60 mm, 45 mm offset |
| Tyres | Schwalbe G-One RX Performance 700×55, clearance up to 55 mm |
| Wheels | Sonder Alpha i25 Gravel, made in the United Kingdom |
| Drivetrain | Shimano GRX 1×12, 10-51 cassette; or SRAM Rival AXS XPLR 1×13 |
| Brakes (GRX) | Shimano GRX 410 hydraulic, 160 mm rotors |
| Sizes | S, M, L, XL |
A suspension fork on a titanium gravel bike: that is the Rubicon’s defining choice. Sonder did not bolt it on as an afterthought. Neil Sutton, the brand’s product manager, explains on Alpkit’s blog that he designed the bike around this 60 mm fork from the start, along with the growing appetite for bigger tyres.
The Sonder Rubicon, titanium gravel plus
The frame is made from 3Al/2.5V titanium, with a UDH derailleur hanger and 12 mm thru-axles front and rear. It has room for gravel plus tyres up to 55 mm wide, the size fitted as standard with Schwalbe G-One RX Performance. The fork is a RockShox Rudy XL Ultimate with 60 mm of travel and 45 mm of offset. The wheels are Sonder Alpha i25 Gravel, made in the United Kingdom.
For touring, Alpkit announces a full set of mounts that turns the Rubicon into a multi-day adventure bike. The frame spec sheet lists one 65 mm mounting point on the frame and two on the fork, at 65 and 130 mm. Neil Sutton sums up what he expects from it:
“Rubicon is a step up in comfort and capability for rougher gravel. I could ride longer without getting beaten up by the techier terrain.”
Neil Sutton, Sonder Product Manager
Three versions, available to pre-order
The GRX1 version comes with Shimano: a 1×12 drivetrain with a 10-51-tooth cassette, GRX 410 hydraulic brakes and 160 mm rotors front and rear. It costs £3,249. The top version moves to a 13-speed SRAM Rival AXS XPLR 1x groupset, for £3,699. The frameset costs £1,799. Four sizes are offered, from S to XL, and Alpkit’s pages are open for pre-order. The bike is also available through the UK’s Cycle to Work scheme. As of 15 October, the product page still listed the weight as “TBC” for every size. As of 16 October, a price in euros could not be established: Alpkit’s shop displays its prices in pounds.
