Devinci

Hatchet Apex Allroad Bike

Because round one wasn't enough, DeVinci is back again to dabble in the gravel spectrum with its second generation of Hatchet Apex Allroad Bike. Some call it gravel, others call it allroad, call it whatever you like, though we'll call it what it is — adventurous. It's a bike built to be capable enough for bouts of singletrack, but built for exploring down the road less traveled, through poorly-graded gravel, and well beyond the last cell tower. It comes to us with eager geometry that's ready for lofty tires, and long rides in rough conditions. It features a similar over-all shape to its 2016 predecessor, but with a slightly longer head tube, and shorter seat tube. Its seat tube is designed for a dedicated zero-offset post, and with its lower height this means two things — firstly, it accommodates shorter riders than before, and secondly, you can add in a dropper post of enhanced comfort on rides that take you down singletrack adventures.

This Hatchet is happy adventuring on seldom-used forest service roads, flying down fresh tarmac, or even mixing it up on some buff singletrack, maybe all while on the same ride. Sleek internal cable routing via a port behind the headtube, including dropper post compatibility for getting really rowdy, accommodates mechanical and electronic drivetrains and keeps things looking tidy and out of harm's way. Lastly, the hidden fender mounts allow you to find the bike comfortably year around keeping mud and road spray from dampening spirits.

We would best describe the Hatchet's ride as mountain bike-esque with the speed and multiple hand positions afforded by drop bars. A quick peek at the geo chart confirms why this is. Headtube angles encroach on hardtail 29er numbers, while the longer reach encourages the use of a shorter stem and wide bars. The chainstays and subsequent wheelbase are quite longer than the average cyclocross bike, and to that, the Hatchet is stable when the going gets fast and rough, yet it still manages to be very responsive and quick to change lines on washboard descents. This frameset will accommodate tires up to 45mm wide and DeVinci specs 40c Maxxis Ramblers that are eager to bite into the dirt. Its 12mm thru-axles at the front and rear keep things stiff and tracking nicely and seem to have become the industry standard on drop bar disc bikes, as have the flat-mount disc brakes.