Wilier

Jaroon Plus Complete Bike - 2017

Whether it's for racing or bikepacking, gravel bikes are about simplicity and durability. We're hard pressed to think of a bike that embodies the latter quality better than the Jaroon Plus Complete Bike. Steel frame; long, stable geometry; SRAM one-by drivetrain—the Jaroon bleeds gravel pedigree. This is only magnified by the Plus model's huge tire clearance, which is showcased here with massive 3in donuts that add a healthy amount of pneumatic suspension and mold-to-terrain grip.

The flaired bars and Boost axles add a bit of performance pep to the Jaroon Plus, giving it the stiffness to drive watts into gravel and loose pine needles and the support base to navigate the front end through terrain while doing so. Bascially, the Jaroon represents a glorious return to the early days of mountain biking where guys like Ritchey (whose company provides some of the cockpit bits) were cramming the biggest tires they could onto rigid road frames. We'd claim that it's just as fun now as it was then, but we'd be lying—the Jaroon Plus' titanic tires are plusher than anything the OG mountain bike culture could fit on a frame, so it's all that more fun to ride.