The gravel bike that looks to redefine a segment, at a time when gravel is forced to redefine itself
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The bikepacking setup uses the GRX 2X chainset, Roval's newer Terra CLX wheels, and a gaggle of PRO gravel bags(Image credit: Laurens ten Dam)
A Shimano GRX groupset takes care of shifting(Image credit: Laurens ten Dam)
The new downtube SWAT storage box can be home to tools, spares, or lunch - your choice(Image credit: Laurens ten Dam)
Subtle branding leaves the frame's aesthetics clutter-free(Image credit: Laurens ten Dam)
A PRO-sponsored athlete, Ten Dam uses the PRO Stealth Offroad saddle(Image credit: Laurens ten Dam)
Roval' C38 wheels are wrapped in Specialized Pathfinder Pro tyres(Image credit: Laurens ten Dam)
Ten Dam swapped up the spec and rode his own Flanders Alternative back in February(Image credit: Laurens ten Dam)
After an 11-year career in the WorldTour spanning teams such as Rabobank and Sunweb, 2019 saw Laurens ten Dam hang up his road wheels in favour of something a little wider and a lot wilder. Like Ted King and Peter Stetina before him, Ten Dam turned towards the beard-growing, beer-drinking, dishevelled world of gravel racing.
The gravel scene is ever-evolving and continually redefining itself. Its very roots go back to exploration, adventure and going off the beaten path, and in times of pandemic and the subsequent upheaval of a social norm, the metaphorical gravel pathway is blocked. Mass-start events are a no go, and as a result, gravel looks set to redefine itself once again.
This Saturday, May 30th, was set to be Ten Dam's first-ever attempt at Dirty Kanza. Its postponement put paid to that, so in its place, the Dutchman has created Dirty Kanzelled; a create-your-own gravel ride of either 100 or 200 miles that anyone can get involved in, wherever in the world they may be. This comes alongside Rebecca Rusch's Giddy Up Challenge, a four-tiered climbing challenge from a quarter- to a full-Everest; and Ted King's #DIYGravel, motivating riders to partake in his race calendar, at least in distance.
As gravel looks to solo challenges and epic adventures as its new - if temporary - identity, Specialized's launch of the 2021 Diverge came with a striking parallel. Alongside the Diverge came the Diverge Evo, a flat-bar gravel bike that pushes the envelope of what exactly a gravel bike is, and gives the gravel scene yet another identity to consider. The Evo takes gravel and makes it rowdier, creating another subdivision of a category that is yet to - and probably never will - settle on a single niche.
The drop-bar version, however, is what Ten Dam calls his own. It is one of the best gravel bikes we've tested, being awarded five stars in our tech editor's recent Specialized Diverge review, and ahead of his Dirty Kanzelled ride this weekend, Ten Dam shared images of his bike with Cyclingnews.
The bikepacking setup takes advantage of the GRX 2X chainset paired with a smaller-range cassette, as well as Specialized's Terra CLX gravel wheels, Shimano XTR SPD pedals, Lezyne lights and Pro's range of gravel products such as the top tube bag and bar tape.
Josh is Associate Editor of Cyclingnews – leading our content on the best bikes, kit and the latest breaking tech stories from the pro peloton. He has been with us since the summer of 2019 and throughout that time he's covered everything from buyer's guides and deals to the latest tech news and reviews.
On the bike, Josh has been riding and racing for over 15 years. He started out racing cross country in his teens back when 26-inch wheels and triple chainsets were still mainstream, but he found favour in road racing in his early 20s, racing at a local and national level for Somerset-based Team Tor 2000. These days he rides indoors for convenience and fitness, and outdoors for fun on road, gravel, 'cross and cross-country bikes, the latter usually with his two dogs in tow.
