Alchemy

Aithon Force 1 Complete Bike

Blurring the boundaries between road and the wild beyond, the Alchemy Aithon Force 1 Complete Bike breaks through the decades old staunch divide between elite road cyclists and wild-eyed mountain bikers, with a different kind of thirst for adventure to be quenched. As the horizon of the cycling landscape stretches beyond smooth paved roads, factors like comfort, versatility, and tire clearance become a priority, and the Aithon carries through these attributes with attention to detail and a degree of finesse we don't often see from gravel grinders. It combines Alchemy's award-winning carbon fiber stiffness with geometry borrowed from road race machines, plus room for lofty tires to float over rugged dirt roads, while maintaining efficiency on the pavement. It's no surprise that the combination of these qualities come together to create Alchemy's most versatile bike.

The Aithon might seem like just a multi-surface bike on the outside, but when we say this steed is gravel friendly, what we mean is that it's ready to conquer competitions. Alchemy gives it a classification that sets it apart from other the gravel grinders covering the market; it's a gravel race bike. This isn't surprising, as its geometry takes cues from Alchemy's Arion frame for aerodynamics with a head tube that cuts through the wind with minimal effort. The downtube is inspired by the Helios, Alchemy's road-race machine. Combining these properties lands you with a stiff and aerodynamic frame capable of punching through long sprints, just as well as long distance mileage on solo endeavors, but with the added plus of 38-millimeter tire clearance to give you the illusion of suspension soaking up the roughest roads. While the Helios and Arion might stop where the pavement ends, the Aithon's adventure is only beginning.

Taking the pain away from chattery farm roads and poorly graded (or not remotely graded) gravel is a special carbon layup, furthering the Aithion's multi-surface prowess. This layup includes bowed seatstays, which operate like a leaf spring in order to provide a touch of engineered flex without compromising the drive efficiency of the oversized chainstays and built-up Alchemy dropouts. Efficiency and comfort are the priority here, fitting since the bike shares a name with the horses ridden to battle by some of the greatest heroes of Classical mythology.

In a world dominated by utility, panniers, anything cages, and duct tape, the Aithon is a supermodel — though we're keen to think it would turn heads among some of the most stunning road bikes as well. While it still features the longer and more stable geometry, as well as extra tire clearance, its sleek lines combine with an impeccable carbon fiber layup that's showcased by the Aithon's transparent root beer finish that lets you peer through its rich and warm brown hues that lift the bike far above its utilitarian brothers.

We've cherry-picked some of our favorite components to craft the Force 1 build on the Aithon, with a sleek one-by drivetrain that takes away front-derailleur complications, opting for a cleaner setup with crisp and clean shifting up arduous climbs and wide-open sprints. It rolls on ENVE's M525 G Disc wheelset that ensures not only weight savings, but stiff responsiveness that powers through the roughest terrain. They feature ENVE's award winning carbon fiber, and molded-in spoke holes, nipple seats, and valve holes that maximize strength without adding weight for reassurance on washboard ranch roads. A wide 25.5mm internal rim gives you space to run lofty tires with improved profiles, so you can enjoy improved cornering stability, braking, rolling efficiency, and the comfort that plusher tired bring to the table.