Deep pockets? The Argonaut G2 gives you custom carbon for gravel, at a price

If you’re not familiar, Argonaut is a unique sort of framebuilder. Founder Ben Farver started making some really awesome steel bikes “way back” in 2006-07, before stopping steel production in favour of a unique take on carbon. Every frame is custom made from raw fibres in the USA. Off the top of our heads, we can’t think of anyone offering the same approach, at least not for gravel bikes – we are sure you’ll let us know if we’ve forgotten someone though.

Fast (and expensive) looking

Argonaut Introduces the GR2 Gravel Racer

With a total weight of 7.25kgs, rider-specific geometry and rider-specific layup pattern, Argonaut describes the GR2 as the perfect tool for a weekday hammerfest or a brutal 8 hour gravel race.

Apply rider weight to prevent bike floating off…

The GR2 inherits the award-winning performance of the original Gravel Racer, which debuted in 2015, receiving “Best In Show” at that year’s North American Handmade Bicycle Show. Designed for speed in a wide variety of road surfaces and conditions, it represented the state of the art in gravel geometry and tech. Since then, Argonaut has intentionally sat on the sidelines of the gravel scene as things have changed, watching and planning how to make the next best gravel bike.

There’s no mistaking the frame material

Gravel expectations have evolved, and the GR2 is built to excel in modern race conditions. Most importantly, Argonaut believes its bikes should jump when you step on the gas, and the GR2 is no exception. Interestingly, Argonaut offers a choice of either “pre-designed” geometry, or for an uplift in price you can go down the full custom route. The pre-designed option still includes a rider-tuned lay-up process though, with Argonaut taking into account rider weight and preferred ride feel to make the most of what carbon fibre has to offer.

Slender stays

Pricing reflects what is a labour-intensive process, but is still enough to induce a bit of a wince, at $6500 for a pre-designed frameset with ENVE fork, or $7250 if you wish to go down the full custom route. To achieve the quoted 7.25kg, Argonaut offers a full bike build with SRAM Etap, Chris King/ENVE wheelset, and ENVE finishing kit for a cool $12,999.