Mountain Gravel

The front range foothills town of Nederland, Colorado is named after a Dutch mining company that operated the Caribou mine in the late 1800s. Funnily “Nederland”, or “Netherlands” in English, means low land. The town was given this name because it sits almost two thousand feet lower than the high elevation mine and was a better place to mill the mined ore. The town has also been throwing a gravel bicycle race since 2021, and there is literally nothing “lowland” about it. The main event is the 70 mile Tungsten Course, named after a nearby ghost town and once prosperous mine, and is a beast of a ride featuring 8,000 feet of elevation gain over an absolute roller coaster ride of various terrain including hellishly steep grades, washboarded descents, rocky singletrack, rockier double track, breathtaking views and cool mountain air. It is truly “mountain gravel” at its pinnacle.
phil and ryan race through the course
Fellow Alchemist Ryan Bennett and I signed up and raced the Tungsten course together, although I use the term “raced” a bit loosely.
The race started at 7am which always means not ideal sleep, an early wakeup, and trying to cram in hurriedly made coffee and a snickers bar on the drive to the start, listening to the Tour de France stage commentary to get hyped up. Bennet met me at the starting paddock and we agreed to hit the start hard and hang on the the front of the pack up the first paved climb out of town and onto the gravel. Our strategy worked great, as we pinned it out of the gate with the lead group and got ahead of 200 or so riders so we had mostly open roads for the first fast gravel descent. At the bottom of this first section there was a short bit of probably the only flat road on the whole course before climbing up Sugarloaf mountain and the southern part of the Switzerland Trail, which is an old rail road grade that used to service the mines as well as provide tourists transportation to the incredible views of snow capped peaks and green valleys all around us. The grade is never that steep, but the terrain is so rocky and rough that it might as well be as you bounce along through puddles and over rocks, crisscrossing the double track looking for the perfect line.
race map
Fortunately the race was spread out by this point so it never felt crowded or intense, just a long solid grind, which turned out to be the theme of the day. At the top of this section was a road climb followed by a short gravel climb, a rolling downhill, and a wickedly steep washed out downhill on Sawmill Gulch. This would be really sketchy in a bunch, but was okay to take cautiously. My race rig also features a dropper post, so using that along with the magical stopping power of modern disc brakes got me safely down the gnar. A looooooong road descent and the only real recovery of the day was followed by some slightly sketchy single track and then some wicked steep switchback ascending up Sunshine Canyon led us to the first rest stop. I got dropped off Bennet’s wheel on the Sunshine steeps, and I rolled into the aid station at Gold Hill to find him eating bacon and being prodded to do a Fireball shot by the Sram support crew. I already felt pretty bad, and figured why let him suffer alone. Fireball, skittles, water bottles topped off and we were on the move again. More ripping descents, more hour long grinding slogs uphill fighting cramp pain and not being able to hold anyone’s wheel eventually led us to the next aid station, where our arms where twisted into drinking more Fireball. My legs had never hurt this bad before, but I could somehow keep pedaling, so how could this make it any worse.
Loaded up with water for the last climb, I got dropped before the climb even started. Bennet had graciously or foolishly waited for me on every hill until now, so I grinded on alone at a snails pace, trying to will away cramps (didn’t work) and just keep grinding. Over the last hump and down one more ripping descent back into town and the finish line, cheered on through the chute by my amazing family and friends hollering and ringing a cowbell. I survived! And lucky for me, the post race had a sweet festival atmosphere with bands, food trucks, beers and vendors displaying their wares. The highlight for me was my 18 month old daughter clapping for me at the finish line, followed by ice cold water and mini Cokes provided by the race organizer. Last, but certaintly not least was the Alchemy crew set up under a big tent to greet us with Colorado Kool-aid for a job well done, or, I guess a job done to be more accurate.
cheese!
As I write this a week later, my legs still hurt, my bike is still dirty, and I can not wait to sign up again next year! See you on the start line!
-Philip Harwood, Alchemy finishmaster, paint booth operator, and gravel racer enthusiast
 

Spring is Springin’ !

custom painted bike

written by Philip Harwood, Alchemy Painter

A beautiful weekend here in the front range of Colorado was mirrored across the pond in Italy with an equally beautiful edition of Milan San-Remo! This race, nicknamed La Primavera, is the first monument of the season, and is a true harbinger of long rides in shorts under the sun. Nothing inspires and motivates us cycling enthusiasts at Alchemy more to get outside, brave the wind, soak up the sun, and start trying to ride more, as much as watching the best of the best battle it out.

I signed up for a few races in the cold grim dearth of winter, and now is the time to get the race bike prepped, tool kits dialed, and engine tuned up for a gradual build up to summer mornings, mass starts, new friends, friendly competition (for me anyway), and finish line beers with friends and family. Here’s a deep dive into my own custom race bike to try and give some motivation, inspiration, and ideas for both the new racers out there and the veterans! Let’s Go!
The bike frame is a custom geometry Alchemy Titanium Atlas AR with custom PPG Crystallance paint and an extra hard ceramic clear coat, paired with a painted to match Alchemy AR fork and Enve stem. A custom painted top cap for my daughter Poppy, a Spurcycle bell, Zipp computer mount, Alchemy carbon handlebars, and Leadout handlebar bag round out the cockpit.
I have a Pro Logo saddle with Ti rails and gripper pads perched on top of a Bikeyoke dropper seatpost, carrying a Leadout tool wrap, held in place by a custom painted Alchemy seat clamp. My butt stays dry thanks to a Loco Cycling branded “ass-saver”. Sram 1×11 Rival mechanical shifters with hydraulic brakes run the controls, custom outfitted with a Ratio upgrade kit to run 12 speed shifting on the right side, and actuate the dropper post with the left shifter. Alchemy carbon fiber bottle cages, Sram Rival 1x 46 tooth chainring and power meter crank matched with an XO Eagle 12 speed rear derailleur, XO Eagle 10-52 cassette, and Sram 12 speed mountain bike chain round out the drivetrain.
The whole thing rolls on Alchemy carbon road wheels that spin on DT Swiss hubs with Terravail Cannonball 38c tubeless tires and custom painted Muc-Off tubeless valves. I use a Light and Motion Vis500 up front, steathily attached under the computer via a Go-Pro mount, and a Lezyne KTV Alert 75 Pro tailight mounted on the seatpost. I run both during the daytime and night-time, although I do not ride much in the dark anymore.
The bike weighs in at 22 pounds fully loaded with Shimano XT pedals, which isnt the lightest thing in the world, but a reduced tool kit and lighter weight components would knock it down quite a bit, and what matters most is that it’s just right for me.
-Phil
 

TGR Tested. The Alchemy Arktos 150 is a party on the trails.

TGR Tested: The Alchemy Arktos 150 Is A Party On The Trails | Teton Gravity Research

On paper, the 2023 Alchemy Arktos 150 might look like just another enduro bike, but after a summer of testing it on all the trails around Jackson Hole, it has shown itself a worthy tool for big-mountain adventures. The Arktos 150 cleverly shares the same frame as the 135 and 120 versions, and by swapping the fork and shock, you essentially get two bikes in one (not counting the fact that it can be run as either a 29” or mullet-wheeled bike). We tested the bike in both its 150mm travel mode and in the shorter-travel and lighter 135mm build. In either capacity, it’s a fantastic bike for human-powered adventures in all kinds of terrain, with an extremely lively and poppy character that rewards active rider input and playful riding.

The Tech:

Alchemy Bikes are boutique bike brand based out of Colorado founded in 2008, specializing in high-end carbon and titanium frames. The Arktos frame is based around Alchemy’s patented SINE suspension system. Similar to Yeti’s Infinity Link, it’s a short dual link system where the lower pivot position moves slightly as the rear swingarm moves through its travel. This causes the rear wheel path to follow a sine-shaped curve, hence the name, allowing for a regressive/progressive/regressive shock stroke. Paired with an air shock like the Fox Float X2 or DPX2, this translates to very supple small-bump sensitivity, a very supportive mid-stroke, and a super-cushy bottom out feel. At the same time, the pattern minimizes chainstay growth, which keeps the suspension active under braking and improving pedaling efficiency over rough terrain.

Geometry-wise, the bike is quite aggressive, with a 63.75-degree head angle and a 1222.5mm wheelbase. Reach is moderate at 452mm for the M, with a 437mm chainstay length across the board for all sizes.

The Build:

Alchemy offers three build kit options for their Arktos frames. We tested the Arktos 150 GX, and were provided with the 130 Conversion Kit (essentially just a second fork and shorter-stroke shock to change the travel). The GX kit comes with a well-though-out component package for the bike’s intentions. Top-shelf components include a 170mm Fox Factory Float 38 and Float X2 shock (replaced by a 150mm Fox Factory Float 36 and Float DPX2 for the 135 conversion), a Fox Factory Transfer 175mm dropper post, and Industry 9 Enduro S wheelset mounted with Maxxis Assegai and DHRII EXO tires. Drivetrain duties are handled by a tried-and-true SRAM GX Eagle 12-speed groupset and braking is entrusted to Sram Code R brakes. The frame comes with a mechanic-friendly threaded BB and internal IS headset bearings.

For everyday trail riding, the build kit really hit the mark, balancing light weight with performance. However, the EXO casing tires and Sram Code R brakes were quickly outgunned on gnarlier, rockier trails, especially given the bike’s propensity for poppy, active riding.

On The Trail:

Both versions of the bike offer a very distinctive ride, so we’ll split this part into two.

Arktos 150:

The Arktos 150 is one of the liveliest long-travel bikes I’ve ridden in recent years. At 170/150mm it might seem that the bike is more of a point-and-plow long travel bruiser, but it is quite the opposite – it’s incredibly agile, preferring to pop over roots and rocks on the trail instead of plowing through them. Coming off riding several more planted bikes recently, it took a little while to adjust my riding style to the Arktos. Unlike other bikes that tend to mute rider inputs and hold a line, the Arktos almost seems to amplify those inputs. It jumps incredibly well, seeming to add inches of boost to bunny hops on trail and comfortably loading up into big lips at the bike park. 

While pedaling flat sections of trail and climbing more technical bits, the lively character of the bike is a huge asset. It makes quick work of short technical steps and ledges, and directly turns pedaling input into forward motion with no suspension bob or sluggishness. In other words, it’s a long-travel bike that outclimbs most other bikes in its class.

On the flip side, at speed, the Arktos doesn’t nearly feel as stable and composed as I would have liked, but it’s certainly not squirrelly or skittish – it just requires a little more rider input to stay in control when going fast. On relatively smooth trails, the bike accelerates quickly out of turns and provides a poppy and playful platform to push into, but on chunkier trails it seems to get hung up unless you are pumping or unweighting the bike over obstacles. That pop does encourage you to simply jump over said obstacles – but that’s easier said than done for most riders.

Under braking, the suspension stays very active – but I was not impressed by the performance of the Sram Guide R brakes. A more powerful and consistent set of brakes would be better paired with the rest of this impressively high-end build kit. Same goes for the EXO tires. XC-casing tires have no business being on a build intended to get rowdy, and after numerous flats I swapped them out for something meatier – problem solved.

Arktos 135:

Much like the 150, the Arktos 135 exudes a very lively, poppy character on the trail. In my opinion, the Sine suspension seems perfect for a bike with this amount of rear travel. The regressive top end of the travel works great to smooth out trail chatter, the supportive mid stroke encourages you put down the pedal strokes whenever possible, and the plush end stroke will help to erase some of your mistakes.

At speed, the shorter travel definitely feels like more of a trail bike – that is, it doesn’t feel as stable or plowy as the Arktos 150. But it’s even more responsive and is incredibly fun to toss around and pop off everything in sight. If epic backcountry rides or smoother trails are the majority of what you ride, the 135 is an excellent choice and will make any bit of singletrack a playground. I would hazard to say it would make a great adventure bikepacking rig too.

The Bottom Line:

While not necessary for everyone, Alchemy’s multiple-bikes-in-one approach here is actually quite cool. Having the same frame platform (and the ability to run both full-29″” and mullet wheelsets) across three different bike models begs to question what else it can do? In my eyes, there’s a big overlap in use case for a 150 and 135 rear end, so I would be very interested in seeing an even longer travel “super-enduro” bike to pair with a short travel rig. One can dream.

Overall, the Arktos 150 and Arktos 135 were incredibly capable machines that cater towards riders with an active riding style. While the 150 might scream “enduro race bike,” I think it’s better suited for long backcountry adventures that include lots of pedaling to get to gnarly riding – it simply felt like it required too much work to push its speed limit. If racing the clock isn’t your thing, then this bike would be an excellent choice. It would also make a super-fun park bike if your mostly into riding jumps and flow trails – the Arktos rewards the type of rider who sees the trail as a terrain park. The 135 is the perfect weapon for everyday trail riding. It’s predictable, pedals exceptionally well, is quite light, and put a smile on my face every time I took it out for a rip.

 

Alchemy Bikes Launches New Gravel Bike: Rogue – Handmade in Colorado

 

2016 Best Mountain Bike – NAHBS

Bike Radar by Nick Legan
At the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, a convention hall is filled with bikes that represent the pinnacle of cycling ingenuity and craft. Here, the job of picking award winners is not an easy task. But each of the past four years I’ve had the honor and the chore of doing just that, helping to judge the beautiful bikes on display at NAHBS. This year several categories were especially tough, in which case the judges’ panel decided to include Honorable Mentions.

The People’s Choice winner was Alchemy Cycles for its Arktos full-suspension bike:

 

The Carbon Fiber Advantage for Full-Suspension All Mountain Bikes

Carbon fiber, carbon fiber, carbon fiber…These days, carbon fiber is ubiquitous. Everything from the wings of Boeing’s famed 787 Dreamliner to that iPhone case in your pocket utilize the material. And with good reason. Carbon fiber allows manufacturers to produce high-strength parts that are extremely lightweight and durable. It’s also the ultimate material for bicycle frame construction. That’s why we produce each full suspension all mountain bike with carbon fiber.

Carbon Fiber: Lightweight and High Strength

When Boeing set out to design the Dreamliner, they had lofty goals. They wanted the airplane to achieve much higher fuel efficiency standards, while carrying the same number of passengers and going even further distances. They realized quickly the solution was to make the plane much, much lighter. But reducing weight typically means using less material. When flying at 40 thousand feet with 300 plus passengers, it’s no time to throw caution to the proverbial wind. The solution Boeing landed on was carbon fiber. Now, over 50% of a Dreamliner uses carbon composites.

Carbon Fiber Mountain Bike Designs

Like the Boeing’s engineers, Alchemy’s designers also have lofty goals. Reducing weight improves a full suspension all mountain bike’s efficiency. But we can’t only consider weight, as reducing strength in our design would mean disastrous results for the rider. Getting a high strength-to-weight ratio is the key, and carbon fiber delivers that magic formula. It’s 70% stronger than steel, and 40% stronger than aluminum at the same weights.

How We Use Carbon Fiber in Our Design

How Alchemy uses carbon fiber to build a full suspension all mountain bike is equally important. Alchemy Bicycles has over ten years of experience hand-building carbon bikes in Denver, Colorado, and it’s given us a leg up on the competition. Take a close look at our mountain bike frames, and you’ll see the fibers orientated in a specific direction. We use a bi-directional technique to optimize the carbon’s strength without excess material and added extra weight. And our experience and proprietary lay-up techniques have earned us accolades from riders and industry alike. Each Alchemy frame starts with the base carbon material, in the case of a full suspension carbon fiber all mountain bike like the Arktos, something commonly called prepreg. Prepreg is a sheet of carbon that is impregnated with a resin that acts as a curing agent during the molding process. Alchemy is unique in that each new mountain bike we create is prototyped in the US, and we determine the process by which we cut and apply the prepreg material to make the frame (called the lay up schedule). This is one of the key steps in optimizing stiffness and strength.

The Cost of Carbon Fiber

Mountain Bike Hall of Famer Keith Bontrager is famously quoted as saying, “Cheap, light, strong…pick two.” This maxim applies to building a full suspension carbon fiber all mountain bike. With the Alchemy mountain bikes as an example, we’re able to produce one of the lightest, strongest frames on the market. But like all carbon bike frames, it comes with a price. The base carbon material can be as much as 10 times the price of other materials. And it’s not just the material. There are no magic robots tossing together carbon frames in split seconds. Every full suspension carbon all mountain bike is handmade, by real people in our warehouse laboriously taking CNC-cut pieces of prepreg material to make a frame. We also start with only the best high-modulus prepreg sheets, made by Mitsubishi in Japan. Using quality carbon ensures that the resin and carbon are consistent through the base carbon sheets. Today, it’s hard to imagine not having a full suspension all mountain bike made with carbon. The benefits are too numerous, and the sport and riders are evolving at the same clip as the bicycles themselves. Carbon allows Alchemy to optimize the strength, weight, stiffness, and durability of our designs, and produce a bike that is capable of pulling off things that that would have been unimaginable even 10 years ago. Find out more about Alchemy’s full suspension carbon all mountain bike lineup »