Vitus Substance 2 Gravel Bike Microshift (2022) - £749.99

The Vitus Substance loads your ride with freedom and choice. It expands your world, opening up new possibilities to ride and explore where otherwise you might not have looked. Unshackled from the same old routes, each ride reveals new ways ahead, like a fresh map - that bridleway to who-knows-where, the gravel track through the woods or the rougher shortcut that you know is quicker but that other bikes couldn’t handle.

See, in a world obsessed with pace, sometimes we need to focus on the place, the journey and the fun that comes from a bike with the capability to seek out adventures where others wouldn’t.

Whether embarking on a far-flung bikepacking adventure or simply staying light for a mixed-terrain local loop, the Substance 2 with dependable Microshift components is capable of adapting to suit your ride. At its core, a double-butted aluminium frame and carbon fork are tuned for comfort on long days and across varied surfaces, aided by big volume tyres that soften the bumps and add traction over rutted or loose tracks. This model is setup with a 2X drivetrain but the frame is also compatible with 1X groupsets and either 700c or 650b wheels, so you can really fine-tune the bike to best fit where you are riding. For longer rides with gaps between supply points, there are mounts for luggage and water bottles, as well as for mudguards to shield you from mud and water.

This isn’t simply about the same cliches of getting off the beaten track or going in search of the road less travelled, because the Substance is more than a gravel or adventure bike. It broadens your horizons, delivering richer experiences and powerful lasting memories. It’s a bike that enables you to do more. It’s a bike that gives you options. The Substance empowers a new mindset, one that entices you to break away from routine and to ride where you want to ride, unrestricted.

• Double Butted aluminium frame with internal cable routing
• Adventure mounts for bottles and luggage
• Microshift R8 2x8 speed groupset
• WTB 700c rims with Vitus hubs
• Vee Tire Co. Rail Sport 700x40c tyres
• 3 degree flared handlebar