Sonder Bikes
How a suspension fork on his Camino led Neil Sutton to the Rubicon, a titanium gravel bike with 60mm travel, 55mm tyres and geometry for rough ground.
The Rubicon started as a bit of tinkering on my own bike. I fitted a suspension fork to my Camino to try some rougher trails, and it changed the way I rode. This is the story of how that local experiment became the Goldilocks of gravel riding, and how it held up on a three-day ride across Wales.
A suspension fork experiment on the Camino
I love my Camino, but I loved it even more when I tried it with a front suspension fork. I wanted to test a few more challenging trail options, and soon found that the fork gave a real step up in comfort and capability on the rougher gravel too. That got me thinking.
Rubicon lets you pick the line, get off the brakes and commit. It takes out the hesitation and lets you get away with it. - Neil Sutton, Sonder Product Manager
The reality for most of us is that gravel riding covers a real mix of terrain. I ride a gravel bike on my local loop out of Sheffield because it's more fun on the road sections, but I still want the capability to let loose when the singletrack starts. The answer: Rubicon.
60mm of suspension travel for rough gravel
Suspension forks are turning up on more and more gravel bikes. Most run between 20 and 40mm of travel, enough to take the sting out of washboard and rough fire roads. I wanted Rubicon to go further, so it uses a 60mm RockShox Rudy XL fork.
That extra travel keeps the front tyre on the ground over roots, rocks and broken bridleways. You keep control, carry more speed and finish a long day with less of a battering through your hands and shoulders. On the road, a lockout firms the fork up so it still rides like a gravel bike.
Rubicon is the Goldilocks of mixed-terrain riding. Whether you're planning the Great Divide or just craving more fun on your local loop, it lets you enjoy the pacy road sections and means there's no need to tiptoe on the off-road. It's so capable and playful.
Geometry built around the suspension fork
I designed the Rubicon around that 60mm fork from the start, along with the growing appetite for bigger tyres. While it's based on the Camino, I've tweaked the geometry for better handling on tougher terrain.
The longer wheelbase and slacker head angle mean it tracks well and holds the line confidently, so you can carry speed on rough descents. The bottom bracket is dropped a touch lower too, adding to that solid, planted feel. With clearance for 55mm tyres and routing for a dropper post, there's plenty of room to set it up for the riding you do.
The frame is titanium, which gives a lightweight, strong and durable bike for long days and multi-day trips. There are mounts for a rear rack, mudguards, two bottle cages and a top tube bag when it's time to load up.
Rubicon is a step up in comfort and capability for rougher gravel. I could ride longer without getting beaten up by the techier terrain. - Neil Sutton, Sonder Product Manager
Test ride: 200 miles across Wales on the Welsh Divide
I tested the Rubicon riding across Wales from Cardiff to Llandudno in three days. It was a bit of an epic: over 200 miles and 16,000ft of climbing meant some long days. Rubicon was the perfect beast for the task. On road and off, I've never felt fresher, because it dealt with it all so well.
First, there was a lot of road. On day one we had 25 road miles straight out the door, and the Rubicon motored along the country lanes with ease.
On day two, as we headed down the last descent into Machynlleth, the bridleway was blown to pieces. It was steep, with loose shale. While others tiptoed around, I had the confidence to let the Rubicon deal with it. It's got the comfort and capability to take on mixed terrain and sing through it all. I finished with a huge grin. That ride made it for me.
Sonder Rubicon tech specs
- Geometry derived from the award-winning Camino, with a longer wheelbase, slacker head angle and lower bottom bracket for even greater off-road capability
- High-end aeronautical-grade titanium frame
- Tyre clearance up to 55mm
- 60mm RockShox Rudy XL suspension fork
- Mounting points for a rear rack, mudguards, two bottle cages and a top tube bag
- Internal cable routing, with blanking plates for unused ports
- Dropper post routing
The Sonder Rubicon titanium suspension gravel bike is available as a full build or frame only, and through the Cycle to Work scheme.