Grade Bicycle System
Bikepacking covers a huge range of trips, terrains and styles. Every bikepacker is different, but there's a common thread - they rarely want to do the same thing twice. The project is a solution to make more trips accessible without committing to a specific set of gear. The result is a modular bike for bikepacking. This isn't the fastest or lightest bike on the market, and that doesn't matter. It's the only bike that empowers you to do as many things in your life as possible.
▾ RESEARCH
Bikepacking: self-sustained travel on minimally loaded bikes. It can be done on gravel, mud, dirt or road. Every trip and person is different: some like traveling for months strictly on road in hotels and tents, some like to go deep into the woods and sleep in a hammock.
While looking at bikepacking forums and subreddits, I noticed a common theme: “I have a bike that's good for what I did last, but not what I’m doing next, how do I change my current bike?” Often bikes weren't set up to be altered, and alterations means grinding and cutting, adding spacers and voiding warranties.
▾ VALUE
I realized I shouldn't just approach the bike with small functional changes, but broad values. Bikepacking is all about trying new things, and bikepackers don't want to do the same thing twice. My goal for the project was to make the bike that empowers you to do as many things in your lifetime as possible.
▾ MODULAR
▾ BIKE
For a bikepacker, everything you bring has a purpose. When my goal was to clean up and simplify the setup, I learned pretty early that it didn't mean to take things away, but to integrate as many functions as possible. I created a relatively complex frame which integrates a lot of parts that are traditionally third party.
The bike takes advantage of the space inside the frame. A lockbox keeps a passport or wallet safe and dry. Cobra clips line the frame to simplify packing and clean up the process. A power line and brake cables run inside the tubes to avoid damage and visually keep the bike clean.
Rather than bolting pannier rack or seat pack onto the frame, each rack hooks into the rear of the bike. The racks hook into the slots, then a spring locks it into place. Twisting the knob releases the rack, making changes quick and easy, while also avoiding swinging while riding.
Fitting the same bike with two different forks opens up a lot of possibilities. Traditionally this is not possible simply because manufacturers don't size the bikes to be possible. With a quick change Grade can go from road to mountain easily, while now this typically means a whole new bike.
A goal was to reduce as many on-road repairs as possible. The life of the airless tire is much longer and can hold up to more damage. And just in case, the bike and brakes are still sized to be replaced by a standard bike wheel.
Following a central rail, the bead of the tire is pushed through a hole and twisted to tighten the bead onto the rim. With a central rail, several different tire widths can be put on the same rim without a lengthy wheel change.
▾ PROCESS
