Bikes & Set Ups: VAAST A/1 Gravel
Posted By Kristen Legan
On 15 August 2020
Intro:
Those of us old enough (or with good enough memory capacity still functioning) might remember magnesium bikes being around in the 1990s, but they never really seemed to catch on. Now US based company VAAST have got a new range of magnesium bikes and they sent us a write-up of their gravel bike – the VAAST A/1.
Rider:
Josh Wray
Location:
Mammoth Lakes, California
Bike:
VAAST A/1 Gravel
Size:
Medium
Drivetrain:
Shimano 11-42 11-speed
Brakes:
Shimano GRX RX600 Hydraulic
Wheels:
Stan's Notubes Grail S1 w/Stan's tubeless rim tape
Tyres:
Maxxis Rambler 700 x 38mm 120tpi, EXO/Tubeless Ready w/Lightweight tubes
Saddle:
WTB Silverado 142 Comp
Your favourite part?
The weight, simplicity of build and ability to absolutely rip gravel trails to pieces.
What is next?
In terms of build, I’m going to swap out the GRX mechanical group set and throw on a Shimano GRX Di2 setup. I might also throw on some wider drop bars so I can hammer even harder in the dirt.
Tell us about your bike/build?
I’ve been riding the bike how it came out of the box for two months now. I was really curious as to how strong the AE81 ALLITE® Super Mag™ frame was, so my goal was to put the standard build through the wringer, and I feel like I’ve done a good job of that.
I’ve ridden a bunch of quick single track hits, a few >50 mile (80km) rides and a long 3-day bike packing trip from Mammoth Lakes to Lake Tahoe, around the lake then back to Mammoth. That trip consisted of about 360miles (580kms) and over 22k’ (6700m) of elevation gain. So far all I’ve had to do to the bike after riding it hard has been to fix the occasional flat. Other than that, the bike is a dream. Great build at an incredible price point.
All Photos by @josh_wray