What is a 50/50 bike?

With more gravel comes more possibilities. Franco has found a way to categorize these possibilities using our frames as a platform and a percentage showing the road capabilities vs. dirt capabilities. The Grimes Carbon specifically is 50% road and 50% dirt platform, or 50/50. But what does this actually mean? As we go begin this subject, on thing to note is these percentages capture the capability and not the efficiency of tackling these different terrains

We launched the Grimes in 2014 because we had started seeing the shift from strictly riding on the asphalt to exploring new destinations that included riding a mixture of paved roads and unpaved dirt paths. While paved roads are predictable, we found dirt paths to have more variance in terrain, as explained in Neil Shirley's Gravel categories. As we looked to better understand these variances, we came up with an easy system to classify road vs. dirt capabilities of the bikes we were taking off-road.

If you own a Balcom or Kanan, it is a platform that allows for 95% road vs 5% dirt, or 95/5. This is because of its limited 25c tire clearance due to traditional rim brakes. Can you enjoy dirt rides on 25c tires? Of course (depending on the category of the gravel), but whether it's the wisest choice is up for debate.
Now if you're on a Latigo RS1-D, your bike is capable of 31.5c actual tire clearance and has disc brakes. This makes it an 85/15 platform, which is far more capable to take on the varying dirt adventures out there.

This brings us back to the Grimes Carbon. This platform is truly 50/50 where it's equally capable on the road as it is on dirt. The beauty of this system is it allows you to play with these percentages based on wheels and tire choices. We provide the platform (the frame), you choose what you would like to do, and we suggest wheel and tire options that let you accomplish you're riding!

Here's a few examples. Set your bike up with a 700x30c rims and tires and get your own 85/15 road bike, run it with 700x38c rims and tires to get a 70/30 all-road bike, or prepare for adventure with a 650bx47c for a truly capable 50/50 setup.

To see this in action, check out or Out There series on Youtube! Click here for Vol. 1.

The Grimes Carbon starts at $2,450 for a complete bike! Get started today!