“A durable but lightweight aluminum frame, easy-to-use sliding dropouts, and capable all-rounder geometry… a gravel bike worth mythologizing.” - from Bikepacking.com's long term review of Chessie.

Meet Chessie, our monstrous new aluminum alloy frameset, named after the legendary sea creature said to lurk in the Chesapeake Bay. But unlike its mythical namesake, this beast is very real—and it’s ready to tackle the wildest gravel and bikepacking routes you can throw at it.

Forget what you thought you knew about aluminum. Advances in tubing and design have transformed it from the jarring rides of old into something truly refined. Chessie’s double-butted main triangle and meticulously selected tubing deliver an exhilarating, smooth ride with all the stiffness you need to charge ahead. It's custom, sliding dropouts allow for easy single-speed setups while using flat-mount brakes and still giving you room for fenders.

The triple-butted fork is a true performer, ready for racks, fenders, and cargo cages. Its elegant segmented design complements the frame without looking overbuilt, and the frame clearance is as generous as Chessie’s appetite: up to 700x50mm or 650x2.25” tires on Medium and larger sizes and 650bx2.1” or 26x2.25” on Small and XS sizes. If you're keen on running fenders, you can mount 700x45 or 650bx45, respectively.

This frameset has already proven its chops—Nic piloted one through the Mega Mid South, a brutal 300-mile self-supported ride with 17,000 feet of climbing. Whether you’re racing, adventuring, or just getting lost on purpose, Chessie is here to make every ride legendary.

Are you ready to wake the monster? Find build ideas here!

If you want to dig into more of the nitty gritty, check out our Monster Guide (pdf download).

Specifications:

• Frame: double butted 6061 aluminum alloy with custom selected tubing
  
• Fork: 1 1/8" tapered steerer and triple butted fork blades with accommodations for fenders, Flat Pack Rack, and even a Mojave Cage or a bikepacking-style cages
• Tire Clearance w/o Fenders: Up to 700x50 or 650bx2.25" (M, L, and XL sizes) / 650bx2.1" or 26x2.25" (S and XS) sizes.
• Tire Clearance w Fenders: 700x45 (M, L, and XL sizes) or 650bx45 (S and XS sizes).
• Rear Spacing: Sliding, 12x142mm thru-axle dropouts for geared, single speed, or internally geared hubs
• Fork Spacing: 12x100mm thru-axle
• BB: English threaded 68mm. Uses Gravel Chain line of 47 mm or greater.
• Brakes: Flat mount, 160mm rotors minimum. Front uses 160mm without needing any adaptors.
• Seatpost: 27.2 (seat collar included). Compatible with internal dropper posts. 
• Front Derailleur Size: 35.0mm
• Water bottle mounts: Seattube, and downtube
• Fender bosses: seat stay bridge, chainstay bridge, under fork crown
• Frame Eyelets: Eyelets on rear dropouts for racks and fenders.
• Fork Eyelets: Eyelets on fork dropouts. Triple thru-bosses on the blades for cargo/water bottle cages.
• Cable Routing: External on the downtube and internal dropper routing on the seat tube.
• Paint: Leviathan Blue with Velo Orange decal and metal headbadge
  

Geometry