PROVEN OVER ALL ROADS - THE MELEE

Photos: Avery Stumm & Steve Driscoll / Pure Gravel

Former World Tour professional rider Alexey Vermeulen shows us what a modern race bike is capable of. The Michigan native has spent the past six months on the Melee in order to provide feedback and, as it turns out, gain an advantage over many of his competitors in the varied type of racing that makes up his schedule. After taking the win at the Belgian Waffle Ride in San Diego, utilizing every millimeter of the Melee’s 35 mm of tire clearance for the course’s notoriously difficult dirt sectors, he then went on to race in the USPRO Road National Championships where he finished in the lead group. Add in a few training rides with his road warrior, Sir Willie, and the end result is a well-tested, highly-proven race bike. Watch Alexey put it to the test.