Over the past few years, SBT GRVL in Steamboat Springs has quickly grown into one of the biggest and most prestigious gravel races in the world. Perhaps the event grew too big, too quickly, though, as it clashed with some local ranchers and law enforcement, forcing organizers to change the date (from August to June) and format (more on that below).
SBT GRVL has been one of our favorite events for years. I raced the old version three times, and personally, I was a bit sad to see an event I enjoy so much change so drastically. Would the gravel vibes at SBT GRVL 2025 match previous editions? The Litespeed team went to find out. We displayed our legendary titanium bikes at the SBT GRVL Expo and sent two intrepid Litespeed employees to test out the new Black course.
Showcasing the World’s Lightest Titanium Bikes
Situated in the high mountains of Colorado, SBT GRVL has traditionally been an event that favors good climbers. So, of course, it’s the perfect venue to showcase Litespeed’s lightweight titanium gravel bikes.
Litespeed produces the three lightest titanium road bikes in the world: the Ghisallo, the Coll dels Reis, and the Spezia and few production titanium road bikes even come close. We also produce the lightest titanium gravel bike in the world: the Litespeed Toscano.
Our bikes are so light because our Superform titanium tubesets feature more tube manipulation than anyone else’s. While you can read about a bike's weight on a spec sheet, it often doesn’t really click with people until they actually pick up one of our bikes and feel it. That’s why at SBT GRVL, we made a nifty new display for our Coll dels Reis.
It’s nothing fancy—a repair stand with a scale and sign—but it definitely got people’s attention. On the scale, this medium Coll dels Reis weighed a scant 15 lbs 8 oz. (and it can be made lighter if desired). One of the best parts of the expo was seeing people’s reactions when they picked up the bike for the first time. I heard more than a few people express shock that it was lighter than their carbon bike.
I also offered up my own Litespeed Toscano for people to pick up. With a gravel suspension fork, my bike is exactly 21 lbs. That’s including my pedals, bottle cages, Garmin, saddle bag, and frame pump! People were stunned that a titanium gravel bike with a suspension fork could feel so light. With a frame weighing just over 1,200 grams, the Toscano is lighter than many carbon gravel frames!
The Best SBT GRVL Bike & Tire Setup
The weight display was a huge hit at the SBT GRVL expo, but the other star of the show was a Litespeed Toscano Ano Blasted in Cobalt Blue and equipped with a Factory Orange Fox 32 Taper-Cast gravel suspension fork.
With its “champagne gravel,” SBT GRVL is a buttery smooth course, so it’s not the ideal place for gravel suspension. Still, people were interested and wanted to know our thoughts on suspension and the future of gravel. I’ve written out my thoughts on gravel suspension forks in a previous post, but what I’ll say here is that I didn’t bother taking my Cane Creek Invert SL off my bike, even though I had the option. Suspension just feels nice, and even on smooth surfaces, I don’t notice enough of a disadvantage to bother swapping to a rigid fork.
My Toscano (left) and Calvin's Ultimate G2 (right- he used clipless pedals in the race).
Most competitive riders, however, were on a rigid setup with fast rolling 40-45mm gravel tires. Some pros and fast amateurs were even going down to slick tires in the 35-38mm range! If I were a rider whose livelihood depended on race results, then sure, I’d switch to a rigid fork and fast-rolling 45mm tires like the Specialized Pathfinder, Schwalbe G-One RS, or Continental TerraSpeed.
I chose to keep my suspension fork and used knobby 50mm Schwalbe G-One RX Pro tires. The Schwalbe team at SBT GRVL even went out of their way to get me a fresh set when I mentioned I had five plugs in my tires after UNBOUND Gravel! In the end, I was very happy with my squishy and knobby setup. I blasted down the fast and loose descents with complete confidence, and I finished the event with no aches or pains. When you’re packing a dad-bod with a long list of old and lingering injuries, more comfort and confidence are often nicer than more speed!
This Amazing Vintage Litespeed Appalachian
Before we dive into the race, I just want to highlight an amazing bike I saw at the SBT GRVL expo. This is a 2000 Litespeed Appalachian owned by Bo Hou, an artist from Boston. Bo raced this 25-year-old rig at SBT GRVL last year, and he came back this year for more! This bike is beautiful, and it showcases how titanium Litespeeds are truly forever bikes.
Bo is also a collector, and this Appalachian is one of several vintage Litespeeds in his collection. I’m hoping to connect with him to learn more about his bikes, so you can look forward to some vintage Litespeed features in the future!
SBT GRVL Black Course Recap: Age vs. Beauty
Two Litespeed employees were sent in to do battle over 80 miles on the brand new SBT GRVL Amateur Black Course: Bruce Lin (me) and our Digital Content Creator, Calvin Serban. I’m 10 years older than Calvin, so I have 10 additional years of racing experience. Unfortunately, I also have 10 additional years of abusing my body with candy and alcohol. In a desperate ploy, I coaxed Calvin into starting near the front, hoping the high pace would explode his tender young legs.
We were expecting a fast start because the new 79.3-mile course was significantly shorter than the old Black course, and it also featured shorter climbs. The start was shockingly fast, and Calvin and I both got spat out the back of the front group early in the first lap. The rest of the day was a battle against heat and headwinds.
I cracked dramatically around mile 60. I had tried to race with only 2 bottles and no hydration pack, and I ran out of water and got extremely dehydrated. Fortunately, there were two aid stations on course providing bottle handups. On the last climb, I was completely empty and having near-pornographic thoughts about drinking cold water. I chugged a bottle at the last aid station and then crawled to the finish with a time of 4:32:13, cramping and completely shelled.
Calvin smartly kept things more even throughout the day. He maintained a solid pace that brought him home in 4:53:50, and he felt far less shelled than I did. If he had a little more luck finding the right groups throughout the day, he likely could have overhauled me during my solo death march to the finish. His goal was to finish in under 5 hours, though, and he absolutely crushed it.
Another Litespeed rider, Grayson Strathman, beat Calvin at the line. Grayson was riding an awesome 2023 Litespeed Flint with a SRAM Eagle AXS mullet drivetrain and Zipp 303 XPLR wheels. He credited the extra comfort of the Flint’s higher stack height for his success.
Grayson and I had a great conversation after the finish about what he wants from Litespeed in the future. (Anyone else want a frame with rack mounts and a titanium rack? How about a dropbar mountain bike? Let us know!) I love talking with Litespeed fans about their bikes, so if you ever see me at an event, don’t be afraid to chat me up!
SBT GRVL Hasn’t Lost All Its Magic (Yet)
SBT GRVL has changed a lot. It’s now split into two days. The Saturday “ride” features the traditional Green (37 mi), Red (56.7 mi), and Blue (99 mi) courses. The Black course is on Sunday, and for permitting purposes, it is the only event actually considered a race. Instead of starting in Steamboat like years past, it now uses a circuit starting in Hayden, Colorado, about 30 minutes from Steamboat. Amateurs ride two laps (79.3 mi) while the pros ride three laps (116.9 mi).
I was worried that the new race wouldn’t have the same magic that the old race did. The event was a bit smaller, and the premier Black Course was less epic. But in the end, I still felt the same love I felt before. Steamboat Springs is one of my favorite towns. I had tons of fun at the Expo, got to ride Steamboat’s Alpine slide, and even saw my first rodeo. Despite a few signs put out on course by disgruntled ranchers, there’s still an overwhelming atmosphere of passion and joy that fills the whole town and the event.
The new Black Course in Hayden was also surprisingly fun. The amateur event is a great change from the longer and rougher events I usually do. Without the need for an ultra-conservative pacing plan, it really allowed me to explore (and exceed) the limits of my fitness without fear. It's a good reminder that not every race needs to be a brutal, soul-crushing slog to be worth doing.
The thing that impressed me the most, though, was the number of female riders. I rode with (and got beaten by!) more women than I have in any other race. Reportedly, 30% of competitors on Sunday were women, and that’s thanks in large part to concerted efforts by the SBT GRVL organizers to attract women riders. Race announcers at the start said their mission wouldn’t be complete until they could start a field that is 50% women. I think that’s an amazing goal.
I was also stunned by the amount of young talent. The top 6 finishers in the amateur race were all under 20 years old, and the winner was 17! With so many strong youngsters in attendance, SBT GRVL is solid evidence that gravel is truly the future of American bike racing. I just hope the event can continue without drama, because it might be one of the best events for women and young riders to compete.
See You at Gravel Worlds and Big Sugar Gravel!
The Litespeed gravel tour continues, and the final two stops for the Litespeed team will be Gravel Worlds in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Big Sugar Gravel in Bentonville, Arkansas. Come find us at the expo to see our Ultimate G2 and Flint, plus the world's lightest titanium gravel bike, the Toscano, along with suspension forks and our new Ano Blast colorways. If you ride a Litespeed, our pro mechanics will tune it up for free! Interested riders can swing a leg over their dream bike and chat with anyone from the Litespeed team about the joy of riding titanium gravel bikes!