It was 2015 the last time we saw a face fresh on the Stiggy, and despite the then-progressive cues taken from Santa Cruz's history on the trail, the bike was decidedly CX-oriented. Welcome 2020 and an ever-broadening horizon for the Stigmata. With fresh geometry, carbon layup, and wider tire clearance, the Stigmata now - thankfully - crosses a host of alternative surface categories. Notable geometry tweaks improve toe overlap, and a better fit profile for riders under 5'5". The frame now clears up to a 45mm 700 c tire, or a 2.1" 650b. So is the hashtag "dropbarsantacruz" a thing yet? 'Cause it should be. This was a welcome bike launch, and the Stigmata has never been so well-aligned with Sports Garage's core value of Rich Experience.

The elegant new Pivot E-Vault is the legendary stealth-bomber of gravel e-bikes. The new E-Vault is lightweight and quiet, but with 252 watt/hours assist it gives you the unspoken strength you need to breeze up and over any terrain. With the angular contact gearbox that separates from the bottom bracket when not engaged, there exists a delicate balance between man and machine. Pedal comfortably and efficiently with the battery off, or flip the switch for a complete go-anywhere performance boost that will give you the silent punch worthy of your next adventure.

To be fully transparent, we have no idea what the acronym U.P.P.E.R. stands for. Open Cycle loves creative and subtly sarcastic acronyms, which we appreciate. For example, all Unbeaten Paths in the Open line-up feature TRCinTRS carbon engineering. "The Right Carbon in The Right Spot". This philosophy delivers a sophisticated lay-up of high and low-modulus carbons, creating unprecedentedly light and durable frames. Only available in matte black, the U.P.P.E.R. is spec'd with the same 375 gram U-Turn fork as the New U.P. This bike may be insanely light, but it is not dainty. We ran the U.P.P.E.R. on the rugged gravel road's of Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains this year, and discovered that a bike can be both stealthy and burly without being an oxymoron.

Juliana, unequivocally, knows how to speak to their female-identifying consumer base. This is the first gravel bike at SG spec'd and marketed specifically for female riders, and there is nothing "dumbed down" about the build kits (double chain ring accommodation, AXS upgrades, and carbon wheels are not overlooked), frame design (fits riders down to 5'0"), or thoughtfulness of the bike (women's Ergon saddles, which we are devoted to). Tire clearance fits up to a 2.1" 650b or 45mm 700c. And, quite frankly, it doesn't hurt that Midnight Blue is drop dead gorgeous. The Quincy is best put to use in the hands of a daydreamer, because the options for alternative surface adventure are endless.

Sharing the exact same frame as the Chebacco LE, the Core Series Chebacco expands the price points and build options available to riders desiring a Parlee experience. And make no mistake, riding a Parlee is a unique experience. This gravel bike shares the same DNA as Parlee's famed road bikes such as the Z-Series and Altum, but with the purpose-built geometry demanded by gravel and off-road terrain: wider chainstays and seatstays, and a slightly slacker head tube angle. And as a bonus, the Parlee custom paint program is the highest quality, most affordable in the industry. And it shows: 35% of Sports Garage Chebacco clients choose the custom paint option.

OPEN has inspired an entire generation of gravel cyclists with their revolutionary designs and versatility, but now they’ve doubled down with the launch of the new WI.DE (Winding Detours) gravel bike. With room for 700 x 46mm or 650 x 2.4” tires, the new WI.DE has achieved legendary status in terms of capability and design. Lightweight, nimble and stylish as hell, the new OPEN WI.DE might just be the end all be all of modern gravel bikes.

The new 2020 Pivot Vault is so "extra" in all the right ways; Extra tire clearance. Extra power transfer (that's a fan favorite). Extra stealth for dropper post internal cable routing. Extra time to study the map...because there are few roads you won't be able to tackle on this bike. In Pivot fashion, the engineers of the Vault were not going to be satisfied with anything less than the ideal for gravel speed. Upon Googling "Pivot Vault Review", you will find a lot of banter about how gravel race-worthy the bike is. What really sold us on the Vault was its performance during the totally unscientific Sports Garage Underbiking Field Test (otherwise known as riding-it-where-we-probably-shouldn't): it was extra compliant on the backyard sections of single track that we typically reserve for dropbar bikes. That's extra good.

At first our Colorado egos raised eyebrows at Parlee's claim that a bike built just outside Boston is "at home wherever roads get rough and rides turn into adventures". However, we have turned the Chebacco loose on the most punishing backyard terrain, and it takes it all. Parlee's magic is as a carbon whisperer: the fiber layup in the Chebacco challenges assumptions about traditional gravel bikes, and actually delivers unparalleled smooth ride characteristics. The LE crowns Parlee's Chebacco line-up with full carbon kit options and premium graphics.

We have transitioned our entire Open demo fleet from "The Classic" U.P. to the "The New U.P." The Classic Unbeaten Path, first released to the adventure-loving world in 2016, blew our hair back (literally) with innovations that have proven to transform the Gravel/Adventure category. With performance road geometry and hard tail mountain bike capability, "The New" U.P. frameset features the OPEN U-Turn fork and flat mount brakes, and is the ideal foundation upon which to build personalized gravel, road, or adventure rig. Over the past three years, we've built dozens of Unbeaten Paths, each with a distinctive personality that reflects the riding style, goals, and aesthetic of our clients.