Table of Contents
Bombtrack is just five years old… but what they lack in history, they more than make up with their extensive 2018 Bombtrack Beyond touring and bikepacking bike range. With six different steel bikes on offer, they pretty much cover all of the niche categories of on-road and off-road touring bike.
Let’s take a closer look.
The New 2018 Bombtrack Beyond Range
The Bombtrack Beyond XPD is the long-distance touring bike. Supplied with front and rear Tubus racks, a SP dynamo hub, Supernova dynamo lights and a full fender set, you know what the intended purpose of this bike is – to cross lots of countries. It has braze-ons everywhere for cargo cages, bidon cages, top-tube bags and more. With the fenders in place, the tyres are 700x42mm, but the frame can easily accommodate 29×2.2″ without. The mix of SRAM road shifters and MTB derailleurs offers a low gear of 22 gear inches that is a climbing speed of about 6km/h at 60 RPM.
The bike weighs in at 15.2kg – you’ll be able to get one soon for 2,299€.
The 2018 Bombtrack Beyond 1 uses the same frameset and a lot of the parts of the XPD, however, it’s set up for off-road adventures. With the stripped back touring parts, it’s some 2.5kg lighter (12.6kg) and 400€ less expensive (1,899€). The good thing about the Beyond 1 is that you can dress it up in touring parts when you need, otherwise you’ll have a gravel/off-road bike given the vast 29er/700c tyre options.
The 2018 Bombtrack Beyond +2 is a different beast entirely. The 27×2.8″ tyres are designed for maximum grip in all kinds of conditions. It uses a flat handlebar and short stem to get maximum steering leverage, helping to change the bike’s direction with a heavy front load. The drivetrain is SRAM 1×12 with the monster Eagle GX 10-50t cassette up the back. That offers an 18 gear inch smallest gear capable of climbing at 5km/h at 60 RPM – perfect for off-road terrain. A carbon fork adds to the price but saves a decent amount of weight.
The Beyond +2 works out at roughly the same weight (12.4kg) as the 29er Beyond 1 and will retail for 2,599€.
The Beyond +1 is the better value prospect of the plus-series bikes. It shares the same frame as the +2 but instead uses a heavier steel fork up the front. While it still employs a SRAM drivetrain, it’s the 1×11 NX edition which uses a narrower range cassette (10-42t). The climbing speed in the smallest gear is therefore around 6km/h at 60 RPM (20 gear inches).
The Beyond +1 hits the scales at 13.5kg and can be yours for 1,999€.
If the above 27+ bikes are like jacked-up jeeps, the 2018 Bombtrack Beyond ADV is the monster truck of the range. It uses 29×3.0″ tyres that offer unparalleled traction and ability to roll over rough terrain. The Beyond ADV is essentially the same specification as the Beyond +2 as it has a full carbon fork and SRAM Eagle GX 12-speed drivetrain. With the larger tyre rollout, the Beyond ADV offers a climbing speed of 5.5km/h @ 60RPM (19″ gear).
Interestingly, there’s only a 400-gram weight difference (12.8kg) when compared to the Beyond +2, so if you’re seeking out the roughest trails, this bike will be the pick of the bunch. The 2018 Bombtrack Beyond ADV is 2,699€.
Bonus Touring Bike: 2018 Bombtrack Arise Tour
Bombtrack surprised me with the new Arise Tour! It’s based on their Arise series which are designed for city use, but the Arise Tour is a tweaked frameset that offers a longer wheelbase, longer chainstays, bigger fork offset and lower bottom bracket. It’s a capable light touring bike if you like, set up with a Tubus rack set, Supernova dynamo lights and full fenders.
You can expect this bike to be 1kg lighter (14.3kg) and more nimble than the Beyond XPD, perfect if you’re travelling with lighter loads. The gearing is all Shimano Tiagra 10-speed and the brakes are the great TRP Spyre cable discs.
The gear ratios are designed for sealed road use so there’s a 26″ small gear which will result in a decent 7km/h climbing speed at 60RPM cadence. The top gear is also large enough to be able to pedal on the descents. You can get the Arise Tour in five sizes for 1,999€.
Want To Compare These Touring Bikes With Dozens of Others?
Check out The Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide which compares touring bike steering, sizing, gear ratios, specification, pricing and more. This guide is updated annually with the latest models at no extra cost!
Helpful Resources
All About Touring Bike Brakes
Frame Materials for Bicycle Touring
How to Select Touring Bike Gearing
Understand Bicycle Frame Geometry
What’s the Difference between Cyclocross and Touring Bikes?
Touring Bikes Overview
2016 Advocate Lorax
2016 Basso Ulisse
2016 Bianchi Volpe and Lupo 2016
2016 Bombtrack Beyond
2017 Bombtrack Beyond
2016 Brodie Elan Vital
2016 Cannondale Touring
2016 Cinelli Hobootleg Geo
2018 Co-Op ADV 4.2
2017 Curve Grovel V2
2017 Diamondback Haanjo EXP Carbon
2016 Fuji Touring
2017 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring
2018 Fuji Touring Disc
2016 Genesis Tour de Fer
2016 Giant ToughRoad
2017 Giant ToughRoad
2018 Giant ToughRoad and ToughRoad GX
2016 Jamis Aurora and Aurora Elite
2016 Kona Big Rove
2016 Kona Roadhouse and Sutra LTD
2016 Kona Sutra
2017 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra
2018 Kona Sutra LTD
2016 Marin Four Corners
2017 Marin Four Corners
2018 Marin Four Corners
2016 Masi Giramondo
2018 Masi Giramondo
2016 Niner RLT9
2016 Rawland Ulv and Ravn
2016 Salsa Deadwood
2017 Salsa Fargo
2018 Salsa Fargo Ti Frameset
2016 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Marrakesh
2017 Salsa Vaya
2016 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized AWOL
2017 Specialized Diverge
2018 Specialized Diverge
2017 Specialized Sequoia
2018 Specialized Sequoia
2017 Surly Troll
2016 Traitor Wander
2016 Trek 920, 720, 520 & CrossRip
2017 Trek CrossRip
2018 Trek 920
2018 Trek 1120
I’ve been searching from Germany to Australia for the Bombtrack Beyond XPD (Size S) but no one seems to carry this or be able to get one. So, when will this be available?
Thanks!
These bikes were only just announced, so please be patient! I know that Bombtrack had some delays on their 2018 bikes, so give it a minimum of one month, but that particular model could still be three months away yet…
I’m waiting for the delivery of my Beyond 1 in Japan. IF it arrives… I will have the only one in Japan. The Japan distributor is a pain in the ass. I originally wanted the Beyond XPD, but they refused to order it. I offered to pay in full, in advance, in cash. Nope… they refused. So… I’m hoping the Beyond 1 shows up this month or early March.
Have you contacted Bombtrack directly? They should be able to tell you which distributor for a specific country has ordered them. Bombtrack is quick to answer.