The launch of a gravel bike model is always disruptive, and for MMR, born with competition as its sole focus, the new X-Tour represents a true turning point. The acronym of the brand from Asturias, Spain, corresponds to “Machines Made for Racing” so, although the competitive side is also represented within the world of gravel, this new segment takes the company out of its comfort zone.
The MMR X-Tour is a renewed commitment to adventure and long-distance gravel, looking for a balance between reactivity and control on unpaved roads. The launch video shows, through the varied landscapes of Tunisia and the changing rhythms of music, the multiple ways in which to take advantage of this new model.
Starting from their experience with road bike geometries, a good part of the design period was focused on adapting all these angles for the practice of gravel. Chechu Rubiera, who has a successful professional career as a road cyclist and is now the chief engineer at MMR, explained that the angles of the head tube are more relaxed, the stack is high, the reach is short, and there is a slight fork trail. In addition, the tubes on the X-Tour are rounder than what we’re used to on road models.
As for the frame material, the carbon fibers chosen are of intermediate modulus because “they provide greater vertical elasticity and guarantee fun on long outings with the irregularities of the terrain playing a leading role.”
Chechu himself mentioned on multiple occasions the motto “simplicity made gravel”. In part, it is due to the limited number of colors and possible assemblies in this first stage of the launch. The 00 version, equipped with wireless 12-speed Sram Rival AXS , is available in Liquid moss green and Graphite black colors, while the 10 version with mechanical 11-speed Shimano GRX comes only in Graphite black.
We were able to test the new X-Tour on April 27th at the presentation event at Rocacorba Cycling, near Girona. There, ambassadors and an integral part of the brand such as Samuel Sánchez, Juan Antonio Flecha and Carla Alfonso, together with specialized media and members of the industry, experienced first-hand the new commitment of MMR to gravel.
Despite being a new segment for them, the conversations we had with certain members of the brand showed that during the development of the X-Tour all of them have become true experts in the discipline.
Like all new models, the X-Tour went through a long design and validation process. Actually, despite the fact that it is presented a couple of days before The Traka 2023, this model was already tested in last year’s edition, in addition to other events such as Badlands, by engineers and other participants linked to the brand.
At MMR they will remain faithful to their beginnings and to what their acronym expresses, but the new typefaces and copies launched in parallel with the X-Tour suggest that gravel and the alternative vision of cycling to which it is associated have come to MMR to play an important role. “No finish line” is the launch slogan, so this doesn’t end here.
