Want to run chunky tyres on your gravel bike? The Allied Able says yes, with enormous 57mm clearance

Allied has finally launched its long-teased second-generation Able, with the new gravel race bike able to accept up to a whopping 2.25in / 57mm tyre.

The distinctive elevated driveside chainstay of the outgoing model is no more, and the new Able also drops a significant amount of weight over its predecessor.

There’s also a nifty down tube storage solution, where the storage hatch is independent of the bottle cage. 

We first spotted the new Able at Unbound 2024, where Payson McElveen tested a prototype which saw her take eighth place in the 200-mile event and Taylor Lideen was also aboard it in the 350-mile race. 

The Able is available now, with the cheapest SRAM Rival eTap AXS build retailing from $6,775 and rising up to $11,500 for the top-tier SRAM Red XPLR AXS build. 

A frameset, which includes a stem and seatpost, retails from $4,500. 

57mm tyre clearance

The Able is the latest in a slew of new gravel bikes embracing larger-volume mountain bike tyres. 

It has clearance for 57mm / 2.25in tyres, matching the Lauf Seigla and 3T Extrema Italia – although it's bested by the Ridley Ignite GTX and Lee Cougan Innova Super Gravel, which can take up to a 58 and 61mm tyre, respectively. 

Allied says it chose this clearance because it believes 2.25in are “the fastest available tyres”, although it acknowledges its initial test mules had a 2.1in / 53mm clearance. 

For context, the outgoing Able was optimised around a 42mm tyre but could take up to a 43mm out back, and a 47mm up front. 

Farewell weird chainstay

The outgoing Able was instantly recognisable for its elevated driveside chainstay, which Allied claimed improved the bike’s rear-end stiffness and also allowed the brand to run short 420mm chainstays. 

Speaking to BikeRadar, Sam Pickman, head of product, said the brand removed this so its athletes could have the flexibility to run a 50t chainring with a wide-range 10-52t cassette. 

Pickman explains: “to make that combination work, the elevated chainstay would have had to be really high, which would have created a whole host of other structural issues we wanted to avoid”.  

Like its predecessor, the new Able is only compatible with 1x drivetrains, although when we spotted Taylor Lideens riding a prototype last year, he was riding a 2x Shimano GRX Di2 set-up. 

An out-and-out gravel race bike  

Allied says the new Able has been designed for the demands of gravel racing and went through eight prototypes before settling on the final design. 

Historically, Allied's carbon frames were made in its Rogers, Arkansas facility – bypassing the typical Asian production most brands utilise. 

But the new Able marks the second occasion where Allied has switched to having the frames manufactured in Asia (the first being the brand's BC40 cross-country mountain bike). Allied says it carries out "extensive finishing work, paint, and construction" when the frames arrive at its Arkansas facility.

A size medium (56cm) frame is claimed to weigh 950g (although Allied doesn’t reveal whether that’s painted or with hardware) – a 340g decrease over the previous model.

The accompanying fork is claimed to weigh 425g. 

The new frame is claimed to have a 15 per cent reduction in front-end lateral stiffness over its predecessor, which Allied says is to improve handling and “help the bike feel more planted on rough roads”.

The rear end has a 20 per cent increase in lateral stiffness to improve pedalling efficiency, according to the brand. 

Allied says the new fork is designed to match the frame’s stiffness and went through several variants before settling on the final design, and says it received feedback from some of its riders that the earlier forks were too stiff. 

In a sign of its racing intent, the new Able is largely bereft of mounting points, retaining a pair of top tube mounts but losing the under-the-down-tube mounts of the previous model. 

Elsewhere, the Able runs on a BSA 68mm threaded bottom bracket standard and a round 27.2mm seatpost, with routing for a dropper post. 

Embracing integration 

The Able is now fully integrated and uses Allied’s ST03 adjustable stem from its Alfa road model. 

The brand says riders can swap between two rise options (0 and -8-degrees) without needing to re-cable the bike. The ST03 will be available in lengths from 70 to 130mm. 

Cool down tube storage

The new Able comes equipped with down tube storage, but its design differs from almost every other manufacturer in that the storage door is independent of the bottle cage. 

Allied says this design not only saves weight versus under-the-bottle designs, but improves operation and gives you the peace of mind of traditional bottle security. 

We believe this to be the first of its kind on a gravel bike, but the design isn't new on mountain bikes – a similar setup can be found on the Canyon Exceed and YT Jeffsy.

Race-focussed geometry

The Able will be offered in five sizes from XS (52cm) to XL (61cm). Allied says the new geometry “improves high-speed stability without sacrificing the nimble handling required for the technical terrain riders encounter today”. 

Pickman further elaborates that Allied’s primary goal was to “position the rider comfortably yet aggressively, while carefully balancing the front and rear centre to achieve an optimal weight distribution of approximately 53/47 over the rear and front tyres”. 

The head tube angle has been slackened by 0.5-degrees to 71-degrees on a size medium with a 71mm fork trail (the outgoing Able had a 66mm trail across most sizes). 

Allied says it deliberately decided on these numbers “to increase confidence on varied terrain while ensuring the bike retains the necessary handling agility for navigating unpredictable situations”. 

Elsewhere, there’s a 74-degree seat tube angle (except for the smallest XS size) and the reach has grown by 13mm on a size medium to 400mm, but the stack remains identical at 575mm. 

Allied Able builds 

As well as a frame-only option, Allied will be offering three SRAM-equipped builds. 

While the brand has provided a starting price for the builds, the final price will vary depending on paint and specific component choices. 

Allied Able SRAM Rival AXS Mullet 

• Groupset: SRAM Rival eTap AXS / GX Eagle Transmission mullet
• Handlebar: FSA A-Wing AGX
• Wheels: Industry Nine 1/1 GRCX
• Tyres: Vittoria Terreno XC Race, 29x2.1in 
• Price: from $6,775

Allied Able SRAM Force AXS Mullet

• Groupset: SRAM Force AXS / XO Eagle Transmission mullet
• Handlebar: FSA K-Wing AGX carbon
• Wheels: Industry Nine 1/1 Ultralite Carbon Gravel
• Tyres: Continental Race King ProTection, 29x2.2in 
• Price: from $8,400

Allied Able SRAM Red XPLR AXS 

• Groupset: SRAM Red XPLR AXS
• Handlebar: ENVE SES AR Road In-Route
• Wheels: Industry Nine Solix SL - AR40c
• Tyres: Continental Race King ProTection, 29x2.2in 
• Price: from $11,500