How does the process work?
Each Gothic is created on an individual basis.
It’s a one-on-one process where we learn about your riding style, preferred equipment, and likes and dislikes.
From terrain to physical flexibility down to your dream colour scheme, we’ll design a custom gravel bike build that’s perfect for you, not a faceless market segment.
What are the customisation options?
This is the beauty of the Aix – it’s a custom-built gravel bike, so you can have exactly what you want.
Some riders are very particular about whether they’re running Shimano or SRAM—and what level—while others don’t care, just as long as it works.
Either way, we’ll guide you through everything: cassette ratios, chainring sizes, bar widths, and more. You won’t need to stress about compatibility charts or the eighth circle of Hades that is bottom bracket standards.
Or you can just say ‘the hell with it’, pick a bar tape, and leave the rest to us.
What about frame colours?
Our mission is to create a gravel bike customised to your taste.
Want your own two-way colourway, as seen on our sample builds)? You can have it for as little as $350.
Does your dark heart desire something more complex? Maybe a paint-splatter finish, a bit of marbling here and there, a frame covered in skulls (well, helloooooo there)? More intricate colour options start at $2000, and we can accommodate almost any wish.
Go stealthy, go loud, go weird. It’s your bike.
We are merely the facilitators of your dreams.
How long does each build take?
Most gravel bike builds take around three months (depending on component availability, and, y’know, global stability, obvs).
Good things take time…
…especially when they’re being hand-crafted in Australia for riders who want something better.
Oh, yes, you do want it.
How much do Gothic Cycles bikes cost? Do I need a deposit?
Aix builds typically range between $6K-13K, depending on your component spec and paint choices.
(If you’re the right size, we do have a particularly tasty GRX build going for $5879…. How’s that for an affordable carbon gravel bike, especially one custom-built?)
To start your custom carbon gravel build, a deposit from $2000 is all it takes to get the wheels turning.
(Or the bats flying, as we prefer.)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
In Greek mythology, Aix appears in different forms but is most commonly known as a nymph, and the wife of Pan.
Seductive and impossible to tame, nymphs are tied to wild places: forests, mountains, lakes, gravel roads (why not).
What better name for our divine, outdoor-loving creation?
Like the letter X. Not ‘aches’ or ‘ay-ex’. That would be weird.
We initially thought it would be helpful to tell people it’s the same as Aix-En-Provence in France, but the reply was usually, “I don’t know how to say that either, so you haven’t really helped at all.”
Just say ‘X’ and we’ll all be happy.
Gothic Cycles frames carry a 3-year warranty against manufacturing defects in materials or workmanship.
This warranty applies to the original owner, and is subject to normal use under cycling industry standards in Australia.
Yes, because it’s light, and it accelerates like nothing else.
This is a performance bike, not a touring rig.
Come on, people.
A generous 135kg.
You absolutely can.
Note: while your Aix will be perfectly fine for any local or interstate club events, please be aware that it’s not UCI-approved. If you’re planning to head off to the World’s, this may not be the bike for you, unfortunately.
(Unless you just get a fake sticker from AliExpress.)
Who cares?
Yes. However! While we understand that the bike industry is now pushing the integrated bar/stem concept because it looks sik (forgive us), with our background in bike fitting, we’re hesitant to offer this option unless a customer insists on it.
Why?
Because this type of integration eliminates the ability to make micro-adjustments to the handlebar in terms of rotation. It also limits the kind of handlebar shapes you can use. In addition, if you want to switch out a stem or handlebar down the track (if, say, your flexibility or circumstances have changed), it becomes far more expensive. And (because why not add a third thing), it also increases the costs involved in replacing the headset bearings when they eventually wear out, as it slows the service procedure dramatically.
Finally, one huge issue we see time and time again with bar/stem integration is when it comes to packing the bike down for travel. If you ever plan to take your bike on holiday and it needs to go into a box, the job can become almost impossible, and the chances of damaging hoses, components and even the frame are hugely increased.
If Campag ever produce a reliable gravel groupset, maybe.
In the meantime, no.
No, you can’t.
Remember: we’re mechanics, first and foremost.
While the initial sample frames are not UDH-compatible, we thought about the potential benefits and greater flexibility in regards to future build options, so now all production frames come with the Sram UDH right dropout.
Many of our builds are a 1x system with a wide-range cassette. If we look at SRAM’s current offerings (which require their direct mount dropout), the road/gravel XPLR range only offers a 10-46 cassette option. If we look at a gravel/Transmission mullet build, then cassette jumps to 10-52, but the potential problem for gravel applications is that the system is based around the MTB chain lines of either 52 or 55mm. Because we’re trying to deliver a gravel bike which is more performance-oriented (think of a road bike which is designed for dirt, rather than an MTB with drop bars bolted on), this chain line can create compromises in regards to how well the gears will work with a narrow Q-factor gravel crank.
To put it simply, we can create the same 520% gear range via an appropriate selection of levers and derailleur (either Shimano or SRAM) and a 10-52 cassette (Garbaruk is always our preference). Sure it’s 12sp instead of 13sp, but it works brilliantly, costs less than the Transmission option, keeps your lower body in an ideal gravel riding position, and (with the Garbaruk cassette and pulley wheels) looks amazing.
We can’t deny that our bike mechanic side has a definite reluctance for cable integration, but at the same time it’s safe to say that the cycling public simply expect it. *sob*
While we could build a frame with external cable routing, we’re very well aware that it would be unfortunately almost impossible to sell.
We’ve done the absolute best we can to mitigate the downsides of the cable integration system by ensuring that all contact points (fork crown, bearing seats and head stem) are perfectly square prior to assembly, and we use the best quality steel bearings we can buy.
Under normal riding conditions, you can expect to get many years of enjoyable, trouble-free cycling on your Aix before the front end needs to be pulled apart for bearing replacement.
Because of our BB shell design, the hoses and cables run between the frame and the threaded BB insert, so T47 is not required.
T47 is a perfectly fine design, but by sticking with the age-old BSA system, you can find replacement bearings or a complete BB in most local bike shops, whereas T47 might be a little more tricky to obtain if you’re in a hurry.
While press-fit systems can be reliable once the faces are squared and the bore has been cut accurately, it still relies on a specific tolerance between the bore and the chosen BB. Because of the large variation in BB diameters between different brands, it’s too difficult to ensure a click free BB/shell interface.
The other problem we see with the press-fit system is wear on the BB shell over time. Every time the BB is removed and installed (part of general maintenance procedures), the shell bore will wear very slightly. This is obviously a less than ideal issue to have. Using a threaded shell which has been faced makes for a much more reliable and user friendly result.
Nope.
We are producing complete custom bikes at this point in time, and have no immediate plans to sell our frames as a separate item.
Absolutely!
Once your Aix build is completed, we mark all of the relevant fit items (seat post height, handlebar rotation, that sort of thing) so that when you receive your bike, there’s minimal assembly to do and no guesswork in regards to the fit dimensions.
Kill your PBs. Resurrect your ambitions.
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