bianchi gravel bike kaufen Bianchi Arcadex Pro Apex/GX AXS 1x - AF

The Bianchi Arcadex Pro Apex/GX AXS 1x is built around a premise that most gravel bikes sidestep: what happens when the storage system is part of the frame, not bolted to it? Bianchi's answer starts with a sealed downtube cavity — a structural module that doubles as baggage space. The Velomann hard case snaps into the downtube opening, protects the interior from rattles and shifting cargo, and secures a 3-litre load right at the bike's center of gravity. Complement that with a 1-litre top tube bag, a 9-litre handlebar bag, and a 7-litre saddlebag — the complete set of nylon Orma bags sold separately — and the Arcadex carries more than most dedicated touring setups while riding like a gravel bike throughout.

The frame is SM carbon fiber composite, fully internally routed on the Pro version, with thru-axles front and rear. The head tube angles — 71.5° for XS and S, 71° for medium, 70.5° for large and XL — are more relaxed than a race-oriented gravel frame, which is appropriate. A loaded Arcadex handles better when the geometry accounts for the extra weight pushing the front end down, and riders navigating extended singletrack or rough B-roads will notice the added stability on descents. Tire clearance opens to 50mm on 700c wheels, or 45mm when running full-coverage fenders — a practical range for mixed-terrain touring in any season.

The fork is a RockShox Rudy XPLR with 30mm of travel. On extended off-road routes with weight on board, that controlled movement through rough surfaces reduces accumulated fatigue in your hands and shoulders across a long day. The Rudy XPLR tune is engineered specifically for gravel's variable demands rather than borrowed from a mountain bike platform — it handles the occasional chunk without wallowing through the smoother connective tissue between. The Arcadex arrives on Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M Classic 700x45 tires, a well-regarded tubeless-ready casing with a tread pattern that handles loose gravel and packed dirt without dragging on firmer hardpack sections.

The wheels are Velomann Terbium 30 — a 30mm-deep carbon tubeless setup that Bianchi specced specifically for the Arcadex. Thirty millimeters is a practical rim depth for a bike that will see variable conditions: deep enough to make a difference on flat pavement or long rolling descents, shallow enough to stay manageable in crosswinds when the terrain opens up. The handlebar is Velomann's Gravel ICR alloy bar with 16° of flare, 70mm reach, and 130mm drop, integrated with full internal cable routing from bar to frame. Wide flare gives control on rough descents; the ICR integration keeps the cockpit clean and reduces external cable wear over thousands of kilometers.

The drivetrain pairs SRAM Apex eTap AXS levers with a GX Eagle AXS rear derailleur — a common combination in the gravel space that brings wireless electronic shifting to a price point that makes sense here. The GX Eagle rear derailleur handles the wide cassette range needed for loaded climbing without complaint, and wireless shifting means no cable stretch to manage on a multi-day trip. The crankset is a SRAM Rival 1 Wide at 40 teeth — a sensible single-ring choice where predictable chain retention matters more than a small-ring bail-out for steep road pitches. SRAM Centerline Centerlock 160mm rotors run through Apex hydraulic disc brakes front and rear, delivering consistent lever feel regardless of conditions or how much weight is on the bike.

One detail that reveals how carefully Bianchi thought about who's actually riding this: the rear thru-axle stores 4mm, 5mm, and 6mm hex wrenches internally. On a multi-day route, losing an Allen key means not being able to adjust saddle height or torque a loose stem bolt. Bianchi built the redundancy directly into the hardware. The same orientation shows up in the fender mounts, rear rack compatibility, and a second bottle cage position below the down tube. The Arcadex is designed to be ridden loaded, modified in the field, and depended on over multiple days — not just admired on a ride-to-café Sunday. It comes in CK16/Green Water Matte (Bianchi's signature celeste) and Green/Graphite Matte, in sizes XS through XL.