BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Canadian brand Argon 18 has introduced what it is, in effect, describing as the Swiss Army Knife of gravel bikes with the launch of the all-new 2025 Dark Matter.
How can one bike do almost all for gravel fans? First up, there’s the 57mm tyre clearance. Then there’s the Integrated storage. Add to this “adventure-specific geometry” and you likely get the picture.
The launch announcement states, “We know adventure gravel throws a lot at you: ruts and rocks, washboard and washouts, remote single track and dusty country roads. No matter what the adventure has in store, the all-new 2025 Dark Matter lets you get over it.”
So far, so gravel. Exploring the details, what’s highlighted includes:
- A 100-150 gram weight savings over the previous version.
- Multi-location mounting points
- Integrated storage
- Optimised for a 1x drivetrain.
- Ability to run a 2x drivetrain, suspension fork, or dropper post, making the bike adaptable to the way gravel riders want to ride.
“Gravel riders define their own roads and require versatility in a bike, so that they can go wherever the ride takes them,” says Alexandre Coté, product director at Argon 18. “The new Dark Matter prepares you for the unscripted and unmapped. It’s not just about performance—it’s about purpose.”
The Dark Matter has been designed and engineered as “a high-performance gravel bike” with an emphasis on being “made to take on the tough stuff”.
If all this ‘performance’ talk is making you question how this Dark Matter will fare when loaded for multiday bikepacking, the brand points to “Adventure-specific geometry balances long-distance comfort with control, aiming to provide confidence even when the road surface changes radically”.
The 2025 Dark Matter has, we’re told, “been designed to achieve specific handling characteristics” with a longer wheelbase and longer chainstays than the previous version, and also a slightly longer reach (between 5-15mm, size dependent) and higher stack (10mm). The head tube angle is also one degree slacker than earlier versions.
“The Dark Matter is a versatile but fast gravel bike. Whether bikepacking or riding full gas, this bike can handle it all,” says pro gravel rider Danni Shrosbree.
With integrated downtube storage and multiple mounting points for bottles, racks, and fenders, “the Dark Matter can go fully loaded for the long haul—or stripped back for maximum speed”.
At launch, the 2025 Dark Matter is available in three build specs:
Shimano GRX at £3,500, SRAM Rival XPLR AXS at £4,500, and SRAM Force XPLR AXS at £6,500.
UK retailers interested in exploring the Argon 18 range and hearing more about the Dark Matter should contact UK sales manager, Alex Croucher, via alex.croucher@argon18.com
