Gravel (GX Series)
Origin
vsf fahrradmanufaktur was founded in 1994 in Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, as a manufacturer's cooperative (the initials stand for 'Verbund Service und Fahrrad') built by independent German bike dealers who wanted durable, no-nonsense touring and trekking bikes free of throwaway fashion. For three decades the brand became a byword among expedition and world-tour cyclists for its bombproof chromoly steel frames, sensible component choices and a repair-forever ethos. In 2021 the company applied that same touring DNA to the gravel category, launching the limited GX-1200 1st Edition (only 50 built, Columbus Zona steel, Campagnolo Ekar) and quickly expanding it into a full GX series that now runs from the accessible GX-400/GX-500 to the Ekar-equipped GX-900 flagship, all hand-welded in Oldenburg. The gravel bikes are a natural evolution rather than a trend-chase: steel, luggage mounts everywhere, and geometry tuned for loaded all-day riding rather than podium sprints.
Specifications
- Frame
- Steel: chromoly 25CrMo4 double-butted (GX-500 to GX-900); Reynolds 725 CrMo on GXQ-800; Columbus Zona on GX-1200 special edition. Welded in Oldenburg, Germany
- Weight
- kg
- Drivetrain
- Groupset varies by trim: SRAM Apex 1x12 (GX-500), SRAM Apex XPLR AXS (GX-700), Shimano GRX RX822 2x12 (GX-600) / GRX Di2 RX825 (GX-800), Shimano GRX 800 2x12 (GXQ-800), Campagnolo Ekar 1x13 (GX-900 / GX-1200)
- Brakes
- Hydraulic flat-mount disc, 160/160 mm across the range (SRAM Apex, Shimano GRX BR-RX820, or Campagnolo Ekar depending on trim)
- Wheels
- Trim-dependent: KT 19C alloy rims (GX-500), Newmen Performance 30 (GXQ-800), Mavic CXP Pro 30 / Campagnolo N3W (GX-900), Campagnolo Shamal Carbon N3W (GX-1200). SON 28 dynamo hub on higher trims
The verdict
- German-made hand-welded steel frame with a 10-year warranty and expedition-grade durability
- Genuinely touring/bikepacking-ready: 20+ eyelets, dynamo lighting, suspension-fork-ready frames on higher trims
- Very stable, comfortable, composed handling on loaded long-distance and mixed-surface rides
- Heavy for the money versus carbon gravel rivals (GX-500 ~11.7 kg; dynamo GXQ-800 ~13 kg)
- Touring geometry is stable rather than lively — not a race or fast-singletrack weapon
- Campagnolo Ekar shifting on the flagships can feel imprecise; external/cable-tie routing is fiddly to clean
Generations
2021 launch (GX-1200 1st Edition)
- Halo limited edition (50 units) that introduced the GX gravel platform — carbon wheels, lightest build.
- Wheels
- Campagnolo Shamal Carbon
- Frame
- Columbus Zona steel
2024-2026 full GX series
- Broadened into a full range from value SRAM Apex (GX-500) to Ekar flagship (GX-900) plus dynamo-touring GXQ trims; heavier, more affordable, touring-focused.
- Wheels
- Alloy to carbon by trim
- Frame
- Chromoly / Reynolds 725 steel
Versions & builds
Every official build side by side — differences highlighted.
| Spec | CurrentGX-500 | CurrentGX-700 | CurrentGX-600 | CurrentGX-800 | CurrentGXQ-800 (touring/dynamo) | CurrentGX-900 Ekar | GX-1200 1st Edition (limited, 50 built) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2026 | 2026 | 2024 | 2021 |
| Frame | Chromoly steel | Chromoly steel | Chromoly steel | Chromoly steel | Reynolds 725 CrMo, suspension-fork-ready, 130 kg load | Steel 25CrMo4 double-butted | Columbus Zona 25CrMo4 double-butted |
| Drivetrain | SRAM Apex 1x12 (40t / 11-44t) | SRAM Apex XPLR AXS 1x12 (electronic) | Shimano GRX RX822 2x12 | Shimano GRX Di2 RX825 2x12 (electronic) | Shimano GRX 800 2x12 (48/31 x 11-36) | Campagnolo Ekar 1x13 (40t / 10-44t) | Campagnolo Ekar 1x13 (40t / 10-44t) |
| Brakes | SRAM Apex hydraulic disc 160/160 | SRAM hydraulic disc 160/160 | Shimano GRX hydraulic disc 160/160 | Shimano GRX hydraulic disc 160/160 | Shimano GRX BR-RX820 disc 160/160 | Campagnolo Ekar disc 160/160 | Campagnolo Ekar disc 160/160 |
| MSRP | €2,400 | €2,800 | €2,600 | €3,600 | €3,300 | €4,999 | €6,000 |
| Purpose | Value | Balanced | Balanced | Flagship | Flagship | Flagship | Flagship |
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