By The Takeaway: The Libre DL is a gravel bike that pushes the limits and challenges your idea of what a gravel bike is.
- The lightweight carbon frame and fork help it feel quick and lively on pavement.
- A high stack and wide bar feel great on trails and gravel roads.
- SRAM Force 1x drivetrain offers aggressive gearing for riders who want to push it hard.
Price: $3,999
Weight: 18.9 lb. (55cm)
More Images
The Kona Libre DL will challenge your idea of what a gravel bike should be. The lightweight carbon frame and fork and SRAM Force 1x drivetrain provide an aggressive edge, while the wide handlebar and high stack height give it a playful side. It’s the kind of bike that doesn’t fit into any particular mold, and that’s the point. It’s capable enough to be ridden hard at a gravel grinder yet versatile enough that it’s still really fun to ride on singletrack and paved roads alike.
If speed is your thing, you’ll like the 700c wheels, which—even with fenders—allow you to run up to 45mm tires. If rowdy riding speaks to you or you like to slow it down and roll on something softer, 650b wheels with some fatties will make this bike feel like a rigid drop-bar mountain bike. The frame is outfitted with eyelet mounts for bottles, racks, and fenders, and has internal routing for both a front derailleur and an internal dropper post.
Pros
- Carbon frame and fork
- Takes 700c and 650b wheels
- Huge tire clearance
Cons
- Some riders may want lower gears
- Stack height may be too tall for riders who want an aggressive position
Lightweight Carbon Frame That’s Dropper Post Compatible
The Libre DL has a lightweight carbon frame and fork and weighs 18.9 pounds—not bad for such a big bike with aluminum wheels. And while its light weight is a bonus for quickly reaching the top of climbs, and nothing about this bike would prevent you from tackling gravel grinders, its high stack height, wide 51cm handlebar (with a 5cm flare), generous tire clearance, and copious mounts puts it closer to the adventurous end of the gravel spectrum. The wide and high handlebar is great for maneuvering off-road, especially on trails and steep descents, and the carbon frame and fork offer great vibration-damping qualities. The bike comes with Easton EA70AX 700c wheels, but it can also accommodate 650b hoops, if that’s your preference. The Libre DL makes a great, everyday, all-around bike as it does a commuter, light bike-packing, and adventure bike.
Clearance for Big Tires
There’s room for 700x45mm or 650x47mm tires—even with fenders.
WTB Riddler Tires
Low-profile center knobs and larger outer knobs offer better control while cornering in dirt.
Dropper Ready
The Libre DL is compatible with 80–120mm internally routed dropper posts.
Internal Routing
Internal cable routing keeps the dirt out and makes for a clean appearance.
2x Compatible
The frame can accommodate a front derailleur, complete with internal cable routing.
Adventurous types will appreciate the sheer volume of stuff that can be carried on this bike. The main frame boasts mounts for four bottles: two on the down tube, one underneath, and one on the seat tube. Eyelets on the top tube can take a bento box, and the rear triangle can accept a pannier rack and fenders. Even the fork is loaded with eyelets, sporting four on each blade to mount a variety of racks to carry more supplies, as well as a fender.
Although this model sports a 1x drivetrain, the frame is set up to take a front derailleur and has internal routing for all of the cables, as well as an internally routed dropper post.
SRAM Force 1x
A complete SRAM Force 1x11-speed drivetrain is a popular choice for gravel and adventure bikes. A 40t chainring paired with a 10-42 cassette is an aggressive gearing choice. That’s a combination more commonly seen on cyclocross bikes and certainly gives riders plenty of go-fast gearing. But some riders may want to use a smaller chainring to get some lower options, especially if the intent is to load the bike down with gear. If you want a better gearing range, the Libre boasts the same frame as the Libre DL but offers a Shimano 105 2x11-speed drivetrain, which retains the go-fast gearing but offers more on the low end.
Style: Gravel
Sizes: 46, 49, 51, 54, 55cm
Material: Carbon
Drivetrain: SRAM Force 1x
Cassette: 10-42
Chainring: 40t
Brakes: SRAM Force hydraulic disc
Rotors: 160mm
Wheel Size: 700c
Tires: WTB Riddler, 45mm
Tire clearance: 700x45mm, 650x47mm
Libre Family
The Libre DL reviewed here costs $3,999. Save yourself a thousand bucks and you can have the Libre, which trades the SRAM Force 1x for a Shimano 105 2x drivetrain and the 700c wheels for 650b. The carbon frame and fork remain the same. Keep another grand in your pocket and get just the Libre frameset.
High Stack With a Short Seat Tube
On paper, this bike looks a little unorthodox. It has a really long head tube (230.4mm) that comes along with a very high stack (660mm), yet it also has an unusually short seat tube (550mm) that doesn’t seem to match a bike that’s made to fit riders who normally ride bikes in the 58 to 61cm range. The 394mm reach, however, is more typical for a bike this size.
There are several factors at play here. First, raising the handlebar is simply more comfortable over the long haul, especially on rough terrain. An ancillary benefit is if you do take this bike on steep downhills or hit the trails with it, the high handlebar shifts your weight off the front wheel and helps you feel more stable and less like you’re going to take an unplanned trip over the front of your bike. On flat terrain, the high stack and wide bar (51cm center to center at the hoods) gives riders a wide perch on the tops that feels similar to riding a mountain bike with a narrow bar.
Speaking of mountain bikes, the reason Kona cut the seat tube so short, according to the company’s Product Manager Mark Allison, was to allow riders the option to add a dropper post. Before you deem droppers on gravel bikes unnecessary, consider the versatility. A dropper post opens up terrain possibilities, from pavement to gravel to root-riddled trails and more.
Freedom to Ride It All
You might be inclined to ask, “Why not just get a hardtail mountain bike?” or any other question that suggests you get a bike that’s more purpose-built for one task or another. But that misses the point of this bike. Road bikes are designed to perform at their best on pavement but have limitations on non-paved surfaces, and mountain bikes are the undisputed kings of the trails. Gravel bikes represent freedom and choice, the ability to ride a wide variety of terrain. You don’t get on a gravel bike because you want to shred trails or chase Strava KOMs. You get on a gravel bike because it allows you to ride more places without pushing the limits of your bike. That’s where the Libre DL comes into play. But even to label it as a gravel bike is limiting.
The Libre DL is a bike that lets you head out for a ride guided by your whim and sense of adventure. You needn’t avoid a trail that looks fun because your bike won’t handle it well, and you don’t have to shy away from long stretches of pavement because your bike feels like you’re dragging a weighted sled when you hit the streets. You won’t set any land speed records on the Libre DL, but you’ll revel in the freedom to ride just about anywhere on any given ride.
You’ll also revel in the freedom of a single bike that’s a solid choice for a gravel grinder, good for a weekend bikepacking adventure, and also a great commuter bike. If you like riding to work, imagine what your commute might look like if you’re not limited to pavement. Maybe your ride starts in a suburban environment, cuts through a trail network that leads to a rail trail, and dumps you out in the center of town. Sounds fun, doesn't it?
4 Cycling GPS Computers We Recommend
Everything we love about the BOLT, but with new on-device navigation capabilities, as well as integration with Singletracks and MTB Project.
Garmin Edge 1030
Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt
