Gestalt - a name with a double meaning. On the one hand, it refers to the design of this gravel all-rounder. The challenge with a gravel bike lies in combining the characteristics of a road bike and a mountain bike both practically and visually. On the other hand, the name comes from the "Gestalt Haus" in Fairfax, a popular cyclists' hangout renowned for its excellent German beers, delicious food and even wall-mounted bike storage. The story behind it: this establishment was located just a few minutes' walk from the product development manager's apartment when he designed the bike. That is how the bikes in this series got their name.
The Marin GESTALT 2 features a double drivetrain, in contrast to the Marin GESTALT 1 with a single drivetrain. It is a versatile gravel bike that easily masters paved roads, gravel paths, forest trails and longer adventures – whether an after-work ride or a daily commute. The Marin GESTALT 2 can be upgraded to a bikepacking tour bike with ease. And all of this as an affordable BIKE UNDER €2000 - now reduced again. A high-quality gravel bike - it probably doesn't get any more affordable than this!
Radfieber presents the features and possibilities of this budget-friendly gravel bike in its own video:
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Enable Youtube videosTo ensure that the Marin GESTALT 2 GRX performs well on both unpaved trails and asphalt, a great deal had to be taken into account when selecting the equipment. In the following, you can view the equipment in detail. The texts are written so that even gravel newcomers understand what matters. Seasoned gravel enthusiasts will find a complete list of all features further down. Whether beginner or professional: don't forget that the Radfieber team is always happy to help you – whether online or in the store in person. But for now, happy reading!
"Beyond Road" means "beyond the road". And that is exactly what this bicycle frame is designed for: to cope as a cyclist even beyond asphalt.
Aluminium is a light and robust material. Beyond Road geometry means: the setup of frame and chassis sits between a road bike and a mountain bike. Everything is designed so that you ride just as well on roads as on gravel and unpaved trails. A quick comparison at a glance:
| Feature | Road bike | Beyond Road | MTB |
| Riding position | low & stretched | slightly more upright | very upright |
| Stability | low | medium | very high |
| Terrain use | asphalt | asphalt + gravel | rough terrain |
| Tire width | narrow | medium to wide | very wide |
| Comfort | sporty | comfortable | very comfortable |
The Series 3 Beyond Road frame made of 6061 aluminium offers an optimal balance between strength and weight efficiency. "Relieved BB" on a bicycle frame means that the bottom bracket (BB) shell is recessed or thinned/milled at certain points to save frame weight or to specifically influence stiffness. The Series 3 Beyond Road frame features a tapered head tube. Additional extras include internal cable routing and mounting points for fenders and racks.
Here is a full carbon fork from Marin, white edition of the GESTALT 2, also used on Marin's mountain bikes. Thanks to threaded eyelets, additional fenders can be mounted.
Bicycle forks hold the front wheel and connect the handlebar to the bicycle frame. There are cylindrical (straight) fork steerer tubes, also in oversized (extra thick) versions. A tapered fork steerer (thicker at the bottom than at the top), also called a "tapered steerer", is nowadays the standard for MTB, road bike, e-bike and gravel. Why? A tapered steerer is more stable under braking and impact loads. Furthermore, a tapered steerer is stiffer in the area of the fork crown (the area above the fork legs that connects the fork to the head tube), which enables more precise steering. And not least, a tapered steerer weighs less than a uniformly thick steerer.
The thicker the thru-axle, the more stable the steering and front wheel. The carbon fork of the Marin Gestalt 2 features a 12 mm thru-axle. Bicycles with lower requirements and rim brakes get by with fewer millimetres. 12 mm, however, has become the standard for modern mountain bikes and is therefore also used on this gravel bike.
On the Marin Gestalt 2, a so-called "Sealed Cartridge Bearings" headset from FSA connects the fork steerer and the head tube; a sealed cartridge bearing that runs smoothly and requires little maintenance.
The carbon fork of the Marin GESTALT 2 GRX was developed specifically for the "Beyond Road" geometry of the bike. Carbon is considerably lighter than aluminium. This reduces the overall weight of the bike even further, leading to quicker responsiveness and better acceleration. In addition, carbon optimally absorbs vibrations and small impacts. On rough ground, this offers more comfort and less fatigue, especially since the Marin GESTALT 2 GRX is unsuspended.
Unsuspended means that the bicycle has neither a suspension fork nor rear suspension. A rigid fork and a rigid rear end offer the following advantages:
Speaking of pedalling efficiency: the force of your leg is transferred better on an unsuspended bicycle than, for example, on a suspended mountain bike, where part of the force is lost in absorbing the suspension (the "flexing" of the frame). However, there are also unsuspended mountain bikes (so-called hardtails). And a gravel bike does not have to be suspended either. The Marin GESTALT 2 GRX is therefore a light gravel bike that demands as little of your energy as possible on gravel tours and asphalt stretches.
OSO flat pedals from Marin made of nylon composite. Concave shape for optimal grip.
Marin Butted Alloy, Compact 12º Flared Drop - that describes the handlebar of the Marin Gestalt 2. What does flared drop mean? Flared drop means that the drops are splayed outwards (flare angle).
There are other handlebar shapes on bicycles, for example:
Flared drop or flared drop bars are commonly used on all-road bikes, such as cyclocross bikes or indeed gravel bikes. Curve, width and angle can vary. The handlebar ends of the Marin Gestalt 2 angle outwards by 12°. This again shows that the Marin Gestalt 2 is designed as an all-rounder. At 12°, it is a moderate angle that leans neither too far towards a road bike nor too far towards a mountain bike. The term "Compact" additionally describes handlebars that are not curved down as steeply as road bike handlebars.
And what does "butted alloy" mean? "Alloy" stands for aluminium alloy. "Butted" means that the handlebar is rolled thicker or thinner at certain points. The tube is not equally thick over its entire length, but thicker at load points and thinner at less stressed points. The Marin Gestalt 2 therefore features an aluminium handlebar that is thicker at the right points and thinner at others, optimally combining stability and the lowest possible weight.
In addition, the grips or handlebar tape of the Marin Gestalt 2 consist of "perforated tape" - perforated tape. This means that small holes or perforations make the material grippier, more breathable and lighter. This prevents sweaty hands during sporty activities or longer rides.
The Marin Gestalt 2 features so-called integrated brake levers. The braking and shifting function are combined in one pair of levers. This means you can brake and shift from the same lever. Since you don't have to reach for the shifter first, you can act more quickly during sporty riding. That is why combined shift-brake levers are mainly used on road bikes, gravel bikes and higher-quality touring bikes.
Here is how the Shimano brake levers with integrated shifter work:
*1: Changing from high to low gears (shifting down)
*2: Changing from low to high gears (shifting up)
The Shimano GRX 400 2×10-speed drivetrain on the Marin GESTALT 2 GRX was developed specifically for gravel and all-road use. It combines the reliability and durability of traditional Shimano technology with a gear range tuned for off-road riding. This drivetrain offers reliable and precise gears for steep climbs and fast sections.
The Shimano GRX 400 2×10-speed drivetrain features 2 chainrings (large gears) at the front: this is what is known as a double drivetrain. It serves the purpose of expanding the gear range (number of gears) of a bicycle. Bicycles with classic derailleur gearing such as the Marin GESTALT 2 GRX are generally equipped with either a single drivetrain or a double drivetrain. (There are also triple drivetrains. Triple drivetrains offer even more gears, but are less common than modern 1x or 2x systems because of their weight and complexity.)
Why does the Marin GESTALT 2 GRX feature a double drivetrain? A single drivetrain is certainly lighter and lower-maintenance than a double drivetrain. However, a double drivetrain is better suited to flat asphalt stretches, long climbs and changing terrain. That is why the Marin GESTALT 2 GRX, with its Shimano GRX 400 2×10-speed drivetrain, is a gravel all-rounder.
In addition to the two large chainrings at the front, the Shimano GRX 400 2×10-speed drivetrain features 10 small rear gears (sprockets). Modern drivetrains usually have 9-12 sprockets. Older and historic bicycles have fewer sprockets; the single-speed bicycle, with only one gear or without gear shifting, usually has just one sprocket. Road bikes and mountain bikes have 10-12 sprockets. Since the gravel bike represents a blend of road bike and MTB, the Shimano GRX 400 2×10-speed drivetrain of the Marin GESTALT 2 GRX is equipped with ten sprockets.
The pedals are attached to the crankset. This crankset is moved when you pedal. A crankset can have one, two or three chainrings in different sizes. Chainrings are gears. The larger a chainring, the more teeth it has. Small chainrings (fewer teeth) produce easy gears and make it easier to ride uphill. Large chainrings (more teeth) are the hard gears and allow you to ride faster.
The chainring configuration or chainring combination of a crankset describes the number and arrangement of the chainrings. Whereas 50/34 is a typical compact road crankset or 48/36/26 a classic trekking or MTB triple crankset, 46/30 double cranksets are popular on gravel bikes.
SHIMANO's FC-RX600 46/30T crankset is exactly such a crankset. It is lightweight and, thanks to the close gear steps, you can maintain a regular cadence even on mixed terrain.
Because hydraulic disc brakes are closed systems, rain, mud or snow can hardly affect the braking force. Furthermore, hydraulics amplify the pressure, so you need less force at the brake lever. This spares your hands on long rides or technical trails where frequent braking is required.
That is why hydraulic disc brakes, in contrast to mechanical disc brakes or rim brakes, are preferred on off-road bicycles such as mountain bikes, trekking and touring bikes and of course also gravel bikes. On road bikes, hydraulic disc brakes have become the standard. More and more city bikes, e-bikes and cargo bikes use hydraulic disc brakes because of their higher weight, for better control in all weather conditions.
The 160 mm disc (rotor) of the Shimano hydraulic disc brake fitted to the Marin GESTALT 2 GRX is powerful enough to reliably stop an off-road bike while remaining light enough to keep the overall weight of the bicycle low. Larger rotors with a diameter of 180 mm and above are used more on mountain bikes or heavily loaded e-bikes. Smaller rotors overheat too quickly when braking frequently on long descents. The 160 mm rotors of the Shimano hydraulic disc brake are therefore ideal for a gravel bike.
Zilent – as the name suggests, the tires are silent - quiet. Drawing on the long-standing expertise of the parent company Vee Rubber Group from the automotive and motorcycle industries, the Zilent from Vee Tire Co offers special rubber compounds for low rolling resistance. The state-of-the-art construction ensures high load capacity, increased puncture resistance, optimal cornering grip and revolutionary cornering characteristics.
The wheels (rim, spokes and hub) of the Marin Gestalt 2 feature a so-called "double wall", in contrast to wheels with only a single wall. A double-wall rim has an outer wall (visible from the outside) and an additional inner wall within the rim profile. This creates a hollow chamber (or two chambers) that makes the rim more stable. "Double wall" describes a doubly constructed rim wall – i.e. a two-chamber rim construction. Double-wall rims are not only more stable, they also dissipate brake heat better and offer better spoke nipple support. On double-wall rims, the spoke nipples are not only supported by thin rim material, but are carried and guided by a second inner rim wall. This ensures that the force of the spoke is distributed over more material, the nipple sits more securely and does not "sink in", and the hole is less likely to tear out (lower risk of tearing), especially under heavy load. That is why such wheels are the standard on modern gravel bikes, among others.
Furthermore, the wheels of the Marin 2 are "tubeless compatible", meaning that tubeless tires can also be mounted - tires without an inner tube. Such tires offer several advantages, especially for gravel riders. Radfieber will be happy to advise you on alternative bicycle tires - see also our video at the beginning.
Getting the weekly shopping done, tackling the daily ride to the office in any weather or going on a longer bicycle tour - you can do all of this with this gravel bike. The Marin GESTALT 2 GRX can be upgraded depending on your intended use. It offers the following mounting options:
Marin Nicasio 1 ST
