Aurum Manto, the brand's first gravel bike has arrived

The new Aurum Manto is here, the bike brand of Alberto Contador and Ivan Basso incorporates to its catalog its first gravel model that, as with its road bikes, is aimed at those who aspire to maximum performance and the sportiest sensations. A real machine born to fight for the victory in the main gravel competitions of the calendar.

Aurum Manto: born to race

Aurum had a clear idea of what the concept of their bike would be when they decided to create a model for the increasingly relevant discipline of gravel. If their road Magma, or the more affordable Essentia model were bikes with pure sport genes, with aggressive geometries, enormous lightness and extreme stiffness, it was highly unlikely that they would create a gravel bike designed for bikepacking.

Obviously, the new Aurum Manto just presented by the brand are real racing machines. As the brand itself declares, a gravel Magma with specific geometry and a fast, light and agile behavior.

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That's why the first thing that catches the eye on this Manto is its aggressive geometry, very close to that of the Magma, which seeks to place the rider in a stretched and low position to achieve the best aerodynamics and power application. The only concessions to trail riding are a greater fork angle to achieve a greater trail that avoids radicalizing the front end with the use of gravel tyres. In any case, the dimensions are optimized to achieve identical behavior in each of the sizes.

Among the design choices, Aurum opted for a T47 threaded bottom bracket. The idea was to have an 86 mm wide bottom bracket shell that would provide the maximum support surface for the down tube in order to improve torsional stiffness. This frame is no less lightweight thanks to the brand's own ECT manufacturing, a method that seeks to optimize the placement of the carbon sheets so that they overlap as little as possible. The sheets are cut with total precision by laser. The process is complemented with internal latex molds to achieve maximum compaction of the fibers. Of course, each size has a specific laminate to achieve the same levels of rigidity and absorption.

Also among the design options are asymmetrical chainstays to prevent the right chainstay from interfering with the drivetrain, a common option among the best gravel bikes that allow a wide wheel clearance with which it is possible to mount tyres up to 700x45c.

Being a racing bike, aerodynamics are taken into account. To that end, Aurum has designed the Manto using truncated NACA profiles in the down tube and fork legs to save precious watts in terms of wind resistance.

A frame that is completed with the usual internal cable routing that provides cleaner lines as well as doing its bit for aerodynamics; or details such as the standard built-in protectors on chainstays, bottom bracket and base of the down tube to keep our Manto spotless despite the stones that may jump, an untimely chain slipping or the knocking of the chain due to the irregularities of the terrain.

The use of a round seatpost with a 27.2 mm diameter makes it possible for those looking for a more radical gravel bike or those who want extra confidence on descents to mount a dropper post.

Aurum Manto: models and prices

The Manto is built in 5 sizes and will initially be available in three colors that evoke places of the Spanish geography: Castile Yellow, Astur Green and Mediterranean Orange. Initially it will only be available as a single frame and fork, which will be priced at 3,499 € or with the option of purchasing it together with the seatpost and cockpit in which case the price increases to 3,999 €. In the autumn it is planned the incorporation of complete setups of which we will inform you.

Further information at aurumbikes.com