I have been eying Rodeo Labs Trail Donkey 4.2 but the price is just a wallet killer for the frame only. I have been looking more at the Ari Shafer 3.0 for bike packing, gravel races, and mix of road and pavement rides. My current bike is a Lynskey GR300 which has 40mm slicks on it. Great bike and love it going to transition it into more of my traveling bike since it's TI won't be too worried about it on the planes.
by XC29er
20 Comments
I think it’s a very rowdy gravel bike. Like MTB tires fit in there.
Would buy it if I was shopping right now. I have the 2.0.
If I were to buy a carbon gravel bike “off the shelf”, it would probably be a Lauf or Ari. Want that tire clearance and do anything capability.
Instead for my latest build I went with a build out. Started with a carbon hard tail XC frame. Was cheaper than getting a Rodeo Labs or even Salsa frameset.
I say this every time this bike comes up in this sub. I wish it had more mounting points. It’s exactly the bike I’m looking for but I need a rack mount on the back.
That’s a nice looking hard tail MTB right there.
I’ve only got pavement miles on mine so far, but loving it. I got the elite, I think. Swapped the wheels out for a pair of elitewheels gravel aero plus.
One thing that’s pretty minor, but still pissed me off is, that it doesn’t come with a bag for the frame storage. It wouldnt have stopped me buying the bike, but I never saw that mentioned anywhere and was pretty bummed a $4000 bike didn’t come with a matched bag for the storage.
Ari Shaffir
Everyone I know is really happy with their Aris. If I were buying a new gravel bike and looking for big tires I’d shop this against the Lauf Seigla.
Absolutely love mine. On a group ride, it’s the center of attention.
Only time I really listen to him is Protect Our Parks episodes
I just bought that exact one about 20 minutes ago
Very nice, but not sure why I’d choose it over a Lauf Seigla
I very much want this bike, but with the road tires and the rigid fork
I like it, except one thing: no option to ever use a front derailleur …
I’ll never be able to look past their original name Fezzari and this paying homage to it. I don’t care if it’s the best bike ever made. And I hate that I live so close to their headquarters and see them everywhere😵💫
I bought a new bike last summer – a Propain Terrel – I searched long and hard to find the bike that checked all of the boxes for me and the Terrel does, however a couple months later ARI released this and I think if I had waited my decision would have been a bit more difficult. These look really nice to me…
you can like it
I like the big-tire gravel bikes, but I think you have it backwards a bit: the Lynskey with its Ti frame is what should be the bikepacking “i don’t worry about straps f-in the paint and/or eating into carbon” frame, and this would be the “fool around short adventure” and/or give it a go in racing bike, although with marathon XC races seeming to be banning drop-bars for the next few years at least, these “monster-gravel” bikes seem to becoming late to the party.
I used my gravel bike >90% on “MTB” trails, so the Shafer is definately attractive for what I have available round me – for what is worth. Also liked what Lauf has been doing with the Seigla for the same reasons.
That is an objectively ugly bike. Change my mind.
I love mine. It’s my first drop bar bike so I don’t have much to go off of.
One thing I’d say is if you’re considering going down a size in the frame, don’t.
I’m 6’ 0” and went with the large and fits me perfectly.