It isn’t that often a frame constructed by hand, entirely in the USA rolls through the office and when the Alchemy Ronin Carbon came by, we jumped on the opportunity to do something fun. So with the help of some brands we work with on a regular basis, we went to work. The end result was a mind-blowing ride.

Meet the Alchemy Ronin Carbon, made in Colorado, this NAHBS award-winning carbon gravel bike is designed to offer an optimal blend of vertical compliance and lateral stiffness for multi-surface, multi-purpose riding. While not the most compliant bike in their lineup, the end result is a bike that likes to be ridden fast. We’ll be doing a more extensive review on it in the future, but for now, let’s just say you won’t be disappointed with the ride quality.

If you’re like most of us, a typical ‘gravel’ ride combines pavement, gravel, and even a little singletrack; this bike excels on all these surfaces. As with all Alchemy’s bikes, it’s designed to be exceptionally versatile, and we think you’ll agree it’s the quintessential ‘go-anywhere’ bike. The Alchemy Ronin Carbon is purpose-built for speed and comfort on gravel/dirt, but remains plenty efficient for long, fast paved-road efforts, even if there’s no dirt on your route.

Alchemy Ronin Custom Build Specs:

Frame / ForkAlchemy Ronin Carbon, handmade in the U.S.A. 58cm
Alchemy custom paint in Robin Egg Blue and nude logosHeadsetCane Creek 40 SeriesHandlebars ZIPP SL-70 Aero 44cmStemZIPP Service Course 110mm – AlloyBar TapeZIPP SaddleVelo Angel Glide+ Seatpost SRAM XPLR AXS Reverb 100mm drop (27.2)Shifters SRAM Force AXS HDR (Read our SRAM Force AXS Review)BrakesSRAM ForceRear DerailleurSRAM Force XPLRCranksetSRAM Force with Quarq Powermeter. 175mm Chain SRAM AXSCassette SRAM XPLR 10-44WheelsHunt Carbon 42 Limitless GravelTiresKenda Alluvium – 700x40c coffee sidewalls Sealant Orange SealCagesElite Vico Carbon ExtrasLizard Skins Bike Protection

Three bottle mounts plus a bento box mount on the top tube will keep you fueled for hours.

Made in the U.S.A. Gravel Bike

Owner Ryan Cannizzaro founded Alchemy Bicycles in Austin, Texas, in 2008 and moved the company to Denver in 2012 to be at the epicenter of the outdoor industry boom. All their carbon road and gravel bikes are made in the U.S.A. Now their offices are located in Golden, Colorado.

Road and gravel bikes are also custom painted in their Golden, Colorado location with a endless possibility of colors, designs and finishes. We opted for a Robin Egg Blue with raw carbon logos. Learn more about this paint job and Alchemy’s September paint promo at the bottom of this page.

Our build featured the HUNT 42 Limitless Gravel wheels. This wide (25mm interior) 42mm deep wheelset is a lightweight and fast wheelset that offers lots of air volume.

We opted for the SRAM AXS XPLR dropper which integrates perfectly with the AXS XPLR 1x system. Since the group is lacking a front derailleur, a tap of both levers gives you the option to raise or lower the dropper. No cables or extra levers, and no pain in the ass routing.

You can never see “Handmade in Colorado” too many times. The Hunt Limitless 42 wheels and 40c Kenda Alluvium tires hold some volume but the frame handles them well.

A More Traditional Frame Design

No double chainrings here. That is not by our choice or our friends at SRAM, the Alchemy Ronin Carbon is straight up single in the front. One of the most aesthetically pleasing things on this bike is the lack of a dropped chainstay. By avoiding the option for a 2x upfront they can get clearance for a 45c tire and leave the stay in place.

The SRAM Force 1 AXS PowerMeter provides power readings that are accurate within +/-1.5% and aren’t affected by climate conditions during a ride.

SRAM XPLR Groupset

The XPLR collection features components from SRAM and RockShox that are designed for an era of drop bar riding. Tailored to the needs of drop bar riders, SRAM’s new 1x-specific XPLR AXS wireless drivetrains target a gearing sweet spot. With a 10-44T cassette and matching derailleur you can pair with SRAM Force AXS or SRAM Red AXS,

Get a Custom Paint Job on Your Alchemy Ronin

Now we didn’t get too crazy on our design, it is a simple matte finish with nude carbon for the logos, but the folks at Alchemy can get pretty freak’n creative. I had the chance to stop by their facility in Golden, Colorado a few weeks ago and there were some serious masterpieces in the works. So go wild!

Start your custom painted Alchemy Ronin by visiting Alchemy Bikes. Also, Bryce in the little chat window is super helpful.

Alchemy Custom Paint Process

If you are looking to customize the paint on your bike frame here is what the process looks like:

Place your order for your bike (frame or complete) and select custom paint

Dream up your paint scheme

An Alchemy team member will connect with you and build a paint mock and discuss costs

We confirm pricing, specific shades of color , and get your approval to proceed

Your frame is handed off to our painter then built to your spec

Lead times on Alchemy custom paint jobs typically add 2-3 weeks to your quoted build time and paint costs do vary. Visit Alchemy Bikes to learn more.

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