УТ Szepter

Part gravel bike, part mountain bike, all fun

- PETE MUIR

We’re all on the spectrum. When it comes to gravel riding, some of us are nearer the end of the spectrum marked ‘Road’, while others prefer to operate closer to the end marked ‘Mountain Bike’. Me? I’m definitely at the road end. To my mind, a gravel ride should have the speed and feel of a road ride, only on rougher paths and without the threat of motor traffic. The YT Szepter, on the other hand, exists right at the other end of the gravel spectrum, fizzing as it is with mountain bike DNA. By all accounts we shouldn’t get along at all, but then isn’t that the premise of all the best buddy movies?

Whose bike is it, anyway? 

YT isn’t a brand that will be familiar to most roadies. That’s because it’s a German mountain bike specialist, complete with rowdy lightning bolt logo, and the Szepter gravel bike is its first foray into unfamiliar territory. Just a glance at the Szepter gives away its mountain bike roots.

There’s the low-slung geometry, with a long wheelbase and dramatically sloped top tube. There’s the dropper post and suspension fork. There’s the chunky tyres and stubby, built-in mudguards. There’s the set of luggage mounts on the underside of the top tube – something not seen anywhere else, and seemingly waiting for a compatible frame bag that doesn’t yet exist.