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The Romax Steel Bike Crushes Cycling Adventures With Impeccable Canadian Craftsmanship

For decades, cyclists were privy to nothing more than steel as a bicycle building material. Soon after, aluminum, carbon fiber, and titanium followed. However, recent technological advancements have led to steel climbing back up the cycling ladder.
Romax Steel Bike 20 photos
Photo: Brodie Bicycles
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Folks, the trinket we have before us today has been dubbed the Romax Steel, a gravel, adventure, and road bike wrapped up into one neat shiny package. What does this mean for the modern cyclist? Nothing more than a machine that can be used just about anywhere you want, as long as you abide by the bike’s limitations.

One way to understand a bit about what’s happening with this machine is to look at the crew behind it, in this case, Brodie Bicycles. If you’ve never heard of this crew, it’s because they’re based out of Canada, and considering most countries have locally owned and operated cycling businesses, it’s no wonder.

Sure, you may be thinking that a bike from a small shop may not have the same prestige as more prominent name brands like Trek, Specialized, and others, but the benefit of grabbing a bike from a privately owned shop is that they usually offer their future customers a tad more attention than the better-known cycling manufacturers. All that brings us to the Romax Steel.

Romax Steel Frame
Photo: Brodie Bicycles
As you may have figured things out by now, this beauty is built out of nothing more than steel. One thing I need to point out about the frame is that it’s a Columbus THRON construction with heat-treated seat stays. While it’s not specified how heavy this frame may be, THRON frames usually average around 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) per frame, relatively light if you ask me.

Now, the most basic Romax Steel will run $3,200 (€2,970 at current exchange rates), and for that price, you’ll be purchasing a bike that rocks 650b x 37c tires and a Shimano GRX drivetrain. This includes a GRX-800 front derailleur and an Ultegra RX800GS rear derailleur. GRX-600 shifters work a chain on an 11-32T cassette.

Higher up the price scale, Brodie offers the Adventure 2 build set with WTB Riddler tires tuned to 700 x 37c. This option is selling for $3,400 (€3,150). The Race 1 package drops other derailleurs and a cassette with a more extensive range, an SLX with 11-42T, and is selling for $3,225 (€2,995). No matter what setup you select, you’ll work with a 2X drivetrain, but all that can be changed once you have the bike in your possession.

Romax Steel Frame
Photo: Brodie Bicycles
But, how’s all that going to feel, and how far can you explore? While searching the Brodie Bikes website, I ran across a YouTube video showcasing exactly what this machine can achieve. In it, we can see riders exploring everything from asphalt to single-tracks and even trails you would typically explore using a cross-country bike. Sure, the bike isn’t built to take any drops, and the lack of suspension clearly indicates this, but that doesn’t mean you can’t crush on rockier ground.

Diving deeper into all that is Romax, I noticed countless mounts tattered all over the bike. Honestly, by the time you’re done preparing this trinket for your next adventurous ride, you should be able to fill the front triangle with cargo bags, toolkits, and several water bottles. Guess what? The rear of the bike can handle cargo racks too.

What does all this mean for you? It simply means a bike that you can ride nearly any time of year, on almost any terrain, and one that’s ready to take you as far as your legs can carry you. What more could you want? I’m sure you can find a way to haggle with your dealership.

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About the author: Cristian Curmei
Cristian Curmei profile photo

A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
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