First Look: The Fustle Lakelander Gravel Race Bike Floats Vibration-Damping Linkage – Outside Magazine

Powered by OutsideBe one of the first to try our new activity feed! Tap “Home” to explore.Northern Ireland’s Fustle releases its very first gravel race bike, packing an elastomer-sprung linkage to deliver 12.5mm of rear wheel travel called the Fustle Lakelander.Over the last few years, we’ve seen a growth in the number of suspension products aimed specifically at gravel bikes. From vibration-damping suspension seat posts and stems, to inverted fork designs and hydraulically damped rear shocks, there’s a good amount of innovation going on in this space, and I for one am here for it. It is unlikely to become ubiquitous owing to the weight penalty it carries, but I will float the idea that most riders stand to benefit from the cushion and comfort that a bit of compliance can bring.Alastair Beckett, the owner and head engineer at Fustle, figures that is the case. His latest creation, only the second Fustle to roll out of Northern Ireland, is the Lakelander gravel bike, equipped with a modest 12.5mm of give in the rear end. It is aptly named after the infamous Lakelander Gravel Grinder, an allegedly grueling gravel sportive that takes in 100km of County Fermanagh’s wilderness, featuring numerous filming locations of Game of Thrones.Alastair is no stranger to the world of bicycle suspension, having developed several well-known full suspension mountain bikes as the owner of Redburn Design – including models from Marin, Forbidden and Privateer. While 160mm of rear wheel travel necessitates hydraulic damping for control, it is arguably not so essential in the case of a gravel bike with just 12.5mm of compliance.  Rear suspension on gravel bikes is of course, not new. Perhaps the most well-known example comes in the form of the Specialized Diverge STR, which features 30mm of hydraulically-damped suspension. There is an important distinction to make between the two, however.The linkage of the Fustle Lakelander is arranged to permit 12.5mm of rear wheel travel, with the carbon stays flexing, driving the top-tube mounted link into an elastomer. On the Diverge STR, it is the seat tube that is suspended, and so that 30mm of travel is only truly relevant to the rider when they are in the seat pedaling position. The linkage-driven compliance in the rear-end of the Fustle is relevant at all times, whether the rider is hamming on the pedals up a climb, or standing on them as they navigate a chunky gravel descent.The linkage assembly is bolted into the top tube, and two sets of sealed cartridge bearings mediate articulation of the link as it drives the flexing stays into the 30a durometer elastomer. All frame sizes run the very same elastomer.The Lakelander joins the Causeway in the Fustle range as the more race-oriented affair. The complete bike with its carbon frame comes in around 1.1 kg lighter than the more adventure-oriented aluminum Causeway, weighing a claimed 9.06kg in a size large. The frame itself weighs a claimed 1.51kg (L). The carbon fork adds 0.53 kg. It’s not the lightest, but it is aero-leaning, with a wee faring on the non-drive side protecting the brake caliper, likely improving the aerodynamic efficiency a touch, too. Its geometry is decidedly more progressive than many other gravel race bikes on the market, with a 69.5° head tube angle, 430mm chainstays and a 385mm reach in a size large. Fustle spec it with a 44cm wide PRO Discover handlebar.More info at ridefustle.comWhat’s it like to be an American cyclist living in France? Watch to get professional road cyclist Joe Dombrowski’s view. © 2025 Outside Interactive, Inc

Source: https://velo.outsideonline.com/gravel/gravel-gear/fustle-lakelander-suspension-gravel-bike/