Santiago knows its heritage; cold-worked, air hardened steel is steeped in the history of long distance riding. But with bang up-to-date geometry, Santiago has a refreshing feel that you know will be good for years to come: 450 mm chainstays, 1.1 m wheelbase, 71 degree head angle, a fork rake of 55 and generous tyre clearance. This makes for a truly comfortable, fast, assured bike, both in its own right (audax slaying, winter riding) or when racked up for multi-month adventures.

At a glance

• Shimano GRX RX610 12-speed groupset
• Santiago Steel fork
• Sonder Nova 700c wheelset
• Reynolds 631 steel frame

GRX2

The 2 x 12 gearing, with a whopping 11 – 36t cassette, offers a gear range that is wide enough to cope with any terrain, opening up the alpine passes to mere mortals with enough at the top end to cruise up on the flat. 2x builds give a wide gear range and keep the jumps between gears small.