At the top of the range, the 9000 spends its money in the two places you feel most: shifting and wheels. Shimano's GRX825 Di2 gives electronic 1x12 shifting through a GRX827 rear derailleur, which is about as reliable as gravel shifting gets - the derailleur simply goes where you ask it, whether the drivetrain is clean or caked in mud, and there is no cable tension to drift over a long event.

The wheels are the other half of the story. Reynolds Black Label ATR Expert carbon rims run a 25mm internal width and a 42mm depth on Expert TR hubs, centrelock, which is a sensible balance of aerodynamics and strength for mixed surfaces, and the 25mm internal width gives the 45c Schwalbe G-One RX Performance tyres a proper shape to sit in.

The frame is CF2 carbon II with Disc Cooler fins on the rear caliper mount, a threaded bottom bracket and a 142 x 12mm rear axle. It holds the same geometry as the rest of the platform, with a long top tube and head tube and a short stem, so even at the sharp end of the range this is a bike set up for genuinely long days on rough ground rather than a stripped-back racer. Five sets of bottle bosses and internal dropper post routing carry over, and there is room for 700 x 45c tyres, or 42c with mudguards.

Braking is GRX825 hydraulic, gearing is a 42 tooth GRX820-1 chainset with a CS-M8200 10-51 cassette on a Shimano SM-BBR60 bottom bracket, and the finishing kit is an Easton EC90 AX carbon bar, a Team SL II carbon seatpost and a Prologo Scratch M5 AGX saddle with a minitool included.

Features

• CF2 carbon II frame with Disc Cooler caliper mount
• Silex II CF2 full carbon fork with tapered steerer
• Shimano GRX825 Di2 electronic 1x12 shifting with GRX827 Di2 rear derailleur
• GRX820-1 42 tooth chainset with Shimano CS-M8200 10-51 cassette
• Shimano GRX825 hydraulic disc brakes
• Reynolds Black Label ATR Expert carbon rims, 25mm internal width, 42mm deep, centrelock
• Schwalbe G-One RX Performance RaceGuard tubeless ready tyres, 700x45C
• Easton EC90 AX carbon flared bar, width by frame size
• Prologo Scratch M5 AGX saddle with minitool, Team SL II carbon seatpost
• Five sets of bottle bosses and internal dropper post routing
• Threaded Shimano SM-BBR60 bottom bracket, 142 x 12mm rear axle
• Clearance for 700 x 45c tyres, 42c with mudguards