This week’s featured build comes via our newest brand, Colombia’s Scarab Cycles and its Apüna all-road/race gravel frameset. It’s a fast ticket, with a road bike aesthetic and wider tires that promise easy entry to the rough stuff.
The Apüna features a well-appointed chassis that pairs Columbus’ Spirit tubing with selections from Dedacciai. In keeping with the frame’s all-road credentials, we built it with a 2x Shimano Ultegra drivetrain, a groupset that delivers without fuss and remains one of our all-time favorites here at AC. Note the one-off Paragon Design Works pulley wheel and cage that adds a little flair to proceedings.
To take the build to the next level, we decided to whip up a set of custom wheels, lacing Enve 3.4 rims to Sapim silver spokes and Chris King hubs with ceramic bearings. Initially, we shod the wheels with 45mm Challenge’s Strada Bianca tires, but the width cut it a little close, so we downsized to 40, which seems to be the sweet spot for the frame.
Touchpoints come via a suite of Enve components - bar, stem and seat post. A stock Wolf Tooth headset completes the cockpit area.
So far, we’ve all been able to ride the Apüna up and down the local roads, and it feels great. And it looks fantastic. Indeed, Scarab is making a name for itself by really leaning into its Colombian roots, and we look forward to showcasing future customer builds that showcase some of the wilder colors the brand typically favors.
Scarab calls this bike's paint scheme 'Campesina'. As Santiago from Scarab explained, "It's a homage to the houses you see on Colombia's mountain roads. They are built from traditional materials and are unique to the mountainous areas. They truly represent the life of Colombian farmers. The paint job depicts some of the traditional elements found on those houses: the dogs, the flowers, the decorations... they all come into play."
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