Moots Routt Frameset

The Moots Routt Frameset is a titanium gravel bike frame, welded and finished by hand at Moots' factory in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Moots introduced the Routt in 2013, when gravel bikes were still largely cyclocross bikes with wider tires. This redesign is Moots' answer to what gravel has become: bigger tires, rougher courses and faster riders.

Built around a bigger tire

Moots designed the Routt around a 50mm tire, with clearance from 45mm up to 57mm. The thinking is that more tire at lower pressure tracks broken ground better, holds grip and stays composed instead of getting bounced off line. That matters most on fast gravel that doesn't stay smooth. Moots says the Routt keeps the quick, direct feel that has always made it a gravel bike first, rather than a plush mountain-bike substitute.

Fitting that much tire into a rear triangle takes some engineering. A 3D-printed chainstay yoke creates room for the 57mm tire while still clearing a 1x chainring up to 48T. The chainstays measure 437mm across every size, so the rear end stays compact even with the larger tire format.

Titanium, made in-house

The frame is straight-gauge 3/2.5 titanium, the alloy Moots has built its reputation on. Titanium suits a bike meant to be ridden hard for years: it resists corrosion, and Moots backs its frames with a limited lifetime warranty. The Routt also uses a UDH derailleur hanger, so it works with current gravel drivetrains. Moots machines the UDH dropouts in-house at the Steamboat factory, so the dropout design and manufacturing stay under its control.

The Routt uses a threaded BSA 68mm bottom bracket and a 27.2mm seatpost. Both are easy to service and have plenty of component options. Brakes are flat mount disc. Chris King supplies the Inset 7 headset and the bottom bracket.

Carbon fork, clean front end

The frameset is built around a redesigned Moots carbon gravel fork with a 395mm axle-to-crown length. Its D-shaped steerer allows fully integrated brake routing through Moots' titanium stem. That keeps the cockpit clean, and Moots points out that it still uses a separate bar and stem rather than a one-piece cockpit. Geometry across the six sizes (50 to 60cm) pairs 70 to 70.75 degree head angles with 76 to 80mm of bottom bracket drop. That is a stable, low-slung setup for loose descents on 700c wheels.

Race build, mullet build, or something in between

The Routt isn't tied to one kind of gravel riding. Moots says a light race build works as well as a wide-range mullet setup, and the frame is made around 1x drivetrains. A tighter-range XPLR setup suits fast, flowing courses, while a 10-52 mullet drivetrain gives more gear for steep, rough climbs.

It also carries what a long day needs. Three bottle positions (two inside the front triangle and one under the downtube) and top tube mounts for a bento bag handle fuel and tools. Fender mounts come standard, and optional upper rack mounts are available for riders who want to add carrying capacity. Strip it down for a race or load it up for an all-day route.

The Routt frameset is available in six sizes and a range of finishes, from brushed and etched titanium to anodized colors including Frost Blue, Green, Matte Brown, Matte Blue, Gold and Pink. It suits riders who want a long-lived frame for fast, rough gravel and who value a bike built by the people who ride them.