Catalonia-based brand Guava has launched the Ace, its all-new race-focused gravel bike.
The company, founded in 2022 and backed by former Barcelona FC player Andrés Iniesta’s NSN incubator, is hoping to lean into the racing market with the Ace. The bike has stripped excess mounting points in favour of a cleaner frame, an aggressive cockpit and 54mm tyre clearance.
For better comfort, the brand has also paired up with a platform that lets you do a bike-fit on your smartphone.
Guava Ace builds start from €6,399, with SRAM and Shimano groupset options available. There are five sizes on offer and test rides available at stores in Spain.
Race-focused approach
The Ace is Guava’s second gravel model after its debut Spot. The new bike is designed to be more race-oriented, having been influenced by the brand’s pro partners, including Canadian National Champion Ben Perry, who will be racing the Ace at this weekend’s Traka 360.
The Ace’s frame weight comes to 900g, roughly 300g lighter than the Spot. The frame and forks are all carbon fibre, using a mix including Toray T800 carbon combined with M40 40T high modulus fibres.
Aerodynamics are less of a priority for the brand however, as the Ace has undergone no wind-tunnel testing. There’s also no obvious aero trickery in the frame.
‘Our bikes are aerodynamic, but it gets a little boring if all brands start to look the same,’ Guava founder David Alvarez told Cyclist. ‘To update the aerodynamics, we made sure that not all tubes were square-edged. We then have a tyre cut-out so we could get the wheel close to the frame.
‘We also lowered the fork, so the whole body is lower. We lowered the position of the handlebars and stem so the rider’s position is lower and further forward than on the Spot.’
While the geometry sees some major changes from the Spot, the seatpost is the same. Its clamp is now integrated underneath though – an aesthetic choice rather than a performance-based one.
As a result of this race-first approach, there are no mounting points for bikepacking bags and there are only two bottle mounts. However an adventure-focused version of the Ace has been hinted at by the brand’s owner.
Otherwise, a UDH hanger has been added for better compatibility. While all specs offered by Guava come with a single chainring, there’s a mount in place for a front derailleur.
The tyre clearance is also a generous 54mm.
New XX handlebar
The Ace’s cockpit has been remodelled for a more aggressive ride. The proprietary XX handlebar and stem provide an integrated two-piece system. This means both components can be swapped around despite the integrated look.
The bars are flared in profile, with a 5° forward sweep and 16° flare on the hoods. This is consistent across the two bar widths: 400mm and 420mm.
There are four stem sizes for the new system: 60mm, 80mm, 100mm and 120mm, and the cockpit can be swapped or adjusted without disconnecting the brake hose and bleeding the brakes.
Guava’s own wheelset
The Ace comes with Guava’s own Volte wheelsets, all of which come with an internal width of 29mm and a 38mm rim depth. The hubsets and bearings are also made in-house.
This choice was taken to dictate the look of the wheel rather than pure performance.
‘We have always had our own wheels,’ Alvarez says. ‘We control the whole aesthetic of the bike, so why would we put someone else’s big logo on it?’
‘We have a partner in Asia that builds for DT Swiss and others. So we were able to control the build of the wheel. We know the wheels are very good, but we can also make them look how we want them. I don’t want people looking at a wheel logo on this bike. The wheels are kind of a compliment to the bike.’
Wider range offered with an at-home bike fit
The Ace is available in five sizes, spanning XS to L. The XS size is a new addition to Guava’s range to improve the bike’s accessibility for women and shorter riders.
As part of the Ace’s launch, Guava now offers an at-home bike fit through the Dutch start-up Scimm. The collaboration allows riders to log into Scimm’s app to create a body passport by sharing their body weight, mobility and flexibility. The app will then scan your body using your phone’s camera to recommend sizes for the stem, frame and cranks.
This is free of charge and can be done before any purchases are made. The app’s recommendations will just appear via an email including your recommended cranks, bar, frame and stem length.
Specs and prices
At launch, there are three spec levels for the Guava Ace, with prices varying between €6,399 (approx £5,520) and €9,999 (approx £8,630).
All builds come with Guava’s 38mm-deep Volte wheelset and XX handlebar. Tyres and saddles vary throughout the range, which includes SRAM Red and Force, plus Shimano’s GRX827 Di2.
Each bike is custom-built in Barcelona, with 12 colourways to choose from, and all come with a lifetime warranty.
The Ace is available online and in store from today and will be available for test rides at Guava’s Girona and Barcelona stores. Alternatively, you can try the bikes out at the Cyclist Gravel Track Day in London this June.
Guava Ace Red
- Groupset: SRAM Red XPLR AXS
- Wheels: Guava Volte
- Tyres: Pirelli Cinturato 50mm
- Price: €9,999 (approx £8,630)
Guaca Ace Force
- Groupset: SRAM Force XPLR AXS
- Wheels: Guava Volte
- Tyres: Terreno T50 50mm
- Price: €6,999 (approx £6,040)
Guava Ace Di2
- Groupset: Shimano GRX820 Di2
- Wheels: Guava Volte
- Tyres: Vittoria Terreno T50 50mm
- Price: €6,399 (approx £5,520)