Guava’s new Ace gravel race bike sheds weight, tightens geometry, and sharpens handling, while still keeping the fun front and center.
Guava Bikes invited me out to Girona for the launch of their new bike the Ace. These are my initial thoughts after spending time with the bike and it’s creators.
Guava Bikes has never tried to win the gravel arms race on numbers alone. Since launching in Barcelona in 2022, the brand has leaned into something less tangible but arguably more important: how a bike feels. With the release of the new Ace platform, Guava isn’t abandoning that philosophy, it’s refining it. This is a bike built with a clear intention: go faster, have more fun, and do it with precision.
The Ace marks a significant step forward for the young company. Where the original Spot positioned itself as a versatile all‑rounder, equally at home lining up at a race or heading off on a weekend bikepacking trip, the Ace shifts decisively toward performance. It’s lighter, sharper, and more focused, a response to a gravel scene that continues to evolve at pace.
“With the Ace, we wanted to create something that captures the energy of modern gravel racing fast, reactive, and built to push harder every time you ride.” – David Alvarez, Guava founder
Visually, the difference is immediate. The Ace carries a more refined, race‑oriented silhouette than its predecessor. Gone is some of the visual bulk and utility‑driven detailing of the Spot, replaced with cleaner lines and a more aggressive stance. It looks fast before the wheels even start turning, and out on the road, that impression holds.
Guava has trimmed approximately 300 grams from the frame compared to the previous Spot model, a meaningful saving in a category where weight still matters, especially when the terrain turns steep or the pace lifts. But the bigger story lies in how that weight reduction has been paired with updated geometry. The Ace feels more responsive under power, quicker to change direction, and noticeably more eager when accelerating out of corners or over rolling terrain.
This isn’t a bike trying to do everything. In fact, one of the most telling design decisions is what Guava has removed. Mounting points have been pared back, signaling a clear shift away from heavy‑duty bikepacking setups toward a purer racing focus. That doesn’t mean versatility has been abandoned entirely. The Ace still offers up to 54mm tyre clearance, keeping it firmly within the wide‑spectrum capability that defines gravel.
That extra volume translates directly into comfort and control, particularly on rougher terrain. Riding the bike on the rocky trails around Girona, it never felt overwhelmed. Large rocks and chatter that might unsettle a harsher frame were muted effectively, taking the sting out of long, demanding sections without dulling the ride.
“The Ace is undeniably performance‑focused, but it doesn’t lose sight of the enjoyment that sits at the heart of gravel riding.”
Speed, though, is where the Ace really comes alive. The bike carries momentum exceptionally well, helped in part by Guava’s in‑house wheelset. Engagement is immediate, there’s no lag when you put the power down, no hesitation when accelerating out of technical sections. It’s the kind of responsiveness that encourages you to keep pushing, to squeeze a little more out of every effort.
Up front, Guava introduces a new proprietary cockpit system, the XX handlebar and stem combination. Integrated systems are nothing new in modern bike design, but Guava has approached it with a practical twist. The setup routes cables cleanly for aerodynamic benefit while still allowing straightforward access for maintenance, a detail that mechanics will appreciate as much as riders.
Fit has also been given significant attention. The Ace expands its size range from four to five options, now including an XS frame, and pairs that with a broad selection of cockpit configurations. Riders can choose between four stem lengths, 60, 80, 100, and 120mm, and two handlebar widths, with a subtle forward sweep and 16‑degree flare designed to support a more aggressive riding position.
During testing, I rode a medium frame with a 42cm bar, which felt slightly off for my personal preferences. But this is where Guava’s new partnership with Belgian fitting platform SCIMM comes into play. Through the app, riders can determine their optimal frame size, crank length, and handlebar width before ordering. It’s not a full custom fit, but it significantly narrows the margin for error, especially important for a direct‑to‑consumer brand.
And that direct relationship remains central to Guava’s identity. Every Ace is painted and assembled to order in Barcelona, with customers able to choose from a palette of 12 colours for both frame and logos. Delivery is promised within three weeks, or, for those who want a more immersive experience, collection can be arranged from Guava’s Barcelona or Girona locations, complete with the chance to ride local gravel routes alongside the team.
It’s an approach that reinforces the brand’s broader ethos. Guava isn’t just selling bikes; it’s selling a way of experiencing cycling. That idea is baked into the Ace just as much as its geometry or material layup. The bike is designed in‑house from the ground up, shaped by the riding experiences of its founders rather than purely by market trends or marginal gains.
That philosophy is now being tested at the highest level. The Ace will make its race debut under Canadian Gravel Champion Ben Perry at The Traka 360, while Svenja Betz is set to take it to the extreme at Unbound XL. These are proving grounds that demand both performance and reliability, and they’ll offer the clearest indication yet of how the Ace stacks up in elite competition.
But perhaps the more relevant measure of the Ace isn’t whether it wins races, it’s how it changes the way you ride. Out on the trails, it consistently encourages you to push just a little harder, to carry more speed through corners, to attack climbs instead of settling into them. It feels lively without being nervous, fast without being unforgiving.
“The Ace is a bike built not just for podiums, but for those moments when the trail opens up ahead and you instinctively shift up a gear, chasing that feeling of speed and flow.”
In many ways, that balance defines the bike. The Ace is undeniably performance‑focused, but it doesn’t lose sight of the enjoyment that sits at the heart of gravel riding. Guava has always talked about gravel as freedom, freedom to explore, to push limits, to connect with others. With the Ace, that freedom comes with a sharper edge. It’s still about the experience, still about the ride, but now, it’s faster.
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