Bike of Unbound Gravel: Pete Stetina’s Canyon Grizl
The Canyon Grizl that Pete Stetina hopes will take him to Unbound glory.
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Pete Stetina’s name comes up first or second in every conversation about top contenders at Unbound Gravel. He will attempt to make good on that enthusiasm at Unbound on this Canyon Grizl, a bike launched just a few weeks ago.
When we caught up with him, Stetina had just come back from a recon ride and was positive about his chances. The northern part of the course promises to be gnarly, according to Stetina, with plenty of climbing and descending on chunky terrain that’s sure to play equalizer for more than a handful of riders.
According to Stetina’s mechanic, “Big Tall Wayne,” Stetina will run around 32 psi in his IRC Boken Doublecross TLR tires. No tire inserts will be used.
While 1x drivetrains seem to rule the roost among the pros, Stetina’s sticking with a 2X hybrid Shimano setup: A Dura-Ace crank and an 11-30 cassette out back, with a GRX derailleur. The roadie roots are clear, here.
And Stetina is a well-known proponent of aero bars on his gravel bike. He will run them at Unbound Gravel, not only for aero benefit, but also to switch up body positions to maintain some semblance of comfort over the long miles of the Flint Hill’s toughest terrain.
Pete Stetina’s Canyon Grizl. The paintwork is inspired by the colors of sunsets in the Western US. Geoff Kabush does not approve. Shimano GRX shifters. Shifters on the aero bar tips. Stetina’s mammalian mascot is a raccoon. Those are raccoon feet. Two chainrings? What is this madness. And 11-30 out back and, of course, disc brakes. The GRX derailleur has a clutch, which may not be 100% necessary when running a front derailleur, but still nice to have on chunky flint. Front and rear lights tucked away. These are Bontrager Flare models. Stetina will run 32psi in these IRC Boken Doublecross tires. XTR SPD pedals. They just work. Flat kit tucked away in a PRO saddle bag. A neat spot for the Flare, but probably not the most visible. Sit here, ride 200 miles. This is not Pete Stetina. This is Big Tall Wayne.
