Chapter2 might not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of high-performance cycling, but the father and son Pryde duo know a few things about performance. Maybe you’ve heard of the ikonic NeilPryde watersports business known for its high-performance carbon components in the world of kite sailing and windsurfing?
The Chapter2 KAHA is the brand’s first gravel bike, taking that knowledge for high-performance carbon components and applying it to a quickly-growing gravel segment.
Understanding the Chapter2 KAHA
While Michael was still designing carbon for the water, he launched the cycling division of NeilPryde in 2014, but shortly after, both Michael and Neil left the company to start their next chapter. With a new path and love for cycling, Chapter2 was founded in 2017 by Michael and Neil Pryde. The company is based out of New Zealand, where the indigenous Māori people settled the islands in the early 1300s, and much of the branding pays tribute to the local culture.
When you are shopping for a Chapter2 bike, you might find it hard to find a complete bike, and that’s because they don’t offer them. Michael believes that selling framesets and a few select components allows the company to stay hyper-focused on the core of the cycling experience while allowing the customer or local dealer to choose the build that fits their needs and terrain best.
Before I break down the bike and give you my opinion of the ride, I want to put it out there that I’m not normally a fan of “race” gravel bikes. While I know they have a place and many road riders dipping their toes into dirt love them, I am normally left feeling like I am underbiking anytime I’m not on pavement. They are normally very close to endurance road bikes when looking at a geo chart.
So while they are fun, feel fast, and in many ways match the feeling of a road bike that fits larger tires, I like a little more separation because I usually ride my regular road bike off-road. When I pull a gravel bike out, I am looking for more than just more rubber on the ground.
With that out of the way, the Chapter2 KAHA, which means “power & strength” in Maori, is their gravel race option. I got a size medium to test, which has a 39.5 cm reach with a 57.1 cm stack. The overall wheelbase is 102.4 cm and is designed to fit up to 700×47 mm tires. The frame features symmetrical drop chainstays with a length of 41.5 cm for a short and compact rear to center
The bottom bracket drop is only 70 mm, nice for tight turns and obstacles, but a bit high for my liking. While this might seem odd, the less bottom bracket drop you have, the higher the saddle is from the ground. The KAHA doesn’t make me feel like I’m super high over the bike, but it was a reach to touch a toe on the ground while remaining on the saddle.
How we built the Chapter2 KAHA
For the build, Chapter2 went with a 1X, but the frameset is also compatible with a 2X. SRAM is currently leading the gravel drivetrain market with its 12-speed wireless AXS line of components. However, whoever built our bike must have missed the SRAM memo that Eagle derailleurs are not compatible with the XPLR 10-44t cassette. This meant that the first bit of our testing was not ideal, and we finally ended up swapping out to a 10-50t Eagle cassette.
We then got the opportunity to test a Kogel oversized derailleur cage. It turns out it didn’t completely remedy the rough shifting on the original 10-44t cassette, but it did mack it significantly better. Up front, the 40T chainring was nice for the steep fire roads in my area, but the real racer types would probably prefer a 42T.
Chapter2 doesn’t offer complete builds as I said, so this is likely not an issue as you would spec it however you see fit.
A set of Hunt 35 Carbon Gravel X-Wide wheels are hookless and have a wide 25 mm internal width. They pair perfectly with the 35 mm race-focused Vittoria Terreno Dry tires. They are also great for tires larger than the max the KAHA can fit. Best of all, these carbon wheels don’t break the bank at around $1000 for wheels that are durable and under 1500 grams.
Probably the one component I was most interested in was the Chapter2 MANA-GRVL cockpit. The all-in-one carbon bar and stem combo are not common in gravel. Normally they are very stiff and not ideal for rough terrain. I think Chapter2 has done a pretty good job of working in some level of compliance.
What I liked most was the bar shape and the slightly wider stance in the drops. I felt comfortable in the hoods, but when I needed a bit more leverage and compliance, I could move into the drops. These bars have a nice round feel which I also found convenient when mounting accessories like a light or out front computer mount. Overall they are very “race” oriented but work well for general gravel riding too.
Ride impressions
As I said earlier, much of my local gravel riding is either very easy and wide fire roads that most road bikes with 30 mm tires can roll no problem, or it is undermaintained double or single track. Both normally include some steep climbing, so the 40t chainring was nice.
I was impressed with how well the KAHA performed on both technical climbing and the really smooth but steep climbing. The short rear end kept a lot of weight over the rear tire and allowed me to push a bit harder without losing traction, even with the smaller and nearly slick Vittoria tires.
The descents are where my dislike of “race” gravel bikes kicks in. Like the climbs, the descents are also very steep. I think of myself as a pretty good descender, and I really enjoy them, but like most other “race” gravel bikes, I felt like I was always on a fine line of too fast with too much response. While I know not everyone has this sort of terrain, for me, it is even more amplified because our descents are long, very long, and many will be well over 20-30 minutes, even at speed.
If a descent is quick, it’s not much of a worry, but when they are over 10 minutes, it can kind of suck the fun out of what I think is the best part.
When it comes to flatter terrain or rolling terrain, the Chapter2 KAHA is loads of fun. It is quick to respond to power input, and it feels fast. The bike has enough wheelbase length that it is stable for most but feels responsive when I make a quick deviation around a fast-approaching rock or obstacle.
I will say having a bit of off-road experience and being familiar with what the bike will do when the terrain is key. A race bike like this will only amplify mistakes and can leave some riders fighting the bike.
While I didn’t do much testing on larger tires, I did slide a set of wheels onto the bike that were fitted with 45 mm tires, and it was a tight fit in the rear. The fork seems to have a bit more clearance than the frame, but overall the bike looks like it will fit the claimed 47 mm. It won’t leave much room for mud or debris, but they will fit.
Overall I spent a lot more time on the Chapter2 KAHA than I had expected. It was fun and fast on the road as well as on the dirt. The one-piece cockpit performed better than I had expected it would in the gravel. Better yet, the round tube shape of the bar portion made it easy to fit lights, making it a good option for those looking to extend the ride into the dark.
With extending the ride in mind, the Chapter2 KAHA is one of the few “race” gravel bikes on the market that also has a load of mounting points. I’m no bikepacking expert, but I think someone could load this thing up. For that, you might want less “race” gears, but that is the beauty of not selling complete bikes.
The last piece of the frame that I haven’t touched on is the internal down tube storage. There is a door that the down tube bottle cage is attached to. It has a lever and completely removes the door for a large opening. The frame comes with a tool roll sort of accessory, but you could even just toss a few spare tubes in there if you wanted. It was surprisingly roomy and a great way to reduce the need for a saddle bag. Just don’t throw small things in there. It could lead to them bouncing around and making a lot of noise.
Conclusion
I had a lot of fun with the Chapter2 KAHA. I would say it offers more versatility than most race gravel bikes. I like the fact that Chapter2 doesn’t offer complete builds because it allows the end rider to truly get what they need from the beginning without having to do costly upgrades. I know many riders like the convenience of a complete bike, but a custom build is a lot of fun and a great way to set yourself apart in the bunch.
During our testing, Chapter2 even lowered the price of the KAHA, making it an even better value. The KAHA Frameset is US $2,499 (NZD 4,079, EUR 2,999, and CAD 3,199.) The MANA-GRVL Bar is now optional at US $450 (NZD 739, EUR 499, and CAD 579.)
For more info, visit www.chapter2bikes.com.