Pearson Summon The Blood £7,300 | 9.34kg

Pearson lays claim to being the oldest bike business in the world, but considering the depth and breadth of its gravel range, it is certainly keeping up with the times. The Summon The Blood is a titanium build that leans towards more nimble riding and less-heavily laden bikepacking. There are four other models to choose from, built from steel, carbon and more titanium.

Frame

Starting with the tubing, Pearson uses 3Al 2.5V triple-butted titanium to save weight while maintaining strength.

The 72.8° head angle is notably steep for a gravel bike. Although there still are some frames out there that hover around the 72° mark, many more have been going significantly slacker.

A slacker head angle typically makes the front end feel