Marin’s all-new 2019 Gestalt X11 does even more to blur the already slightly fuzzy boundary between a gravel bike and a ‘proper’ mountain bike. It’s got a dropper post, a low slung frame with tight back end and whopping wide bars – admittedly with a drop. Is this what the future of do-it-all bikes looks like?

We’ve been lucky enough to get our paws on the first Gestalt X11 in the country but we thought we’d give you a look at it before we get it all mucky on test. Coming in at £2000, you get an aluminium frame with 700c wheels shod in 37mm rubber and a carbon fork up front, plus a really rather nice purple-red fade under matt black paint job.

Typically for Marin, the geometry on this ‘all-road’ bike is very much mountain bike influenced, with a low standover and dinky chainstays enabled by a seat tube that’s scalloped at the back to offer plenty of mud clearance. The drop bars are pleasingly wide, measuring 460mm at the slightly flared tips, with double wrapped tape to offer up some extra comfort.

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2019-Marin-Gestalt-X11-first-look-102 (Image Credit: Jon Woodhouse)

The most mountain-bikey touch of all is the 105mm travel Tranz-X dropper post, which is internally routed and actuated by the modified left-hand shifter tab of the 11spd SRAM Rival 1x groupset. That gets a 10-42T spread at the back paired to a 42T ring on the FSA chainset, which should be pretty reasonable do-it-all gearing unless you want to time trial on the flat or get up something really steep off-road.

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2019-Marin-Gestalt-X11-first-look-101 (Image Credit: Jon Woodhouse)

As you’d hope from a modern bike, stopping is via hydraulic discs, with 160mm rotors being clamped by SRAM Apex callipers on flat mounts. It’s also pleasing to see through axles either end, with 100x15mm up front and 142x12mm at the rear. The own-brand wheelset has reasonably deep section rims

Tipping the scales at precisely 10kg for our 56cm model – full production bikes might be a touch different as this very early bike has some CNC’d rather than forged parts amongst other slight changes – isn’t bad considering price and spec.

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2019-Marin-Gestalt-X11-first-look-103 (Image Credit: Jon Woodhouse)

We’re going to be giving it a sound thrashing very soon indeed, so check back for a full review…

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2019-Marin-Gestalt-X11-first-look-105 (Image Credit: Jon Woodhouse)

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