Recently, Yannick organized a short trip to Massachusetts. The goal was to visit Parlee Cycles' headquarters to see how the Z series bikes were made, meet the executives, including the legendary Bob Parlee, founder of the bicycle brand, and most importantly, test the Chebacco, Parlee Cycles ' garvel bike, on the roads that inspired its creation. See the summary of this adventure!
The story goes that the name Chebacco comes from a road of the same name in Ipswitch, about fifteen kilometers from the Parlee Cycles offices. This road is notorious for its extremely poor asphalt. Don't bother looking for it on Google Street View; it doesn't even appear. Getting back to the point, when the Parlee Cycles team was working on developing a gravel bike, they decided their goal would be to create a bike capable of handling this bumpy road.
With disc brakes, a wide set of tires (up to 40 mm) and a 100% carbon fiber frame, with precise molding to better absorb vibrations, this bike has allowed us to expand the possibilities of off-road riding, both on four-wheel trails and mountain bike tracks.
Furthermore, in terms of performance, the Chebacco shares the same DNA as Parlee road bikes such as the Z and Altum series models. The frame has geometry and design features specifically engineered for performance, including wider seat stays, a lower bottom bracket than traditional European-style cyclocross bikes, and a slightly less aggressive head tube angle. This gives the Chebacco a smooth and stable ride at higher speeds, especially off-road. I had the chance to test the bike during an ultimate test of manhood with Charles, which you may have heard on Radio Bidon, and I was surprised by how easily I was able to reach a good speed and maintain my power. Let's just say the feeling was different from what I've experienced on other gravel bikes I've tried in the past.
Personally, I'm losing faith in the N+1 system, so beloved by many cyclists. I prefer having one excellent, well-maintained bike that allows me to do everything I love—road cycling, cyclocross, and gravel biking—rather than several inferior bikes. After trying the Parlee Chebacco, I finally found the perfect fit.
