Alchemy Ronin Carbon Custom Build

It isn’t that often a frame constructed by hand, entirely in the USA rolls through the office and when the Alchemy Ronin Carbon came by, we jumped on the opportunity to do something fun. So with the help of some brands we work with on a regular basis, we went to work. The end result was a mind-blowing ride.

Meet the Alchemy Ronin Carbon, made in Colorado, this NAHBS award-winning carbon gravel bike is designed to offer an optimal blend of vertical compliance and lateral stiffness for multi-surface, multi-purpose riding. While not the most compliant bike in their lineup, the end result is a bike that likes to be ridden fast. We’ll be doing a more extensive review on it in the future, but for now, let’s just say you won’t be disappointed with the ride quality.

Alchemy Ronin Carbon with Alchemy Custom paint job — Our Alchemy Ronin Carbon build-up came to a very nice 18.3 lbs with dropper, cages, and pedals.

If you’re like most of us, a typical ‘gravel’ ride combines pavement, gravel, and even a little singletrack; this bike excels on all these surfaces. As with all Alchemy’s bikes, it’s designed to be exceptionally versatile, and we think you’ll agree it’s the quintessential ‘go-anywhere’ bike. The Alchemy Ronin Carbon is purpose-built for speed and comfort on gravel/dirt, but remains plenty efficient for long, fast paved-road efforts, even if there’s no dirt on your route.

Made in Colorado — The Alchemy Ronin is handmade in their new Golden, Colorado location. Now buyers of their bikes can spend a night in Golden and visit Alchemy as part of their DARE program.

Alchemy Ronin Carbon — The folks at Alchemy offer the Ronin in several finishes and a custom color selector. We opted for a simple light blue with unpainted carbon logos.

Alchemy Ronin Custom Build Specs:

Frame / Fork	Alchemy Ronin Carbon, handmade in the U.S.A. 58cm Alchemy custom paint in Robin Egg Blue and nude logos
Headset	Cane Creek 40 Series
Handlebars	ZIPP SL-70 Aero 44cm
Stem	ZIPP Service Course 110mm – Alloy
Bar Tape	ZIPP
Saddle	Velo Angel Glide+
Seatpost	SRAM XPLR AXS Reverb 100mm drop (27.2)
Shifters	SRAM Force AXS HDR (Read our SRAM Force AXS Review)
Brakes	SRAM Force
Rear Derailleur	SRAM Force XPLR
Crankset	SRAM Force with Quarq Powermeter. \| 175mm
Chain	SRAM AXS
Cassette	SRAM XPLR 10-44
Wheels	Hunt Carbon 42 Limitless Gravel
Tires	Kenda Alluvium – 700x40c coffee sidewalls
Sealant	Orange Seal
Cages	Elite Vico Carbon
Extras	Lizard Skins Bike Protection

Three bottle mounts plus a bento box mount on the top tube will keep you fueled for hours.

Made in the U.S.A. Gravel Bike

Owner Ryan Cannizzaro founded Alchemy Bicycles in Austin, Texas, in 2008 and moved the company to Denver in 2012 to be at the epicenter of the outdoor industry boom. All their carbon road and gravel bikes are made in the U.S.A. Now their offices are located in Golden, Colorado.

Road and gravel bikes are also custom painted in their Golden, Colorado location with a endless possibility of colors, designs and finishes. We opted for a Robin Egg Blue with raw carbon logos. Learn more about this paint job and Alchemy’s September paint promo at the bottom of this page.

Our build featured the HUNT 42 Limitless Gravel wheels. This wide (25mm interior) 42mm deep wheelset is a lightweight and fast wheelset that offers lots of air volume.

Elite Carbon cages and bottles are a perfect match for the nude carbon logos on the frame.

SRAM AXS XPLR Dropper — We opted for the SRAM AXS XPLR dropper which integrates perfectly with the AXS XPLR 1x system. Since the group is lacking a front derailleur, a tap of both levers gives you the option to raise or lower the dropper. No cables or extra levers, and no pain in the ass routing.

Alchemy Ronin Carbon Custom Build — The cockpit is simple and clean with just a computer mount from ZIPP that replaces the Service Course stock faceplate. It really keeps with the simple and sexy theme.

The Velo Angel Glide+ cost more than my first car but is a solid saddle. Over the last few years, the brand has really begun to expand its own line while still being one of the world’s largest manufacturers for others.

Hunt Limitless 42 wheels and 40c Kenda Aluvium tires — You can never see “Handmade in Colorado” too many times. The Hunt Limitless 42 wheels and 40c Kenda Alluvium tires hold some volume but the frame handles them well.

Flat mount brakes look tight and clean, but mounts on the fork are there in case you decide to mount fenders.

Here we have a case of business up front and in the rear. More flat mount brakes and fender mounts. Axles are from the Robert Axle Project and come with the bike.

A More Traditional Frame Design

No double chainrings here. That is not by our choice or our friends at SRAM, the Alchemy Ronin Carbon is straight up single in the front. One of the most aesthetically pleasing things on this bike is the lack of a dropped chainstay. By avoiding the option for a 2x up front they can get clearance for a 45c tire and leave the stay in place. Sadly as gravel bikes evolve, this has become an outdated frome clearance.

SRAM XPLR Groupset

The XPLR collection features components from SRAM and RockShox that are designed for an era of drop bar riding. Tailored to the needs of drop bar riders, SRAM’s new 1x-specific XPLR AXS wireless drivetrains target a gearing sweet spot. With a 10-44T cassette and matching derailleur you can pair with SRAM Force AXS or SRAM Red AXS,

The SRAM XPLR rear derailleur will handle up to a 44-tooth rear cassette. Want larger? You might want to go with a mullet.

With XPLR you get an enormous range for gravel climbs and tight jumps for fast riding on the road.

Get a Custom Paint Job on Your Alchemy Ronin

Now we didn’t get too crazy on our design, it is a simple matte finish with nude carbon for the logos, but the folks at Alchemy can get pretty freak’n creative. I had the chance to stop by their facility in Golden, Colorado a few weeks ago and there were some serious masterpieces in the works. So go wild!

Start your custom painted Alchemy Ronin by visiting Alchemy Bikes. Also, Bryce in the little chat window is super helpful.

Alchemy Ronin Custom Paint | Alchemy Custom Paint

Alchemy Custom Paint Process

If you are looking to customize the paint on your bike frame here is what the process looks like:

Place your order for your bike (frame or complete) and select custom paint
Dream up your paint scheme
An Alchemy team member will connect with you and build a paint mock and discuss costs
We confirm pricing, specific shades of color , and get your approval to proceed
Your frame is handed off to our painter then built to your spec

Lead times on Alchemy custom paint jobs typically add 2-3 weeks to your quoted build time and paint costs do vary. Visit Alchemy Bikes to learn more.