The Drifter X debuted in early 2019. It’s a speedier version of the versatile Drifter. On the Drifter X, you get slightly shorter chainstays (430 mm on the size 56 I tested), and thus a shorter wheelbase. What you gain is a more nimble rig that will help you move quickly in a gravel race. This setup suits my bias nicely: I prefer a more road-race feel on a gravel bike, as opposed to something more relaxed and languid.

“Nimble” in this case, does not also mean “twitchy.” <No. 22> took care to design a balanced bike. “There’s a difference between what feels fast and what is actually fast,” Smith says. “For some people, I think a twitchy bike is a signal of a fast bike: it’s full of energy and always wants to turn. But that’s not really faster. If you are fighting the bike to go in a straight line, you’re certainly not going faster. It’s just kind of exhausting. We like our bikes to be a little bit more stable. ‘Twitchy’ doesn’t give you more grip in a corner.”