Test: The Conway GRV 1200 Carbon comes with a revised carbon frame and is designed to bridge the gap between gravel bike and cross-country bike. Can the angular new creation satisfy athletes as well as touring cyclists? The following test shows whether this was successful.
Conway, the brand of the North German Hermann Hartje KG, has modernized its appearance significantly and also offers exciting bikes in exotic market segments. The GRV 1200 Carbon is the top model of the Gravel/Cyclocross series and costs 2.999,95 euros. The revised frame is very independent with angular shapes and convinces with attention to detail. One of its highlights is the removable "Fender Bridge", which simplifies the assembly of the rear mudguard, but can also be left out in the interests of greater tire freedom - a feature that makes both bikepacking use and cross racing possible. The shape of the frame not only appears very elegant, but also contains certain refinements such as the top tube triangle. This makes carrying easier on impassable passages thanks to better shoulder ergonomics.
Internally routed cables are standard today; Rarely, however, is a proper introduction to the frame. The GRV 1200 Carbon offers a screwed strain relief that looks very valuable and keeps the cables in place.
Conway GRV 1200 Carbon – the features
The simply painted frame was completed with a SRAM Force, whose 1×11 gear ratio combines 40 teeth at the front with the 11-42 PG1130 cassette. This solid set-up is in its element on difficult off-road tours, but when cross-country you can of course do without one or two mountain gears. As is typical for SRAM, the shifting processes are crisp, the brakes are snappy, but generally easy to control. The driver's torque is brought to the ground by the ER1600 from DT Swiss, which with its 32 mm deep rims is not exactly super light, but thanks to the 20 mm internal width it is optimally matched to wider tires. The wheels are mounted with 12 mm thru axles, as is usual today.
With the G-One Speed from Schwalbe, Conway relies on what is probably the most popular Gravel tire at the moment, whereby its fast version is used here. With a width of 35 mm, the tire feels extremely low in rolling resistance and offers fabulous damping, but with its lean profile it quickly reaches its limit off-road. On the FSA cockpit, which consists of "Adventure Compact" handlebars and an Energy stem, the strongly angled temple ends, which are supposed to enable more control in difficult terrain, are striking. In view of the Gravel-typical high front, this cockpit invites you to extended lower link rides.
| frame | CONWAY Gravel Carbon |
| suspension fork | CARBON DU, full carbon |
| Wheels | DT SWISS GR1600 Splines |
| Tubes | SCHWALBE G-One all-round |
| derailleur | SRAM Force 1 |
| Gear levers | SRAM Force 1 |
| Crank | SRAM Force 1 |
| Front derailleur | Without |
| Brake | SRAM Force 1 |
| Seat post | CONWAY patent |
| Saddle | CONWAY 1489 Sport Superlight |
| Stem | FSA Energy |
| Links | FSA Adventure Gravel Compact |
Conway GRV 1200 Carbon – the driving impression
After just a few kilometers it is clear that the Conway has what it takes to be an all-rounder. With an upright seating position you can imagine the bike on longer tours; thanks to the fast tyres, it can be moved as quickly as possible on asphalt. The 35s certainly provide comfort, but the frame itself is very stiff, which is advantageous in terms of power transmission. With wider, more profiled tires, the bike would also be a force off-road - the right cassette is already available.
Of course, specialists can also object to this bike that it is not precisely tailored to its purpose. But who a If you are looking for a bike that can be ridden in different areas with small changes (such as a second set of wheels), the new Conway is a good choice.
