And in case you’re worried about running tubeless, Gravaa works with tubes and tubeless systems. “It simply connects to the Presta valve on your wheel via a hose, so whether that connects to a tube or a tubeless tire doesn’t matter. It will work either way.”
But back to the development of Gravaa. “Following the concept with Demcon, we managed to attract investors and a European grant - this was in 2018,” says Gertjan. After that, it was a hard road of turning the working concept into a working model on the bike itself. The details are rather long and perhaps not so interesting to anyone outside of Gravaa, but suffice it to say, we managed to attract some of the engineers at Demcon who helped us bring the first concept to life, like Eugene, our Chief Engineer. After that, we had the challenge of prototyping, partnerships and production. Ultimately, we decided to make everything in-house. From start to finish, we now make Gravaa here - software, hardware, wheel development, the works.”
It’s now 2025 and an exciting time for Gravaa. “Yes, we just moved into this new building - a self-contained facility to assemble everything, including offices,” says Gertjan, the excitement visible on his face. “We make the whole system here in twelve assembly steps, from one hundred and forty unique parts, all designed and developed by ourselves. We made a deal with DT Swiss to use their hubshell and ratchet system and at the end, we have a finished product. So if you’re an existing bike wheel brand, you can integrate our system, and sell your wheel with a Gravaa upgrade. Or if you’re a bike brand, you can spec Gravaa with the wheels of your complete bike build. We’re also making our own complete wheels, but our first goal is to supply the industry.”
