Argon 18:
hit the dirt. Hit it fast.
Go way off the beaten path with this gravel racer featuring a true road race-inspired geometry derived from argon 18’s legendary race bikes. It may be more stable, it may sport big tires, yet the dark matter is so responsive that it will change the gravel bike game forever. Some will blaze the trail; on the dark matter, you will torch it
to the end of the paved road and beyond
when we set out to design the dark matter, we made sure not to come up with just another gravel bike. Our vision was to build a true gravel racer: a fast dirt road bike with a geometry adapted from our celebrated road frames. We wanted a bike offering improved stability but with a racing behavior, a bike that would feel just as fast and responsive on the trail that it would on the road. Mission accomplished.
Dark matter, a closer look
the dark matter has a longer wheelbase than our endurance bikes, but it remains shorter than most other gravel bikes available with equivalent tire clearance. This is only possible with our dropped chain stay design. The dark matter offers a longer front end than our road bikes. It adds stability and prevents toe overlap. True to our design ethos and road race background, the dark matter was primarily intended to be used with 700c wheels although 650c wheels will work depending on tire width.
Highlights
- high performance gravel specific monocoque carbon frame with removable aluminum front derailleur hanger for clean looking installation of 1x crankset; frame compatible with 46/30t to 52/36t or 1x46t (max)
- monocoque carbon fork with hidden integrated fender mounts rake 54mm on xxs/xs/s frames and 49mm on m/l/xl frames
- aerodynamics aerodynamically efficient frame and fork designs for better performance and riding pleasure
- modular cable routing system clean, smart and efficient; compatible with all modern transmissions (mechanical, di2, etap and eps)
- flat mount disc brakes for 140 or 160mm rotors
- optional direct mount rear derailleur hanger for optimal installation of Shimano rear derailleurs
- up to 45c* tire clearance for maximum traction on any road surface *40c with fenders or if built with SRAM etap front derailleur
- tds-c seatpost easy-to-use, offers compliance and comfort
- 3d+ system our 3d+ system delivers all the handling and stiffness benefits of the original 3d system in a streamlined version that merges seamlessly with the frame it offers 3 head tube extension heights for every frame size: 0mm, 15mm and 30mm
- dt swiss type 12mm thru-axle 100m front and 142mm back
- inlaid chainsuck protector with integrated drain hole protection of the carbon chainstay against wear from the chain’s movement
- downtube protector with bottle mount and access to internal cable routing plus silicone chain stay protector