Reilly unveils the Reflex, a titanium gravel race bike prototype to "take fast gravel riding to the next level"

Brighton-based titanium bike specialist Reilly has struck again at Ally Pally, showing off a prototype of a fascinating new race-focused gravel bike called the Reflex at the Cycle Show. While it's built for speed, so says Reilly, this is very much practical and fast gravel rather than US-style, minimal aero gravel, as the Reflex can run a dropper post and dynamo lights with fully integrated cabling and has huge 55mm tyre clearance. 

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This time last year Reilly unveiled the Fusion titanium aero road bike for the first time; and it certainly impressed us, bagging the bronze medal in our road.cc Recommends awards and getting a glowing 9/10 review. This year it's still all about going fast but on the rougher stuff, with Reilly saying the Reflex "takes fast gravel riding to a new level." 

The cabling is fully integrated, which "protects hoses and cables" and allows maximum space for bikepacking bags, says Reilly. The clutter-free arrangement above with Garmin and light combo shows how clean the cockpit set-up could be on this mysterious new gravel grinder. 

The bike supports fully integrated cabling for brake hoses, Di2 cables, dynamo light cables (front and rear) and hydraulic dropper posts via a bang on-trend T47 bottom bracket shell.

Up front, the Reflex's 6AL-4V Ti headtube is compatible with FSA ACR and Deda DCR bar/stem options, and for more gnarly off-road use you can also fit a short-travel gravel suspension fork. 

Reilly says the Reflex combines some of the aero shaping you get on the Fusion, and blends this with the exact same progressive geometry of its existing Gradient gravel and adventure bike. It should add up to something in between an adventure bike and a lightweight aero gravel bike, with the 55mm tyre clearance plus the "agility of a race thoroughbred" making it ideal for taking on technical trails and competing at the pointy end of mixed terrain ultra-distance events. 

Reilly's co-founder Neil FitzGerald says: “With the Reflex, we wanted to meld the responsive handling and comfort of the Gradient with the speed and agility of the Fusion to create a fresh-looking titanium gravel race winner.

"This weekend we’re presenting our initial prototype, but we’re thrilled with the result.”

Reilly told us that the fully-loaded Reflex with dynamo lights and a dropper post comes in at under 10kg, but a more minimal 'race build' should weigh in at 8.5kg. The bike displayed at the Cycle Show is actually the first prototype, and Reilly told us it will be making slight alterations to the seat cluster before the Reflex goes into full production. Prices will start from £7,200 for a full build, and bikes are expected to start shipping in September 2023. 

We'll be trying to get our hands on a Reflex when the finished bike is ready, of course.  What do you think? Let us know in the comments as always...