Pearson Around The Outside Titanium Expedition Gravel Bike

An expedition gravel machine designed to take you (and your breath) away. Created for maximum cargo, ATO combines ingenious bike-packing options with impeccable craftsmanship and design.

The original version of Around the Outside (ATO) was inspired by a line from Buffalo Girls, the ’80s hit by the quirky pop outlier Malcolm McLaren. A true pioneer, McLaren was the perfect inspiration for the first ATO; an elegant, stylish gravel bike designed for maximum cargo. A bike created to conquer pastures new, thanks to intelligent design and exceptional craftsmanship – the updated ATO offers all that and more. 

We often ask ourselves which Pearson bike we’d save if we could only save one and the new ATO is a strong contender. Engineered to take you anywhere you want to go, from short spins to long-haul adventures in unrivalled riding comfort. Lively and agile on rocky routes, it also offers stable descending on loose terrain. An overall ride, in fact, that Pearson lead designer Scott Decker calls “buttery smooth”. 

The sleek road bike aesthetic is deceptive because ATO is every bit as capable as a modern mountain bike, a machine you can rely on even when you doubt yourself. Created to cover all types of riding, every detail has been carefully considered. From the single-front gearing (42t max) preferred by modern bike-packers, to internal cable routing that keeps lines clean. We’ve added more mounting bosses, too, so you can load your panniers and frame packs for bigger, bolder adventures. 

As with its predecessor, high-spec titanium provides the shock absorption of steel but with a lightweight comparable to carbon. The stiffness of the material also ensures excellent power transfer. Pearson’s titanium bikes are made using the highest quality hand-drawn tubes available to ensure strength and agility when riding. Though more expensive to produce, the end result offers both a lighter weight and superior performance. Created for longevity, titanium won’t rust or corrode and is more resistant to heavy impacts. (Lower quality, single-gauge titanium can be prone to cracking.)

ATO’s curved down tube allows extra clearance for both the front wheel and luggage, as well as larger tyre sizes; there’s clearance for 29x2.2” or 27.5x2.3 (650x60). The frame features multiple bottle mounts (eg. on seat tube and down tube), again to better accommodate frame luggage. The expertly sculpted, cast-titanium rear wheel dropouts take their inspiration from contemporary mountain bikes, with craftsmanship that provides a class-leading strength-to-weight ratio.

Extra features include routing sports for a dropper post and dynamo lighting, and routing to a USB top cap port. The full carbon fork option features adaptable cage mounting points, plus interchangeable dropouts for 50 or 58mm offset, adapting the trail for different riding styles, tyre sizes, or front-load carrying. Mudguard and front light mounting points make for maximum functionality.

FEATURES

• Titanium handmade frame.
• Comfortable all-day geometry.
• Curved downtube for increased mud clearance and improved luggage carrying capabilities.
• Fork: Full carbon fork w/expedition mounts.
• Cast rear dropout for increased strength.
• Compatible with both mechanical and electronic gearing.
• Expedition bottle bosses on fork, top tube and underside of downtube.
• Ability to run 29x2.2” (700x55c), or 27.5x2.3” (650x60) tyres.
• Dynamo routing and rear light mount.
• Fizik finishing kit.
• 1x or 2x gearing option.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

• Frameset: Pearson titanium hand drawn tube set 
• Fork: Full unidirectional carbon expedition fork with additional bosses.
• Shifters: Shimano 12-speed St-RX820
• Chainset: Shimano Fc-RX820 42T
• Cassette: Shimano 12-speed XT M8100 10-45
• Chain: Shimano HG-8100

• Rear Derailleur: Shimano Rd-RX820 mechanical
• Brakes: Shimano Br-Rx10 hydraulic
• Rotors: Shimano Rt-Mt800 160mm Ice Tech
• Handlebars: Pearson integrated low drop carbon 15 degree flared.
• Stem: Pearson integrated carbon
• Saddle: Fizik Terra Argo X5
• Seatpost: Pearson Straight Up Carbon 31.6mm
• Bartape: Fizik Terra Microtex Bondcush
• Tyres: Pirelli Cinturato Gravel M 700x45
• Wheelset: Pearson Hoopdriver Wide Boy alloy wheelset.