Titus - Mission Morocco
3 November 2022
Titus bikes are designed for adventure and are built to endure every type of expedition. With the Goldrush being our most capable gravel bikepacking bike, and Silkroad built for the long haul, Guy and Mick are putting them through their paces on a 456-mile ride in the Moroccan Atlas Mountains.
Simon from Global Bike Adventures has been guiding MTB trips in the Atlas Mountains for 18 years. He’s totally new to the crossover world of gravel biking though so he asked his old pal and pro bike tester Guy, photographer Mick and their bike buddy Ryan to come and help him scope out a potential epic route around the incredible landscape of deserts and peaks of North West Africa.
The trip was also a perfect way to test our SRAM AXS wireless equipped Titus Goldrush and Silk Road Titanium gravel/adventure bikes as well as our top value bike packing kit from Podsacs, titanium adventure gear from Zastrugi and clothing from Carnac.
Like all the most fun adventures not everything went to plan and the eventual route took both bikes and riders to their absolute limits in places. The end result was an incredibly memorable 6-day exploration of a fascinating country. Meeting fantastic characters, seeing stunning scenery and creating awesome stories along the way.
So get ready to read the daily blogs, watch the daily vlogs and check the test and tech talk round videos to see how the African adventurers and their bikes and kit got on and maybe add Morocco to your must-ride list too.
GUY KESTEVEN
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| GUY KESTEVEN | MICK KIRKMAN |
| Professional bike tester for over 25 years and always up for an adventure that takes him and the equipment he’s using to the limit. Best mate (and best man) of Simon and the one with the gob and the GoPro. @guykestv |
Legendary bike photographer and bike tester regularly racing and winning Enduros at a top level but new to the world of gravel. Responsible for the stunning ‘proper’ pictures from the trip. @mick_kirkman |
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| SIMON DEACON ELLIOTT | RYAN STOCKTON |
| Ultra-experienced, panic-proof ride guide and adventure creator with an 18-year history of mountain biking in Morocco. Gravel is a new world for him though so he’s created this adventure to test the format - and us - to its limits. | Super experienced and talented road / MTB rider and Guy’s regular test wingman. He’s ridden all over the world including the Himalayas but he’s not done an African gravel adventure before. Responsible for modelling the best-looking pictures of the trip. |
The Breakdown
MONDAY, Day 1
TUESDAY, Day 2
WEDNESDAY, Day 3
THURSDAY, Day 4
FRIDAY, Day 5
SATURDAY, Day 6
The Goldrush titanium framed gravel adventurer delivers limitless potential with a luxuriously surefooted ride. Adjustable dropouts mean you can switch between the mile-crushing stability of a longer wheelbase or the joy-inducing agility of a shorter wheelbase. Fittings for three bottle cages, panniers, fork bags, and mudguards, plus big tyre room with 650 or 700c wheels make it TITUS' most capable gravel bikepacking bike to date.
The Silk Road is a true all-mountain expedition adventurer. Expedition geometry, 2.6 tyre clearance, full adventure mounts and a monocoque suspension adjusted carbon adventure fork combine to create a bike as worthy as its namesake. Meticulously designed and constructed using Aerospace Grade 9 3AL-2.5V Titanium to offer unparalleled lightness, strength, and ride quality, it's made for the long haul and has a lifetime frame warranty to prove it.
