Winspace G3 review: The Chinese gravel all-rounder

There are a lot of good bikes out there, gravel or otherwise. But every now and then you come across something that genuinely puts a smile on your face.

For me, the G3 is one such bike.

A lightweight carbon gravel frame from rapidly-emerging Chinese brand Winspace, it’s built for both performance and endurance resulting in a hugely enjoyable bike you can take almost anywhere and smile widely as you go.

First impressions

Some gravel bikes look almost agricultural such is their girth and robust design. But the G3 is quite the opposite with aerodynamic tube shaping and fully internal cable routing that cuts a fast, clean and modern look. It’s also pleasantly light at around 8kg (Medium frame).

Admittedly the ‘Pink Clay’ paint scheme on the review build is a something of an acquired taste with some of those I rode with professing to love it while others were not so convinced.

I didn’t mind it myself, but other colourways are available should you prefer.

Frame and geo

Inspecting the tubing it’s obvious that plenty of thought has gone into the G3 frame with subtle contours and shapes pretty much everywhere.

There’s a tapered top tube, contoured chain-stays, blade(ish) forks and a reinforced seat tube/top tube junction. However rather than kammtail cut-off sections the tubes feature more traditional oval airfoil shaping.

The head tube itself is reasonably generous at 145mm and despite the G3’s ‘performance’ positioning the head tube angle (70.5°) is also a little slacker than some of its rivals.

It also has quite a tall stack (568mm) which definitely contributes to comfort and overall I found the geometry was very accomodating.

Throw in clearance for up to 50mm tyres and it gives you the freedom to tackle more demanding gravel routes while still maintaining a level of agility and performance.

Looking at some of the other specifics, there’s a hybrid CNC-machined alloy bottom bracket shell wrapped in carbon with a T47 threaded bottom bracket.

There’s a patented ‘dorsal’ tail wing at the seat stay junctions which is designed to smooth airflow and reduce vibration. Enclosed thru-axles increase stiffness and provide a clean aesthetic while the universal derailleur hanger (UDH) allows for easy replacement if required.

Wheelset and components

While the frame remains the same one of the great things about the G3 – like all Winspace frames in Australia – is the ability to spec things just the way you like with a choice of groupsets, wheelsets and cockpit options.

The review build came with an excellent SRAM Force E1 XPLR AXS 1×13 groupset providing trouble-free electronic shifting and solid braking, together with a versatile Lún Gryper D35 carbon wheelset (35mm rims, carbon spokes, steel bearings, tubeless-ready) which weighed in at a respectable 1,290 grams.

A Carbon Project Flow 3D-printed saddle and one-piece Winspace Legit Adventure integrated carbon gravel handlebar with 12° flare completed the impressive fit-out.

I didn’t use them myself, but there are also integrated mounting points on the forks and top tube with Winspace recommending a maximum system weight limit of 120kg.

In Australia, Winspace also gives you the opportunity to ‘try before you buy’ through a unique rental arrangement.

Hire the bike for a weekend, a week or even a month to test it out and then if you decide to buy one you’ll get a brand new build minus the rental costs you’ve already paid. You can’t get much fairer than that.

The ride

Hitting the trails I found the G3 an enjoyably slick and agile ride. It skips along wonderfully on sealed roads and is an absolute dream on champagne gravel.

But it can also take quite a beating as I experienced on multiple occasions exploring some pretty gnarly routes in and around the Blue Mountains during the review.

For an experienced roadie starting to dabble in gravel riding this might just be the perfect bike. It’s still fast. It’s still responsive. It still handles impressively, but it’s obviously a lot more robust for getting off the beaten track while the 1×13/10-46 gearing is ample for the vast majority of terrain you’ll encounter.

One thing I did notice is with the light weight and nimble handling it does tend to float around a little bit more than heavier gravel builds on looser surfaces – especially at higher speeds such as rutted fire trail descending, for example – but I actually found that made the whole experience even more enjoyable.

On firmer surfaces it felt completely assured and the Lún Gryper wheels tap along very nicely indeed. The more I rode it the more I became convinced Winspace has got the balance with this build just about spot on.

The frame is undeniably stiff and offers pretty impressive power transfer and acceleration when called upon.

Yes, you’ll feel the bigger bumps (there’s no suspension after all, it isn’t a MTB) but never to the point of being unbearable thanks to some clever geometry and layup choices.

Seriously, after six weeks in the saddle and a real variety of riding – I even rode some single track to really put it to the test – I have very few complaints.

The wrap-up

With builds starting from $7,990 the Winspace G3 certainly isn’t priced in the budget category. It’s a serious gravel bike that has two main markets as I can see.

The first is a performance carbon upgrade for riders who’ve perhaps already been riding an entry level alloy frame or perhaps an older second-hand gravel bike for a while and are ready to get a bit more serious.

The second is confident and experienced roadies who are getting into gravel and want more than just an entry level build, but still want solid value.

I fall firmly into the second category and would gladly call this bike my own.

Seriously, I loved it.

Winspace G3

RRP:                                       $9,590 (frameset only – $3,490)

COLOUR:                              Pink Clay

FRAME:                                 Winspace G3 – Toray T700, T800, M40 carbon

FORK:                                    Winspace G3

HANDLEBAR/STEM:          Legit Adventure Carbon Gravel Bar (one-piece)

SADDLE:                               TCP Flow 3D

SEAT POST:                          Winspace Aero seatpost

GROUPSET:                          SRAM Force E1 XPLR AXS

CHAIN:                                  SRAM Force E1 Flattop

CRANKSET:                          SRAM FORCE E1 DUB 1 x 42T, 165mm crank length

CASSETTE:                           SRAM Force E1 XPLR AXS 10-46, 13-speed

BOTTOM BRACKET:          Wishbone T47 Outboard Ceramic DUB

ROTORS:                               SRAM Paceline X Rotor 160mm (front and rear)

RIMS:                                     Lún Gryper D35 (carbon 35mm rims, tubeless-ready)

TYRES:                                  Pirelli Cinturato Gravel (45mm)

CLEARANCE (MAX):          50mm

SYSTEM WEIGHT (MAX): 120kg

All Winspace carbon frames have a 3-year warranty.

Wheelsets come with a 2-year warranty.