Going chain-free with the Priority Apollo gravel bike

In combining a belt drive with a gravel bike, Priority Bicycles has put a smart idea into action with the Apollo Gravel. The execution is mostly there, although the Apollo is perhaps best described as a fantastic commuter bike with a solid gravel upside—as long as the road isn't too rough. The Apollo Gravel comes in both aluminum and titanium frames. I tested the $1,999 aluminum model; the titanium version retails for $3,999. The aluminum version weighs in at 24 lb (10.9 kg), about a half-pound more than the titanium version, and comes with 40 mm WTB tires, WTB i23 ST tubeless-ready wheels (our test bike had inner tubes), and semi-hydraulic disc brakes. Both models use the Shimano Alfine 11 hub and a Gates Carbon Drive Belt. No mess, no fuss At first glance, a belt drive and internal gear hub seem the perfect match for a gravel bike. But implementation is key, and Priority has largely nailed it. Regular gravel grinding means regularly washing your bike and lubricating the chain. While the Apollo got dirty and needed to be hosed off, there were no gloves or chain lube involved. There were also no worries about dirt and dust making their way into a derailleur or coating the cassette. Belt drives are also dead quiet and have an excellent reputation for longevity, lasting up to three times longer than a chain. Eric Bangeman The rear wheel of the Apollo has no cassette. The rear wheel of the Apollo has no cassette. Eric Bangeman Eric Bangeman The Pinion Smart.Shift and Gates Carbon belt drive. The Pinion Smart.Shift and Gates Carbon belt drive. Eric Bangeman The rear wheel of the Apollo has no cassette. Eric Bangeman The Pinion Smart.Shift and Gates Carbon belt drive. Eric Bangeman What about that internal gear hub? The Shimano Alfine 11 hub Priority offers a 409 percent gear range. By comparison, the Trek Checkpoint SL 7 we reviewed last year has a typical gear ratio for a 1x gravel bike, topping out at 400 percent (40t chainring and 10-42 cassette). Paired with the hub is a Pinion Smart.Shift gearbox, which comes with an app. We used it to swap shifter buttons so that the larger paddle shifts to higher gears and the smaller to lower. There's also an auto-shift option, which will shift to a selected gear when stopping. It works well enough that we eventually forgot about downshifting before stopping at a red light. If you're the type of rider who tries to avoid coming to a complete stop whenever possible, you will find this feature less useful.