If there is one thing that all bikes do well, it’s move us forward. Forward to new destinations, new adventures, and new opportunities. Some paths ahead may be smooth, others may be rocky and jarring. And the best way to explore them is united — with the road, your bike, and even more so, with your community.

We believe gravel riding represents a unique freedom that other cycling disciplines lack. In its decidedly non-conformist boundaries, it opens doorways to all. It’s free from stringent definitions. Any road can be ridden on a gravel bike, you can ride at any pace you like, and most importantly, anyone can ride gravel.

In this rejection of the neat compartments we love to use to categorize bikes, we find a space full of opportunity. Race across vast distances if you want to. Roll slow and drink in the wildflowers that dance in the breeze. Ride far beyond the horizon and doze under shadows of towering saguaro. No matter who you are, where you come from, or what ambitions fuel you, you are welcome on the gravel road.

To celebrate the unity and diversity that make the cycling world so beautiful, we teamed up our top Project One paint designers with the brilliant minds at Shimano, who were excited to bring their United in Gravel campaign to life on our most gravel-ready ride — Checkpoint SLR.

United in adventure. United in values. United in Gravel.

The Shimano x Trek United in Gravel Checkpoint SLR is more than just a beautiful bike. It’s the physical manifestation of our long-time partnership and shared values with Shimano. It invites us to look deeper into each person we saddle up beside as we ride down the dusty road and reminds us that no matter where we come from, be it the plains of Wisconsin or Sakai City, Japan, we can unite for a better, more inclusive cycling community.

With colorful, abstract shapes that reflect the beautiful diversity of all who ride gravel and mirror the mountains we climb, rivers we forge, and vast sky we ride beneath, the Shimano United in Gravel Checkpoint symbolizes the pursuit for peace, release, and adventure that unites us all. 

Ready to create your own unique bike to unite in gravel? Design your custom-painted Checkpoint from the ground up with Project One Ultimate or choose one of our beautifully curated Project One schemes and ride into the freedom that waits ahead – no matter where you begin.

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