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It’s pretty rare nowadays that we get in a test bike that is really different than other bikes we’re riding. Yet the All-City Super Professional, with its steel frame and fork, sliding dropouts and 750mm-wide handlebar certainly doesn’t fit into the molds of all the carbon gravel bikes we’ve been seeing.

[caption id="attachment_146151" align="aligncenter" width="1140"]The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike might be the ultimate N+1 argument. © Cyclocross Magazine The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike might be the ultimate N+1 argument. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

All-City officially unveiled this head-turning urban cyclocross steed today. We’ve been riding it for a few weeks and bring you an in-depth first look today.

Cyclocross, Singlespeed, Tracklocross or Commuter?

All-City says “Yes!” to all four with today’s unveiling of the Super Professional.

It doesn’t seem all that long ago that we first looked at All-City’s Nature Boy, a singlespeed cyclocross bike. In the decade since All-City has expanded its cyclocross lineup to include the geared Macho Man. Both lines were updated to include disc brakes and more recently, the Macho King, made of Reynolds 853 tubing and featuring a tapered headtube with a thru-axle fork, was released. While the frame has been updated to include a rear thru-axle, the product launch in 2014 was the last major addition to the All-City cyclocross lineup. The company instead focused on all-road bikes.

In the six years to follow, All-City noted that many of its frames were pressed into commuting and utility service. For 2020 All-City is back with the Super Professional, available in both geared and singlespeed builds as well as a frameset. Designed with inspiration from All-City’s cyclocross line, the Super Professional is what the brand calls “the daily crusher of your dreams.”

[caption id="attachment_146167" align="aligncenter" width="1140"]The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike is the bike many of us want to put together but never have time to. © Cyclocross Magazine The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike is the bike many of us want to put together but never have time to. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

We crushed it on dirt, on trails, on pavement and even gravel in pursuit of two-wheel dreams. But we didn’t ride it singlespeed or try the nightmare of fixed.

The Frame

Built using All-City’s custom 612 Select Cromoly tubeset, the Super Professional is designed as a cyclocross-inspired urban commuter. Fully up to date with flat-mount brakes and 12mm thru-axles front and rear, the frame is the first to include All-City’s Master Dropout, a sliding singlespeed dropout that can accept a derailleur, much like Trek’s Stranglehold system.

[caption id="attachment_146162" align="aligncenter" width="1140"]Singlespeed or geared? The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike can do both. © Cyclocross Magazine Singlespeed or geared? The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike can do both. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Although our 1x test bike came with just one dropout, All-City says the Super Professional ships with two dropouts, one with a derailleur hanger and one without, so the owner can easily swap between the two configurations. The dropout with the hanger still slides, making singlespeed conversion still possible with a bit of extra metal. Each side of the Master Dropout relies on two bolts: a 4mm hex to attach the dropout to the frame, and a 3mm hex to keep the slider in position during pedaling and braking. Our test bike was missing the 3mm hex bolts, but the non-drive side 4mm hex bolt and thru axle kept everything in place.

[caption id="attachment_146153" align="aligncenter" width="1140"]The new All-City Super Professional includes the new sliding Master Dropout for geared or singlespeed use. Rear-facing bolts should keep the in position, but our test bike was missing them. © Cyclocross Magazine The new All-City Super Professional includes the new sliding Master Dropout for geared or singlespeed use. Rear-facing bolts should keep the in position, but our test bike was missing them. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The straight 1 ⅛” steerer tube fork pairs with a straight head tube and a Cane Creek 40 headset. The steel fork’s signature lugged crown turns heads, and boasts mounting points for fenders as well as mid-stay braze-ons.

[caption id="attachment_146159" align="aligncenter" width="1140"]The new All-City Super Professional's fork crown looks vintage and expensive. © Cyclocross Magazine The new All-City Super Professional’s fork crown looks vintage and expensive. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

On the frame, there are mounts for both racks and fenders as well as two bottle cages and dropper post routing.

[caption id="attachment_146149" align="aligncenter" width="1140"]The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike is ready for a cable-pull dropper post. © Cyclocross Magazine The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike is ready for a cable-pull dropper post. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The frame can accept up to a 700x45mm or 650x47mm tire, impressive given the 420mm chainstays. With fenders the Super Professional can still accommodate a 700x40mm or 650x42mm tire. Although the geared bike is 1x, the Super Professional can be built with a 2x drivetrain using a 50/34t crankset. For 1x and singlespeed, the frame will accept up to a 50t chainring.

[caption id="attachment_146148" align="aligncenter" width="1140"]The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike takes up to 700c x 45mm tires. Shown here with 37mm WTB Riddler rubber. © Cyclocross Magazine The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike takes up to 700c x 45mm tires. Shown here with 37mm WTB Riddler rubber. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Steel is real they say, but weight weenies might think it’s real heavy. All-City reports our 55cm frame with sliding dropouts and rear thru axle weighs 2510g, or 5.53 pounds. The fork is 1240g, or 2.7 pounds with an uncut steerer. All told, everything adds up to a whopping 25.7-pound package without pedals.

While the gram counters point out that the fork weighs more than most carbon frames, All-City points back to a whole segment of cyclists who could care less about weight and want a stylish, affordable fun ride.

The Build

The Super Professional is available in the Apex 1 build we are testing or a singlespeed configuration, with the former having a slightly higher MSRP at $1599 vs the $1299 singlespeed package.

[caption id="attachment_146164" align="aligncenter" width="1140"]Apex 1 shifters and rear derailleur offer wide-range gearing with a tall 44x11 top gear. The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike. © Cyclocross Magazine Apex 1 shifters and rear derailleur offer wide-range gearing with a tall 44×11 top gear. The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

It is also available as a frameset for $850. While the frameset is available in both Goldust and Blue Panther colorways, complete builds will come in a single color depending on the version, Goldust for singlespeed and Blue Panther for geared bikes. All complete bikes ship as a flat-bar bike.

[caption id="attachment_146169" align="aligncenter" width="1140"]The All-City Cycles Super Professional in the Goldust singlespeed version. The All-City Cycles Super Professional in the Goldust singlespeed version. photo: courtesy[/caption]

Our size 55 sample has a 72-degree head angle and a 73-degree seat angle. It is important to note that larger sizes feature a slacker seat angle, and smaller sizes become progressively steeper. Thus, the reach doesn’t grow proportionately with the top tube lengths. The frame has a relatively tall 584mm stack height and 386mm reach. Across the entire size run the Super Professional has 60mm of bottom bracket drop and 420mm chainstays, meaning you’ve got rear tire traction and pedal clearance for your singlespeed or tracklocross adventures.

Both the singlespeed and geared bikes use the same build kit of alloy handlebars, stem and seatpost with an All-City Gonzo saddle. Both bikes also feature flat-mount Tektro HD-R280 hydraulic brakes and an FSA Omega crankset with a 44t chainring.

[caption id="attachment_146152" align="aligncenter" width="1140"]SRAM Apex flat bar levers and Tektro brake levers leave lots of spare room on the 750mm-wide bar. The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike. © Cyclocross Magazine SRAM Apex flat bar levers and Tektro brake levers leave lots of spare room on the 750mm-wide bar. The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Where the builds differ, apart from the SRAM Apex drivetrain, is in the wheels. Geared builds come with 700c WTB ST i23 rims laced to All-City Go Devil hubs with 37mm, tan wall WTB Riddler tires, while the singlespeed build specs the same wheel in 650b and 47mm, tan wall WTB Horizon tires.

[caption id="attachment_146161" align="aligncenter" width="1140"]The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike rolls on 37mm WTB Riddler tires that are tubeless ready. © Cyclocross Magazine The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike rolls on 37mm WTB Riddler tires that are tubeless ready. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

Save up an Andrew Jackson though. The bike does not ship with tubeless valves despite the tubeless wheels and tires.

The Ride

The Super Professional thankfully doesn’t live up to its name. It’s focused on fun, not call-ups, UCI points or podiums. Used to drop bars? Hop on to the Super Professional and you’ll forget about all your strong opinions about cyclocross and gravel bikes and just start pedaling with a grin.

[caption id="attachment_146147" align="aligncenter" width="1140"]The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike comes in both 1x and singlespeed build options. © Cyclocross Magazine The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike comes in both 1x and singlespeed build options. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

If you’ve got miles of flat pavement, that grin will subside. But venture off-road and pull on the wide, 750mm bars to crank up the steeps. It’s worth it once you bomb down the other side. The bars and position add enough confidence to get you into trouble.

The flat bar and bigger (37mm) tire setup begs for singletrack, technical trails and rolling hills—terrain that warrants accelerations and descending confidence.

[caption id="attachment_146150" align="aligncenter" width="1140"]The new All-City Super Professional with its wide flat bar, sliding dropouts and handsome steel frame is unlike any other test bike we've ridden. © Cyclocross Magazine The new All-City Super Professional with its wide flat bar, sliding dropouts and handsome steel frame is unlike any other test bike we’ve ridden. © Cyclocross Magazine[/caption]

The geometry numbers might remind some of older, Euro-style cyclocross bikes, with longer top tubes and higher bottom brackets, and that’s partly what makes the Super Professional seem like the ideal singlespeed rig. Use that extra cm of bottom bracket height to pedal your way through turns and off-cambers, whether you’ve got a freehub or fixed gear (assuming you have all the dropout bolts). And use every cm of bar width to crank up those climbs.

While the build and the configuration of the Super Professional maximizes the focus on off-road fun, it wouldn’t be our top choice for group gravel rides or threading through downtown traffic. The wide bars are more of a limitation in these settings.

Want to add even more fun to the downhills? All-City added built-in dropper post cable routing. Drop in and pass those amateur mountain bikers.

Sure, some of you could probably build your own flat-bar cyclocross rig with spare parts in the garage, but that’s not All-City’s target market. Some covet a versatile, affordable flat bar rig that is ready to go anywhere and will do it in style. Based on our initial rides, the Super Professional is up for that challenge right out of the box (plus some sealant and valves).

Based on our initial tests, it’s simply a fun bike with a refreshing denial to the every-watt-matters philosophy. So much so that it has us calculating whether N+1 includes such a two-wheel formula.

The folks at Golden Saddle Cyclery also teamed up with All-City Cycles to put it to the test, albeit in a different way:

Stay tuned for our full review. Photo gallery below the specs.

Brandon Grant and Andrew Yee contributed to this article.

All-City Super Professional Specs

Frame: All-City Super Professional, 612 Select Cromoly, sliding Master Dropout
Fork: All-City Super Professional Signature, 12mm thru-axle, flat mount disc
Bottom Bracket: BSA English
Shift/Brake Levers: SRAM Apex 1 HRD
Brake Calipers: SRAM Apex HRD
Brake Rotors: SRAM Centerline, 160mm/160mm
Crankset: FSA Omega, MegaExo spindle
Chain Ring: 44t
Rear Derailleur: SRAM Apex 1, 11-speed
Cassette: SRAM 11-42t, 11-speed
Wheels: WTB STi23 rims, 32h, All-City Go-Devil hubs, Pillar spokes
Tires: WTB Riddler, tan sidewall, tubeless-ready, 700c x 37mm
Handlebar: alloy, 750mm wide
Stem: alloy
Bar Tape: locking grips
Saddle: All-City Gonzo
Seatpost: Alloy, 27.2mm
Weight: 25.7 pounds without pedals
MSRP: $1599
More info: allcitycycles.com

All-City Cycles Super Professional Photo Gallery:

The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike comes in both 1x and singlespeed build options. © Cyclocross Magazine

The new All-City Super Professional cyclocross bike comes in both 1x and singlespeed build options. © Cyclocross Magazine