Steel, Dynamos, and the Long Wait for the Vasco GT
The Tout Terrain Vasco GT 28 Select 6.3 is a steel gravel bike that solves the power problem with a stock dynamo and USB-C charging cap. Here is why it caught my eye.
I have a lingering affection for steel bicycles. There is something about the material that feels permanent and forgiving in a way that carbon fiber—for all its aerospace rigidity—never quite manages. So, naturally, my ears perked up when I saw the specs for the new Tout Terrain Vasco GT 28 Select 6.3.
Tout Terrain is a German brand, and like a lot of German manufacturing, this bike seems to prioritize a very specific kind of pragmatic utility over flashy, race-day featherweight status.
Usually, when you buy a "complete" gravel bike, you’re getting a rolling chassis that is about 80% finished. You still have to figure out your lighting, your luggage situation, and how you’re going to keep your GPS running on day three of a bikepacking trip. What struck me about the Vasco GT isn't just the Stratocrom steel frame, but that Tout Terrain seems to have acknowledged that a bike is meant to go places, not just sit in a showroom.
They’ve specced it with a Shutter Precision dynamo hub right out of the box. If you’ve never ridden with a dynamo, it changes the psychology of a ride; you are your own power plant. But they took it a step further. The bike includes a Cinq Plug Pure 7 directly in the headset. It’s a USB-C outlet powered by your pedaling, pumping out 800mA.
It’s a small detail, but a profound one. It means you can roll out of your driveway with a smartphone and a GPS, and as long as your legs are moving, your electronics are alive. No battery anxiety. No hunting for outlets at gas stations.
The rest of the build is a mix of the modern and the surprisingly retro. It runs a 12-speed Shimano GRX drivetrain (standard and solid) and fits hefty 700x45mm tires. But then you look at the bottom bracket and see a square taper FSA unit. In an era of press-fit creaking woes, there is something charmingly obstinate about speccing a square taper BB in the 2020s. It says: This will work, and you can fix it with a wrench you found in a barn.
It also comes with a "Viewit" rack on the front—a steerer-mounted system rated for about 11 pounds. Again, it’s just ready to go.
The only catch? The lead time. The pre-order information lists an estimated ship date of March 2026. It’s a long time to wait for a bicycle, roughly $3,800 later. But looking at the geometry—tall stack, comfortable reach—and that integrated power supply, it looks like a machine built for the long haul. Maybe the wait is just part of the slow-travel philosophy.
Tout Terrain
