But, instead, I was treated to a chilly high-pressure system that hadnt dumped much snow, and so I donned some thick gloves, my Sportful Supergiara Puffy and some Nukeproof riding trousers, and headed into the hills behind town for a few achingly beautiful, and achingly cold rides to burn off the Christmas turkey (well, venison actually). While those first few kilometres flew by, the final few took more effort. Was I nervous about hitting potholes in the dark with a carbon frame? He has since been swept up in the self-supported, ultra-endurance cycling world, taking part in the Transatlantic Way race in 2019. This was a slight oversight on my behalf which meant that I had to switch the fork to one with a 12mm axle. Laufs own Smoothie bar dominates the cockpit. I've done three rides on a Lauf True Grit bike built with Red eTap AXS XPLR, a 30mm RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR, a 75mm Reverb AXS XPLR, and Zipp 101 XPLR wheels with 40mm XPLR tires. LAUF ANYWHERE RIDE The Anywhere is nearly identical in feel and handling to the True Grit when on the pavement. Personally, I prefer the concept of a suspension system that isolates (to some extent) the front wheel from the frame. But, as always seems to happen on longer rides, the first few kilometres of light, traffic-free gravel out of town flew by, lulling me into a false sense of security. On Komoot I couldnt tell the difference between fire road and singletrack, but thankfully this narrow sliver of trail through the trees was all passable on my skinny rubber. These cookies do not store any personal information. A little more clearance would be no bad thing here. With under 40psi in my Maxxis Rambler (f) and Bontrager GR2 (r) tyres, I still skirted around the most glass-like patches of ice without issue, but it was refreshing to be totally comfortable scooting over frost patches, or bits of fireroad where stones and grass poked through an underlying layer of ice, safe in the knowledge that I was fairly, er, safe. The sequential, flappy-paddle shifting setup is incredibly intuitive and, thus far, shifting performance has been faultless. At the back theres a 142 x 12mm axle, along with a chainsuck plate to protect the chainstays. It's just a shame that the JAF fork limits the bike's compatibility with road and. He has a particular focus on mountain bikes, but spends plenty of time on gravel bikes, too. I was hoping to catch the last of the summers warmth, and perhaps a cheeky few dry trails, too, before the inevitable six months of grim puddle dodging. Unless I end up riding the bike more off road I will likely swap the tyres to something a little lighter for more road-focussed riding. Six weeks after the Transatlantic Way, I was off to race The Rift a 200km gravel race in Hvolsller, Iceland. Lauf's new Seigla gravel bike adds increased tyre - BikeRadar The frame uses a 12x142mm rear thru-axle and a 15x100mm front thru-axle with flat-mount disc brakes. For off-road climbing, the gearing was on the tall side for some and came up on the short side for riders capable of higher paved speeds. This time last year I was banging out 100 to 150k rides weekly, with occasional jaunts of up to around 200k. Instead of the JAF I used the No.9 CX Disc fork from Whiskey Parts Co. In reality, I didnt notice a significant difference in performance using the Fast Forwards, but I did really like the 240s hub and its quality freehub, which purrs away with a sort of quiet confidence. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Taking time to set the True Grit up right is worth the effort. Ive also been very impressed with the Force/XX1 AXS drivetrain, and more so than I have in a mountain bike context. Merida Ex Enduro (Powered by Shimano Steps), and later the True Grit on the launch event in Iceland. . I stripped the hubs down (easy to do), cleaned them out, and replaced the grease with a lighter-weight lubricant I had in the garage, and, so far, this seems to have done the trick. After the Rift, it was only a matter of time before BikeRadars hill climb extraordinaire and video manager, Joe Norledge, and assistant editor, Jack Luke, roped me into taking part in an open hill climb. But, on entering the outskirts of Aviemore, it was great to hit the Aviemore Orbital (yes, like any metropolis, Aviemore has an orbital) and then the highstreet back. Ive also been using a number of 76Projects items, including the excellent Modular Computer Mount to hold my Garmin and Magicshine front light. Im pretty sure British Cycling should get their athletes on this diet. Riding the Lauf all year round, oftennot in a commercial forest, means I see the seasons changing whenever I ride. The best gravel bikes 2023 | Carbon, aluminium, steel - BikeRadar I know the stack is greatly different, but the specialized seems to be measuring to the end of the future shock (610mm) while Lauf has a Stack (564mm) and a stack to handlebar (605 - 651mm) that would seem to match Specialized better. As you might or might not know, the core of Lauf True Grit is the Lauf Grit SL, with its 30mm front suspension fork. Around day five I accidentally put the Exposure Redeye rear light cable into the input port instead of the output port of the Revo and after that the rear light no longer worked. This model is the second tier of the four-model range and features DT Swiss alloy hoops wrapped in Maxxis Rambler tyres, a SRAM Force/XX1 AXS wireless 1x groupset with a 10-50t cassette, and a smattering of FSA and Lauf finishing kit. So, whats the seatpost like? However, once set, its pretty much good to go. SRAMs AXS gears did their job without grumbling, the Grit fork killed buzz as it should and the Maxxis Rambler at the front, paired with a Bontrager G2 at the back, rolled efficiently and comfortably, backed up by that shock-damping Canyon post. It sports a 11-42t SRAM 1130 cassette and chain that is coupled with a single X-Sync 42t chainring up front. Lauf's Grit forks are also far lighter than the competition, more energy efficient and they don't require any maintenance. Thus was born the Anywhere, a bike that couples a traditional road bike profile with a specifically engineered handlebar that provides hand- and forearm-friendly compliance. These aluminium wheels are 27mm deep with a 19mm internal width and come in at 1,588g for the pair. Ill be keeping the rear hovering around 40psi for now, but the front is back up to around 48psi. I swapped the front chainring from a 42-tooth to a Hope 38-tooth narrow wide model. I mean, if the first 3km was that easy, Id be home in no time! Lauf Seigla geometry. Rattling is perhaps too negative a sounding word, its just that a 45c gravel tyre in comparison to a 2.6in wide one gives a fairly different ride experience! The TCR weighs in at 17.12 pounds . The Smoothie has a 3-degree back sweep that offers a natural angle to hold the cross section. Having explored a little of the area in the past, I knew there was a fair risk of trudging through mud, even at the best of times, and with my other half working, I also knew thered be no rescue party until at least early evening if things went a little wrong. As such, small adjustments require the post to be removed. This makes for a sturdy frame that handles all the fun at only 1.150g - Medium frame in Lava Black, including front and rear derailleur hangers. And now it is taken to the next level. Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. Photo: Courtesy Lauf Don't 'lauf' at my fork! This suits me as I intend to ride this bike in as many different ways as possible. Which Bike Help! - Jamis Renegade vs Lauf Anywhere/True Grit - Reddit Im also considering swapping the current DT Swiss X1900 XC wheels for a lighter wheelset because I will mostly be riding the Lauf Anywhere on tarmac roads. The last four hours were really tough despite being mostly flat and it seemed my legs had only one speed slow! And it was here that I spent my Christmas and New Year. A form of built-in frame compliance would also pose an advantage if you plan to ride ultra distances when comfort is most needed. PUNCH LINES The rear chainstays are reasonably boxy, boosting pedalling stiffness, while the slender seatstays are there to give a little comfort. You've been subscribed to our newsletter. More on those later. Given I know the True Grit fairly well, set up has been easy. The Anywhere could feel harsh on long and intense gravel races. It was a new experience for me having never raced before or had any proper gravel riding experience. I love gravel riding. While Id worn far too many clothes, I didnt end up pushing anything or get lost or find myself axle-deep in mud or water. Compared to the 800 lumens from the Exposure Revo, the extra power of the R2 is certainly useful when riding faster, however for the kind of road riding I have been doing I felt the Revo was bright enough. Lauf's Seigla has taken all of the best aspects from its True Grit gravel race bike and improved it, with increased tyre clearance and frame compliance. Particularly, it is more lightweight, more compact, and sturdier than the standard model. Its barely compromised on tarmac with the right tyres and itll fly along unmade roads with gleeful abandon. I wish I could keep both (and maybr I could if I didn't get the 2nd highest spec True Grit), but I don't really have the room and I probably wouldn't ride both enough to make it worth it. |, USD $4,190.00 As restrictive as a larger axle size could be, many gravel-specific wheels have end caps or adaptors available to accept the larger axle size. We are all huge fans of the True Grit and Zap even chose it as his favorite dual purpose bike of 2018. I was using Laufs Smoothie handlebars, which are developed in house and made from the same carbon as its leaf sprung suspension fork. The large but smooth 40mm tires allowed us to run low tire pressures (35psi) on wet roads offering great traction and speed. Ive been rattling around on my Lauf for a good few months now, which has provided the perfect antidote to the mountain bikes I test day-to-day. After completing my first hill climb race on the Lauf Anywhere, it got me thinking about the bikes weight. Already have an account with us? I set up the WTB Exposure tyre with Weldtite sealant which, despite putting in more than recommended, ended up spraying out and not sealing. I have had a couple of freehub engagement issues with my pair, though. The 4km descent to the loch was a welcome relief and, at the bottom, I decided approaching 40km was a good time to enjoy my lunch by the shores. That said, I noticed that on-tarmac handling is compromised. The weather stayed dry and riding out of the woods to see the sunrise was really special and a rare treat in the UK. This is the first bike I have ridden with flared handlebars, though, and as yet I havent found a natural and comfortable position on the hoods. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The October sun was positively beating down on my largely windproof, entirely black attire and, feeling rather dehydrated, I rejoined the insulin express with my can of Irn-Bru, very much shaken, not stirred, after four hours of gravel tracks. Grit / Grit SL . So I planned a 90k loop, avoiding the highest bits of the Cairngorm plateau, and packed a saddle bag with a full set of waterproofs, some synthetic insulation and plenty of snacks. The Icelandic leaf-spring design looks crazy, but really isn't any different than a. This construction, plus the overall shaping, allows for isolated flex and a perfect mate for the new rigid fork. Join Join. One of the reasons for this is its geometry. To combine the two in an incredibly beautiful and unforgiving landscape such as Iceland was very special. Is it possible to stop by a loch with your bike and not take a photo? I soon re-joined my outbound route, the wide gravel tracks corners revealing the mountains Im familiar with seeing in Aviemore. As it was, it was a fairly steep, but entirely rideable and incredibly scenic rough doubletrack over the hill with a little dip and then a steep final pitch to 360-degree views of the mountains. Furthermore, I really believe suspension has a place on a gravel bike. As this was my first gravel race, I drew some experience from my mountain biking background and couldnt believe how well the Lauf handled on some of the gnarlier descents. Lauf Anywhere had a small pop up, so I bought that for her TG WW on sale for ~$2.5k shipped vs msrp $1.3k at a LBS for the E5 Diverge?