£6,300 A gravel bike inspired by the featherweight Aethos Weight 8.35kg (58cm) Frame Carbon Fork Carbon Gears SRAM Rival eTap AXS 12-speed (40t, 10-44t) Brakes SRAM Rival eTAP AXS Wheels Roval Terra C Finishing kit Specialized Pro SL alloy stem, Specialized Adventure Gear bar, Roval Terra Carbon 20mm offset seatpost, Body Geometry Power Expert saddle, Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2BR 700 x 38c tyres
THE CRUX STARTED OUT AS Specialized’s pure cyclocross race bike, but this iteration also covers gravel, and takes some cues from the brand’s Aethos (CP380) road bike. In short, it’s lightweight and very simple.
The Crux’s predominantly round tubes, standard diamond frame shape and slender fork give it a slightly retro look. There are no mudguard/fender eyelets, top-tube bag mounts, rack mounts or multi-mounts on the forks either. You do, however, get three sets of bosses on the frame (seat-tube, and top and bottom of the down-tube).
The Crux has a standard headset with internal routing for the brake hoses. The frame takes a round, 27.2mm seatpost, so you could run a dropper post, and it has a mechanic-friendly BSA threaded bottom bracket. There’s space for a 47mm tyre on 700c wheels, or 2.1 inches with 650bs.
The frame is Specialized’s cheaper Fact 10r carbon blend, but with a frame weight of 825g (56cm, painted), it’s just 100g heavier than the much pricier S-Works.
Race ready
My 58cm test bike has a relatively low 598mm stack height and long 405mm reach, which wouldn’t feel out of place on a road bike. A slightly relaxed head angle (72.25°) and a tall 401mm fork with a longer 62mm trail help stabilise the handling.
Though the seat-tube angle is a relatively steep 73.5°, the 20mm setback seatpost slackens the effect to help add stability and traction off road. Lengthy 425mm chainstays allow for big tyre clearances, and the 1,045mm wheelbase is quite long, to balance steering responses and stability.
It’s a mixed bag for the price. Starting up-front, the alloy Specialized Pro-SL stem does its job, and is well finished and simple. The alloy Specialized bar, likewise, has a good shape, with a subtle flare and a compact drop, but an alloy bar this price feels mean. Thankfully, the excellent Supacaz tape is tacky to the touch and comfortably thick.
At the back, the premium Roval Terra carbon post (£225 aftermarket) is topped with one of my favourite saddles – Specialized’s Power – here in its Expert form. The bike rolls on Roval’s carbon, tubeless-ready Terra C wheels. They’re a claimed 1,620g (strangely not all that light) with a 32mm-deep, hooked rim a
