Crux 2021

The spirit of Grav-lo-cross. No but seriously, cyclocross and gravel go here!

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rothwem
Posts: 211
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2014 4:45 pm
Location: Asheville, NC

by rothwem

ouengineer17 wrote:
Tue Oct 18, 2022 7:44 pm
Mirco wrote:
Tue Oct 18, 2022 5:54 am
Nice, but wrong frame size. Stem to long and to much spacer. Size 56 would look much better.
I test rode the 56cm Crux and hated it. Felt big, bulky and cumbersome; just like my Grail. Did a ton of research on geometry and made comparison spreadsheets with all of the fits I've had on road and cross bikes to come up with this fit. For me, it's perfect.

My Dogma F8 road bike is a 57.5cm size with 120mm stem (longer bike allows me to get more aero while the sharp road geometry still feels snappy and responsive) and my Felt TT bike a 58cm size with 90mm stem (1036mm wheelbase; feels stable and easy to control in heavy crosswinds). Previous road bike was a Cannondale Caad9 56cm with a 110mm stem and it feels about right for what I wanted in a gravel fit, but with slightly longer reach and narrower bars for the gravel bike. Overall, the 1023mm wheelbase of the 54cm bike is only 10mm shorter than the 1033mm of the 56cm bike (and 6mm shorter than the Medium Grail); but along with the 120mm stem, the handling feels so much sharper and intuitive for me. No more making tons of minor corrections when trying to hold a tight gravel line along the twisty, narrow and loose gravel paths I ride daily.

Edit: also the 54cm size has the advantage of more seat post flex for more comfort; and while it's a very comfortable fit at 30mm spacers, I do want the option to go lower in the future.
I read a blog post a while ago that talked about how basically people can get comfortable on any combination of stems, top tube lengths, etc, as long as the front centers are similar. I'd wager that the shorter front center of the 54 probably feels more similar to the road bikes you're used to, so that's why you didn't like the 56. For me, on gravel, I like a front center of ~615-620mm, and I feel suprisingly similar on my two different gravel bikes that have a wide variation in stem length, spacers and top tubes, but nearly identical front centers.

AH, dug up the post. This was written before reach and stack were super popular, but I still think its relevant.

http://waltworks.blogspot.com/2012/06/f ... eally.html

by Weenie


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ouengineer17
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2022 5:42 pm

by ouengineer17

rothwem wrote:
Thu Oct 20, 2022 3:33 pm
ouengineer17 wrote:
Tue Oct 18, 2022 7:44 pm
Mirco wrote:
Tue Oct 18, 2022 5:54 am
Nice, but wrong frame size. Stem to long and to much spacer. Size 56 would look much better.
I test rode the 56cm Crux and hated it. Felt big, bulky and cumbersome; just like my Grail. Did a ton of research on geometry and made comparison spreadsheets with all of the fits I've had on road and cross bikes to come up with this fit. For me, it's perfect.

My Dogma F8 road bike is a 57.5cm size with 120mm stem (longer bike allows me to get more aero while the sharp road geometry still feels snappy and responsive) and my Felt TT bike a 58cm size with 90mm stem (1036mm wheelbase; feels stable and easy to control in heavy crosswinds). Previous road bike was a Cannondale Caad9 56cm with a 110mm stem and it feels about right for what I wanted in a gravel fit, but with slightly longer reach and narrower bars for the gravel bike. Overall, the 1023mm wheelbase of the 54cm bike is only 10mm shorter than the 1033mm of the 56cm bike (and 6mm shorter than the Medium Grail); but along with the 120mm stem, the handling feels so much sharper and intuitive for me. No more making tons of minor corrections when trying to hold a tight gravel line along the twisty, narrow and loose gravel paths I ride daily.

Edit: also the 54cm size has the advantage of more seat post flex for more comfort; and while it's a very comfortable fit at 30mm spacers, I do want the option to go lower in the future.
I read a blog post a while ago that talked about how basically people can get comfortable on any combination of stems, top tube lengths, etc, as long as the front centers are similar. I'd wager that the shorter front center of the 54 probably feels more similar to the road bikes you're used to, so that's why you didn't like the 56. For me, on gravel, I like a front center of ~615-620mm, and I feel suprisingly similar on my two different gravel bikes that have a wide variation in stem length, spacers and top tubes, but nearly identical front centers.

AH, dug up the post. This was written before reach and stack were super popular, but I still think its relevant.

http://waltworks.blogspot.com/2012/06/f ... eally.html
Yeah, that's a good point. It's definitely the front-center moreso than wheelbase that was bothering me. The front wheel on my M Grail and the 56cm Crux felt too far away.

To get more specific, it's probably the position of the front wheel relative to my center of gravity that is actually the driver. My TT bike has a very long front-center but feels fine since my position is so ridiculously far forward.

LanceLegstrong
Posts: 1145
Joined: Fri Sep 13, 2019 1:35 pm

by LanceLegstrong

pdlpsher1 wrote:
Tue Oct 18, 2022 5:29 am
stlrider wrote:
Sun Oct 09, 2022 10:33 pm
Also cannot for the life of me get the front mech to work right. Running a GRX DI2 front with a Power2Max NGEco Gravel 48/31. It's either set correctly and often refuses to shift, or set with it out a bit further and shifts up every time but occasionally throws the chain off. Image

Same mech and spider (46/30 rings) on my Diverge and that shifts perfect every time. I'm thinking it's because the CruX BB shell flexes so damn much coupled with the 1 extra tooth of difference. I need to try a proper GRX crank.
I don't have a Crux but I had the same shifting issue as you. On half of the shifts to the big ring the chain grinds for half of revolution before it finally catches. On a stock GRX crank the shifting is perfect. I returned the PM for a refund. As soon as P2M came out with a revised PM that takes stock GRX rings I bought one, and shifting has been as good as the stock GRX crank. There's something weird going on with the Rotor 1-piece machined 48/31 ring. This explains why P2M decided to redesign the PM so it can take the stock GRX rings. I believe the previous version was a PM they took from the MTB line. Did you try the 46/30 ring on the Crux?

Here's the new GRX PM that I bought: https://www.power2max.com/en/2022/10/po ... r2max-g-x/

Image
What's the weight savings going to this setup over the stock?
Specialized Tarmac SL7
Specialized Crux
Velobuild 168
Trek Checkpoint ALR

LanceLegstrong
Posts: 1145
Joined: Fri Sep 13, 2019 1:35 pm

by LanceLegstrong

tonytourist wrote:
Sat Oct 15, 2022 4:01 pm
Image
They're 50/34 BOR rings. Oh yeah, just mounted my Schwalbe G ONE RS or whatever yesterday in 700x45. Looking forward to trying them out today on the road
Do you know what the chainline is for the Quarq DZero? I think I might try to put 50/34 rings on my Crux, but unsure if stock Shimano rings would work. My thought was to do SRAM Red cranks with DFour power meter with Shimano rings, but as far as I see, they have the same Shimano chainline of 43.5. The other option is a Sigeyi power meter which I think has a 45, giving me some extra room. I could do the DZero but I already have Shimano rings and third party aren't going to match the shifting.

Basically, I'm running GRX 2x 48/31 with a left sided 4iiii power meter. They're heavy and I'd like a dual sided PM. The system weighs around 750g now so there's weight to drop.
Specialized Tarmac SL7
Specialized Crux
Velobuild 168
Trek Checkpoint ALR

tonytourist
Posts: 1426
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2009 7:13 am
Location: 90039

by tonytourist

I wish I still had my DFours but I sold those when I swapped bikes around earlier this year or else I could mock it up for you. My Quarq arms are the D1 so they're the same as the current Red arms, which makes for a pretty light setup. Why do you think the 50/34 rings wouldn't fit? I've used Shimano rings and have been happy with the shifting of the current setup, zero issues on both of my bikes. My rough measurements are in line with the DZero maintaining a 43.5mm chainline but I could be wrong.

LanceLegstrong
Posts: 1145
Joined: Fri Sep 13, 2019 1:35 pm

by LanceLegstrong

tonytourist wrote:
Fri Oct 21, 2022 11:30 pm
Why do you think the 50/34 rings wouldn't fit? I've used Shimano rings and have been happy with the shifting of the current setup, zero issues on both of my bikes. My rough measurements are in line with the DZero maintaining a 43.5mm chainline but I could be wrong.
Just based on the compatibilty charts from Specialized. I thought your pictures were with the DZero, which may have a different chainline than the DFour Quarq, 1.5mm outboard. If the Shimano 50/34 rings work I'd go with that.
Specialized Tarmac SL7
Specialized Crux
Velobuild 168
Trek Checkpoint ALR

tonytourist
Posts: 1426
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2009 7:13 am
Location: 90039

by tonytourist

Yeah that Specialized compatibility chart was originally released seemed to have been more geared towards the AXS setup. I am currently using the DZero but have used the DFour on other bikes, I was saying that I am impressed with my current setup with the BOR rings and think you would be fine whatever route you choose :thumbup:

User avatar
pdlpsher1
Posts: 4016
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:09 pm
Location: CO

by pdlpsher1

LanceLegstrong wrote:
Thu Oct 20, 2022 10:27 pm
pdlpsher1 wrote:
Tue Oct 18, 2022 5:29 am
stlrider wrote:
Sun Oct 09, 2022 10:33 pm
Also cannot for the life of me get the front mech to work right. Running a GRX DI2 front with a Power2Max NGEco Gravel 48/31. It's either set correctly and often refuses to shift, or set with it out a bit further and shifts up every time but occasionally throws the chain off. Image

Same mech and spider (46/30 rings) on my Diverge and that shifts perfect every time. I'm thinking it's because the CruX BB shell flexes so damn much coupled with the 1 extra tooth of difference. I need to try a proper GRX crank.
I don't have a Crux but I had the same shifting issue as you. On half of the shifts to the big ring the chain grinds for half of revolution before it finally catches. On a stock GRX crank the shifting is perfect. I returned the PM for a refund. As soon as P2M came out with a revised PM that takes stock GRX rings I bought one, and shifting has been as good as the stock GRX crank. There's something weird going on with the Rotor 1-piece machined 48/31 ring. This explains why P2M decided to redesign the PM so it can take the stock GRX rings. I believe the previous version was a PM they took from the MTB line. Did you try the 46/30 ring on the Crux?

Here's the new GRX PM that I bought: https://www.power2max.com/en/2022/10/po ... r2max-g-x/

Image
What's the weight savings going to this setup over the stock?
P2M 48/31 655g. vs. GRX 48/31 Stages single sided 729g.

yinzerniner
Posts: 206
Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2017 8:54 pm

by yinzerniner

pdlpsher1 wrote:
Sat Oct 22, 2022 11:25 pm
P2M 48/31 655g. vs. GRX 48/31 Stages single sided 729g.
Is there any inherent benefit of the P2m 48/31 vs something like a SRAM PM with 48/33 rings? Is it simply the range? Virtually everyone I've heard who's used the AXS rings for 11/12s said they work just about the same as other fully compatible rings.

stlrider
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2021 5:49 am

by stlrider

pdlpsher1 wrote:
Tue Oct 18, 2022 5:29 am
I don't have a Crux but I had the same shifting issue as you. On half of the shifts to the big ring the chain grinds for half of revolution before it finally catches. On a stock GRX crank the shifting is perfect. I returned the PM for a refund. As soon as P2M came out with a revised PM that takes stock GRX rings I bought one, and shifting has been as good as the stock GRX crank. There's something weird going on with the Rotor 1-piece machined 48/31 ring. This explains why P2M decided to redesign the PM so it can take the stock GRX rings. I believe the previous version was a PM they took from the MTB line. Did you try the 46/30 ring on the Crux?

Here's the new GRX PM that I bought: https://www.power2max.com/en/2022/10/po ... r2max-g-x/

Image
I haven't yet. I took everything apart, re-torqued every bolt and the BB, pulled the front mech off and reset it, but then the bike sat untouched for 2 weeks while I recovered from a knee strain. Finally raced it over the weekend and front shifting was better, but still grinding like crazy. Never outright refused, but would often take 3-5 full rotations to catch.

I saw the new PM and I'm tempted, but they didn't make a version for the Praxis crank so I'd need a new crank and BB as well. Still cheaper than a GRX crank + PM pedals. Maybe if I manage to sell either of my Diverge's or my Tarmac...

rothwem
Posts: 211
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2014 4:45 pm
Location: Asheville, NC

by rothwem

stlrider wrote:
Tue Oct 25, 2022 5:13 am
pdlpsher1 wrote:
Tue Oct 18, 2022 5:29 am
I don't have a Crux but I had the same shifting issue as you. On half of the shifts to the big ring the chain grinds for half of revolution before it finally catches. On a stock GRX crank the shifting is perfect. I returned the PM for a refund. As soon as P2M came out with a revised PM that takes stock GRX rings I bought one, and shifting has been as good as the stock GRX crank. There's something weird going on with the Rotor 1-piece machined 48/31 ring. This explains why P2M decided to redesign the PM so it can take the stock GRX rings. I believe the previous version was a PM they took from the MTB line. Did you try the 46/30 ring on the Crux?

Here's the new GRX PM that I bought: https://www.power2max.com/en/2022/10/po ... r2max-g-x/

Image
I haven't yet. I took everything apart, re-torqued every bolt and the BB, pulled the front mech off and reset it, but then the bike sat untouched for 2 weeks while I recovered from a knee strain. Finally raced it over the weekend and front shifting was better, but still grinding like crazy. Never outright refused, but would often take 3-5 full rotations to catch.

I saw the new PM and I'm tempted, but they didn't make a version for the Praxis crank so I'd need a new crank and BB as well. Still cheaper than a GRX crank + PM pedals. Maybe if I manage to sell either of my Diverge's or my Tarmac...
If your praxis crank is a 3-bolt, that's the same three bolt that Sram used and it'll swap over with no problem.

Ridinghigh
Posts: 48
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:23 pm

by Ridinghigh

Ridinghigh wrote:
Wed Sep 21, 2022 4:07 am
fa63 wrote:
Tue Sep 20, 2022 12:44 am
No, 1x.
Ridinghigh wrote:
Mon Sep 19, 2022 3:45 pm
Was this with a front derailleur? I understand that the derailleur (particularly the battery) reduces tire clearance.
Hmmm, I want to try those Rene Herse tires but I probably should just get the Tufo Thunderos as my winter/rough terrain tire in a 700x44. It would be cheaper anyways.
As an update the Tufo Thunderos were great on their first ride. The 700x44 fit easily even with a standard width SRAM Red AXS derailleur.

graveyardKOM
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2022 1:43 am

by graveyardKOM

Ridinghigh wrote:
Sat Oct 29, 2022 3:48 am
Ridinghigh wrote:
Wed Sep 21, 2022 4:07 am
fa63 wrote:
Tue Sep 20, 2022 12:44 am
No, 1x.
Ridinghigh wrote:
Mon Sep 19, 2022 3:45 pm
Was this with a front derailleur? I understand that the derailleur (particularly the battery) reduces tire clearance.
Hmmm, I want to try those Rene Herse tires but I probably should just get the Tufo Thunderos as my winter/rough terrain tire in a 700x44. It would be cheaper anyways.
As an update the Tufo Thunderos were great on their first ride. The 700x44 fit easily even with a standard width SRAM Red AXS derailleur.
What is their actual width and what is the interior width of wheels?

40mm Tufo's measure 41 on 23mm internal wheels for me and obviously fit with SRAM AXS rear derailleur but figured only 2mm clearance left to be safe

caad4rep
Posts: 59
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:18 pm
Location: Minnesota, USA

by caad4rep

Reading through this thread it looks like some people sold Aspero's for Crux's. Any feedback on how that played out? I've been on an Aspero for two years, great bike. I primarily just ride fast gravel with some good 15% steep climbs. The Cruz caught my eye and just curious what people think who have also owned the Aspero.

Ridinghigh
Posts: 48
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2006 8:23 pm

by Ridinghigh

They are 45 mm wide measured with digital calipers on my Duke Baccara SLS2 rims which are 21mm internal.

by Weenie


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