Crux 2021

[OnTheRivet]

Sourced the parts from all over the world, as I wanted just GRX shifters and no calipers, as I was planning to get the new 12-speed Ultegra calipers, as supposed there is more space between the calipers compared to the older generation.
That took some time, as no one was willing to sell me just 12-speed calipers, I could buy a complete group, but not individual parts locally.
Got a store to contact Shimano USA and they had them in stock and got them fairly easy.

How do you like the GRX shifter/Ultegra Caliper combo? I've heard some reports that the lever engages a bit too close to the bar with the new calipers on older levers.

I had been been running GRX shifters on an Ultegra bike (Ultegra Calipers) for a year and they work fine. I just changed out the Ultegra Calipers for some 105 Calipers (alls Shimano flat mount calipers are the identical except XTR/Dura-Ace which are a bit lighter) after some corrosion issues associated with living by the ocean and the 105 work great too.

[stlrider]

Curious about the Red cassette. My friend tried one on his 11 speed Dura Ace a few years ago and said it shifted terrible in the smaller gears, after reading about people on here who had used them I tried in one on my 8070 (Ultegra) bike and had the exact same issues he had (I've wrenched on bike/worked in shops for 35 years) and could not get it to shift cleanly.

So I've used Red cassettes w/ Shimano mechs on three bikes now.

Diverge -- GRX 815 rear mech, 11/32 SRAM Red cassette with 46/30 P2M NG Eco Gravel. YBN SLA-110 chain dipped in Silca Hot Melt. Shift speed set to default, clutch always on. No real problems, but Ultegra cassettes shift slightly better.

CruX -- Same as Diverge w/ 48/31 rings. No real issues. Haven't actually put an Ultegra cassette on this bike, but I'd expect the same as the Diverge.

Aethos -- Ultegra 8070 rear mech, 11/30 SRAM Red cassette w/ 52/36 Praxis rings on a Power2Max NG Eco. Dura-Ace chain dipped in Silca Hot melt. Shift speed set to fast.
Occasionally crappy shifting when going down the cassette, but it's sort of all over the cassette for me. To me "crappy shifting" is it going "clunk clunk clunk GRAB" instead of "tink GRAB" like I get on my Tarmac w/ a Dura-Ace cassette. I definitely had to pick between clean shifts up the cassette or clean shifts down the cassette, so I chose clean shifts up since I don't race on this bike and a slower downshift didn't matter to much to me. It never misses a shift, just sometimes takes longer than I'd like for it to happen, but to be fair I occasionally hit that on my Tarmac w/ a DA cassette too.

Ultegra cassettes feel the best to me. They're quieter, they seem to shift cleaner across the entire range, but heavy. :\

[graveyardKOM]

Does your rear tire sit perfectly equally between the seat stays?

I got two new Crux and they are barely off at the seat stays....tire sitting about 1 to 1.5mm closer to the left non-drive side stay. True on both bikes, swapping between three wheel sets. I can't tell if it's perfectly equal at the chain stays or not but it's very close, and my eyes are kind of deceiving me as to whether the tire is perfectly aligned with seat tube or not because of the seat stay thing.

Edited to add that one of the bikes is probably 0.5mm 'better' than the other bike which has me confused really.

[carborush]

So i was able to source me a crux frame (i'm guessing it must be the last one in a radius of 500Km's around me )
I'm considering a Darimo seat post and handle bar
Does anybody have the same combination (crux + darimo SP and HB) ?
Would this be a good gravel setup ?
Any alternatives in case it is not ?

[rjich]

If I was to change mine then I'd rather go for the specialized alpinist versions so I could be confident of the durability and easy warranty.
I have the same frame (56?) but black comp striped decals without the specialized logo. I use the standard terra sestpost and an Easton carbon stem(matches my ec90 crankset) with the standard alloy bars. I didn't see the point in going with the ultralight stuff when it's got 42mm tires, goes over bumps and gets mucky! If it was a road bike then maybe different for me!

[Loukas]

I have the same frame (56) and went to Roval Alpinist for SP and Roval Terra for HB..., and happy with that
Darimo works well (I have them in my MTB) but breaks easily if you have an accident and the HB gets hit (I did experience that as well)
There is some weight savings going to Darimo though....

[uilewuit]

Sourced the parts from all over the world, as I wanted just GRX shifters and no calipers, as I was planning to get the new 12-speed Ultegra calipers, as supposed there is more space between the calipers compared to the older generation.
That took some time, as no one was willing to sell me just 12-speed calipers, I could buy a complete group, but not individual parts locally.
Got a store to contact Shimano USA and they had them in stock and got them fairly easy.

How do you like the GRX shifter/Ultegra Caliper combo? I've heard some reports that the lever engages a bit too close to the bar with the new calipers on older levers.

I had been been running GRX shifters on an Ultegra bike (Ultegra Calipers) for a year and they work fine. I just changed out the Ultegra Calipers for some 105 Calipers (alls Shimano flat mount calipers are the identical except XTR/Dura-Ace which are a bit lighter) after some corrosion issues associated with living by the ocean and the 105 work great too.

i'm currently using the grx600 shifters with the new ultegra 12-speed calipers.
can confirm they work fine.
can also confirm what toronto-rider says, my levers engage a lot closer to my handlebar now.
should be an easy to work around with free-stroke adjustment on the levers. (which my levers unfortunately don't have)
not the end of the world though, will probably try to adjust my pads the manual way and see if this improves it.

[mathias720]

Gotta love the crux !
i just did 7 days in the dolomites.
50% road 50% rough gravel
43 hours active
25000 vertical meter of climbing
750km
setup at around 7kg.
couldnt be happier with this bike. so comfortable both on the decents and ascents.

[Matte86]

Beautiful!
Once I have mine, I’m planning a trip on the other side of the Italian Alps as well to enjoy it (I live in Piedmont)
Which tyres are you sporting? Happy with them on the rough gravel?

[NealH]

...couldnt be happier with this bike. so comfortable both on the decents and ascents.

[/quote]

Really nice looking bike, and suited for the purpose. Enjoy the rides!

[Basscadet]

Can anyone speculate why Specialized has made it so difficult to access the Crux in a 2x configuration? I have to custom build one to get 2x, surely this is a joke? There is a very good reason that 1x gravel bikes sit in bike stores while the 2x variants get almost immediately snatched-up. Or at least that is the case in the US. Whether or not I want to build a bike is one thing but Specialized must recognize they're handicapping themselves with such a market strategy?

Very frustrating to me as a consumer and frankly just has me shopping Aspero or Addict Gravel instead.

[bikewithnoname]

They're selling every crux they can make at the moment so I don't think they're bothered by the perceived need for 2x by some users.

If supply chain issues are improving, maybe you'll see a 2x spec on the 22/23 model year but don't hold your breath

[mdeth1313]

Can anyone speculate why Specialized has made it so difficult to access the Crux in a 2x configuration? I have to custom build one to get 2x, surely this is a joke? There is a very good reason that 1x gravel bikes sit in bike stores while the 2x variants get almost immediately snatched-up. Or at least that is the case in the US. Whether or not I want to build a bike is one thing but Specialized must recognize they're handicapping themselves with such a market strategy?

Very frustrating to me as a consumer and frankly just has me shopping Aspero or Addict Gravel instead.

Can't spell "Specialized" without "Special".

[duffaux]

Can anyone speculate why Specialized has made it so difficult to access the Crux in a 2x configuration? I have to custom build one to get 2x, surely this is a joke? There is a very good reason that 1x gravel bikes sit in bike stores while the 2x variants get almost immediately snatched-up. Or at least that is the case in the US. Whether or not I want to build a bike is one thing but Specialized must recognize they're handicapping themselves with such a market strategy?

Very frustrating to me as a consumer and frankly just has me shopping Aspero or Addict Gravel instead.

I have the same feeling
I want to prepare a Sworks Crux to use like a BIKE for al use (Road BIKE, cx bike and gravel BIKE)
But for Road you need mínimun 50x34
(Shimano DA)
If you see Spe specifications, you have reduces óptions for 2x


Enviado desde mi iPhone utilizando Tapatalk

[NealH]

They're selling every crux they can make at the moment so I don't think they're bothered by the perceived need for 2x by some users.

If supply chain issues are improving, maybe you'll see a 2x spec on the 22/23 model year but don't hold your breath

Yes, and people need to understand the Crux was designed as an off road type bike, not a paved road race bike.