Crux 2021

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

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sib
Posts: 325
Joined: Mon Jun 15, 2015 2:03 am

by sib

Love that it looks like a normal road bike, but you can put massive tires on it..!

by Weenie


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maquisard
Posts: 3772
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 8:51 pm
Location: France

by maquisard

Lovely!

DrimeOser
Posts: 105
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2021 1:35 pm

by DrimeOser

Looks awesome. But, off pavement, the slammed stem might become rather painful.

ccie6872
Posts: 363
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2020 10:46 pm

by ccie6872

Anyone considering using the alpinist cockpit with their Crux?

cycleboyco
Posts: 134
Joined: Sat Jan 30, 2010 1:19 am

by cycleboyco

ccie6872 wrote:
Thu Oct 21, 2021 1:15 pm
Anyone considering using the alpinist cockpit with their Crux?
Had not thought of that, but you sent me down that road, since Roval looks like they have my size in stock and it would be nice to match the Alpinist seatpost. Came close to pulling the trigger, but think I will stick with my Roval Terra bar/Enve stem combo at 316 grams-the shape on the tops seem nicer on the Terra, I like the flare on the Terra, and I was surprised to see that the Alpinist bar at $600USD does not even come with the Bar Fly out front mount.

If anyone is considering the Terra bar, my 42cm came in under the advertised weight at 192 grams. The drop is really shallow (103mm), so we will see how I adjust to that.

niklasp
Posts: 158
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2016 5:36 pm

by niklasp

Anyone bought a complete bike and in that case... Delivery time? Heard something about 40t was "max" with regular ultegra cranks something.

toronto-rider
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2006 7:58 pm
Location: Toronto

by toronto-rider

I am looking for a 56cm frame and fork in that multi colour way. If anyone knows of a store that has one in stock or getting one, please let me know. Called 2 stores in Florida's and neither can even order me one.

Basscadet
Posts: 62
Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2021 2:38 pm

by Basscadet

What are your thoughts on this bike vs. Aethos with 28-32mm tires for riding that is entirely asphalt or rough, mixed-use paths? Already have a Caledonia 5 Di2 and Open UP Di2, want a third bike and can't make my mind up between the Crux and Aethos.

alasamerlin
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2004 6:38 pm
Location: Italy

by alasamerlin

Basscadet wrote:
Fri Oct 22, 2021 2:32 am
What are your thoughts on this bike vs. Aethos with 28-32mm tires for riding that is entirely asphalt or rough, mixed-use paths? Already have a Caledonia 5 Di2 and Open UP Di2, want a third bike and can't make my mind up between the Crux and Aethos.
Me too, I have the same idea.
Only front crankset doubt :(

CampagYOLO
Posts: 705
Joined: Thu May 06, 2021 3:58 pm

by CampagYOLO

Basscadet wrote:
Fri Oct 22, 2021 2:32 am
What are your thoughts on this bike vs. Aethos with 28-32mm tires for riding that is entirely asphalt or rough, mixed-use paths? Already have a Caledonia 5 Di2 and Open UP Di2, want a third bike and can't make my mind up between the Crux and Aethos.
If you have the Open UP that's the gravel box ticked. I'd go Aethos for the slightly lower weight, shorter wheelbase and steeper head angle that'll give a more fun ride and no issues with 2x chainrings. Also what may help a little on the rougher roads is that the Aethos's seat tube is a lot shorter meaning more exposed seatpost.

https://geometrygeeks.bike/compare/spec ... s-2021-56/

bikewithnoname
Posts: 1734
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2009 1:29 pm
Location: Paris

by bikewithnoname

Basscadet wrote:
Fri Oct 22, 2021 2:32 am
What are your thoughts on this bike vs. Aethos with 28-32mm tires for riding that is entirely asphalt or rough, mixed-use paths? Already have a Caledonia 5 Di2 and Open UP Di2, want a third bike and can't make my mind up between the Crux and Aethos.
You have an UP, which is essentially the same as a Crux, you have a Caledonia which is essentially the same as an Aethos.

By all means get yourself a new bike, it's nice to have new things, but it's unlikely either of those bikes will offer anything new that is tangible (other than less weight in the case of the Aethos vs Caledonia)
"We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities." Oscar Wilde

LegPower
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 8:10 pm
Location: San Francisco
Contact:

by LegPower

I have an SL7, Aethos, and Aspero and just ordered the Crux in hopes that I can sell the Aethos/Aspero to only have 2 bikes. I do a lot of traveling and it would be nice to have the option for road or gravel wherever I go.

I used to own the Open, but the geometry (short reach) didn't work for me. I'm 5'10" with a 30" inseam so prefer a smaller bike with longer reach (using 110mm stems on all my 54s).

When comparing the Aethos to the Caledonia (which I've ridden), it's night and day. Not only is it WAY lighter (mine is 6.4kg with pedals and cages), but the carbon layup is just so incredibly plush to ride. You really have to hop on one to understand just how nice the Aethos is. That being said, when I'm sprinting out of the saddle or ripping down a hill you can feel that the SL7 tracks better. The stiffer front end and bottom bracket do make a difference. That being said, 70% of the time I'm on my Aethos. I've even got fenders and 32mm tires on it for winter riding :-)

It will be interesting to see how the Crux feels on road. They made it intentionally stiffer than the Aethos which could either help with the tracking or hurt some of the magic ride feel. I'll be sure to report back in a few weeks when it's all built up and I've had a chance to put miles on it. Right now my plan is to have a set of 28mm GP5ks for dry days and then 38mm gravel king slicks for when the weather turns.

ccie6872
Posts: 363
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2020 10:46 pm

by ccie6872

LegPower wrote:
Fri Oct 22, 2021 12:46 pm
I have an SL7, Aethos, and Aspero and just ordered the Crux in hopes that I can sell the Aethos/Aspero to only have 2 bikes. I do a lot of traveling and it would be nice to have the option for road or gravel wherever I go.

I used to own the Open, but the geometry (short reach) didn't work for me. I'm 5'10" with a 30" inseam so prefer a smaller bike with longer reach (using 110mm stems on all my 54s).

When comparing the Aethos to the Caledonia (which I've ridden), it's night and day. Not only is it WAY lighter (mine is 6.4kg with pedals and cages), but the carbon layup is just so incredibly plush to ride. You really have to hop on one to understand just how nice the Aethos is. That being said, when I'm sprinting out of the saddle or ripping down a hill you can feel that the SL7 tracks better. The stiffer front end and bottom bracket do make a difference. That being said, 70% of the time I'm on my Aethos. I've even got fenders and 32mm tires on it for winter riding :-)

It will be interesting to see how the Crux feels on road. They made it intentionally stiffer than the Aethos which could either help with the tracking or hurt some of the magic ride feel. I'll be sure to report back in a few weeks when it's all built up and I've had a chance to put miles on it. Right now my plan is to have a set of 28mm GP5ks for dry days and then 38mm gravel king slicks for when the weather turns.
You and I are very close in size and also prefer a smaller bike with longer stem. For Spesh (had SL7 and Aethos) my go to is size 54 w/ 120mm stem (had about 38mm in spacers on my SL7). I have a CruX frameset coming next week and thinking how I will approach the fit. If you are normally a size 54/110 on your Tarmac, what stem length and spacers (vs your current Tarmac/Aethos) will you start off with on the CruX? Naturally its more stacky and probably want the ride a little more relaxed. Its my first gravel(ish) bike in awhile..

LegPower
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 8:10 pm
Location: San Francisco
Contact:

by LegPower

I plan to start with a 100mm stem on the crux since it's a few mm longer than the Tarmac/Aethos and that should make handling a little quicker. 10mm fewer spacers as well should get me in just about the right stack height.

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

by rothwem

ccie6872 wrote:
Fri Oct 22, 2021 1:00 pm
LegPower wrote:
Fri Oct 22, 2021 12:46 pm
I have an SL7, Aethos, and Aspero and just ordered the Crux in hopes that I can sell the Aethos/Aspero to only have 2 bikes. I do a lot of traveling and it would be nice to have the option for road or gravel wherever I go.

I used to own the Open, but the geometry (short reach) didn't work for me. I'm 5'10" with a 30" inseam so prefer a smaller bike with longer reach (using 110mm stems on all my 54s).

When comparing the Aethos to the Caledonia (which I've ridden), it's night and day. Not only is it WAY lighter (mine is 6.4kg with pedals and cages), but the carbon layup is just so incredibly plush to ride. You really have to hop on one to understand just how nice the Aethos is. That being said, when I'm sprinting out of the saddle or ripping down a hill you can feel that the SL7 tracks better. The stiffer front end and bottom bracket do make a difference. That being said, 70% of the time I'm on my Aethos. I've even got fenders and 32mm tires on it for winter riding :-)

It will be interesting to see how the Crux feels on road. They made it intentionally stiffer than the Aethos which could either help with the tracking or hurt some of the magic ride feel. I'll be sure to report back in a few weeks when it's all built up and I've had a chance to put miles on it. Right now my plan is to have a set of 28mm GP5ks for dry days and then 38mm gravel king slicks for when the weather turns.
You and I are very close in size and also prefer a smaller bike with longer stem. For Spesh (had SL7 and Aethos) my go to is size 54 w/ 120mm stem (had about 38mm in spacers on my SL7). I have a CruX frameset coming next week and thinking how I will approach the fit. If you are normally a size 54/110 on your Tarmac, what stem length and spacers (vs your current Tarmac/Aethos) will you start off with on the CruX? Naturally its more stacky and probably want the ride a little more relaxed. Its my first gravel(ish) bike in awhile..
For what its worth, the stem/fit is one of the reasons I'm not completely happy with my Crux as a road bike. I don't do much road riding right now because I live right next to a national forest with miles and miles of gravel roads, but if I were doing a lot of road riding, I'd want a dedicated road bike again. I ran a 130mm on my road bike and replicated that fit on my old cyclocross/gravel bike (a 2015 Kona Jake the Snake) and the 130mm stem was pretty sketchy. I ended up dropping back to a 120mm with a slightly more rearward seat position to compromise, but when I got my Crux I decided to get a slightly larger bike with a 110mm and I'm really glad I did, its way more confident on gravel surfaces despite the sharper headtube angle and lower trail.

But with that said, the Crux's long (relatively speaking) wheelbase is really apparent in a fast road group ride. On my CAAD10, when someone was moving over on my front wheel, I had no issue reaching their hip to let them know I'm there, but the front wheel is ~40mm farther ahead on the Crux and I can't reach as easily. The longer rear center also slows down the handling a noticeable amount on the road, so you need to give it a bit more steering input than you would otherwise do on a road bike. On solo road rides, the more upright gravel position that feels so secure tends to feel a bit exposed into the wind. So yeah, even on my 2021 Crux that is pretty roadbike-like, the geometry isn't ideal.

The other minor issue with having a dual use bike is the pedal system and the shoes required. I use SPDs because I ride gravel more, but the shoes used with my SPDs are not as fast feeling as my road shoes with speedplays. I know there are light and stiff SPD shoes, but even the best SPD shoes are going to feel heavy compared to a good set of road shoes.

Ironically, the thing that everyone here is whining about, the gearing, is less of an issue than I thought it would be. I run a 42t crank and an 11-36 on the road and an 11-42 on my gravel wheelset, and I rarely have issues with running out of gearing. It could be because I'm bigger than most people (88kg...eek), and while my threshold power is not 355 watts, I can usually out-coast most everyone else on a downhill stretch of a group ride.

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

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