Gravel bikes are growing in popularity not just among backcountry trailblazers, but among commuters chasing road-bike-like geometries with thicker tires and the stopping power offered by disc brakes. The latest from Specialized brings incredible lightness to the table, too, with the newly introduced S-Works Crux borrowing heavily from the company's cutting edge road bikes to claim the title of the lightest gravel bike in the world.
The S-Works Crux is based on Specialized's Aethos road bike, which was introduced last year as the lightest disc road bike ever made, and is built around a carbon fiber frame weighing just 725 g (26 oz). The complete build tips the scales at a featherweight 7.25 kg (16 lb) but can accommodate tires up to 47 mm in size, offering all sorts of rubber options to tackle everything from loose gravel to bumpy city streets.
The stock build comes with 38-mm Pathfinder tires fitted to Roval Terra CLX Disc wheels, with SRAM's RED eTap AXS hydraulic disc groupset and a 12-speed SRAM XPLR XG-1271 cassette. Other details include carbon Roval Terra handlebars with a 12-degree flare and Specialized's Body Geometry S-Works Power saddle with carbon fiber rails, base and seat post.
All of this is packed onto a frame geometry inspired by the Crux line of gravelcross racers, offering riders a long reach and 72-mm bottom bracket for balanced weight distribution and quick handling. According to Specialized, this makes a for a "gravel bike that climbs like a dream and floats over nightmarish terrain, with a frame that weighs less than a full bottle in your cage."
The top-of-the-line S-Works Crux is built with Specialized's premium 12r FACT carbon, making the frame as light and stiff as possible, for a hefty price of US$12,000. The company is also offering versions with its FACT 10r carbon, which carry the same aerodynamics but weigh a little extra at 825 g (29 oz). The complete Crux Pro weighs 7.6 kg (16.7 lb) for a price of $8,000 and the Crux Expert weighs 8.1 kg (17.8 lb) and is priced at $6,000.
You can check out the promo video below.
Source: Specialized
