Instead of the JAF I used the No.9 CX Disc fork from Whiskey Parts Co. And, on top of that, it is a beautifully designed bit of kit with a claimed weight of 485g with its axle and an uncut steerer. High-frequency buzz is greatly reduced, which not only improves comfort over an individual bump but also helps minimise fatigue on long slogs. My reasoning for this isnt because it will give me a faster top-end speed, but rather would allow me to run a smaller chainring up front without sacrificing too much of the top-end speed being lost from the smaller chainring. He has a particular focus on mountain bikes, but spends plenty of time on gravel bikes, too. However, this time, the event included a more testing climb with a very talented field. Awesome! For off-road climbing, the gearing was on the tall side for some and came up on the short side for riders capable of higher paved speeds.. The True Grit has, largely, worked as expected. This gives me both extra seatpost extension for comfort and a lower front end. This construction, plus the overall shaping, allows for isolated flex and a perfect mate for the new rigid fork. Its as much about comfort as it is about control. A hanger is provided for a wireless front derailleur and 2x chainring setup. I felt very much at home, not needing to steer for the best part of 8km, but I did take a quick detour to see a gorge and Huntlys Cave, where two generations of the Gordon family hid from those theyd annoyed in the mid to late 1600s. DAVID'S BEST RACE BIKE. Thanks! And, coming from the mountain bike side of things, it feels utterly natural to have a springy front end. The experience, organisation of the ride and the people I met were something very special and I intend to do similar events in the future. While it might not be entirely fair to say this, mountain biking often, because of the trail network in the UK, takes place in Forestry Commission commercial pine forests, and thus aesthetically varies very little. Since. As such, the bike was not only used for the event but for all my training, as well as a considerable amount of time spent kit testing in the lead up to the event in early June. The relatively slack 71-degree head angle and short 80mm stem is said to help increase stability at high speeds over rough terrain. Clearance for 45mm tires allows the Anywhere to be ridden over real gravel. In this market it's hard to find bikes, so she was really luck. Sadly, thanks to clothing/feeding/weather/time, I pulled out halfway. It is a shame that the JAF fork limits the bikes compatibility with road and gravel wheelsets because the bike is just a wheel and tyre change away from being a wildly different ride experience. Owing to the 45mm offset (versus the 47mm that their suspension fork), the bikes wheelbase is slightly shorter at 103.4cm. Subsequently, the tyres I have on there have a little more volume. Deep down, I was hoping for heavy snow, mostly because one of Scotlands main ski resorts is a mere couple of miles up the hill, and I wanted to fish out a pair of planks and go roost some pow-pow. I got out of the saddle on most of the climbs and spent less time spinning on sharp hills. The Anywhere is nearly identical in feel and handling to the True Grit when on the pavement. Would you like to receive offers, updates and events from BikeRadar and its publisher Our Media Ltd (an Immediate Group Company)? I was pleased with my pacing because Burrington is a much longer climb than Chew Hill, with about 175m of elevation and an average gradient of around 6 per cent, but at no point during the sub-9 minute effort did my legs feel in the groove I think I used the old excuse that I didnt warm up enough. This model is the second tier of the four-model range and features DT Swiss alloy hoops wrapped in Maxxis Rambler tyres, a SRAM Force/XX1 AXS wireless 1x groupset with a 10-50t cassette, and a smattering of FSA and Lauf finishing kit. I wish I could keep both (and maybr I could if I didn't get the 2nd highest spec True Grit), but I don't really have the room and I probably wouldn't ride both enough to make it worth it. Setting the post up is a bit of a hassle because the angle of the saddle is defined by the relative position of the two halves, which is secured with a small grub screw located well inside the frames seat tube. It's a bike that has been designed for racing across challenging mixed surfaces as fast as possible and does that by combining absolutely enormous tyre clearance with geometry closely comparable to. Many of the routes I cycle involve either narrow and rough roads or gravel bike paths in order to avoid heavy traffic areas, or to open up new places to ride. As for the Lauf? The Lauf True Grit gravel frame has undergone serious testing as it meets the ISO standard for mountain bike frames. Lauf says the Smoothie bars are some of the best drop bars available for reducing vibration, but its very difficult to say how much the Smoothie bars actually helped. Six weeks after the Transatlantic Way, I was off to race The Rift a 200km gravel race in Hvolsller, Iceland. In December 2019 I took part in the popular Moonrakers and Sunseekers 300km Audax, organised by Will Pomeroy and the team behind Great Western Randonnes. Ive spent the last six months riding the Lauf Anywhere from my first taste of self supported bikepacking to my first gravel race in Iceland and most recently my first open hill climb race. He is also a regular presenter on BikeRadars YouTube channel and the BikeRadar podcast. After the Rift, it was only a matter of time before BikeRadars hill climb extraordinaire and video manager, Joe Norledge, and assistant editor, Jack Luke, roped me into taking part in an open hill climb. The carbon fiber Icelandic gravel bike employs the company's signature Grit SL fork to give. In the UK, where mud is a regular feature of a gravel ride, the 40c standard width tyres can get clogged up around the chainstays. The one thing that kind of has us scratching our heads is their use of a 15mm thru-axle up front. Gates are annoying at the best of times, but boy oh boy, this is the worst kind of gate Ive ever come across. Lauf Anywhere Weekend Warrior: $3340 True Grit (12x142mm TA) Lauf JAF (15x100mm TA) Lauf Smoothie SRAM Rival 1 SRAM Rival 1 SRAM Rival 1 Flat mount Hydraulic SRAM S350 42t The frame is light at 1,070g, but also strong enough for tackling serious gravel racing. Since then weve had a long British winter thats only just on the wane. Its a relatively lightweight, but tough, carbon disc frame with large tyre clearance, mounts galore and designed with an emphasis on comfort with slightly relaxed geometry and even a vibration reducing handlebar. The internal width of the rims isnt particularly wide nor built for the demands of gravel racing, so I changed back to the DT Swiss X1900 wheelset that the bike came with. Opting for a rigid fork will save customers $350/260/300 from the version with a Grit fork. Shoes: Giro Empire VR90 While the True Grit was celebrated as the gravel markets first production bike specd with front suspension, it remained an outlier for many drop-bar enthusiasts hesitant to embrace either moving parts or the bikes odd appearance. Starting at 10pm this was not only an overnight ride but also the longest single ride I had ever attempted. The weather stayed dry and riding out of the woods to see the sunrise was really special and a rare treat in the UK. Forks. The Smoothie handlebar is made with a combination of S2 glass fibers and carbon, but as with their Grit suspension fork, the materials are not a blend but instead separate and isolated to offer more compliance while eliminating fatigue failure. My only criticism of the drivetrain/brakes has been that the shift paddle can sometimes squash my 4th and 5th fingers if Im braking on the hoods and my brake pads are a touch worn. When the bike is loaded with gear the smaller chainring would be really beneficial for spinning up those steep climbs. The Anywhere could feel harsh on long and intense gravel races. Already have an account with us? Inevitably, I set off late. While tyre widths have increased, and the bike has a suspension fork, it's still a race . When I ride road bikes, I gravitate towards the racy, more aggressive end of the spectrum. The Lauf Anywhere, as the name implioes, is intended to be a do it all bike. A form of built-in frame compliance would also pose an advantage if you plan to ride ultra distances when comfort is most needed. This could be changed to a 10-42t if the freehub was also changed to an XD driver to accommodate the smaller 10t cog. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Giant's TCR Advanced Pro 0 Disc earned the top step in more than one sense. The new Lauf Seigla takes everything that was good about the True Grit gravel bike and makes it bigger and better. Felix Smith is the video manager of BikeRadar's YouTube channel. However, Lauf itself has recently moved over to fitting E13s wheels from stock. This was a relatively pain-free process, although having initially tried to pump the tyres up without removing the valve core, I quickly learned that it was not going to inflate without taking this step first. No matter how much flex the Smoothie bar promised, I was still very much aching after the constant vibration more press ups needed, perhaps? Its still 100 per cent waterproof, having initially tested it on a long cycle tour about three years ago. Not at all. I really liked that the light stayed on for up to an hour after stopping pedalling because it gave me a chance to set up camp in the light, and if I needed to stop on the road I was still visible. I love gravel riding. The bikes finishing kit includes a premium FSA SL-K 27.2mm carbon seatpost, Easton EA70 stem and a Ritchey Comp Streem saddle. The Lauf Smoothie handlebars are designed to eat vibrations and are made from the same flexible carbon as the Lauf Grit leaf sprung fork. Looking back at 2019, it was certainly a great year for me in terms of fulfilling my cycling goals and trying new things; I attempted my first ultra-endurance ride, raced open hill climbs, took part in the inaugural Rift gravel race in Iceland, and most recently completed my first 300km audax. If I wasnt bathed in sweat, thanks to a full complement of windproof gear and winter shoes, Id have been loving life. The glass fibre section of the bar is designed to give a little more flex and buzz reduction, while the carbon sections save weight where this buzz reduction isnt needed. THE FRAME My only other real addition to the bike is a new Garmin Flush Out-Front Mount.
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