What is the max tire size you have put on? Thinking of trying a 2.1 in front with my 47 pathfinder in back. Curious anything one else has tried?
Do we think 2026 will be a new gen all together? I read a forum on weight weenie claiming a Spesh pro said a more aero version is coming next year. I don’t thinks the UDH model is a true next gen.
What do you want in the next version? I just want more clearance but keep all the good stuff ie low weight and non proprietary parts. Wouldn’t mind internal routing if it’s done smartly but personally like the ease of external as I love to swap bars and have found myself changing the bearings a few times already.
I think Spesh does have a gap in their lineup for a true gravel race bike; Crux is the gravel Aethos, but there’s no gravel Tarmac. (“Gravel tarmac” is an obvious oxymoron, but you get my point.)
A key question though is what features set and tire clearance an updated gravel race bike from Spesh would include. The market seems to currently be ahead of builders in its demand for tire clearance (see the “direction of gravel bikes” thread.) The new Checkmate, e.g. was immediately dinged for limited tire clearance. If Spesh is considering launching a bike next spring, it’s presumably already been designed, molds cut etc. Hard to say if they had the foresight to add “modern” tire clearance, given how new that trend is!
Would love to see the next crux support 50mm tires, maybe slightly more aero but for me that is not a major concern. If the weight and geometry stays similar then I could use it as a cx bike and proper gravel bike without much issue.
Specialized arguably has 3 families suitable for gravel……Crux, Diverge and Roubaix. There is zero need for another, IMO.
This is classic bike industry strategic failure…continue to slice a given category into too many segments until you end up in SKU hell, resulting in high overheads and huge inventory costs.
Multiple each family above by 3 models, 5 sizes and 2 colors. That is 90 SKU’s to cover the gravel segment….if you add “gravel Tarmac” you would need to justify adding an additional 30 SKU’s and demonstrate that you will add incremental sales rather than just getting customers to choose the gravel Tarmac over a Crux, etc.
@tiptoppenguin That’s good to know! I have 40/44 GR’s coming on my new bike and 47 pathfinders sitting on my counter to install. The bike is rated for 45mm on the rear - with the 6mm factory clearance, the pathfinders should still give me 4mm on each side, which seems plenty sufficient.
I haven’t been able to find any records on their actual width with those rims and the 27mm internal width.
Yea might be a bit tight be theoretically will fit. Might not want to run unless it’s dry out but depends on clearance.
Overall I love it. The wheels appear to be bombproof and feel stiff in the right ways. Not as stiff as my Firecrests but in a good way for gravel. I rode this set up at my last two races and thought it was great.
Only thing about the 47 Pathfinders (and larger tires in general) is they weight a lot. I actually just put on some Conti Terra Speeds in 45mm since I’m going to do some fast gravel and more climbing in a few weeks and shaved almost a pound off the build. Curious to try this set up and report back.
By TLDR: fave wheels I’ve owned and fav gravel tires (so far)
I currently have a lower tiered Diverge that’s around 22.5-23 lbs. It has heavy alloy wheels and 42 pathfinders, so I think even the 47’s will still feel like a huge upgrade overall. New build should be way lighter.
I’ll likely have a backup narrower set of tires for mud. Not sure at all what that will be yet. I may also consider a 42 on the rear with a 47 up front.
I’ll be looking forward to hear your opinion on the Terra speeds. My only tires I’ve used to date have been 38 & 42 pathfinders.
Damn that’s awesome. Congrats. Really curious to see how the 47s fit in there.
Will keep you posted on the Terra Speeds! Also depending on your gravel you might wanna try out the Sworks Pathfinders in 42. I know some ppl that swear by them and the testing on them suggests they roll faster and offer same if not better protection than the regular version. Could be another option if you find the 47s are cutting it close on clearance!
42mm Pathfinder sworks on 27mm rims may blimp out to 45mm. On 29mm rims, the tires measure 47mm actual. I like them a lot so far. They’re not as fast on the road as my terra speed 40mm tires, but last MUCH longer. I’m tempted to try terra speed 45mm next.
Will let you know what I think of the Terra Speeds in 45mm in a few weeks! I’ve read they wear down quick tho too so that’s my worry. I’ve used the same pathfinders for like 3,000 miles and they look brand new.
I purchased the the Lauf Siegla rigid and have been riding it for a week. The bike looks better than what I was expecting, it handles chunky gravel well, and I am loving the Sram rival with the eagle transmission. However there are a couple items that I don’t like. First i don’t like the bottom bracket position. It feels like it’s too far forward. I have the saddle as far forward as possible but it still feels like I’m behind the crank. The bike is not too small; the frame is basically the same size as my road bike and I even had to put on a larger stem because my knees were hitting the handlebars when sprinting (standing and leaning forward). Also, the bottom bracket is a little wider than I am used to and I keep striking my ankle on the center of the crank. The Sram crank has a cap that sticks out just a couple mm but its just enough to hit my ankle. It frikin hurts. I know that can be fixed with different pedals and cleat positioning but its annoying. I plan on taking it for a few long rides this week then decide if it’s the right bike for me.
Re: fit, usually the BB is considered the origin of the XY axis of bike fit, so rather than thinking of the BB as too far forward, perhaps your saddle is too far back and/or your stem is too short. Have you checked saddle setback vs. a known-good (e.g. your road bike)? If you’re using the same saddle on both, drop a plumb line from the nose of your saddle and see how far it is behind the BB. The Lauf is slightly tricky as it has a kinked seat tube, i.e the line of the seat tube doesn’t intersect BB center. Once you get your saddle position dialed, measure to bars and compare to your roadie. FWIW I usually like 1-2cm less reach to bars on a gravel bike.