When Specialized released their Aethos last year, so many riders loved the refined approach to frame building that prioritized ride quality and weight over aerodynamics, dropped stays and curved tubes. At 585 grams the S-Works Aethos is the lightest production disc road bike by a country mile. However, it comes with a hefty price tag. Now, Specialized has launched the 2022 S-Works CruX — a simple-looking gravel racer that’s anything but simple at heart.
This 725 gram gravel racer still offers 47c tire clearance and, even with added material for durability, comes in lighter than just about every road disc frameset on the market. But, again, all that lightweight doesn’t come cheap (S-Works CruX frameset is $5000 with a $12,000 complete build). To get things a little more affordable, the 825 gram FACT 10r frame found on Pro models and below will be available for $3200 (frameset) or three builds ranging from $8000 to $4200. The standard frame beats out the lightweight Open UPPER frameset and costs $1300 less.
Geometry remains aggressive compared to typical gravel bikes on the market today, with stack and reach figures about on par with all-rounder race bikes. But, if you want that one bike that can dance uphill like a pure road bike and still tackle gravel races like SBT GRVL, the all-new CruX just might be the ticket. In fact, now that I’m seeing the new CruX, I’m pretty sure I saw one or more of these on course in August. Certainly, if you’re into an hour in the pain cave, this remains their nimble cross racer.
The 2022 Specialized CruX Expert is the sweet spot with SRAM Rival AXS and wide Roval Terra C wheels for $6000 complete — while still weighing less than 18 lbs.
More Info: Visit Specialized.com
