Not at all. I have previously used a battery powered Hope R2 front light for night riding, which produces a claimed 1,300 lumens. It's just a shame that the JAF fork limits the bike's compatibility with road and. The fork is easy to get secondhand (as I did) or get it new. However, these are pre-production samples that came with slightly thicker grease than production hubs would. Would you like to receive offers, updates and events from BikeRadar and its publisher Our Media Ltd (an Immediate Group Company)? Having not ridden properly for over a month due to (a non-cycling) injury and attending Eurobike, I had absolutely no pressure on me. 2020 was a big year for cycling for me with all the free time during lockdowns. However, Im hoping to keep hold of the True Grit for a little longer, into 2022. Personally I dont use a dropper on a gravel bike, but I know many do. Well, it makes a noticeable difference for sure. Here, the fork sometimes twists and twangs, which can be unnerving. When fitted with gravel tires you have the optimal setup for gravel with proper pedal-to-ground clearance. To combine the two in an incredibly beautiful and unforgiving landscape such as Iceland was very special. The relatively slack 71-degree head angle and short 80mm stem is said to help increase stability at high speeds over rough terrain. Sizes: XS, S, M (tested), L, XL, THE GEAR Giant's TCR Advanced Pro 0 Disc earned the top step in more than one sense. Already have an account with us? So the Lauf has offered me a great opportunity to take an evening spin and remind me that theres plenty of good riding to be found locally, if youre happy to have a dig on Komoot and accept that youre not going to be shredding the gnar. The 4km descent to the loch was a welcome relief and, at the bottom, I decided approaching 40km was a good time to enjoy my lunch by the shores. Following the launch of their head-turning True Grit bike (RBA, June 2018) that stood out with its use of their unique leading-link suspension fork, the inventive lads from Lauf are now heading down a path of what could be deemed roadie reform.. Also developed in house by Lauf is the flared drop bar, which is called the Smoothie Composite. This means the frame reach is 394mm and reach to handlebar length 456mm. Weight: 18.75 pounds I stripped the hubs down (easy to do), cleaned them out, and replaced the grease with a lighter-weight lubricant I had in the garage, and, so far, this seems to have done the trick. While they are inherently unable to come close to Lauf Grit's response to higher frequency vibration. The Lauf True Grit is built for gravel racing: big days, covering long distances, over a multitude of dirt surfaces. This uses a glass-fibre top blended into carbon-fibre drops. At around 2,000km distance and roughly 15,000 metres of elevation, I had to make sure that the bike could go the distance. I also injured myself earlier this year, so the Lauf has been a useful tool in my recovery from a (potentially, the doctors cant 100 per cent tell) fractured wrist, sustained when I ran out of talent on a mountain bike. I also highly recommend the WTB Nano tyres for gravel racing because they gave me no problems during the race and provided me with plenty of grip and confidence over the 200km route. The Lauf Smoothie handlebars are designed to eat vibrations and are made from the same flexible carbon as the Lauf Grit leaf sprung fork. Why? However, like in my case, if you are wanting to use more road-oriented wheels you might not have this capability. The wailing sound whenever I squeezed the levers hard gave it away. And, finally, I will swap back to the Hunt Superdura Dynamo wheel and re-install the lighting system for winter training and to tackle a 300km audax that I have just signed up for but more on that in my next update. Gravel Bike Test: Lauf Anywhere - Road Bike Action . The frame uses a threaded bottom bracket for extended life with minimal maintenance. Despite the extra weight and the slight resistance added by the SONdelux hub, the setup worked flawlessly and the feeling of reassurance it gave, particularly when riding at night and in poor weather conditions, far outweighed the negatives. The most obvious changes were the wheels and tyres. This time last year I was banging out 100 to 150k rides weekly, with occasional jaunts of up to around 200k. Four buildsfrom $2690 to $5340are available, including an option for a frameset. However, having shunned my Virtual Partner, I was in much better company with Mark Knopflers Dire Straits powering me along the tracks via Nethy Bridge and Boat of Garten. Id been feeling like Id ignored gravel, what with the Merida Ex Enduro (Powered by Shimano Steps) and then a two week holiday in the Alps, where I ragged the El Roy as much as I could before heading home to a UK winter. While the frameset is nicely finished, with numerous neat touches, its the Grit SL fork that steals the show. On asphalt, one reviewer described slight understeer on tight, fast turns. My only other real addition to the bike is a new Garmin Flush Out-Front Mount. Why is the geometry this way? Six weeks after the Transatlantic Way, I was off to race The Rift a 200km gravel race in Hvolsller, Iceland. ), but gravel gives me something else that wider tyres cant easy, local access to great riding, big miles, and long days in the saddle. SRAMs AXS gears did their job without grumbling, the Grit fork killed buzz as it should and the Maxxis Rambler at the front, paired with a Bontrager G2 at the back, rolled efficiently and comfortably, backed up by that shock-damping Canyon post. Its designed around a popular mountain bike hub axle size, but since the bike is designed for mixed terrain, a 12mm axle would open up more gravel and road wheel options, including the option to use a SON dynamo hub, like me. I have had a couple of freehub engagement issues with my pair, though. Chainstays are 425mm long and theres a 1,040mm wheelbase. Force level shifters are joined by an XX1 AXS derailleur and 10-50t cassette, driven by a Force 1 chainset with a 42t ring. Lauf Seigla Weekend Warrior review - Gravel Bikes - BikeRadar Full-length internal cable-guides preserve cables and make maintenance easier. Well it performed faultlessly. The Grit SL fork at the front relies on a dozen glass-fibre leaf springs to provide the 30mm of un-damped travel, with a pair of rubber stoppers preventing a super-harsh bottom-out. The Smoothie has a 3-degree back sweep that offers a natural angle to hold the cross section. I havent yet experienced any creaks or play issues either. Entering year three of racing it (12+ races per year). Lauf has made room for 45mm tires with plenty of space for large knobs and debris to pass through. On our normal road group rides, the bike never held us back and has been giving us an advantage on the roads that are littered with fallen rocks and debris. Ive been rattling around on my Lauf for a good few months now, which has provided the perfect antidote to the mountain bikes I test day-to-day. Editors' Choice: Best Road Bikes and Gravel Bikes of 2019 Felix Smith is the video manager of BikeRadar's YouTube channel. Outside of testing bikes, Tom competes in a wide range of mountain bike races, from multi-day enduros through to 24-hour races in the depths of the Scottish winter pushing bikes, components and his legs to their limits. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. The sequential, flappy-paddle shifting setup is incredibly intuitive and, thus far, shifting performance has been faultless. The smooth rolling of sub-40psi is certainly alluring. As for the bike, the only issue I had was a hole in the rear tyre that wouldnt seal. The Lauf Anywhere, as the name implioes, is intended to be a do it all bike. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. As this was my first gravel race, I drew some experience from my mountain biking background and couldnt believe how well the Lauf handled on some of the gnarlier descents. High-frequency buzz is greatly reduced, which not only improves comfort over an individual bump but also helps minimise fatigue on long slogs. Much like the fork, the Canyon VCLS 2.0 seatpost Ive fitted is a two-piece leaf-sprung unit, designed to flutter backward and forward, to take the sting out of trail chatter. Subsequently, the tyres I have on there have a little more volume. MORE on the Lauf Anywhere & Lauf True Grit www.laufcycling.com . Lauf Anywhere: More than the 'Funky Fork' Guys I have a True Grit fork that I swap out as terrain demands. Lauf True Grit bikes have a slack seat tube angle (72.5) and are thus set up to be used with zero-setback seatposts. The frame geometry reinforces this preference for speed. At 40mm wide and on the DT Swiss X1900 22.5mm (inner width) rims, they are really fun to rail around corners without feeling the bike could lose grip. So, even without prior knowledge of Laufs bikes, the True Grit would naturally sit towards the top of my shortlist. So despite the bike not coming with Laufs famous leaf sprung fork, it can be ridden hard over proper gravel with a bit of nerve. Sadly, thanks to clothing/feeding/weather/time, I pulled out halfway. 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. Taking time to set the True Grit up right is worth the effort. Download installation guides and manuals for your Lauf forks. The handlebars are standard on all Anywhere models and are available separately for $220. It has great feeling engagement when putting down the power, too. With sugar coursing through my veins, I followed the largely flat Speyside Way out of Grantown-on-Spey. There are various suspension options out there for gravel; whether its an IsoSpeed decoupler from Trek, FutureShock from Specialized, Fox AX, SR Suntour GVX or Laufs Grit. In summary, this is what cyclists think. I was hoping this year would continue in the same vein because I had a few long-distance goals I wanted to hit, but that hasnt been the case so far. A rare XL size caters to riders 63 and taller. THE VERDICT Having suffered from knee pain at the end of day three it was clear that the lower gearing was a good choice and suggested that I should have spent more time in those lower gears to help reduce the load going through my knee. This construction, plus the overall shaping, allows for isolated flex and a perfect mate for the new rigid fork. Lauf True Grit $3,690 to $10,490 Lauf True Grit. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Lauf's Seigla has taken all of the best aspects from its True Grit gravel race bike and improved it, with increased tyre clearance and frame compliance. The Maxxis Velocita AR tyres are by far the widest I have ridden on a road-biased bike. This makes for a sturdy frame that handles all the fun at only 1.150g - Medium frame in Lava Black, including front and rear derailleur hangers. The familiar route is about half road, half gravel (plus a bit of mountain biking/hike a bike), so the WTB Exposure 32c tyres Ive been using for many miles were perfect for this mix of surfaces. The reach is 80mm with a 125mm drop, and the bars have a claimed weight of 240 grams. The Rival brakes match, but only the right side has the shifter lever and mechanics. There was a 178km mountain bike ride a couple of months back, though, which would have been faster on the Lauf, but I rode a Specialized Epic in preparation for an attempt a couple of weeks later to do the West Highland Way in one day. 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. Is it possible to stop by a loch with your bike and not take a photo? 3x Bottle Mounts Three bottle mounts come in handy for a long day in the saddle. Photo: Courtesy Lauf Don't 'lauf' at my fork! Two straps cinch it to the handlebars, but for more off-road bikepacking Id recommend a handlebar harness to help keep the bag secure Ive got Aplkits Kanga. The October sun was positively beating down on my largely windproof, entirely black attire and, feeling rather dehydrated, I rejoined the insulin express with my can of Irn-Bru, very much shaken, not stirred, after four hours of gravel tracks. This suits me as I intend to ride this bike in as many different ways as possible. Assembly - Lauf Cycling - gravel bikes and lightweight suspension forks Lauf also tweaked the geometry it developed on its first frame, the True Grit, to make the Anywhere ride more like a familiar drop-bar bike. Socks: Team Dream I was joined at my lunch spot by the last of the summers midges; their presence an itchy and unwelcome addition to my macaroni pie and empire biscuit Scottish fayre at its finest. I refuse to ride anything else. When jutting across roads less traveled, you can feel the bars flexing while on the hoods. Overall, the trip was a great success. I've done three rides on a Lauf True Grit bike built with Red eTap AXS XPLR, a 30mm RockShox Rudy Ultimate XPLR, a 75mm Reverb AXS XPLR, and Zipp 101 XPLR wheels with 40mm XPLR tires. LAUF ANYWHERE RIDE The Anywhere is nearly identical in feel and handling to the True Grit when on the pavement. Gates are annoying at the best of times, but boy oh boy, this is the worst kind of gate Ive ever come across. These changes got the bike down to a respectable 8.22kg. Well, it allows for the fitting of a Backup Battery, which connects to my Garmin 830 through the centre of the mount for super-slick, super-long battery life for super-long days out. Bib: Velocio Riding the Lauf all year round, oftennot in a commercial forest, means I see the seasons changing whenever I ride. Felix is an experienced videographer and responsible for the output of BikeRadars YouTube channel, where youll also see him in front of the camera presenting reviews or sharing his riding exploits through our BikeRadar Diaries series. I thought the 42t chainring up front and the 11t rear cog would reduce my top speed dramatically and that I would struggle to keep up with my riding companions. Lauf goes consumer direct, cuts $1,000+ off prices I was also lucky enough to ride the Grit fork when it launched, and later the True Grit on the launch event in Iceland and longer term after the event. Given I know the True Grit fairly well, set up has been easy. While many other gravel bikes have specific damping qualities built into the frame, whether thats using different kinds of carbon in different areas or even elastomers or suspension, the Anywhere feels fairly basic in comparison, and other areas of the bike, such as the tyres, have a greater impact on comfort. Combined with a relatively low front-end, the bike can be built fairly aggressively with aerodynamic qualities. The last four hours were really tough despite being mostly flat and it seemed my legs had only one speed slow! 23 Reasons to/NOT to Buy Lauf Anywhere (Apr 2023) | BikeRide FAQ - Lauf Cycling - gravel bikes and lightweight suspension forks They are also tubeless-ready and come with everything needed to make the conversion happen. This section of the ride was why Id packed so much. I was hoping to catch the last of the summers warmth, and perhaps a cheeky few dry trails, too, before the inevitable six months of grim puddle dodging. What makes the Lauf True Grit and Anywhere geometry better? I mentioned in my initial review (see below) that I would be getting a dynamo wheel to remove the need for heavy batteries and keep myself visible at all times, well I chose the Hunt Superdura Dynamo Disc wheel paired with an Exposure Revo Dynamo front light and Redeye rear light. 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. Sweep and flare enhanced the comfort of the Smoothie handlebar. While Lauf quotes a 45c tyre clearance at the back, I think thats more applicable for true mid-western gravel. Unfortunately the frame doesnt have any full-length mudguard mounts, and on a bike that is likely to be ridden through winter means using alternatives that perhaps dont provide as much protection. The ride took me south on a mostly flat, traffic-free route and I planned my bivi spot at around 35km. Its barely compromised on tarmac with the right tyres and itll fly along unmade roads with gleeful abandon. 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 bars help to elevate confidence and maintain traction, but on some of our favorite routes, we were still left wishing we had the suspension fork. You've been subscribed to our newsletter. Having ridden the bike for quite a while already, Ive made a few changes, which Ill talk more about in future updates. 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 #biggravelmiles #lauftruegritKim finally got a gravel bike..And I'm actually kinda jealous. I soon re-joined my outbound route, the wide gravel tracks corners revealing the mountains Im familiar with seeing in Aviemore. Ill be keeping the rear hovering around 40psi for now, but the front is back up to around 48psi. While its a good 10k before anything exciting happens, at least the Lauf is an efficient way of crossing ground and once out on those gravel roads, theyre definitely worth the trip. 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 frame also allows wide tyres of up to 45mm. Rattling is perhaps too negative a sounding word, its just that a 45c gravel tyre in comparison to a 2.6in wide one gives a fairly different ride experience! I then spent half an hour or so removing various bits such as the Lezyne pump bracket and, dare I say it, the Lauf bottle opener! To continue testing the versatility of the Lauf Anywhere, I entered my second hill climb race of the season at Burrington a local hill not far from Cheddar Gorge. And it was here that I spent my Christmas and New Year. The carbon fiber Icelandic gravel bike employs the company's signature Grit SL fork to give. The Anywhere is the exception to Lauf's range, as it sports a conventional, unsprung, rigid carbon fork. The Grind: 20 gravel bikes I'm excited about for 2020 Ill be back, though. Lauf True Grit (technically not on the list) At $3765 this is the most expensive (and best looking) option and I'm hesitant to get this as my first gravel bike because of that The same frame as the Lauf Anywhere but has the Lauf fork and SRAM FORCE 1 ( link) Also a 1x42T cank and 11/42T cassette which seems more sensible gearing for gravel The frame has seen updated tube. Owing to the 45mm offset (versus the 47mm that their suspension fork), the bikes wheelbase is slightly shorter at 103.4cm. |, c/4/5/b/c45b52a357e5a50ec9d18ea9720d53f85e8cfee0_Tom_s_Lauf_True_Grit.jpg, Race-bred gravel bike that avoids being overly harsh or nervous; friction-free fork smooths fine chatter impeccably, Rear-tyre clearance could be improved; forks chassis can get caught out in high-load corners. All Rights Reserved. If you are riding access roads or just the normal dirt or gravel road, the rigid fork with new Smoothie bars and large-volume tires will be more than sufficient. I envisaged a desolate slog, through a windswept bog, pushing for hours and cursing my route planning ability. Lauf Seigla vs Lauf True Grit : r/gravelcycling - Reddit That said, I noticed that on-tarmac handling is compromised. Already have an account with us? A little more clearance would be no bad thing here. The 16-degree flared bars come in three sizes: 40cm (47cm at the drops), 42cm (49cm at the drops) and 44cm (51cm at the drops). The frame is light at 1,070g, but also strong enough for tackling serious gravel racing.
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