Over the past decade, the gravel bike style has achieved nothing however diversify.
A buying expertise that may as soon as go away you introduced with only a handful of pretty samey bikes, is now a choice making course of dominated by tyre width decisions, slacker or steeper geometry, aerodynamics, and in some circumstances even suspension setups.
However are we overcomplicating issues? Second place finisher on the UCI Gravel World Championships, Lotte Kopecky, appears to suppose so.
Kopecky’s Specialised S-works Crux
The Belgian machine and immediately’s silver medalist offered some fairly robust proof that we’re. The Belgian rode to the silver medal place on what can solely be described as a lavatory commonplace gravel bike. Smart tyres, highway bike gearing, and no suspension in sight.
For her maiden UCI Gravel World Championships, Kopecky opted for a customized construct from commerce group sponsor Specialised, selecting the Specialised S-works Crux as a basis.
The Specialised Crux is the extra conventional of the American bike big’s gravel bike lineup, posing extra racey geometry than its extra exploration-friendly brother, the Diverge. The bike is marketed purely on low weight, vast tyre clearance, and nimble dealing with – some what of a rarity in a time the place aerodynamics is starting to grip the gravel scene.
Apparently, Kopecky’s bike didn’t have a Common Derailleur hanger, which might counsel that she was nonetheless driving the now-outdated Specialised Crux frameset.
A better look reveals the previous fashion Crux frameset.
(Picture credit score: Future (Fergus Jones))
Imagine it or now, there are solely two different parts on Kopecky’s bike that may be traced again to the world of gravel – the wheelset, and the tyres.
For rolling duties, Kopecky opted for a set of the ultralight Roval Terra CLX II wheels. Weighing in at a feathery 1250g (claimed) for the pair, the wheels measure up 32mm deep, and have a 25mm inner rim width, with a reasonably vast 30mm exterior rim width. Specialised has remained cussed when it comes too hookless too, persevering with to go for a hooked rim profile on its excessive finish gravel wheels.
Roval wheels and Specialised Pathfinder tyres full an all-American suite of componentry.
(Picture credit score: Future (Fergus Jones))
The Roval’s have been arrange in a tubeless configuration with Specialised’s personal Pathfinder gravel tyres. The Pathfinders have turn into fairly a preferred alternative amongst gravel racers over the past couple of years, and have a slick band of rubber within the centre, sandwiched edges with deeper tread sample, aiming to maintain issues quick on the flats, but nonetheless grippy on the corners.
An SD-Worx group mechanic instructed Biking Weekly that Kopckey was not utilizing tubeless inserts both, maintaining it easy with a sealant solely technique.
Street bike gears and a highway bike cockpit for Kopecky.
(Picture credit score: Future (Fergus Jones))
One other slight shock was that Kopecky was not utilizing the newly launched Sram Pink AXS XPLR groupset, as a substitute selecting to journey a whole highway bike groupset, full with conventional two by setup with 48/36 chainrings.
As soon as once more straight out of the highway bike playbook, was the Roval Rapide CLX cockpit. Kopecky appeared eager to maintain her contact factors as acquainted as attainable, by utilizing the very same one piece carbon handlebar setup that she has been utilizing all yr to nice impact on the graceful roads. The eager eyed amongst additionally, you will have observed the Time Xpro highway biking pedals.
(Picture credit score: Future (Fergus Jones))
Why did Kopecky go away the tech behind?
Effectively, that is barely deceptive – that is nonetheless a motorbike filled with tech.
Let’s not overlook that Kopecky was hammering around the Forest of Brabant on way over $10,000 value of race bike, even when it was a barely older frameset.
In all chance, the choice to go for highway bike parts was in all probability one in all familiarity. Till immediately, Kopecky had by no means raced a gravel race earlier than, and due to this fact has by no means actually had an opportunity to fettle round getting the right setup.
Kopecky, off the entrance with eventual winner, Marianne Vos
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
The secure choice then, can be to maintain the contact factors the identical, and attempt to apply essentially the most related bike match attainable to the brand new gravel bike, all of the whereas counting on her bike dealing with prowess to do the speaking.
It is also value allowing for that European gravel is completely completely different to the kind of terrain you might be more likely to encounter at a race similar to Unbound. The 2024 UCI Gravel World Championships course is comparatively tame in comparison with different gravel races around the globe, making it far simpler to run less complicated setups on race day.
Nonetheless, Kopecky’s silver journey immediately is proof that with the fitting legs and the fitting expertise, you do not essentially want a suspension fork and a couple of.1″ tyres to race gravel.
Re-inflatable tyres nevertheless? Effectively that is an entire different story…
