Specialized S-Works Crux

£11,300 Okay, it doesn’t come cheap, but can the featherweight Crux live up to that price tag?

Weight 7.3kg Frame S-Works FACT 12r carbon Gears SRAM RED AXS XPLR 10-44t cassette, 40t power meter cranks Brakes SRAM RED eTap AXS hydraulic disc Wheels Roval Terra CLX Finishing kit Roval Terra bar, S-Works SL stem, Roval Alpinist seatpost, Specialized Pathfinder Pro

THE SPECIALIZED CRUX is claimed to be the world’s lightest gravel bike, boasting a stated 725g frame for the 56cm size. Despite its stunningly low overall weight of 7.3kg, the Crux is a real joy to ride and makes no serious concessions to practicality in pursuit of feathery figures. My top model on test will set you back a whopping £11,300. This is not unheard of, but it’s still hard to stomach. The S-Works frameset gets Specialized’s lightest and stiffest 12r carbon-fibre layup. The bike is built around SRAM’s top-end RED eTap AXS XPLR groupset and is fitted with Roval Terra CLX wheels and Specialized finishing kit. The Crux’s impressively low weight is, unsurprisingly, its most noticeable attribute.

Mashing my legs as hard as I could up steep climbs, I found the ride quality of the Crux pretty special. I won’t call it effortless, but the bike has a very lively feel – it’s a truly eager companion on steeper climbs and a joy to spin away on. The super-light frame also contributes to a responsive feel when riding over lower-speed terrain. It’s very easy to lift the rear wheel and throw the bike around. Reckless, high-speed, last-moment bunnyhops over potholes and obstacles are also dispatched with ease.

Stiff and speedy

Despite its low weight, the Crux doesn’t feel noodly or hesitant at high speeds. If anything, I’d say it’s one of the stifferfeeling gravel bikes I’ve ridden, though that’s likely partly due to the Roval Terra CLX carbon wheelset specced on my test bike. Despite its slender fork, the front end is ever so slightly harsh on bigger hits. The relatively thin handlebar tape contributes to this.

Seated rear-end comfort isn’t quite so harsh. I run a saddle height of about 785mm, which exposed a load of seatpost on my test bike. This aided rear-end comfort, as the Roval Alpinist post flexes an impressive amount while seated.

Nonetheless, the Crux isn’t the most comfortable ride on long days compared to the other two bikes on test. The Trek Checkpoint is definitely your best bet if you’re after a yielding butt-and-handcossetting cruiser. However, with the Crux’s option to fit 650b wheels with tyres up to a generous 2.1in wide (same as the Trek), even the most delicate riders should be able to find sufficient squish with a few component swaps. While we’re on tyres, the Crux comes fitted with 700x38c Specialized Pathfinder tyres as stock. These have a slick central section and roll very fast on smooth surfaces. In testing, I’ve found them to be hardwearing with a tough, abuse-proof sidewall. However, they do squirm in quite an unsettling way when cornering on the road. They also clog up quite quickly on damp surfaces, and are basically useless in mud.

Oh so quiet

The differences are small, but in terms of geometry, the Crux is the raciest feeling of the three bikes on test. The Wilier is slightly sportier across key geometry, but the zero-degree stem on its J-bar raises the cockpit fairly high. The Crux’s racy geometry means it isn’t the most confident ride on steeper descents. This is primarily due to its lower stack height pitching more of your weight over the front wheel. However, it’s notably quiet on rough terrain. The fact it’s fitted with a wireless electronic groupset helps, but even when smashing along cobbled roads at a fair clip, the bike is nearly silent.

Objectively, the new Specialized Crux is a technical marvel and is incredibly light. Once I got over my horror at the price, I felt a huge admiration for the strippedback and ‘pure’ riding experience the bike offered. If I had an immense budget and decided I valued owning a lovely bike that rides really nicely over all-out performance or versatility, the new Specialized S-Works Crux would be a strong contender.

Verdict A delightfully lightweight classic gravel bike for those with cavernous pockets

“Despite its low weight, it doesn’t feel noodly or hesitant at high speeds… It’s one of the stiffer-feeling gravel bikes”