lauf anywhere vs true gritlauf anywhere vs true grit

This means the ride is quite harsh, which I noticed most when racing The Rift gravel race in Iceland. This was a relatively pain-free process, although having initially tried to pump the tyres up without removing the valve core, I quickly learned that it was not going to inflate without taking this step first. I guess Im fairly happy rattling over rough surfaces at closer to 50psi, especially considering the squish afforded by the Grit fork. pdf. Giant's TCR Advanced Pro 0 Disc earned the top step in more than one sense. If thats not a bikepacking clich then I dont know what is! 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. ), but gravel gives me something else that wider tyres cant easy, local access to great riding, big miles, and long days in the saddle. I soon re-joined my outbound route, the wide gravel tracks corners revealing the mountains Im familiar with seeing in Aviemore. Thanks! Currently, the bike is sold with DT Swiss XR1501 alloy wheels, fitted with 40c wide Maxxis Rambler tyres. The relatively slack 71-degree head angle and short 80mm stem is said to help increase stability at high speeds over rough terrain. Since this bike is not using a wireless 2x drivetrain (the frame is incompatible with wired 2x drivetrains), you might have also noticed a nifty Lauf Bottle Opener taking the place of the front derailleur. After completing my first hill climb race on the Lauf Anywhere, it got me thinking about the bikes weight. 15mm front axle, STATS This also means if you already have 12mm thru-axle wheels, you will need adapters. The Smoothie handlebar and 40mm tires definitely help isolate the rider from road imperfections. Swish. Ive also been using a number of 76Projects items, including the excellent Modular Computer Mount to hold my Garmin and Magicshine front light. He has a particular focus on mountain bikes, but spends plenty of time on gravel bikes, too. While I did ride it to my first win in a Pro 1/2 race, the snappy, predictable handling characteristics were precisely the reason I chose it. Lauf Anywhere had a small pop up, so I bought that for her TG WW on sale for ~$2.5k shipped vs msrp $1.3k at a LBS for the E5 Diverge? This uses a glass-fibre top blended into carbon-fibre drops. . 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. When fitted with gravel tires you have the optimal setup for gravel with proper pedal-to-ground clearance. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. I decided to save my Irn-Bru until later, for another insulin roller coaster later in the ride. My route took me out of town on a wide NCN cycle path, before taking a diversion through an undulating forest. BIKE OF THE WEEK: SCHMOLKE INFINITY GRAVEL, THROWBACK THURSDAY, 2015: ALEX DOWSETT BREAKS THE HOUR, TOM PIDCOCK SHOWS OFF INSANE DESCENDING SKILLS, WATCH 2023 TOUR DOWN UNDER PROLOGUE HIGHLIGHTS. Thanks for the feedback. The glass fibre section of the bar is designed to give a little more flex and buzz reduction, while the carbon sections save weight where this buzz reduction isnt needed. Although I havent ridden the bike off road yet, setup tubeless and with 30 psi in each tyre I have no doubt it will be a blast. out of the box, Laufs Anywhere is ready to go on the pavement, on most mellow dirt roads, and maybe even on the trails if youre feeling bold The second key point is that this bike hits a reasonable price. This means the frame reach is 394mm and reach to handlebar length 456mm. THE RIDE The frame also allows wide tyres of up to 45mm. The Weekend Warrior edition that Ive been riding comes in at 8.5kg, while similarly specced endurance road bikes, such as the Cannondale Synapse, weigh around the 9kg mark. I felt very much at home, not needing to steer for the best part of 8km, but I did take a quick detour to see a gorge and Huntlys Cave, where two generations of the Gordon family hid from those theyd annoyed in the mid to late 1600s. tire clearance, and arguably better looks, it's a winner out of the gate. 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. 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 design of their True Grit frame was extensive, and Lauf felt there was little that needed to be changed. September marks the start of the UK hill climb season and it was exciting to be a part of the event. The frame has seen updated tube. And now it is taken to the next level. The bike felt pretty heavy and the first few corners a little unsteady I hadnt ridden a loaded bike for a while but after the first hour I was already used to the change in handling. I found the bike to be very comfortable and more forgiving than both the aluminium and steel bikes that I rode previously. Its barely compromised on tarmac with the right tyres and itll fly along unmade roads with gleeful abandon. As for the bike, the only issue I had was a hole in the rear tyre that wouldnt seal. The Anywhere is marketed as an all-out gravel race bike, and its versatile nature lends itself to a whole host of different riding styles and terrain. Although I wasnt going to reduce its weight by any significant degree, it was still fun to see how light I could make the bike with limited time and upgrades available. The Maxxis Velocita AR 40mm tires are nearly road slicks and seem small when compared to the clearance available. 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 already mentioned the gearing, which I intend to gear down for easier climbing when the bike is loaded up. My tried and tested Apidura saddlebag and top tube bag got another outing, along with a real hidden gem in the world of bikepacking bags, Alpkits Airlok Dual handlebar bag. 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! The handlebars are standard on all Anywhere models and are available separately for $220. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The reach is 80mm with a 125mm drop, and the bars have a claimed weight of 240 grams. Lauf Seigla geometry. Ill be keeping the rear hovering around 40psi for now, but the front is back up to around 48psi. While there were no hills to hinder my progress, it did seem like death by a thousand gates. BikeRide is reader-supported, and sometimes we receive commissions for links you click on. I swapped the front chainring from a 42-tooth to a Hope 38-tooth narrow wide model. With the front end of the bike benefitting from the Grit suspension fork, I was finding the feeling of the bike a little unbalanced, and, truth be told, a little uncomfortable on hard-packed rough tracks. pdf. The initial photos for this bike were taken a couple of days after I received the bike, back when the sun was shining and the bales were still in the fields. The Lauf True Grit gravel frame has undergone serious testing as it meets the ISO standard for mountain bike frames. Download installation guides and manuals for your True Grit. This was not the case, however. The ride took me south on a mostly flat, traffic-free route and I planned my bivi spot at around 35km. As such, small adjustments require the post to be removed. Ill be back, though. However, once set, its pretty much good to go. I do think the longer geometry and the fork contribute here. When it comes to really rough off-road riding, the Smoothie handlebar isnt nearly as effective as the 30mm-travel Grit suspension fork. Is it possible to stop by a loch with your bike and not take a photo? With under 40psi in my Maxxis Rambler (f) and Bontrager GR2 (r) tyres, I still skirted around the most glass-like patches of ice without issue, but it was refreshing to be totally comfortable scooting over frost patches, or bits of fireroad where stones and grass poked through an underlying layer of ice, safe in the knowledge that I was fairly, er, safe. I played close attention to my position on the bike because in late 2018 I picked up a knee injury, which I have been trying to fix ever since, and I have been wary of riding a new bike because I dont want to damage my knee further by riding hard on a different setup. Why? The road category has settled on 12x100mm as the standard and Lauf even makes the rigid and suspension fork in both sizes. Like a lot of cyclists, Im at times pretty conflicted about driving to and from rides riding from home is much simpler and, of course, its one less vehicle on the roads but as good as Bristol is for riding, the mountain biking available from my door can get a bit stale. That said, I noticed that on-tarmac handling is compromised. No bike can be perfect at everything, though, and there are a few points to consider. Opting for a rigid fork will save customers $350/260/300 from the version with a Grit fork. Jump out the door, grind your way through or load it up and head anywhere you want. These wheels, built for XC racing, have an internal width of 22.5mm and combined with the tubeless 700 x 40c WTB Nano tyres, the bike had lots of grip and a more confidence-inspiring wheelset. Perhaps not surprising because this bike has, as claimed by Lauf offers Copious amount of microscopic comfort. Since then weve had a long British winter thats only just on the wane. With a quick fork swap, you could have either bike, but you would also need a new front brake line that would be long enough to reach on the suspension fork. These changes got the bike down to a respectable 8.22kg. Overall, the trip was a great success. A pair of Fast Forward F3D carbon wheels provided the biggest upgrade and I replaced the 32mm WTB Exposure tyres with a pair of 25mm Pirelli P Zero Velo 4s tyres. Almost 20 hours later, I arrived back in Bristol with a fully stamped Brevet card, and I was extremely relieved. If I had the choice of a lower gear I would have definitely taken it, and I think the bike would benefit from an upgrade in the gearing. Get real time updates directly on you device, subscribe now. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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. The new Lauf Seigla takes everything that was good about the True Grit gravel bike and makes it bigger and better. Ive got the brake hoods angled in slightly, as is my preferred feel. The frame is actually rated to the ISO standard for mountain bikes and I believe the bike will handle a life of adventures without carbon paranoia. Perhaps the biggest low of the Anywhere is the 15mm axle on the JAF fork. The Smoothie handlebar and 40mm tires definitely help isolate the rider from road imperfections. I swapped back the dynamo wheel which is still one of my favourite bits of kit for the Lauf and attached the Crudcatcher Roadracer MK3 mudguard set to keep me dry and comfortable. MG had to run a 25-degree rise, 75mm length stem to dial the fit in for his preferences. The new Smoothie bar and 40mm tires isolate the rider from the imperfections of the road perfectly We have about 200 miles on the Anywhere and it has been lots of fun The large tires allow us to run low tire pressures (35 PSI) on the wet roads offering great traction with speed. Long-4-Speed geometry keeps things stable at speed and on unruly surfaces. The glass fiber Smoothie handlebar flexes to compensate for frame judder. It's just a shame that the JAF fork limits the bike's compatibility with road and. 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. So much so that on my first ride with it I was constantly checking the rear tyre for a flat. Unfortunately, the Lauf JAF fork uses a 15mm thru-axle and therefore was incompatible with the SONdelux hub on the Superdura Dynamo Disc wheel. Although the frame is fairly light for a gravel bike at 1,070g, it doesnt feel particularly supple. 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. Sadly, thanks to clothing/feeding/weather/time, I pulled out halfway. I dont think the Grit SL is a perfect fork, though, and will cover this in more detail in my impressions below, but I do think its got a lot going for it and its certainly a subject of debate within the BikeRadar office. This construction, plus the overall shaping, allows for isolated flex and a perfect mate for the new rigid fork. Riding the Lauf all year round, oftennot in a commercial forest, means I see the seasons changing whenever I ride. Lauf has released a new gravel bike, called the Seigla. This is exacerbated when I ride in the same place, a month or two apart. I have a True Grit fork that I swap out as terrain demands. Toms well acquainted with the True Grit and is looking to put this latest version through its paces over south-west England's finest gravel. . Grit / Grit SL . I have it in the 20-litre size and it just fits my Mountain Hardwear Lamina 20 winter sleeping bag. With little actual knowledge of where I was going to go, I jumped on Komoot to plan out a days ride. Although the Anywhere is built with gravel racing at its heart, the bike was great fun to ride both on the tarmac and off road, but, on a ride like this, perhaps the front end of the bike could do with being a bit taller for added comfort. Its incredible to think that I rode all of that on the same bike! 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 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. Compared to a racier road bike, the steering will feel unresponsive and hard to turn. Although there were several guises, the Anywhere remained a true do-it-all bike. The Anywhere is nearly identical in feel and handling to the True Grit when on the pavement. Well it performed faultlessly. I actually think this combination suits my riding perfectly, especially as Im not a natural road racer with years of riding a 53-48t under my belt. I mean, if the first 3km was that easy, Id be home in no time! The smooth rolling of sub-40psi is certainly alluring. Yet, with the industry-wide embrace of added compliance remaining a key selling feature, the Laufers had another trick up their sleeve. Its not a common enough occurrence for me to feel the fork is a compromise on the bike, though. But not before Id popped to the local bakery to pick up some Scottish delicacies. Was I still happy with the gearing choice after adding all that weight? Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. I was using Laufs Smoothie handlebars, which are developed in house and made from the same carbon as its leaf sprung suspension fork. 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. 2020 was a big year for cycling for me with all the free time during lockdowns. 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. EDITORS PICK // TOP TWO CYCLING LIGHTS FOR 2023, ALL ABOUT WIND TRAINERS AND INDOOR CYCLING, WHAT YOUR PRESTA VALVE CAPS ARE ACTUALLY FOR, PINARELLO F SERIES WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE ALL-NEW RACE BIKES, CANNONDALE UNVEILS SLEEK 2023 ROAD LINE-UP, THROWBACK THURSDAY, 2015: ALEX DOWSETT BREAKS THE HOUR RECORD. Lauf Anywhere here. Pick-up from the rear hub is good and they have a nice muted buzz to them. I was a little disappointed that the frame doesnt accept mudguards because training in the winter/spring means having to accept that Ill inevitably get wet. Having spent plenty of time testing road bikes for Cycling Plus, Ive dodged my fair number of icy patches on tarmac. With the colder months upon us I am very much looking forward to getting some consistency in to my riding and building on my fitness because I have plenty of endurance events that I want to enter in 2020. Why is the geometry this way? The one thing that kind of has us scratching our heads is their use of a 15mm thru-axle up front. A week in Aviemore, Scotland, where my girlfriend lives, gave me an opportunity to get back on the Lauf, after spending a fair bit of time riding my Marin El Roy. Looking back at 2019, it was certainly a great year for me in terms of fulfilling my cycling goals and trying new things; I attempted my first ultra-endurance ride, raced open hill climbs, took part in the inaugural Rift gravel race in Iceland, and most recently completed my first 300km audax. I envisaged a desolate slog, through a windswept bog, pushing for hours and cursing my route planning ability. Im also considering swapping the current DT Swiss X1900 XC wheels for a lighter wheelset because I will mostly be riding the Lauf Anywhere on tarmac roads. 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. Ive also been very impressed with the Force/XX1 AXS drivetrain, and more so than I have in a mountain bike context. Personally I dont use a dropper on a gravel bike, but I know many do. Starting at 10pm this was not only an overnight ride but also the longest single ride I had ever attempted. I was running Hunts Mason X Hunt 4 Season Disc wheelset during the summer months when I wasnt using the dynamo wheel. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. It relies on a 100 x 15mm axle to secure the front wheel. 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. One signature Lauf feature carried over on the Anywhere is the handy seatstay-mounted bottle opener, which doubles as a front derailleur mount for anyone who prefers a 2x drivetrain or gets less thirsty on the ride. Subsequently, the tyres I have on there have a little more volume. In future updates, Ill talk more about the geometry and handling. By reports, Maxxis Velocita tires didnt perform well in mud or slippy dirt. Thus was born the Anywhere, a bike that couples a traditional road bike profile with a specifically engineered handlebar that provides hand- and forearm-friendly compliance. Im pretty sure British Cycling should get their athletes on this diet. The Icelandic leaf-spring design looks crazy, but really isn't any different than a. ), goading me into riding faster than my cold legs would go. Riding a fully rigid bike meant that my body felt pretty beaten up by the end of the ride (it took me 12 hours to complete), and watching many other competitors on mountain bikes I definitely could have done with some form of suspension. It's a bike that has been designed for racing across challenging mixed surfaces as fast as possible and does that by combining absolutely enormous tyre clearance with geometry closely comparable to. Already have an account with us? When jutting across roads less traveled, you can feel the bars flexing while on the hoods. The shape of the bike works well for my needs, proving comfortable in sizing and allowing me to adequately get into those more aero shapes that work well on road sections. for a true multi-purpose bike, the Anywhere hits the mark, especially if there is more pavement in your schedule. Setting the post up is a bit of a hassle because the angle of the saddle is defined by the relative position of the two halves, which is secured with a small grub screw located well inside the frames seat tube. The SRAM Rival brakes require a re-bleed and a clean up of the pads and discs because they are lacking in power and make a horrendous noise when riding in the wet. Entering year three of racing it (12+ races per year). However, these are pre-production samples that came with slightly thicker grease than production hubs would. Download installation guides and manuals for your Lauf forks. 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. Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. Thanks to the clearance of up to 700 x 45c tyres, and lower, slacker geometry, the bike also promises to be pretty capable off-road, despite its clear all-road intentions. Unfortunately, I couldnt complete the ride due to acute knee pain, which I later found out was an overuse injury of the tendon. These roll on large volume Maxxis Velocita AR 40c 120 TPI tyres. Lauf True Grit bikes have a slack seat tube angle (72.5) and are thus set up to be used with zero-setback seatposts. I got out of the saddle on most of the climbs and spent less time spinning on sharp hills. I took my good friend George and it was to be his first experience of riding out and sleeping under the stars. However, Im hoping to keep hold of the True Grit for a little longer, into 2022. I did put some tape on the port to remind me, but obviously that wasnt enough Ill put it down to a lack of rest! THE FRAME 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. Im currently running some Ritchey pedals, but often swap between pedals for a set of Shimano XT Race pedals and something else I cant talk about right now. Lauf sees it the same way, a bike built to go fast over gravel, work well over asphalt, and feel more capable than the average gravel bike through sweeping singletrack. 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. Off road Ive found the handling to be sharp enough to navigate over or around rocks, roots and pot-holes, and still give me the confidence to let loose on the brake levers and carry speed on descents. The Anywhere could feel harsh on long and intense gravel races. Would you like to receive offers, updates and events from BikeRadar and its publisher Our Media Ltd (an Immediate Group Company)?