Pretty much every time I get an email about some new aero carbon tech, it’s accompanied by a staggering pricetag, yet that’s not at all the case with these new ERE Explorator CCR45 wheels. Properly affordable, these new aero carbon all-road and gravel-rated wheels sell for just $699 / £599 / 699€.

And they don’t seem to make any real compromises either.

Wild.

Affordable All-Road & Gravel-Ready Tech Details

Let’s just jump right in with the ERE Explorator CCR45 details, and first let them speak for themselves:

• aerodynamic 45mm deep carbon rim profile (365g claimed)
• 25mm hooked internal rim width
• hooked tubeless compatible (pre-taped for tubeless, but does not include tubeless valves)

• optimized for 32-55mm tires (compatible with 29-71mm tires)
• double-butted Alpina Extralite straight-pull stainless steel spokes (20 front & 24 rear) with brass nipples
• ERE’s own Iona II alloy straight-pull, centerlock 3-pawl hubs (36T, 10° engagement?)
• all freehubs available: Shimano HG, SRAM XDR, Shimano MicroSpline, Campagnolo, Campagnolo N3W
• custom low-friction 6902 (standard size) sealed stainless bearings
• 1575g wheelset weight (claimed)
• UCI-approved
• lifetime warranty & crash replacement program (if registered within 60 days)
• 130kg max rider weight

ERE Explorator CCR45 affordable carbon all-road wheels

These are a truly budget-friendly option for anyone looking to upgrade a bike with a more basic aluminum wheelset. Or possibly also a great option for someone with either a road or gravel bike, looking to pick up a second wheelset to expand the versatility of their current setup with a different type of tires. All road tires that fit into your road bike, gravel tires that fit into your all-road bike, or faster rolling road slicks to speed up your current gravel bike. A second wheelset means having condition-specific tires without ever having to deal with the sealant mess of tubeless swaps.

And all it will cost you is $699 / £599 / 699€ for the carbon ERE Explorator CCR45 wheelset. Plus, the cost of some new tires, a cassette & rotors since you are trying to get a fast swap going, right?

“One wheelset. Every surface.
The Explorator CCR45 combines the speed of a modern aero road wheelset with the stability and control required for gravel and all-road riding.
Thanks to its wide 25mm internal rim width, the wheelset perfectly supports modern tires between 32mm and 55mm, while maintaining full compatibility from 29mm up to 71mm (ETRTO). This makes the CCR45 equally at home on a fast endurance road bike as it is on an aggressive gravel setup.
The hooked carbon rims are fully tubeless-ready and built around a carefully optimized carbon layup for maximum stiffness, durability, and ride comfort.”

How do they compare?

At 1575g, sure there are plenty of lighter mid-depth aero carbon road and endurance all-road wheels, many of which are between 100g lighter, but sometimes as much as 50g heavier than these. Not nearly as many lighter when we factor in that these are tested and approved for gravel, too.

Plus, in most cases, similar carbon wheels cost at least 2x as much as these new ERE wheels. Even the cheapest of those is typically more than $1200/1000€. And with butted stainless spokes and proper brass nipples, these are wheels built to last.

ERE Explorator CCR45 – Pricing, options & availability

$700€, 1575g, 45mm deep & 25mm internal is simply a solid combination. And a really great value.

The new carbon Explorator CCR45 wheels are available to pre-order now directly from ERE, expected to come back in stock in just over a week. The wheels include free worldwide shipping, are backed by a Lifetime Warranty against defects, a Crash Replacement program for actual rider-induced damage, and you can even try them risk-free for 30 days and return them if you aren’t satisfied.

But really, they look like they’re gonna be hard to beat.

EREresearch.com

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The Specialized Crux has always been a bit of a beautiful outlier. It started life as a cyclocross race bike, got dragged into gravel before gravel became the monster it is now, and somehow became the go-to machine for riders who wanted a gravel bike that didn’t feel like a gravel bike.

Light, sharp, simple, and very fast.

All-new Specialized Crux 5 aero gravel race bike

Now the all-new Specialized Crux 5 takes that idea and adds the one thing the previous Crux didn’t lean into quite as hard: aerodynamics.

But this isn’t just a “we made the tubes deeper, please clap” update. Specialized is calling the new S-Works Crux 5 the fastest gravel race bike it has ever made, not simply because it is lighter, more aero, or clears a monster tire. But because they have the data to back it up.

Time To Finish

The “fastest gravel bike we’ve ever made” claim is based on what Specialized calls “Time to Finish”. This calculation is a full-course performance model that rolls aero drag, weight, rolling resistance, surface roughness, environmental conditions, and rider power into a single number. It’s kinda nuts, but wait till you hear about how they crunch the numbers and the potential time saved.

That number? Specialized says the new Crux 5 would have saved Sofia Gomez Villafañe 9 minutes and 58 seconds on the 2025 Unbound Gravel course compared to the previous Crux 4.

How did they arrive at those numbers? Well… each Specialized off-road athlete sported race-day telemetry packs small enough to run under the saddle, used in actual competition (more on this later).

But I’m not gonna let the ‘Time to Finish’ or the ‘Equation of Speed’ steal the show, even though it’s a big part of the Crux 5 story. We’re here to talk about the all-new Crux 5.

2026 Specialized Crux 5 – What’s New?

So, if you took the top half of a Tarmac SL8 and the bottom half of a Crux 4 and put them together, you would basically have the new Crux 5. I mean, it’s much more refined than that, but basically that’s what we have here. Specialized went all in on gravel, and now the Crux lives on as a more aero-focused gravel machine built for the world’s toughest gravel events.

Frame Updates

The frame still has the bones of the Crux 4, but the tubes are clearly more sculpted. The fork is the most visually striking update. The design team traded the thinly sculpted fork of the Crux 4 for a larger, deeper sectioned design with massive mud clearance.

The round seatpost is gone, traded for the exact seatpost design from the Tarmac SL8. There is no internal frame storage or bag mounting points (except for a new toptube bento bag mount). There is no identity crisis anymore. The Crux is an all-out gravel race machine.

Despite its updated aero treatment, the Crux 5 isn’t a bloated performative aero-looking machine. The new S-Works Crux 5 gets a claimed 789g FACT 12r carbon frame, complete builds starting at 6.9kg. So it’s still a pretty light bike, and now it has clearance for up to 55mm / 2.2 in tires (that includes 5mm for mud clearance).

So how aero is it?

Specialized also claims the bike is 15.2 watts faster than the Crux 4 at 45kph when tested with its moving-leg rider mannequin in its Win Tunnel.

The company says roughly half of the aero improvement comes from the frame, fork, and seatpost. But that’s only half of it: 30% of that aero claim comes from the new Roval Terra Aero wheels, and 20% from the Terra cockpit. So, yes, this is a frame launch, but it is also very much a system launch.

Time to Finish: Specialized’s Gravel Math Problem

Instead of focusing on a single lab result, Specialized says it built the Crux 5 around the same “Equation of Speed” mindset used in the Tarmac SL8.

On the road, aero tends to dominate the conversation. On gravel, it gets more complicated. Speeds are lower, rolling resistance is higher, tire choice matters more, and the surface changes constantly. Weight still matters, but not in isolation. Aero matters, but only if it doesn’t wreck the rider, the tire clearance, handling, or comfort.

That is where the Time to Finish model comes in.

Specialized says the model uses measured data from aerodynamics, frame weight, rolling resistance, surface roughness, weather, course profile, and rider output to predict total elapsed race time over a real route. It’s wild stuff and used pretty frequently in Formula 1 and World Cup mountain bike racing, but this is the first time I’m hearing it applied to gravel bike racing.

Always Unbound

For the development of Crux 5, the brand used Unbound Gravel as the key benchmark. If you want to test a gravel race bike, Unbound is pretty much the final boss: 200 miles, high-speed pack racing, rough sectors, exposed wind, deep fatigue, and enough tire-choice anxiety to ruin a week leading up to the race.

Specialized even collected surface data from race-day telemetry packs mounted under riders’ saddles.
That small black box under Matt Beers’ saddle at the 2025 Unbound? It was collecting surface vibration data in real time using accelerometers (I totally thought it was a saddle bag last year).

That means Specialized now has telemetry data from:

• Multiple elite gravel races
• Thousands of kilometers
• Every major gravel surface type

This data feeds directly into their Time-to-Finish simulations. And as for the Sofia Gomez Villafañe data, here’s what the team runs to get the Equation of Speed compared to her previous time on the Crux 4:

• 15.2 watts less aerodynamic drag
• A 789-gram frame
• 7.1 kg system weight
• Hyper-accurate surface telemetry
• Elite rider power profiles

It all adds up to 9:58 minutes saved, according to Specialized’s calculations.

Playbook: Aero From the Tarmac & Weight From the Aethos

The previous Crux was already extremely light, but it was not shaped like a modern aero gravel bike. The Crux 5 changes that without turning into a heavy aero sled.

Specialized says development borrowed heavily from the Tarmac SL8 program (duh!). Early test mules mixed Crux and Tarmac DNA, including Crux frames with Tarmac-inspired seat tubes, rear ends, seatposts, and aero fork concepts.

The final bike is much more sculpted than the outgoing model, but Specialized was careful not to lose what made the Crux feel like a Crux. That means low weight, quick acceleration, and a ride quality that does not punish you for choosing speed over comfort. Plus, it looks like a bike that you want to ride, and I applaud Specialized for that, because, in a world of overly aero-looking bikes, it’s hard to make something that still looks visually appealing and not just fast.

Flow State Design

The 789g S-Works frame uses FACT 12r carbon and a design approach Specialized calls Flow State Design, first used on the Aethos. The basic idea is that the tube shape carries more of the load, so the frame needs less excess material to hit stiffness, strength, and ride targets.

That gives Specialized a neat trick: aero tube shapes without the usual weight penalty, and the tubes aren’t as exaggerated in appearance.

The S-Works Crux 5 complete build starts at a claimed 6.9kg, and Specialized says even the aero setup with Terra Aero CLX III wheels comes in at around 7.1kg.

Bigger Tires, No Aero Penalty?

The biggest real-world update might be tire clearance.

The new Crux 5 clears up to 55mm / 2.2in tires, which puts it right where modern gravel racing is heading. A few years ago, 40mm felt big. Then 45mm became normal. Now, top riders are looking at 50mm and larger for certain courses because bigger tires can roll faster on rough terrain, hold traction better, and stave off some fatigue.

Specialized says the Crux 5 was designed around that reality. The bike can run big tires without giving up the handling or low weight that made the Crux popular.

Even better, Specialized claims that a 50mm Tracer tire on the new Roval Terra Aero CLX wheel has the same drag as a 45mm Tracer on the previous Terra CLX II wheel. Meaning riders can upsize for traction, comfort, and rolling efficiency without incurring the usual aero penalty.

Geometry: Less Do-it-All & More Stable

The Crux has never been a couch. It is a race bike. The new one still sounds like a race bike, but Specialized has made a few updates to better match bigger tires and its formal turn away from cyclocross and into gravel forever.

The new Crux 5 gets a longer reach and is designed around shorter stems. It also gets a 0.5-degree slacker head angle, a lower bottom bracket, and a 0.5-degree steeper seat angle.

This updated geometry gives the bike more stability at speed, a more planted feel with big tires, and a more efficient seated position without completely dulling the handling.

Specialized says the goal was to make the bike feel more confident “in” the terrain, not perched on top of it. That tracks with where race gravel has gone. The fastest riders are no longer tiptoeing around chunky sections. They are rolling through it, choosing lines, trusting volume, and trying to preserve speed.

The tricky part was keeping the Crux lively. A bike can be stable and still feel dead on the road. Specialized says it matched the compliance and stiffness targets of the Crux 4 while adding the aero gains, so the new bike should still have that familiar snap.

Rider-First Layups Across the Size Range

Specialized is also carrying over its Rider-First Engineered approach. Each frame size, from 49cm to 61cm, gets its own layup schedule to keep the ride feel consistent. That means 5′ 5″ Sophia Gomez Villafañe and 6′ 5″ Matt Beers will have the same experience on the Crux 5 as folks in the sweet spot zone, like the 54-56cm crowd.

That matters more than most spec sheets make it sound. A 49cm frame and a 61cm frame should not feel like two totally different bikes wearing the same paint. With size-specific layups, Specialized is trying to keep stiffness, compliance, and handling balanced across the full range.

2026 Specialized Crux 5: Models & Pricing

Specialized will offer the Crux 5 in a full spread of race-ready builds, from the no-excuses S-Works Crux 5 AXS down to the more attainable Comp. The top-shelf S-Works model lands at $14,000 with the FACT 12r frame and fork, Roval Terra Aero CLX wheels, SRAM RED AXS XPLR, Terra cockpit, S-Works Power with Mirror saddle, and CeramicSpeed bearings.

Introducing S-Level

Like S-Works, but S-Level.

The interesting addition is the new Crux 5 S-Level AXS, which essentially takes over the slot where a Pro model would normally live in Specialized’s lineup. The S-Level build is something new from Specialized. The S-Level build gets a FACT 10r frame rather than the S-Works-only FACT 12r chassis, but the build kit is still very much halo-level.

For the S-Level build, you get SRAM RED XPLR 13-speed, a Quarq power meter, Roval Terra Aero CL wheels (not CLX), the integrated Roval Terra cockpit, Power Pro Mirror saddle, and an S-Works Tarmac SL8 carbon seatpost. Claimed frame weight is 897g, with a complete bike weight of 7.7kg in size 56.

That makes the S-Level the “nearly S-Works” option. The S-Level has the same top-tier drivetrain and much of the same premium finishing kit, just with the 10R frame and a lower price of $10,500. Color options include Deep Marine Metallic/Dolomite Metallic and Redwood Metallic/White, with sizing from 49 to 61cm.

The Crux 5 Expert AXS comes in at $7,000 with a FACT 10r frame, FACT 12r fork, Terra C III wheels, SRAM Force AXS XPLR, and a two-piece Terra bar and stem. 

The Crux 5 Comp opens the complete-bike range at $4,500.

Framesets are available too, with the S-Works Crux 5 frameset at $5,800 and the Crux 5 10r frameset at $3,500.

Crux Is Still Crux, But Committed to Gravel

The Crux story started in 2010 as a dedicated cyclocross race bike. It won world titles in the mud, found its way into gravel long before the category looked like it does now, and in 2021 became the ultralight gravel race bike that helped define the current Crux identity.

The Crux 5 feels like the next logical step, and as a cyclocrosser, I’m not mad about it. The weight is still wild. The clearance is finally massive. The aero story is much stronger. And Specialized has wrapped the whole thing in a race simulation model that feels equal parts nerdy, useful, and extremely on-brand.

What about the cyclocrossers who now face another raceable option being pulled from shelves? Well, there’s always the Crux DSW. And though it’s an alloy machine, it’s still got that snap of the Crux 3/4 with a price that’s still in 2021.

But the direction is obvious. Modern gravel race bikes are no longer just road bikes with clearance. They are becoming their own thing: aero enough to matter, light enough to climb, stable enough to handle huge tires, and efficient enough to make the last two hours of a race slightly less cruel.

The new Crux 5 is Specialized’s cleanest answer yet to that formula.

Fast, light, aero, and finally roomy enough for the tire choices gravel racers are actually making.

Specialized.com

The post Specialized Crux 5 Commits To Gravel & Goes Full Tarmac Mode appeared first on Bikerumor.

Lazer has a new all-around helmet that can handle any ride without draining your funds. Be it road miles, gravel cut-throughs, dusty farm roads, or after-work loops that turn into “where does this go?” situations. The new Lazer Blade KinetiCore is a midrange helmet that punches above its weight and weighs less than more expensive designs. The real kicker…it’s only $99. 

What is it? Lazer Blade KinetiCore

The Lazer Blade KinetiCore isn’t trying to be a featherweight WorldTour lid, a full aero TT missile, or a chunky adventure helmet. It sits in the middle: sleek enough for the road crowd, relaxed enough for gravel. 

It has a clean, streamlined shape with Lazer dual-shell construction. It’s the same construction that you’ll see on the more popular helmets in the Lazer lineup. Visually, it gives the helmet a pronounced line where the two shells meet, breaking up the shape and giving it a little more character than the usual smooth commuter blob.

Understated & Classic 

The Blade looks modern without screaming “race day only,” or “I take myself too seriously,” which is probably the point. Lazer says the helmet is designed for riders splitting time between quiet roads and dusty paths, and the shape backs that up. It should look at home with bibs and a fast road bike, but not completely out of place with a handlebar bag, tan walls, and some Lemmy-style super-short cut-off jean shorts. 

Inside, Lazer uses soft, dense padding aimed at long-ride comfort. The fit is handled by the brand’s Advanced TurnSys system, which allows both horizontal and vertical adjustment. It’s super easy to use with or without gloves and has a satisfyingly deep click. 

There’s also a new strap divider designed to keep the straps sitting clean and consistent. Small thing? Absolutely. But anyone who has spent a ride fiddling with straps that creep toward their ears knows it matters. 

KinetiCore Comes Built In

The big tech story is Lazer’s KinetiCore protection system on a $99 do-it-all helmet. For those who are new to Lazer and KinetiCore, let me catch you up. Instead of adding a separate slip-plane liner, KinetiCore is built directly into the helmet structure using internal crumple zones designed to help redirect impact energy away from the head. The crumple zones are super easy to see on the inside of the helmet. 

That integrated approach is central to Lazer’s current helmet lineup. The brand says it reduces material use, helps keep weight down, and improves ventilation compared to designs that rely on extra internal layers. 

For the Blade KinetiCore, the claimed weight is 250g for a medium, and ours came in at 245g, 5 g under. That puts it in the pointy-end for an all-road helmet, especially at this price point. It’s light enough that it shouldn’t feel like a budget lid, but not so gram-obsessed that it forgets what most riders actually need: comfort and protection.

Eyewear Docking and LED Compatibility

Lazer also added integrated eyewear docking, something that seems to have been an afterthought on more modern helmets. The Blade KinetiCore is also compatible with Lazer’s Universal LED, which mounts to the rear of the helmet using the built-in Direct Mount. 

Seven Colors, Three Sizes

The Blade KinetiCore comes in S, M, and L sizing and seven colors: Flash Orange, Matte Black, Matte Clay, Matte Cobalt Blue, Matte Deep Grey, Matte Sage Green, and White (tested).

That color spread is pretty solid. Flash Orange for the “please see me” crowd, Matte Black for the “I own five black helmets already” crowd, and Matte Sage Green/Matte Clay for riders whose bike, kit, and cell phone case all match. I, however, chose white because, like black, it matches everything, and like most roadies, it matches my shoes. 

Pricing and Availability

The Lazer Blade KinetiCore is priced at $99.99 / €99.99 and is available through Lazer’s website and select retailers worldwide.

Ride Impressions: Lazer Blade KinetiCore

As a former bike shop employee, I get excited to see helmets that look nice and are affordable. Because nothing is worse than selling a bike and having the customer put off by either the style or the price of something thats pretty much mandatory for what they’re purchasing. 

The new Lazer Blade walks the line of all-around and gravel lid pretty well. I can firmly say that it doesn’t fit into one camp; it’s for sure not an aero helmet, and thats a good thing. It’s a solid all-rounder. Coming from mostly wearing performance headwear, during the season, checking out the Lazer Blade was a nice change of pace. 

The fit is excellent, and I wear a medium, just like my Lazer Z1. The biggest difference I noticed compared to my other Lazer lids was the new strap divider. It feels similar to the Specialized Evade 4 that we just reviewed. They fit over my ears nicely and stayed very close to the face, but not uncomfortably. 

But Not Everything

Though the new Lazer Blade offers a ton of value for the price, some aspects left me wanting. The first thing I noticed when switching from my Lazer Z1 was the middle line airflow. The center of the Blade is slightly underserved for ventilation. There are ample vents, but none seem to channel to the middle of the head. It’s not uncomfortable, but it’s notable when switching from a helmet with better-designed ventilation.

Sweat retention was another issue. The padding, though comfortable, didn’t hold sweat as well as the Z1’s thicker, more absorbent padding. This again wasn’t a huge issue, but it can be when you look down at your head unit, and it’s like the dam broke.

However, the good impressions outweigh the little nitpicks. After a month in the Laser Blade, I like it. I reach for it when I’m going out on mountain bike rides or gravel rides. It’s lightweight, comfortable, and I can easily put a rain cap under it when the weather is foul. Bonus: it matches all of my kits. 

Take Away

That price is probably the biggest win here. Helmets have gotten expensive fast, especially once you start adding rotational-impact tech, wind tunnel testing, and better ventilation. The Blade KinetiCore keeps the feature list practical and the price under control.

No, it’s not the top-tier race helmet in Lazer’s lineup. That’s not the job. The Blade KinetiCore feels more like the helmet you grab for everything: road rides, gravel spins, travel bikes, first events, rides with the kids, or the daily loop. 

For $99.99, that’s a pretty complete package.

Lazer.com

The post Lazer Blade KinetiCore Cuts Across Road and Gravel for $99 appeared first on Bikerumor.

When I rolled into Nové Město na Moravě last week ahead of the XC World Cup, I expected to see several mountain bike pros racing, or at least training on, prototype 32″ cross-country bikes.

What I didn’t expect was that the only 32″ wheels I would spot over the weekend would be on a gravel bike and a trail bike (besides the mullet trail bike I brought to play with… more on that soon.)

And it was DT Swiss – who just a couple of months ago assured us that they were taking 32″ things slowly – that would be behind both of extra-big-wheeled gravel and trail setups…

32″ DT Swiss XR 1700 Spline aluminum cross-country wheels

First up, a set of pre-production aluminum cross-country wheels on a gravel bike, but this time with an actual product name. We’ve seen a lot of smaller wheel makers debut 32″ wheels and 32″ prototypes. And even some DT prototypes that were just marked as ‘DT Swiss’ on the rims. But never a model name.

So marking these as XR 1700 Spline wheels is a pretty big milestone for one of the biggest wheel makers out there, and a behemoth in the OEM wheel market.

Interestingly, XR classifies these as a mid-tier wheelset for DT Swiss, and their highest spec level with an aluminum rim. (X 1900 would be their entry-level alloy, and from XRC 1700 and up they’re all on carbon rims.)

Caveat emptor

*Editor’s note: Now, you may be asking yourself if your eyes are going blurry from staring at your screen too long, because you can’t definitely read the model name on these prototype wheels anymore? Don’t worry, you are not going blind from too much Bikerumor browsing, today. Yes, the logos did get blurrier.

Because unofficially, DT has since confirmed that the naming of these wheels may not be accurate. Even though these labels align with DT’s product naming strategy, these are prototype wheels, very much still in development. It seems they were probably sent with labels to Superior, both to test their bike and to mock-up what Superior’s gravel prototype would look like when it goes into production in 2027. We’ve been assured that the wheel naming and precise specification are still subject to change before 32″ DT wheels eventually make it to market. Maybe there will be an XR 1700 Spline wheelset like this in the future, maybe not.

A closer look at the production-labeled aluminum rim, and we get quite a bit more useful information.

The 686 bead seat diameter confirms that these XR 1700 wheels are 32″ – as it we couldn’t tell how giant they were. They are 28mm internal. And the feature Tubeless Crotchet rim bead, aka, hooked and tubeless-ready – like all DT alloy rims.

Take a look at the hubs and we see that they are built up with 350-series straight-pull centerlock disc brake hubs. Plus, there’s a small text note next to the XR 1700 marking on the rim, confirming the obvious that these 32″ wheels are named ‘XR 1700 Spline’.

32″ XC wheels, but on a gravel bike

So, production-level 32″ DT Swiss XR 1700 Spline cross-country mountain bike wheels on a… gravel bike.

I guess that supports the Boost MTB standard idea for all 32″ bikes at the moment – excluding Dirty Sixer’s adamant insistence that bigger, heavier riders will need something significantly stronger than current Boost hubs.

The gravel bike fitted with these new wheels is a prototype 32″ Superior XR GR, a model the Czech bike maker say they expect to make available to consumers from the start of 2027. We’ve only really covered their latest carbon XR GR. But the entry-level of that gravel bike already includes an aluminum-framed version that looks pretty much just like this bike with conventional 700c wheels.

All-new prototype DT Swiss 32″ XC/Trail suspension fork

Then, across the race venue, we spied what looks like a mid-travel prototype DT Swiss fork on one of the CNC’d I-Train 32 trail bikes that Actofive built for DT as test mules at the end of last year. The prototype fork looks to include features adapted from both of DT’s current top-tier ONE-level forks – in an all-new fork design with slimmer dropouts than we’ve seen on a production DT fork in years.

What’s new in the fork department?

There’s the more angular but smooth fork brace and some reinforcing edges extending down the front of the legs of the casting, akin to the F535 One.

But the reinforcing ridges in the crown shaping are thinner. And there appears to already be some weight-saving, machined-out sections on the lowers, like seen on the F232 One fork.

Clearly, though, it’s all-new. DT likely could have developed a prototype for testing that shared the same crown of those existing forks. But this appears to be a ground-up redesign. Although it does appear that this might have borrowed the same ‘In Control’ 3-position lockout and external compression damping knob from the F535, hinting that it could share the same or similar PlusPort damper inside the right leg.

Behind the back of the arch, it’s more of a mystery.

There are the traditional carved out stiffening webs in the cast arch, with a single set of threads, presumably for a bolt-on fender that wasn’t installed. There are also 2-bolt brackets on the upper inside of the legs. These could easily be used to mount the fender as well. But the design looks more complex, perhaps hiding some other functionality like bleed ports for the lowers?

DT’s main fork seals also always look strangely low profile, pressed deep into the lowers, with no visible retention spring. These look even lower profile than most of their wipers, but that’s nothing entirely new for them.

So, what do we know?

As for any real concrete details, DT Swiss wasn’t sharing anything at the moment, other than the fact that this is very much “still a prototype fork in development”.

What we can probably sus out from seeing it in person, though – it looks like it probably features 34mm or 35mm stanchions. And based on how high it sits, this looks like120-130mm of fork travel. That fits with the frame itself, which features 120mm of adjustable rear wheel travel. Actofive did design the I-Train 32 for 120-140mm travel forks, and describes it not as an XC bike, but as a Trail bike due to the enhanced rollover capabilities that come with the larger diameter wheels and their larger tire air volume.

Now we just have to be patient as 32″ development soldiers on, and most likely these core components will be available later in the year.

DTSwiss.com

The post Spotted: 32″ DT Swiss Suspension Fork & Wheels At Nove Mesto World Cup, But… appeared first on Bikerumor.

Roval is going deeper into gravel, literally and figuratively, with some fresh Terra kit.
Why, you ask? Well, if you haven’t heard, Specialized just released a new Crux V5 design that went all in on aero-gravel. We’re talking a Tar-crux…or a Crux-Mac (yeah, that’s the one), and nothing goes better with a new chassis than new components. That means the Terra integrated Cockpit got a makeover, now tuned for aero gravel, and the new Terra CL/C wheels get to greet the buying public.

Roval Gravel Update – What’s New?

If you’ve read our news piece on the new Specialized Crux 5, you’ll notice some new gravel bits that are just hitting the shelves. Some are not only new but not top-of-the-line either. Those are the new Terra Aero CL, Terra CL III, Terra C III wheels. All taking cues from the top-tier Roval Terra CLX wheelset but with a more palatable price point.

The other update is to the Roval Terra Cockpit. Now reworked as a svelte 298g purely gravel-focused design. Built specifically for rough roads, aero hand positioning, and fast gravel racing. I liked it so much, I’m thinking it would be a better road cockpit than the Rapide I’m currently using.

But I digress…there’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s start with the biggest update: the new Roval Terra CL and C line of wheels.

Roval Terra Gravel Wheels

If you’re not familiar with the Roval naming convention, let me catch you up. CLX is the top: the big-money wheels, ceramic bearings, carbon spokes, free wheel bags, and all the trimmings. These are the wheels you’ll see on the Specialized Factory Off Road Team bikes, the ones that come on the S-Works builds, and on your dentist’s gravel bike. They are all about performance.

The next in line (and my personal favorite) is the CL range. This range uses the same rim as the CLX but with a slightly heavier hub (most often the DT-Swiss 350) and traditional spokes. I’ve found the Roval CL range to be an excellent mix of value and reliability.

After that is the Roval C range, the base lever for the Roval carbon lineup. This line draws heavily on the CLX and CL designs. There are slight changes that lower the price. The hubset moves from DT 350 to a DT-370, and the build is slightly different from the CLX and CL. We’ll break down each wheelset individually next.

All Systems Gravel

Wheels aren’t sets anymore. For most riders (especially on the road), we see front-and-back designs, and teams mix and match sets for the day ahead. There are advantages and disadvantages for each depth and design. So we let the course and (to take something from the Specialized venacualr) “Time to Finish” dictate what will be the fastest and most competent setup for the day.

The same can be said about the new Terra Gravel wheels from Roval.

The wheels come individually; yes, you can purchase a set, but Roval encourages mixing and matching the new wheels. That would also mean that you would have to stock a three-wheel set of Roval Terras in the garage to master it perfectly (but not really). So, what we’re saying is that the wheels are fast for their conditions. Yes, there are wheels that perform better “all around” than others, but for the most part, (and in the new world of fast gravel) there are specialists.

Terra Aero CL

The headline wheel here is the new Terra Aero CL. It’s the workhorse aero gravel wheel. The Terra Aero CL uses a staggered rim profile with a 50mm-deep front rim and a 45mm-deep rear rim, both featuring Roval’s Chopped Aero shaping. This chopped shape was first brought to our attention with the Terra Aero CLX wheels, and the shape is trickling down to the Terra CL. The idea is to bring actual aerodynamic efficiency to gravel without making the bike a handful when crosswinds start ripping across open farm roads.

That front/rear split matters. A deeper front wheel can be fast, but on gravel, it also has to behave. You are not just holding a line on smooth pavement. You are dealing with washboard, blown-out corners, loose marbles, holes, ruts, mud, and maybe scarfing down a gel before the next attack happens. A 50/45mm setup gives Roval room to chase speed while keeping the handling from getting too nervous.

The rim is also properly wide, but not as wide as the ENVE or Zipp XPLR wheels. The Terra Aero CL has an external width of 38.5 mm and an internal width of 27 mm, making it stout enough to withstand sudden rim hits and wide enough to fit gravel tires ranging from 35 mm to 60mm. That puts it right in the current sweet spot for modern gravel race tires, where 40mm used to feel huge and now looks like the conservative choice.

Big Bead Hooks, Big Tire Confidence

Aero is one-half of the Terra Aero CL story. The other half is flat protection. I’m sure we’ve all been told, “You can’t win a race on the side of the road fixing a flat,” and that’s true in every sense.

To combat the sudden smash-to-flat that we’ve all received at the hands of the gravel gods, the Terra Aero CL uses beefy 5.38mm bead hooks for flat protection. The larger bead hook is designed to give the tire more support and help reduce impact damage. It’s not a new idea, but something that, when executed correctly, will save you from flatting out of the group. Because in the new pack-style of gravel racing, it’s not the stuff that you can see that will give you flats, it’s the stuff that you can’t see while riding the wheel in front of you.

The hubs are the DT-Swiss 350 workhorse with straight-pull spokes. The DT-350 is a bombproof hub, one that might be slightly heavier than the flagship DT-180 and the popular race DT-240, but it’s one that will not let you down. If you’re rough on your wheels, the DT-350 is a great hub to have; it’s easily serviceable, and replacement parts are very reasonable.

What about the weight? The claimed weight of the Terra Aero CL wheelset is 1,608g. Not ultralight in the pure climbing-wheel sense, but that is not really the job here. The Terra Aero CL is the speed wheel: deep, wide, aero-focused, and built around tire support and confidence.

Pricing is $800 front / $1,100 rear, which puts the full wheelset at $1,900 USD. €849 front / €949 rear, and $1,100 AUD front / $1,500 AUD rear.

Terra CL III: The Workhorse Classic

The new Terra CL III is the more traditional gravel wheelset. The one thats mirrors the Terra CLX III in looks and style, with a shallow, forgiving rim and lightweight climbing prowess. If the Terra Aero CL is too forward-thinking for you, the CL III will be in the sweet spot.

The Terra CL III uses a shallow 25.5mm rim depth front and rear, with a 38mm external width and 27mm internal width, nearly the same as the Terra Aero. Roval says the shape is ideal for a 45mm tire. It also gets FlatStop protection, with 4.9mm bead hooks designed for flat-mitigation and tire-pressure flexibility. The shallow rim gives the tire a stable profile while also providing some compliance over rough roads.

Classic Gravel

This is the classic gravel setup, in my opinion. A rim that can take the abuse of rocks and some roots (like a mountain bike rim) but take the torque of a sprint and push to the line. The shallower rim also means less weight, and the CLIII comes in at a claimed 1,263g for the wheelset. Which is 345g lighter than the Terra CL aero version and only 179g heavier than the Terra CLX version.

The hubs are DT 350 hubs just like the Terra CL Aero above (do you see a trend here?).

Pricing for Terra CL III is $700 front / $1,000 rear, or $1,700 USD for the pair. European pricing is €799 front / €899 rear, and Australian pricing is $1,100 AUD front / $1,500 AUD rear.

Terra C III: The More Attainable Carbon Option

The new Terra C III is the most accessible wheel in the lineup, but Roval did not make it weirdly narrow, outdated, or overly basic. It still uses the same key gravel dimensions as the Terra CL III: 25.5mm rim depth, 38mm external width, and 27mm internal width.

That means the C III still gets the modern tire footprint for tires from 35mm to 60mm, and some extra comfort support.

The C III also uses 4.9mm bead hooks for added durability and greater tire pressure tuning. This is aimed at racers and riders of all levels who want predictable handling and confidence without jumping all the way into the higher-end CL or CLX-level pricing.

The hubs are DT Swiss, but not the DT-350; they are the DT-370. The DT-370 hubset is a bit stouter than the DT-350, but still performs and is super easy to service. Again, that matters. Gravel parts live a hard life. Easy-to-find, easy-to-service parts are a very good thing when you are building a bike that actually gets ridden.

Claimed weight for the Terra C III wheelset is 1,594g. That makes it close to the Terra Aero CL in weight, but the purpose is different. The C III is not chasing deep-section aero speed. It is chasing durability, predictable handling, tire support, and everyday reliability. Plus, at $1,200 for the set, it’s a killer deal.

Pricing is $500 front / $700 rear, or $1,200 USD for the set. European pricing is €649 front / €749 rear, and Australian pricing is $700 AUD front / $900 AUD rear.

Updated Roval Terra Cockpit

Wheels are only part of the update. Roval also updated the Terra Cockpit. It’s now a lean, mean (one-piece integrated carbon bar/stem specifically designed for gravel racing) machine.

But what the hell does that actually mean? The Terra Cockpit borrows carbon-layup techniques and high-end materials from Roval’s Alpinist cockpit, but they didn’t just add flared drops and a gravel sticker. Roval says the Terra Cockpit was designed around speed, compliance, and long-haul comfort over rough terrain. Plus, it weighs a claimed 298g, which Roval says makes it the lightest gravel cockpit on the market.

That number will get attention, but the more interesting part is the ride tuning. Roval says the Terra Cockpit 78% more compliant than the Rapide Cockpit. That is a huge shift in intent. The Rapide is a road race cockpit. The Terra is meant to take the edge off chatter and all the little hits that wear you down over a long gravel race.

Like all the touchpoints offered by Roval, the Terra Cockpit shape was refined through more than 100,000 Body Geometry fits. The Human Performance Lab used these scans and what they learned by talking with Specialized athletes to tune the fit and shape of the new Roval Terra cockpit.

It’s All About the Shape

The new Terra cockpit is all about shape and feeling good in the hands. The tops use an updated 5-degree backsweep. This sweep gives a little confidence but is also designed to promote a more aerodynamic arm position. It’s much easier to get your palms on the levers and elbows in. That matters because gravel racers spend a ton of time on the tops. Not just casually spinning, either. They are tucked, chasing wheels, trying to stay narrow, and looking for any body position that saves watts without making their neck and shoulders give up.

The Terra Cockpit also uses a shallow 107mm drop and 12-degree flare. That combination should make the drops easier to use when the terrain gets rough, but not so deep that they overextend the rider’s range of motion. The flare adds leverage and stability when hitting tricky descents or when you need a new hand position after a long day out.

The flare is also reasonable. Not cartoon-wide, sensible, and comfortable.

The Terra Cockpit is aimed at gravel racers who already know their fit and want a clean, light, integrated setup. That is the catch with any one-piece cockpit: you need to know your position. That said, this is one comfortable bar, and it’s not limited to gravel.

Pricing is $700 USD, €579.99, or $850 AUD.

Look for the new Roval Terra family of gravel goods on the newly announced Specialized Crux and at Roval retailers worldwide.

Roval.com

The post Roval Terra Gravel Refresh: CL Workhorse Carbon Hoops, & 298g Integrated Cockpit appeared first on Bikerumor.

We may keep hearing about how 32″ wheels are set to take over cross-country mountain biking, but Scott’s new 32″ aero gravel bike prototype is set to shake things up. Set for an Unbound gravel racing debut this weekend, the Scott Racing Project hopes to show that big wheel rollover improvements can boost speeds for any off-road racing. And without the need for external suspension providers or complex moving parts, Scott just had to create a new carbon frame and fork themselves…

Scott 32″ Racing Concept prototype aero gravel bike

And don’t think this is just a marketing exercise (which it’s clearly also that), because 2025 Unbound winner and 2025 Lifetime Grand Prix overall winner Cameron Jones will be racing this gravel monster for the 200-mile win again this year!

“This bike makes you feel like you’re levitating over the surface. I’ll be experiencing a road race while everybody else is racing gravel! The driving traction and cornering grip is revolutionary. I’m genuinely scared how fast I’ll be able to corner once on a course with proper descents.”

– Cameron Jones

What do we know about the bike?

At first glance, it almost looked like a Dangerholm project bike with the massive, wide tires and wheels and a slammed cockpit. But no, this is certainly an all-new carbon prototype. And after we haven’t seen a new gravel race bike from Scott in a few years, it kinda looks like an all-new, more aero design.

With the taller front wheel meaning a longer fork and a steeper slope to the downtube, Scott has given their 32″ gravel prototype a short, forward-extended headtube like we’re used to seeing on their mountain bikes that also have to accommodate higher front ends (that’s also where the Dangerholm connection sparked in my brain).

The result is that this 32″ Scott gravel prototype gets a long front end, with sleekly integrated aero shaping coming off the fork crown that makes it look almost more Foil than Addict. And then out back, the longer wheelbase also makes for a lower angle to the dropped seatstays, again making this prototype look more like an aero road bike than your average graveller.

Tech details

Of course, we are dealing with a custom aero carbon frame and fork, both newly developed for 32″ gravel racing. But it does appear to stick with the D-shaped seatpost that you’d find on today’s Addict Gravel RC, as Jones is on a full D-shaped post and Gemperle is running the bump-eating Syncros version.

Individual custom Unbound race builds for Jones & Gemperle

There are also some nice custom aero 32″ wheels for Jones, too. Scott describes them simply as custom Industry Nine wheels, not sharing any more detail about what looks to be maybe a 55mm deep aero carbon rim in the new 32″ wheel diameter.

Other than that, Jones’ bike combines up a few standard components for his build, even if the mix is a bit unconventional.

• premium Shimano 1×12 Di2 groupset combining XTR derailleur, Dura-Ace shifters & brakes, and a GRX crankset
• a 4iiii Powermeter on the short 160mm GRX cranks
• 370mm wide ENVE Aero Road bars
• slammed 100mm Syncros alloy stem
• 50mm Schwalbe RX 32″ gravel tires
• XTR SPD MTB pedals

Jones isn’t the only Scott athlete set to race the 32″ gravel prototype; Robin Gemperle, winner of the 2025 Tour Divide and Silk Road Mountain Race, will also take on Unbound on his own 32″ Scott bike. His setup is a bit different, and maybe more conventional? Although Gemperle does have a different – possibly 60mm deep – aero wheelset that Scott doesn’t share any details on. We can see, though, that it features conventional flange, J-bend hubs, 24-spoke lacing, and visible 3K weave carbon reinforcing the spoke bed on the otherwise UD carbon rims.

• complete SRAM RED AXS XPLR 1x 13-speed wireless groupset, including a Red powermeter
• 360mm flared Syncros alloy handlebar
• 100mm Syncros alloy stem &
• 50mm Schwalbe RX 32″ gravel tires
• HT PK01 carbon road pedals

Both Jones & Gemperle also get subtly different custom paint jobs, with small nods to their individual personalities in the detailing. A kiwi for New Zealander Cameron Jones, and a dotwatching track for ultra-distancer Robin Gemperle.

Will 32″ Scott Addict Gravel RC bike be coming soon to a shop near you?

Scott says simply, no.

These are Emporia-only bikes, but…

“RC stands for Racing Concept, Scott’s performance standard: products designed with racing intent from day one and validated in real competition. It was critical to get Scott’s top gravel athletes on the bike as early as possible in the development process, where fast, honest feedback makes all the difference. What works in theory must prove itself in the real world.”

Officially, these 32″ Scott gravel prototype bikes that Jones & Gemperle will race are “pure prototypes and will never be released on the market“. But we’ll have to see how long Scott keeps their word on that!

Scott-sports.com

The post Scott 32″ Aero Gravel Bike Prototype Set For UNBOUND Racing Debut appeared first on Bikerumor.

There are a lot of sexy wheel options out there, and the trends of wider and more aero quickly drown out anything not pushing the boundaries of size or weight. And yet, Fulcrum sits back, nods, and makes some darn fine gravel wheels for regular riders who just want something that’s easy to setup, spins like glass on ice, and handles superbly.

If that sounds like you’re kind of wheel, read on…

When I agreed to test these wheels, it was in part because I wanted something lighter for a Campagnolo Ekar-equipped bike. Fulcrum, which is the sister brand for Campy, made sense. And, when you compare specs, Fulcrum wheels often have most of the design features and technology of Campagnolo wheels, but cost a lot less, so it was intriguing.

The TL;DR is this: these things spin like there’s no tomorrow, set up tubeless super easy, and handle great. They’re also reasonably light.

Actual Weights, Measures & Tech Details

Claimed weight is 1490g, without accessories. Actual weights are:

• Front wheel: 682g
• Rear wheel: 793g
• Valve stems: 8g
• Rotor lock rings: 23g

Combined, the wheels are 1475g with a Campy N3W freehub body. They offer HG, XDR, N3W, and Micro Spline options.

Total weight, ready to roll with included accessories, is 1,506g. That’s without tubeless tape, and that’s because these need NO rim tape to set them up tubeless. Here’s why:

Save for the valve stem hole, their rim bed is undrilled, yielding a continuous surface with no holes to cover with tape. This is convenient during setup, sure, but there’s an even more important reason why this is awesome. Ever plugged a tire and pushed the poker all the way in and through the rim tape? I have, and it sucks, and then you have to put a tube in. Can’t happen with these rims, and that’s awesome.

Spoke nipples are inserted through the valve stem opening, then they use magnets to pull the spoke nipples through the rim cavity. It’s called Mo-Mag, and the solid rim bed is their 2-Way Fit, meaning, you can fit tubeless or tube-type tires.

The rims are also ultra smooth. They call this the C-Lux Finish. It’s supposed to make tire installation easier, and along with the recessed center channel, it seems to work.

They’re hooked, with small lips on the bead seat, too. Combined, these help hold the tire’s beads in place even with low pressures. In addition to the more robust Schwalbe G-One Bites shown in the pics here, I’ve been running some super-supple, lightweight Challenge TLR 40mm tires on them and both fit and perform great at reasonably low pressures.

Claimed dimensions are 25mm internal and 30.5mm external, with a 30mm depth. I measured them at 24.68mm internal and 30.88mm external.

Fulcrum says they’re compatible with 29mm to 76mm tires. I’d say the sweet spot is 40 to 45 for gravel, but they’ll work with a wider range, making them great for all-road days with 32’s, too.

It’s worth noting that they make no claims about aerodynamics, but these have a basic oblong profile with an S-shaped asymmetry (see next photo).

Nowadays, it seems the aero focus is on tire+rim optimizations, hence the explosion of ultra-wide, deeper rims, but not everyone needs that. Most of my rides are at a more casual pace, exploring random backroads and trails. For that type of riding, shallower wheels are typically more compliant, and these balance ride quality with weight and price in a way that just…works.

The rims have an asymmetric profile, with a bit of a groove on one side. Fulcrum adds a raised platform for the valve stem so that it seats flat and stays straight. It’s a nice touch.

Photo above shows the groove more clearly. It’s not subtle, but also not obnoxious. If visual symmetry is your thing, you may not like that the groove is on the drive side in the rear (offsetting against the cassette) and non-drive in the front (offsetting against the brake rotor). Honestly, I hadn’t even noticed this until I checked it while writing this review…it’s never bothered me.

Other details you should know:

• Stainless steel double-butted, straight-pull spokes
• 24 spokes front and rear
• Alloy nipples
• Aluminum hub shells
• Adjustable cup-and-cone bearings
• Center Lock brake mounts
• 3-Pawl / 40 teeth / 9º engagement
• 100% hand built
• Weight-balanced to offset valve stem

The low-gloss black ano on the hub is further muted with laser etched graphics. Typically, I’m not a fan of a lot of graphics, but these are subtle and add a little something without standing out. I like it, and I’m glad there’s no bright right Fulcrum logo on them. Same goes for the rims…their decals are dark gray for a clean apparence no matter what color bike you put them on.

The wheels come with this little pouch, valve stems, tire levers, and valve core removal bits.

Fulcrum Racing Red Carbon Ride Review

Most of my gravel riding happens at Uwharrie National Forest, on and around the OHV trails. Why? Because Greensboro has a severe lack of dirt roads, so we travel for gravel. Which means the rides are day killers, typically with 3-5 hours of riding on everything from packed gray gravel to orange Carolina clay.

Also plenty of rocks. From small to chunky to slabs, there’s plenty to smack a tire on. While I don’t recall any particularly hard impacts during my testing, I can also say there’s not a scratch on the rims. Just dust. And dirt. But no scratches. Which is saying something, because I’ve had these wheels for a long time now…they came out in 2021 and I received them shortly after that.

By the numbers, a 9º hub engagement sounds slow. And it is…for mountain bikes. For road and gravel it’s fine, and this is another area where I hadn’t even noticed until I counted the teeth inside the hub to calculate the number (Fulcrum doesn’t publish this spec).

The upside is that they’re really quiet when coasting. Not silent, but not even half way to obnoxious. So, you have the satisfying sound of a freewheel coasting, but you can still hear nature and your buddy’s dad jokes.

Overall, I’ve enjoyed these wheels and continue to do so. They’re all around great performers, but there is one thing that stands out about them – they spin so gosh darn smooth.

This is a hard thing to put into words, but once you’ve held a wheel like this and spin the axle between your fingers, you’ll know. Some hubs just spin more smoothly than others, and when you get one this sublime, you remember it. It’s just a delicious feeling and you wanna keep spinning it. It’s like a complete absence of… anything. No vibration, friction, drag…anything. Which is everything.

The only downside? They’re still not cheap. MSRP ranges from €1,582 to €1,596 depending on freehub body. That’s about $1,856 as of May 2026. In a world where you can get pretty good wheels for $1,200 to $1,500, it’s a question of whether flawless tubeless performance and ultra-smooth hubs are worth a premium to you. If you’re on the fence, just go spin them in your hand and you’ll be sold.

FulcrumWheels.com

The post Fulcrum Rapid Red Carbon Gravel Wheels Review appeared first on Bikerumor.

Yep, it’s aero with anything from 50-66mm tires, taking what they learned from the recent redesign of their Open UP, which is aero-optimized for 50mm tires.

But for riders who wanted something a bit more aggressive, the new Open WIDE 2.0 takes it a step further, leaning more into being fast on the worst terrain rather than aero on reasonable gravel. That means a combination of aerodynamics, rider comfort, and monstrously large tires.

Open’s take is this – make the front of the bike aero, with purposeful deep-section head tube and cockpit designs. Then, as you move backward, shift the focus to ride quality and performance.

The geometry and handling is optimized for 55-66mm tires, but they’ll forgive you for running something as small as 50s. They say that range provides the best combination of aerodynamics and reduced rolling resistance.

The seatstays are thin to improve compliance (and, their words, have “micro aero” enhancements). That’s paired with a 27.2 seatpost for more compliance, and there’s routing for droppers if you want to add one.

Across the frame, there are plenty of bag mounts, both under the top tube and on its surface, with an extra bolt toward the back for full-length bags. The downtube has an internal storage compartment, plus a set of bottle bosses underneath, near the BB.

It also gets their unique OPEN BAR one-piece bar/stem, which pairs with a hexagonal steerer tube and angled internal spacers to give you multiple fore-aft positions to adjust the reach by up to 15mm in 5mm steps. And the bar itself comes in 10 different sizes with four stem lengths, and the spacer wedges double as the clamp, so there’s no break in the carbon fiber wrapping around the steerer.

It comes with the new AC/DC aero cargo fork, same as the Open UP. It’s slim and aero without anything mounted, and minimizes weight by eliminating the need for cages. Just strap your lightweight bags directly to the fork through its slots. Still want cages? No problem, use the included inserts to bolt on standard accessories.

The fork also uses pass-through brake mounting holes, just like the chainstay, so it’s a little easier to align the calipers.

Open WIDE Specs & Sizes

• Raw frame weight, ready-to-paint: 975g (size M)
• Max Rider+Gear weight: 264lbs (120kg)
• Frame sizes: XS/S/M/L/XL
• Bar/Stem: 60-130mm length / 380-430mm width
• Stock colors: Platinum Gray or Raw (Ready to Paint)
• Drivetrain compatibility: 1x only, electronic only
• BB: T47 (85.5mm wide shell)
• Max chainring: 46T round / 44T oval
• Brake Rotors: 160mm front & rear
• Chain Catcher: Custom, frame-specific Wolf Tooth low-mount

The Open WIDE 2.0 start shipping this month (May). Available in framesets as shown above and complete bikes. MSRP TBA, reach out (to them) if you’re interested.

OpenCycle.com

The post Open WIDE 2.0 Gravel Bike Gets Gnarly (and Aero) with 66mm Tires appeared first on Bikerumor.

Bridge Bike Works just expanded production capacity, basically doubling the number of their Surveyor all-road bikes they can produce from their Toronto manufacturing plant. To celebrate, they’ve loaded a a van full of demo bikes in all sizes and sent it criss-crossing North America so you can try them.

They’re also adding Campagnolo build options, including 1x options, which should appear on their site soon. In the meantime, new Shimano GRX 1x kits are available now on gravel builds. For wheels, all base builds now come with ENVE AR40 wheels.

The mobile demonstration fleet will hit major cycling events including Unbound Gravel, Whistler Gran Fondo, Big Sugar Gravel, and numerous regional cycling festivals throughout the spring and summer seasons. The van has standard builds, but the demo team can help setup a fit analysis to help you order the right size and cockpit configuration. Check the full schedule here and follow them on social for pop-ups and new dates as they add them.

As far as production goes, the added capacity also lets them deliver built-to-order full carbon fiber frame built to your specs in under eight weeks. If you haven’t seen them, they’re gorgeous, and doing unique things like a full carbon fiber threaded BB shell. Meaning, the threads themselves are carbon fiber, eliminating bonded metal inserts, and founder Mike Yakubowicz says they’ve been working flawlessly since debuting two years ago. See how they’re made in our Bridge Bike Works factory tour.

BridgeBikeWorks.com

The post Bridge Bike Works Demo Van Rolls Out, Plus New Campy & Shimano Builds appeared first on Bikerumor.

The latest example? Cannondale Factory Racing (CFR) showed up to the Nové Město World Cup with a LAB71 Scalpel sporting a set of Reserve 48|53 GR aero carbon gravel wheels. Deep-section gravel wheels. On a World Cup XC bike. At one of the fastest short-track courses on the calendar. In fact, these are deeper aero prototype wheels that aern’t even available for gravel bikes yet!

You can see all the details on the RideCannondale Instagram.

Cannondale LAB71 Scalpel with custom unreleased Reserve 48|53 GR aero gravel wheels

According to CFR, they’re the first team to race aero gravel wheels in short track, possibly the first in top-level XC racing altogether.

In fact, the Reserve 48|53 GR wheelset deosn’t even exist yet. We’ve covered their shallower, ultra-wide GR 40|44 aero gravel wheels before. So, we can only assume that they are the same front 27.4mm & rear 27mm internal widths. Reserve already offers the shallower GR rims separately, and lets buyers pick from a couple of different hub options. So, it was likely no issue for the CFR team to lace them in Lefty & MTB rear-specific hubs for XCC racing.

Although, interestingly, these 48|53 GR wheels are laced with 28 spokes front & rear, unlike the 24 on the existing 40|44 GR gravel wheels. So, maybe it wasn’t as simple as you might think!

The XCC race-ready wheels in question are paired with Shimano’s new XTR Di2 drivetrain and an aggressively fast Schwalbe Thunder Burt 2.1 tire setup, which tells you pretty quickly what the goal was here: outright speed.

Prototype Deep Aero Gravel Wheels on an XC Bike?

At first glance, the Reserve 48/53 GR wheels look a little ridiculous on a mountain bike. Deep carbon rims usually belong on aero gravel bikes or road bikes built by people who know exactly how many watts their socks save (I’m that guy… and it’s 2-12 watts, sock-dependent).

But short-track cross-country XCC has changed, and it’s all about the demands of race day.

Teams can’t swap frames between events, but they can change almost everything bolted onto them. Narrower bars, shorter-travel suspension, firmer setups, and even gravel tires are becoming increasingly common. Chris Blevins won the Nove Mesto short track race last year, running a Specialized gravel tire, so the line between modern XC and gravel equipment is already getting blurry.

Today’s short-track courses are smoother, faster, and much more draft-heavy than traditional XC racing. Riders are spending long stretches above 20mph, and once speeds reach that level, aerodynamics start to matter, whether mountain bikers like it or not.

That’s what makes this setup interesting. Reserve didn’t design the 48/53 GR wheels specifically for XC, but modern gravel racing and modern short track are starting to ask for similar things:

• high sustained speeds
• quick accelerations
• smoother terrain
• tight packs
• and efficiency over outright forgiveness

XC keeps drifting toward gravel, gravel keeps drifting toward XC, and somewhere in the overlap, you get bikes like this.

The Wheel Choice Is the Story

The wheel setup itself is the headline:

• unreleased prototype Reserve 48/53 GR aero carbon wheelset
• 48mm deep front rim / 53mm deep rear rim
• ~27mm inner width
• Schwalbe Thunder Burt 29 x 2.1″ SPEED tires

That combination isn’t about surviving rough terrain. It’s built for fast laps, rapid accelerations, and carrying speed once the course opens up.

And visually? It works way better than it probably should.

The deep rims tucked into the LAB71 Scalpel make the bike look equal parts futuristic and slightly questionable – I love it. Plus – it feels pretty close to where elite XC equipment is heading anyway.

Cannondale Factory Racing Nove Mesto Build

Cannondale Factory rounded out the build with:

• Shimano XTR Di2
• Fox Float SL rear shock, with remote lockout
• Fox Transfer SL 75mm dropper
• FSA KFX carbon cockpit
• Prologo Nago 3D saddle

The slammed -12° FSA KFX stem really finishes the look for me. Combined with the deep wheels and low-profile tires, the whole bike gives off a very clear “we are absolutely not wasting watts today” vibe.

Aero Is Just Part of XC Now

The bigger takeaway probably isn’t the wheelset itself; it’s what it says about where XC racing is going.

For years, aerodynamics sat pretty far down the mountain bike priority list. Weight mattered, and suspension needs to be dialed, same with tire choice. Aero was mostly road-bike territory. That’s changing.

As XC speeds keep climbing and courses keep getting smoother, teams are becoming much more willing to experiment with equipment that would’ve looked completely out of place only a few seasons ago.

This won’t seem weird for very long.

Because once a factory team shows up with deep-section gravel wheels and proves they work, somebody else is going to copy it. That’s usually how these trends start. I’m guessing it’s about 3-4 weeks out from hitting your local short track series.

Oh, and also don’t forget, even the shortened Nové Město XCC track has some proper jumps on it. So these prototype gravel wheels are gonna see some serious airtime this weekend!

I bet Reserve’s gravel “Guaranteed for Life” policy is at least a little nervous…

Update: Does riding like Cannondale Factory Racing void your Reserve GR carbon gravel wheel lifetime warranty?

The post Cannondale Factory Racing in Nove Mesto on Prototype Deep Aero Reserve Gravel Wheels appeared first on Bikerumor.