One of the biggest changes to the bike I intend to make is swapping the front wheel for a dynamo-equipped model. 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. The DT Swiss X1900 wheels use 6-bolt rotors and have the Shimano-style freehub. 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. These cookies do not store any personal information. Tom Marvin is a technical editor at BikeRadar.com and MBUK magazine. 1996 - 2023 bikeride.com Elite CafeMedia Publisher, If this bike is out of stock, take a look at our other. Lauf is now providing a new option in ride (and appearance) preference while maintaining their legacy of uniqueand appreciatedride compliance. When not riding he can be found at the climbing wall, in his garden or cooking up culinary delights. That makes the TG around $700 cheaper than the similarly configured Seigla. Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. The large but smooth 40mm tires allowed us to run low tire pressures (35psi) on wet roads offering great traction and speed. I was hoping this year would continue in the same vein because I had a few long-distance goals I wanted to hit, but that hasnt been the case so far. Inevitably, I set off late. MORE on the Lauf Anywhere & Lauf True Grit www.laufcycling.com . As it was, it was a fairly steep, but entirely rideable and incredibly scenic rough doubletrack over the hill with a little dip and then a steep final pitch to 360-degree views of the mountains. The urban jungle that is Aviemore has its own Orbital. This means the ride is quite harsh, which I noticed most when racing The Rift gravel race in Iceland. The Anywhere is nearly identical in feel and handling when on the pavement. There are various suspension options out there for gravel; whether its an IsoSpeed decoupler from Trek, FutureShock from Specialized, Fox AX, SR Suntour GVX or Laufs Grit. 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. At checkpoint three, one of the volunteers very kindly gave me a small bottle of Stans No Tubes sealant, which instantly plugged the hole and didnt present a problem for the rest of the ride. 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. Theres little to fault with the build If you have access to good fire roads, smooth-ish singletrack or proper gravel, a bike like this is perfect. 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 Bikes Brand Brief Overview - Hood MWR As this was my first gravel race, I drew some experience from my mountain biking background and couldnt believe how well the Lauf handled on some of the gnarlier descents. Lauf Seigla Weekend Warrior review - Gravel Bikes - BikeRadar Grit / Grit SL . I stripped the hubs down (easy to do), cleaned them out, and replaced the grease with a lighter-weight lubricant I had in the garage, and, so far, this seems to have done the trick. Anywheres are available in four builds, for differing tastes and budgets. As such, I was sent a set of its latest carbon XCX Gravel Race wheels. Lauf True Grit: Checkpoint - Riding Gravel I was hoping to catch the last of the summers warmth, and perhaps a cheeky few dry trails, too, before the inevitable six months of grim puddle dodging. The head tube angle is a bit steeper at 71 degrees . 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. I didnt need to modify the Lauf Anywhere for this mini adventure, which is one of the joys of this bike and its put up with most things I have thrown at it. The best gravel bikes 2023 | Carbon, aluminium, steel - BikeRadar Many of the routes I cycle involve either narrow and rough roads or gravel bike paths in order to avoid heavy traffic areas, or to open up new places to ride. 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. This also means if you already have 12mm thru-axle wheels, you will need adapters. Like most people, I ride road bikes with at least two gears up front, but the Anywhere uses a 111 SRAM Rival drivetrain. The weather stayed dry and riding out of the woods to see the sunrise was really special and a rare treat in the UK. DAVID'S BEST RACE BIKE. This model is the second tier of the four-model range and features DT Swiss alloy hoops wrapped in Maxxis Rambler tyres, a SRAM Force/XX1 AXS wireless 1x groupset with a 10-50t cassette, and a smattering of FSA and Lauf finishing kit. Cleaning the pads and rotor carefully with disc brake cleaner and sanding the sintered brake pads with a fine sandpaper seemed to sort out the problem, and after a few heavy braking sessions to bed them in it was much better (although not quite like a factory feel). 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. 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. It relies on a 100 x 15mm axle to secure the front wheel. The frame has seen updated tube. 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. Giant's TCR Advanced Pro 0 Disc earned the top step in more than one sense. Lauf's Grit forks are also far lighter than the competition, more energy efficient and they don't require any maintenance. If you are riding access roads or just the normal dirt or gravel road, the rigid fork with new Smoothie bars and large-volume tires will be more than sufficient. The Anywhere could feel harsh on long and intense gravel races. Maybe its the combo of the supple tyre, and the forks suspension and lower lateral stiffness than a traditional fork, but at those pressures the feel between tarmac and bar is just too vague for my tastes. My route took me out of town on a wide NCN cycle path, before taking a diversion through an undulating forest. Future upgrade plans include some new wheels, as well as a couple of items to boost long-distance comfort. However, I like the position, especially when descending. And, finally, I will swap back to the Hunt Superdura Dynamo wheel and re-install the lighting system for winter training and to tackle a 300km audax that I have just signed up for but more on that in my next update. 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. I have previously used a battery powered Hope R2 front light for night riding, which produces a claimed 1,300 lumens. Jersey: Team Dream LAUF ANYWHERE GRAVEL BIKE TEST - Road Bike Action 2023 - Road Bike Action. Riding the Lauf all year round, oftennot in a commercial forest, means I see the seasons changing whenever I ride. The bike is running an 11-42t cassette on a standard Shimano HG style freehub. An expert wanted a bit more gear range at both top and bottom ends. A form of built-in frame compliance would also pose an advantage if you plan to ride ultra distances when comfort is most needed. Depending on how bad the weather is and whether I can stand getting wet on rides, a set of clip-on mudguards could be a worthy addition, as mentioned above. The relatively slack 71-degree head angle and short 80mm stem is said to help increase stability at high speeds over rough terrain. With little actual knowledge of where I was going to go, I jumped on Komoot to plan out a days ride. By reports, Maxxis Velocita tires didnt perform well in mud or slippy dirt. Long-4-Speed geometry keeps things stable at speed and on unruly surfaces. Though the frame will take a gear cable, this version of the True Grit uses SRAMs wireless AXS groupsets as do the top-level Ultimate (5,990) and third-tier Weekend Warrior AXS (3,390). However, this time, the event included a more testing climb with a very talented field. 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. This would be a great way to liven the bike up a little and to drop some weight. MG had to run a 25-degree rise, 75mm length stem to dial the fit in for his preferences. To combine the two in an incredibly beautiful and unforgiving landscape such as Iceland was very special. The Lauf Anywhere was about $2k shipped but they're sold out of smalls. I count that as success any day! Having not ridden properly for over a month due to (a non-cycling) injury and attending Eurobike, I had absolutely no pressure on me. This was not the case, however. Editors' Choice: Best Road Bikes and Gravel Bikes of 2019 Subsequently, the tyres I have on there have a little more volume. The most obvious changes were the wheels and tyres. So, whats the seatpost like? Why are the Lauf bikes sized like they are? . Would you like to receive offers, updates and events from BikeRadar and its publisher Our Media Ltd (an Immediate Group Company)? Handlebar suspension? To continue testing the versatility of the Lauf Anywhere, I entered my second hill climb race of the season at Burrington a local hill not far from Cheddar Gorge. The Grit accepts a 160mm brake rotor at minimum, with options for a 12mm or 15mm thru-axle. For off-road climbing, the gearing was on the tall side for some and came up on the short side for riders capable of higher paved speeds. Lauf is well known in the gravel and adventure cycling world for its unusual leaf sprung Lauf Grit Fork, found on the True Grit. My road riding really took off after touring Japan in 2017 and I now enjoy bikes designed with adventure in mind. These aluminium wheels are 27mm deep with a 19mm internal width and come in at 1,588g for the pair. I love my Grail, but it's basically a road bike and doesn't really dampen anything off road. So despite the bike not coming with Laufs famous leaf sprung fork, it can be ridden hard over proper gravel with a bit of nerve. Full-length internal cable-guides preserve cables and make maintenance easier. Also, a gravel bike will spend a lot of time on the road, all year round, so the lack of mudguard mounts is disappointing because they would make it into a capable winter training bike. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. I am hoping to change various parts of the bike in order for it to be ready for a long self-supported ride. One tester felt that flared bars forced riders into an aggressive stance. Lauf Grit SL. I do think the longer geometry and the fork contribute here. The Lauf Smoothie handlebars are designed to eat vibrations and are made from the same flexible carbon as the Lauf Grit leaf sprung fork. So, even without prior knowledge of Laufs bikes, the True Grit would naturally sit towards the top of my shortlist. Metres would have been cooler. That's with a hodgepodge spec of alloy Easton EA70 stem and FSA post, Ritchey saddle and DT Swiss wheels. Lauf Anywhere - gravel bikes and lightweight suspension forks I felt I really understood what the team behind Lauf wanted to create. SRAM Force calipers, linked to those shifters, pull on 160mm rotors, front and rear. I was able to push down on the tops of each bar and measure the degree of flex in each one. 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. THE FRAME When I ride road bikes, I gravitate towards the racy, more aggressive end of the spectrum. The Maxxis Velocita AR 40mm tires are nearly road slicks and seem small when compared to the clearance available. I found the bike to be very comfortable and more forgiving than both the aluminium and steel bikes that I rode previously. Lauf Anywhere: More than the 'Funky Fork' Guys Plush 40mm tires are stock, providing a supple ride on many surfaces. I know the stack is greatly different, but the specialized seems to be measuring to the end of the future shock (610mm) while Lauf has a Stack (564mm) and a stack to handlebar (605 - 651mm) that would seem to match Specialized better. The rest of my sleeping kit was stored in the saddle bag. For off-road climbing, the gearing was on the tall side for some and came up on the short side for riders capable of higher paved speeds.. 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 Clearance for 45mm tires ensured real off-road compatibility and a cushy ride. True Grit - Gravel Bike . Having ridden the bike for quite a while already, Ive made a few changes, which Ill talk more about in future updates. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Get real time updates directly on you device, subscribe now. First Impressions & Actual Weights: Lauf Anywhere all-road gravel bike The sequential, flappy-paddle shifting setup is incredibly intuitive and, thus far, shifting performance has been faultless. Because I had a post-mount Shimano hydraulic brake on the Parlee, I had to install Shimano's post mount to flat mount adapter in the 140mm size - this sounds incorrect, but that positions the caliper into the right position on the Lauf Grit. However, the Anywhere doesnt feature the suspension fork, instead it uses what Lauf calls Just A Fork (JAF), which is essentially a rigid, full carbon fork. 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. Overall, the trip was a great success. The TCR weighs in at 17.12 pounds . Lauf Seigla geometry. 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. I rode the Lauf Anywhere on my biggest challenge yet a 2,000km self-supported road event called the Transatlantic Way. Deep down, I was hoping for heavy snow, mostly because one of Scotlands main ski resorts is a mere couple of miles up the hill, and I wanted to fish out a pair of planks and go roost some pow-pow. It also meant that I didnt actually change anything specifically on my bike, and much to the amusement of Joe I even kept on my third down-tube bottle cage and 32mm gravel tyres. Socks: Team Dream 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. He has a particular focus on mountain bikes, but spends plenty of time on gravel bikes, too. I was a bit unsure how my knee would take it, but thankfully it held up with only slight pain around the 100-mile mark. I was running Hunts Mason X Hunt 4 Season Disc wheelset during the summer months when I wasnt using the dynamo wheel. 3x Bottle Mounts Three bottle mounts come in handy for a long day in the saddle. My only criticism of the drivetrain/brakes has been that the shift paddle can sometimes squash my 4th and 5th fingers if Im braking on the hoods and my brake pads are a touch worn. 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. So, with the offer of running the latest version of the bike with an updated Grit SL fork and new componentry, I didnt hesitate to say yes. One of the reasons for this is its geometry. Having explored a little of the area in the past, I knew there was a fair risk of trudging through mud, even at the best of times, and with my other half working, I also knew thered be no rescue party until at least early evening if things went a little wrong. If I wasnt bathed in sweat, thanks to a full complement of windproof gear and winter shoes, Id have been loving life. I envisaged a desolate slog, through a windswept bog, pushing for hours and cursing my route planning ability. Almost 20 hours later, I arrived back in Bristol with a fully stamped Brevet card, and I was extremely relieved. Sweep and flare enhanced the comfort of the Smoothie handlebar. I love gravel riding. The virtual top tube length is 56.9cm with a frame reach of 39.9cm. Seat tube length measures 542mm, while the head tube is 133mm and theres a 65mm bottom bracket drop. 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. Perhaps not surprising because this bike has, as claimed by Lauf offers Copious amount of microscopic comfort. While its a good 10k before anything exciting happens, at least the Lauf is an efficient way of crossing ground and once out on those gravel roads, theyre definitely worth the trip. More on those later. Using bikepack bags, the Anywhere handled well and remained stable. And, on top of that, it is a beautifully designed bit of kit with a claimed weight of 485g with its axle and an uncut steerer. Maxxis Velocita tires proved to be a solid all-round option, on and off-road. I also injured myself earlier this year, so the Lauf has been a useful tool in my recovery from a (potentially, the doctors cant 100 per cent tell) fractured wrist, sustained when I ran out of talent on a mountain bike. BikeRide works hard to help you find the lowest prices and information on each bike from the widest possible range of sources. 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. Already have an account with us? He is also a regular presenter on BikeRadars YouTube channel and the BikeRadar podcast. Lauf has equipped the frame with four pairs of bosses: two within the frame triangle for bottles, one under the down tube for either extra water or storage, and a pair in front of the stem for a bento-box, ready for longer races. On asphalt, one reviewer described slight understeer on tight, fast turns. From there, I enjoyed a mix of tarmac, farm track and, eventually, classic Scottish gravel double track through and past Carrbridge, and on to the climb up and over the hills to Lochindorb. When jutting across roads less traveled, you can feel the bars flexing while on the hoods. 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. In terms of future upgrades to the bike, I think it would really benefit from a lighter, wider gravel wheelset because the DT Swiss X1900s arent the lightest or widest out there. #biggravelmiles #lauftruegritKim finally got a gravel bike..And I'm actually kinda jealous. Gravel Bike Test: Lauf Anywhere - Road Bike Action Entering year three of racing it (12+ races per year). With improved frame compliance, massive 292.25 (70057!!!) Lauf True Grit review; Lauf Anywhere review; Pro(moter) bike: Crusher in the Tushar founder Burke Swindlehurst's Lauf Anywhere; Lauf's new model debuted 'Direct To You', will operate .