WHILE THE APPEAL OF LIGHT AND STIFF CARBON gravel bikes is undeniable, these bikes are expensive. Recently, though, a tiny brand out of Iceland lowered its prices and now offers some of the best deals available for gravel bikes.
Lauf's Seigla Rigid gravel bike (with a traditional carbon fork) starts at $2,240 and tops out at $5,640 for the SRAM Red-equipped model. Those are killer prices for a carbon gravel bike with good build kits and impressive specifications-massive tire clearance (57mm front and rear), mountain bike-influenced geometry (longer front center and slacker head angle), 10mm of engineered flex ("travel") in the rear triangle, and a SRAM UDH derailleur hanger (for direct-mount rear-derailleur compatibility). Plus, it is reasonably light: Lauf claims 1,163 grams for a painted medium frame.
Lauf's prices are so great that you'd pay far more for a comparable build from Trek, Specialized, or another legacy brand. In fact, when it comes to pricing, Lauf even spanks consumer-direct brands.
The top-of-the-line Seigla Ultimate with SRAM Red XPLR-plus a power meter, carbon rims, carbon bar, and carbon seatpost-stickers at $5,640. That's much cheaper than similarly equipped bikes from big-name brands. Trek's Checkpoint SLR 9, for example, sells for $12,250. And the Lauf is cheaper than the consumer-direct Canyon Grail CF SLX 9, which has a similar build and sells for $7,000.
It's not just Lauf's prices that grabbed my attention. There's also that 10mm of rear travel and the brand's signature Grit 30mm-travel suspension fork. Are we about to fully jump into the era of affordable gravel suspension? Because at Lauf's prices, the Seigla makes this extra bit of technology tempting to consider.
この記事は Bicycling US の Summer 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Bicycling US の Summer 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
ONE MAN'S OBSESSIVE CRUSADE TO Take Down Zwift Cheats
Indoor cycling and virtual racing are booming, and so are the ranks of digital dopers abusing the platforms.
WHAT I LEARNED WHEN LOST IT ON A MOUNTAIN BIKE
A lifelong roadie tries singletrack for the first time. It did not go as planned.
THE UNLIKELY HERO WHO RECOVERED OVER 200 STOLEN BIKES IN ONE AMERICAN CITY
It was a sunny day in the summer of 2022. There were some things I had to move into the house, so I left the garage door open. I was gone less than 15 minutes.
YOU CAN BE MORE THAN JUST A CYCLIST
I'VE ALWAYS HAD A LOVE FOR SPORTS, starting with the usual team ones such as football and baseball. But that faded in favor of more individual pursuits. Watching my dad roll down the driveway to go for a ride, I wanted to do the same. The bike was my first taste of freedom, a freedom to do it my way.
THE RIGHT SADDLE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE
UP UNTIL RECENTLY, I WAS, AT BEST, A TWICEa-month cyclist.
HOW TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE RIDER YOU USED TO BE
CYCLISTS OF ALL LEVELS GO THROUGH various phases or eras over the years they spend in the saddle. For the vast majority of riders (myself included), these things happen privately, without fanfare.
BIKES MAKE THE WORLD A MORE INCLUSIVE PLACE
LIFE'S A BEAUTIFUL PUZZLE THAT COMES in all sorts of shapes, colors, and sizes.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD CYCLING SCENE, ANYWAY?
I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF INVOLVING myself in a few populous and dramatically different cycling communities.
CHOOSE GEAR THAT INSPIRES YOU TO HAVE FUN E
EVEN THOUGH I TEST LOADS OF CYCLING gear for a living, sometimes I get locked in on particular items and find it difficult to enjoy competing products, even if those products have obvious advantages.
WHY YOU DESERVE A CUSTOM BIKE
Custom. The word evokes passionate opinions about what constitutes a custom-made bike and who gets to ride one. There's this idea that they're wildly expensive pieces of functional art meant only for the fittest, fastest riders.
