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.
This story is from the Summer 2023 edition of Bicycling US.
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This story is from the Summer 2023 edition of Bicycling US.
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