Chainrings Gravel racing refined. Salsa Cutthroat Apex 1 Gravel Bike - 2019, Medium. While some traditionalists scoffed at the idea of a single chainring for road use, SRAM’s 1x setups quickly gained acceptance in the gravel and adventure bike spaces. Cervelo Aspero Apex 1 Gravel Road Bike 2021 Welcome to the era of speed in gravel. I tested the PG-1130 cassette with a stock Shimano XT 10-speed freehub (135 mm spacing) and didn’t experience any compatibility issues whatsoever. I have Apex 1 on my gravel bike and have no complaints about it. It’s also one of the cheaper 1x11 groupsets that’s suitable for gravel … None of the chainrings that I tested exhibited ghost shifting when pedaling backwards, which was a welcome change compared to the Jones’ previous 2×10 setup. Interested in dipping your toes in the gravel riding pool but not sure if you want to dive in just yet? The chart below provides a general suggested height of range for Cross/Gravel Bikes sizes and is not exact. Tame the toughest terrain with Warbird’s Class 5™ VRS-equipped high-modulus carbon fiber frameset and SRAM’s sure-shifting Apex 1 drivetrain. Are you gravel curious? FYI - Most Apex1 kitted bikes come with the PG-1130 cassette which is 538g! The Cervelo Aspero carbon gravel bike review. For these athletes, we created a machine engineered for pure, unapologetic speed, ready to take down finish lines, KOM leaderboards, PR’s, and FKT’s. Setting up the Apex drivetrain was a breeze. Sizing Guide. A single bike that first generates maximum speed and then second, controls that speed across the variable conditions gravel athletes must conquer.The Aspero apex … Like SRAM’s X-SYNC chainrings, Eagle rings utilize a narrow/wide tooth profile, but also feature a longer, positive-rake tooth shape. Brakes: Hydraulic … This gives a 101in top gear, which is lower … Unlike SRAM’s Force and Rival single-ring cranks, the Apex 1/S350 and GX-1400 models aren’t available in lengths shorter than 170 mm. Look no further. Two years ago, SRAM caused quite a stir when the Chicago-based company announced their dedicated 1x Force and Rival drivetrains. fsa is2 1-1/8 x 1-1/2 Reserve 32mm DT370, 24h (F), 24h (R), 24mm IW, Center-Lock, Tubeless Ready Panaracer Gravel King SK Folding 700x38 / Panaracer Gravel King SK Sport 700x38 60tpi Performance Thanks to the 1400’s removable spider, I was able to run DM chainrings ranging from 28t to 38t. Sizing may vary across … It has a lightweight aluminum frame and a full carbon fork. I was honestly expecting some compromises with the $14 PC-1110 chain, but its outstanding performance belies the low price (and it’s compatible with all SRAM 1x drivetrains). Cutthroat Apex 1 combines the redesigned Cutthroat carbon frame and fork with the tried-and-true performance of SRAM’s Apex 1 drivetrain. GX-1400 Crankset As the industry’s first gravel race bike, Warbird is designed … Physically, psychologically, … Apex 1 Shifter With this bike, you can do it all. A new breed of rider is emerging—one who loves the freedom and exploration that gravel culture was founded upon but who has a hunger to ride wild, to go full bore, and to explore not just geography but personal limits. PG-1130 Cassette SRAM’s Apex shifters and rear mech are joined by a Praxis Alba M24 bottom bracket, single-ring 40t chainset and wide-range 11-42 cassette. The Cervelo Men's Aspero Apex 1 Gravel Bike was engineered for pure, unapologetic speed, ready to take down finish lines, KOM leaderboards, PR's, and FKT's. I’m a strong proponent of using inexpensive chains and replacing them before they can cause wear to the rest of the drivetrain’s components. While some traditionalists scoffed at the idea of a single chainring for road use, SRAM’s 1x setups quickly gained acceptance in the gravel and adventure bike spaces. A new breed of rider is emerging—one who loves the freedom and exploration that gravel culture was founded upon but … There’s enough tactile feedback to know you’ve made the shift, but it isn’t so heavy that your thumb gets tired. The drop-bar levers are offered in mechanical or hydraulic versions, and both feature the company’s DoubleTap® shifting technology. Before that, the majority of us were riding with two chainrings), and Apex is the undisputed gravel king when it comes to price/quality ratio of the components. Sprint from asphalt to cinder path, swerve onto some singletrack, cut across to a gravel … Road racing inspired. Different outside rolling diameters of various wheel and tire combinations affect the handling geometry of the frame. Trek Checkpoint SL 6 ($3,800) Frame: Carbon. The 1400’s spider is compatible with chainrings down to 30t, but I opted for a 28t DM ring for high-country singletrack riding. The Devinci Hatchet Apex 1 Gravel Bike is willing, able, and highly capable. © Cyclocross Magazine There are Apex 1, Shimano Ultegra 2x, GRX 2x and GRX 1x build options as well, ranging from $2800 to $4200. Áspero Adapts Unpredictable conditions. So instead, SRAM supplied one of company’s GX-1400 MTB cranksets and an assortment of standard and direct-mount (DM) chainrings. The Sram hydraulic brakes, wide range 1x Apex shifting, flared bar and Schwalbe G-One tyres are all carefully chosen for optimal performance on all your gravel … This bike may be our most versatile frame platform: Offering a commuter setup with fenders during the week, it also allows you to discover gravel roads at the weekend, and every now and then you can put your bike packs on to go and explore the world. Haul ass, Not cargo. With gear range and cargo capacity for everything from gravel … Membership Spotlight. Welcome guest, you can Login or Create an account, Cervelo Aspero Apex 1 Gravel Road Bike 2021. Because XG cassettes require 11-speed, XD-compatible hubs, some riders were unable to retrofit the 10-42 cassettes to their bikes. But between the two groups’ top-of-the-food-chain positioning and XD hub/driver requirements, some riders were priced out of the 1x experience. This frontier requires a new kind of gravel machine, one engineered not to roam the trails, but to slay them. Contrary to the pricing structure you’ve likely grown accustomed to seeing, the $2,100 Apex 1 build is actually the top end model in the aluminum class. The Apex shifter has a what I would describe as a middle-of-the-road action: not too stiff, and not too soft. The G uses a Shimano Tiagra groupset, cable disc brakes and costs just £649, so there are bound to be compromises, but in creating the G1X the frame and fork have had a couple of tweaks too, which sees the whole bike shed 800g. The rigid Jones 29er sees plenty of steep, rocky trails, and I haven’t experienced a single dropped chain or missed shift with the Apex 1 setup. A Note About Compatibility Ribble's CGR 725 SRAM Apex 1x 650b is a hugely versatile bike that offers incredible value to boot. Aspero Apex 1x Complete Bike When we think about the sport of gravel racing, we think of just about the grittiest riders on two wheels. The Cervelo Aspero Apex 1x Disc Gravel Bike blends a pro-level carbon frameset with solid and dependable components to inject speed into any adventure, whether it contains gravel… If the tire size is altered without acknowledging the effect on trail, the result is wild swings in handling - faster or slower - from the design basis trail value, which is problematic for high-speed control. A single bike that first generates maximum speed and then second, controls that speed across the variable conditions gravel athletes must conquer. Upshifts (to harder gears) are limited to one cog per-click, but you can downshift (to easier gears) up to five cogs with a single swipe of the lever. The Salsa Journeyman Apexis an affordable aluminum-framed gravel bike that is ready to take on any adventure you are. Gravel tire of the year: Schwalbe G-One. Between the group’s silent operation, smooth shifting, outstanding chain retention, and numerous configuration options, it’s hard to imagine needing to spend more for a 1×11 setup. On the 11-speed setups, a road derailleur needs to be paired with a road shifter, and an MTB shifter must connect to an MTB derailleur. Absolutely not. Gears: 2 x 11. The Journeyman is the least expensi… It's heavy but at least it's all steel, so you get … We pick out some of the best gravel bikes and adventure road bikes you can buy, explain what makes the best gravel bike and what you need to look for James Bracey January 1, 2021 12:49 … First Impressions: SRAM Apex 1 Components, First Impressions: Clement X’Plor USH Tires. SRAM’s PG-1130 cassette may not have a 10t high gear, but it’s compatible with standard 10- and 11-speed freehubs. Features: Internal cable routing; Apex 1 … It’s time to change the paradigm of gravel bike design from hauling gear slowly to empowering athletes quickly. Stay tuned for our full long-term review on the Cannondale CAADX and SRAM Apex 1 in our print magazine, and see our other cyclocross and gravel bike profiles and reviews here. When SRAM launched the Force and Rival 1x drivetrains, the groups’ XG (10-42) cassettes were instrumental in delivering the necessary range for the single-chainring setups. That shape is designed to increase chain retention and overall pedaling efficiency, while decreasing friction, noise and wear. Or maybe you're looking for a versatile gravel rig for trying your hand at racing and for use commuting and maybe a little bike packing too? As with the rest of the Liv range, the frame’s geometry/sizing and carbon layup has been … The frame features wide tire clearance for up to 700 x 45mm or 650b x 2.1… Like its pricier siblings, Apex 1 is available with drop- or flat-bar shifters. In one word, the conditions are demanding. Apex 1 may be SRAM’s base-level 1x road group, but there’s nothing basic about the components’ performance. At 524 grams (actual weight), the 1130 is no featherweight, but the cassette’s exceptionally smooth shifting is worth the minor weight penalty. All of … PC-1110 Chain During my test period, shift quality and speed has been consistently smooth across the entire range of the 11-42 cassette. With some brands, however, low-end chains don’t shift as well as the more costly models. Rounding out the trio is the Aspero Apex 1, built with SRAM’s value-oriented Apex 1 single-ring groupset and 40×11-42T gearing, a more generic Alexrims Boondocks 7-D aluminum tubeless … Most of my testing, however, was spent riding the 38t X-SYNC™ 2 Eagle™ chainring. Whatever you decide, there is a lot of room for improvement there. Having logged thousands of miles on SRAM’s Force 1 and Rival 1 rear derailleurs, I was curious if the base-level Apex mech could match the performance of its costlier predecessors. So my recommendation at this point for gearing for gravel riding is to go SRAM for a 1x bike and Shimano for a 2x. Although slightly heavier than their pricier Rival and Force counterparts, the bargain-priced Apex group delivers where it matters most: on the road and trail. Disclosure: SRAM provided review samples for this article, but offered no other form of compensation in exchange for editorial coverage. Join our mailing list: Cervelo Aspero GRX RX810 Disc Gravel Road Bike, Carbon Reserve Wheels 2021, Cannondale 650 Topstone Carbon Lefty 3 Bicycle, FORK     Cervélo All-Carbon, Tapered Áspero Fork, HEADSET             FSA IS2 1-1/8 x 1-1/2, WHEELS               Alexrims Boondocks-7D, TIRES     Panaracer Gravel King SK Sport 700x38 60tpi, CASSETTE            SRAM PG-1130, 11 spd, 11-42, SHIFTERS             SRAM Apex 1 HRD, 11 spd, ACCESSORIES     Smartpak 400A Top Tube Storage Bag. Mat tested the Malt-G, the little brother to this G1X model, around this time last year and overall he was impressed, although he did have a few issues, one being the weight. The Verdict – What is the best Electric Gravel Bike in 2020? Gravel bikes are going to be massive in … No creaking, no wobbles, and zero chain derailment when backpedaling. Predictable control. Cervelo Aspero Apex 1x Disc Gravel Bike 2021. Thanks to trickle-down and crossover tech, SRAM brings road 1x to the masses with their affordable Apex 1 group. But between the two groups’ top-of-the-food-chain positioning and XD hub/driver requirements, some riders were priced out of the 1x … This produced a slightly wider q-factor compared to the Apex/S350 cranks, but resulted in a perfect 49 mm chainline when paired with 6 mm offset chainrings. My GX-1400 crankset came equipped with a 32t X-SYNC chainring/spider configuration. That sort of weight makes a noticeable difference, especially when it comes to acceleration and climbing, wh… Apex 1 Rear Derailleur With SRAM’s 10-speed drivetrains, MTB and road shifters operate on the same cable pull–Exact Actuation–so an MTB shifter will work with a road derailleur (and vice versa). The cable pull ratio is the same for all of SRAM’s Exact-Actuation derailleurs and shifters, so any 10-speed derailleur will work with 11-speed cassettes simply by using an 11-speed road shifter. It took me longer to gather my tools and supplies than it did to install and adjust the Apex 1 components. And due to my specific gearing requirements and frame’s measurements, I chose SRAM’s GX-1400 X-SYNC™ (MTB) crankset for my testing. The unmatched versatility of this gravel bike gives its rider pure, unfettered freedom and access virtually everywhere. If your budget won’t stretch that far, there are also the $1,750 Topstone 105 and $1,050 Topstone Sora … Unfortunately, the combination of the bike’s rear tire clearance, wide chainstays, and my unique gearing requirements prevented me from testing the Apex 1 group’s (S350-1) crankset. Rounding out the 1×11 group are the Apex 1 rear derailleur, PG-1130 cassette, PC-1110 chain, and Apex 1 crankset. The Sram Apex 1 hydraulic disc brake build kit helps perfect any disc Gravel or Cyclocross frameset in particular the Kinesis Tripster AT. Wear items such as cassettes, chains, and chainrings are cross-compatible. Cannondale CAADX Apex 1 … pink, black, dark … Because I would be using MTB-style handlebars on my test bike, I opted for the 11-speed Apex 1 flat-bar shifter. For 2020, Salsa is introducing three levels of GRX models, including mechanical and electronic shifting and two Apex 1 models all in new colors including (a to die for!) Sharing much of the Force and Rival’s technology (X-Horizon™, Roller Bearing Clutch™, Cage Lock™), SRAM keeps the Apex’s price down by spec’ing a steel cage (instead of alloy) and simplified pulleys and hardware. Welcome to the era of speed in gravel. While unassuming in appearance, the $28 Apex 1 flat-bar shifter shares the same internals as the S-700 triggers spec’d with SRAM’s Rival 1 and Force 1 groups. This is a small workaround for the fact that none of their 11-speed MTB derailleurs, being X-Actuation instead of Exact Actuation, work with their 11-speed road shifters. Nice write-up; just wanted to add for the last paragraph before the disclaimer that SRAM’s 10-speed road and 10-speed MTB derailleurs also all work with their 11-speed road shifters, so you could, if you wanted to, run a GX 2×10 long cage derailleur and it would give you the capacity to run an 11-42 or 10-42 cassette with compact double chainring set and it would give you a 22-speed range effectively from 50×10/50×11-34×42. Liv’s first gravel bike is a true do-it-all bike for women seeking on- and 0ff-road adventures. Leveraging vast knowledge from road racing, the Áspero frame is designed with world tour stiffness for greater pedal power transfer, using less and lighter material to aid climbing and accelerating, while maximizing speeds with aerodynamic shapes critical to efficiency at speed. A machine built without limits, for the riders willing to test them. To determine how SRAM’s Apex 1 components would fare in harsh off-road conditions, I chose Jeff Jones’ diamond frame bicycle as my test rig. With its custom Lefty fork and fat and fast-rolling 650 x 42c tires, Cannondale Slate Apex 1 bike is a road machine with serious off-road chops, so you can go from pavement to gravel to singletrack. Want to stay informed? Tires: 700c x 40mm. I am in the process of replacing my left brake lever because it broke after a small crash, but the performance of the derailleur … Do those cost-saving measures affect the Apex 1’s performance?