Building the Custom Specialized Crux of My Dreams

[@stevekelly6544]

The Crux is my favorite Specialized model, just because it’s just a really great, normal bike- no wacky suspension system or anything, just a fast and light, round tube bike. Looks great too. Nice choice, Dave.

[@plain-bagel]

I just test rode a Crux and was blown away! It might be the one I finally pull the trigger on. Love the idea of an offroad capable bike that's still nice and snappy on the roads.

[@DrunkDrynasty]

I just ordered one today after months and months of debating which bike to get. Actually had ordered an Open U.P. and paid for it. But the shop called and said my size was out of stock. I randomly asked if they had a Specialized Crux Comp. and they did. Not only that but they knocked it down quite a bit for the confusion. For some reason I wasn’t considering the Crux. Mostly due to the cost. But I’m super excited I ended up going for it. How do you like it? What wheels are you running. Mine comes with mechanical Rival 1x w/ 40t chainring. Wish it was AXS Rival, but maybe I’ll upgrade later.

[@stevekelly6544]

@@DrunkDrynasty i actually don’t own one- (yet-lol) I have test rode one at my local bike shop, and just thought it was awesome- it just felt really good, fast, light, comfortable, I really liked it.

[@JustBrowsing777]

​@DrunkDrynasty how do you feel about your Crux now? I am having a really hard time myself to decide but the Crux has my attention. Should be my one in all dream bike with dual wheel setup for road and gravel

[@TheVintagesteal]

Cheers David. Good Lord these comments. I don't care if you bought it, used a coupon or was gifted it I enjoyed this review. As I do your channel. Why? Down to earth,not pretentious at all. You'd be the guy I wave to who waves back.

[@aaronedgeart]

That is, without question, my favorite current bicycle. Stoked for ya David!

[@becyk_du_quebec]

Love the external cable routing, doesn't make the bike look ugly at all, I think it's very elegant

[@DiegoCamarero]

if you ask your mechanic he'll enlight you about external routing benefits...

[@MitchellSains]

I am so lucky to live in SF and ride these trails and rodes, so glad you were able to experience the magic!

[@Toops73]

Brought my Crux 6 Months ago and is the only bike I ride now its great on everything I ride fast on the road and gravel, wear casual or lycra best bike I have ever owned.

[@stephenmorris6202]

8.8 kg. Rode over the Golden Gate and around the Marin headlands many years ago. Very special. Great video though.

[@levihoch6358]

8.96kg is my guess. I have the Crux Pro and mine is 8.2kg but doesn’t have the suspension seat post and I have a very light saddle bag. It’s an amazing bike. I love mine!

[@richcole3931]

8.6kg. so great. thanks for this one!

[@Mike-xf7qm]

Bike envy and holiday envy. Double knock out. This bike is a goal to achieve for me. Got to keep working towards it!

[@Ricardo-yk2fv]

Making this road rider want to hit the gravel. Also Parkside Cafe is a fan favorite!!

[@glennoc8585]

First mtb was a marin palisades trail that i bought in the uk after reading mtb uk haha. Its funny how i often think of colorado or south California as more MTB than San Francisco.

[@tomreingold4024]

I’m from New York City. I’ve visited California several times, but I’ve never ridden a bike there. And that’s a shame. One of these days, I’ll do it. I ride a lot in New York State’s Hudson River Valley which has amazing roads and trails, but it’s a different kind of scenery, of course. The climate in California is also much more inviting.

[@rudyelizondo1935]

Far out baby!!! Cool vid, love those California hills and the crux I’m sure was fun doing it!! I think the bike weights 18 lbs

[@tariqkamil7853]

How about a review on bike cases/bags? Since u have travelled with your bike a lot

[@maxmichelson5649]

I have just put a set of Richie handle bars on my G / bike brilliant .Always enjoy the Chanel thanks David

[@tinaspagnoli7977]

17 pounds is the weight guess, and movie....Bullet! Classic car chase scene! Great riding David, thanks for sharing!

[@ultimatist]

How did you like the Pirellis? And how did the Firecrests compare to the 303 S? Glad you enjoyed this slice of paradise; everything around Mt Tam is gravel heaven of various categories. Going with 45s is a smart move.

[@joshgillmtb]

Fantastic video David. Looking at your Instagram posts from Sea Otter and the rides you went on made revising for end of year uni exams that much harder!

[@BikeronaTrek]

Wow, beautiful bike, beautiful trails and roads. Great video!

[@xavcarmic0686]

Enjoyed that. One of your bests vids. I rode some of those Marin / Sausalito trails in 2013 on a lovely Breezer hard tail. A brilliant place to ride, nearly as good as Moab.

[@JoeBManco]

Nice bike, loving the trails, and I could really use a seat post like that for my gravel/bikepacking bike. I am going to guess 8.7 kilos or 19.18 pounds for the weight. As for the bay bridge, it has been seen in everything from Dirty Harry to Star Trek to Herbie Rides Again to X-Men: The Last Stand.

[@teamredog2961]

Great video, I live ride in the middle of all the trails you rode. I think I recognized about 95% of them. You covered a lot of ground in 2 days. All the way from the Headlands to PT Reyes /Mt Vision and a lot in between. I ride a Crux with XPLR and I wish I had a mullet set up for the local rides as there is never really any flat sections around here and many are very steep.

[@davidarthur]

We managed 8 hours in two days which after a 10 hour flight was knackering. There were a few climbs were wish I had the big 10-50 mullet setup but 99% of the time it was fine. Bolinas Ridge broke me though

[@Armandeus32]

I'd get a second wheelset with smooth tires and try it on the road... curious to hear what you think how it rides on tarmac in a "road" configuration. This might be an example of a "do-it-all" bike!

[@ashurany]

@@jamesw6023 Only different tires, imo.

[@dancelman]

David, would you be able to post the strava link? I'm interested in some of the sections you rode as I’m local to the area!

[@pedalingprimemover]

I visited Marin County with my bike last Spring and liked it enough to move here all the way from Boston. Glad you had fun!

[@dbt5224]

Welcome to paradise.

[@mickhurley7305]

nice fun riding interspun with some technical bike info .. very good video.

[@outdoorbros_]

“The Rock. Mrs. Doubtfire.” Haha- beautiful bike, congrats!

[@StephanBechert]

Best looking and performing Gavel Bike of the World

[@yiata]

Welcome to California! I hope you also get to ride the roads/trails the South Bay.

[@ricksantana1016]

Congratulations That whip is balls to the wall!

[@crazypyro777]

I have the Crux pro and I love it, I use it on gravel & roads as my only bike.

[@wss327]

Great vid David!

[@michaelgooch-breault4706]

Would love to see the routes you took.

[@duncanhawthorne4381]

Would love one with 2by as I ride more road than gravel at the moment.

[@kestralrider313]

Great video, this area is in my backyard; I'm in Oakland now. Both the tarmac and dirt is amazing all over the bay area, but the town of Fairfax is in the middle of some of the best routes. You should be able to jump on your plane without regrets after you shop prices for housing in Marin County:). The whole state has 1000s of great gravel/road/MTB along our Sierra Nevada mountain range, which I encourage you to explore if you ever get more time in Cali. I'm guessing 18.5# for the Crux build all in.

[@davidarthur]

I’ve been house hunting, prices are high!

[@philbond87]

@davidarthur, I enjoyed your Sea Otter coverage. Being a Bay Area local I also very much enjoyed your excursion to, and enthusiasm of, my beloved Marin roads and trails! It’s interesting to me that you seem to aspire to riding around here as much as I do the Cotswolds and Lake District! :-) Cheers

[@davidarthur]

Thanks Phillip. You have much better weather! Hasn’t stopped raining all year

[@the_derpler]

Marin is my regular riding spot. One of the best in the world. I'm very lucky. Honestly if I had to move elsewhere in the US I'd probably just give up riding. No where else I've lived has been as friendly for cycling.

[@davidarthur]

You're very very lucky

[@Touringtim]

100% agree about the Marin trails, the best in the world.

[@alejandrogonzalez93-d]

I have been enjoying my Crux Pro for 4 months now and I'm super happy with it. It's my one for all bike with the Pathfinder Pro 700x42mm tires. Got it with di2 2x and thinking about going 1x with Sram Eagle.

[@timellyou]

Did you have to do anything special to make the small chainring clear the chainstay? I'm thinking of doing a similar build di2 2x, but I'm worried that the chainring clearance may be too close for my liking.

[@alejandrogonzalez93-d]

@@timellyou No, there is no clearance problem at least with the 48-31 GRX chainring and crankset. I don't know if it's possible to install a 50-34, never tried.

[@timellyou]

@@alejandrogonzalez93-d Ah, GRX is the key here. It has a 2.5mm wider chainline than the Di2 Road groupsets. I guess I was assuming you were using a 12sp Di2, not the 11sp GRX Di2. Thanks for the reply.

[@singletrackflow]

I’m thinking of getting the Crux. What’s the one thing you like most about your Crux Pro that your previous gravel lacked?

[@FelipeFrancaPalazzoKB]

Marin Headlands, Tamalpais and awesome Bay views? You could’ve texted me and I would go with you Dave!! 😎😜 Glad you liked it out here. Next time add Santa Cruz to the plan. Stunning bike and congrats! My guess is 18.4 lbs 🤜🏼🤛🏼

[@KenSmith-bv4si]

Nice bike David, and I'm guessing the bike will tip the scales at around 7.5 kilos .

[@inilahkami-bf2fr]

40t is a bit small. 44 in the front would be more ideal for my riding routes so that i get a 1:1 ratio for climbing and be a bit faster on the flat.

[@toddmcdonough]

Great bike for a great ride. Probably under 9kg I'd guess although chasing a lower bike weight is a common trap.

[@GC987]

Looking forward to learning the all up weight. I am a Roubaix owner and in making that decision, my bike shop had some simple advice. If you're going to cycle primarily on road, get a road bike..... so I did. Curious to know how the weight of my Roubaix compares to the Crux.

[@shimona500]

My speci store is doing the opposite, steering me towards the crux. Friend who has 80k km on his madone bought one as well, he says it's good, i'm sold. Can convert to 2x for like 1000, rear and front derailleur and chainset.

[@GC987]

@@shimona500 do you cycle primarily on or off road ? Does your local shop have both alternatives for you to purchase ? I’m wondering if a store might sell what is in their stock if possible…. I’ve always thought there is the correct tool for a specific task… and yet life is always about compromise

[@mattkrivosudsky9057]

Great Video! David, is this your own personal bike - or a loaned bike?

[@davidarthur]

Personal bike this is

[@ivanlemus4093]

Great video David. What is the price for the complete bike? Thank you for all you do.

[@ekrano]

Gravel and MTB Heaven. 7.7kg...

[@mateusmorgado]

Decathlon just updated their rc500 road bikes with new Microshift sets (r9 and r10 for rc500 and rc520 respectively) could you do a video about they? There's nothing about them in youtube

[@jaredwalbridge8270]

Please please please do a video on hookless gravel tyres. So many gravel wheels now are hookless - but just finding gravel tyres to fit is impossible. Most online shops dont have a filter for it and im really struggling to find any. Im currently looking at buying a set of these wheels - but not sure its worth it if i cant get any tyres

[@hugov392]

What do you think of the Ergon Allroad saddle? I love mine and think I helps almost as much as an elastomeric suspension seatpost. I think I'd add a suspension stem too (Redshift etc).

[@LagunaRider1961]

David you need to move out here to California!! Great riding all year round! Come join us!

[@glennoc8585]

It's also so expensive and taxed that many Californians are leaving

[@LagunaRider1961]

@@glennoc8585 I live in Laguna Beach and it’s paradise! I will never leave.

[@davidarthur]

I’m so tempted!!

[@Thumper99TA]

how do you feel about SRAMs 43/30 wide crankset paired with a 10-36 cassette. That setup gets you more low end and more top end while also having smaller jumps. 10-36 = 10,11,12,13,15,17,19,21,24,28,32,36 10-44 = 10,11,13,15,17,19,21,24,28,32,38,44 Is 1x simplicity (and slight weight advantage) really worth it?

[@MrCzechM8]

A beautiful build! With all the stuff mounted, my guess is 8.56 kg.

[@madeinmeudon]

I have an Aethos so for sure the Crux is great. But is it too fragile, like any carbone frame, to ride on stone tracks ?

[@richcole3931]

If the Crux can handle jumping over barriers at a CX race, it can handle the trails. Top end mountain bikes are also carbon.

[@BlackPenquinn]

I’m a mountain biker and I really dont understand these roadie and gravel concerns with carbon bars and carbon frames off road. My light day out on my mountain bikes are far rootier and rockier than anything a gravel bike could ride. If there’s an issue, it’s with the design, not the material. My 120 mm full suspension bike with proper tires, sealant and pedals is 24.7 lbs, my 160 mm bike is just over 31lbs. they are anything but fragile. BTW, I just bought a Crux and it is spectacular.

[@richcole3931]

​@@BlackPenquinn New Crux! That's awesome! I just bought an Aethos. It's on the way. Looking forward to underbiking the heck out of it on fast gravel, cobbles, and road.

[@BlackPenquinn]

That should read just over 30 lbs

[@bobbymoses]

Love the opening montage! I'm curious what stem length are you using? How does the bike handle on the road with the shorter stem? I guess 8.3 KG for the weight.

[@StephanBechert]

NEW BIKE DAY!

[@WhitmanSchofield]

Hi David I've a very similar bike build (zipp 303 firecrest, paceline rotor, rival lever/break) and it rides great but I have front break rub when leaning the bike in and sprinting. Did you experience anything similar? Unfortunately since I don't have contact point adjustment. It seems like I can straighten the rotor and then after a few rides of hard breaking it gets bent a-little and the sprinting rub gets worse so I'm thinking of trying stiffer rotors

[@aldogunawan6214]

Hi David, really likes your bike and setup.. what size is your Crux? Is it 56?

[@theodosiosvafias4244]

The ultimate gravel bike for sure. With a 2x it would be the ultimate bike...period!

[@njm3211]

The frame looks so Aethos.

[@cjpearceyt]

Not in any way saying this is not a great bike - I’ve been tempted myself (but my custom built Ibis Hakka is v similar and also amazing) I guess I’m just a little surprised that after seeing all those amazing bikes at Sea Otter from amazing independent bike companies you chose to get one from the biggest brand out there - I think I would have come away with something a bit more exotic and unique but anyway it does look great and hope we see more of it :)

[@sean.eidemiller]

Outstanding bike, and a great video. I've learned a lot from your channel (thank you)! Welcome to my cycling backyard. :-)

[@Hubertalcala]

Looking pretty sharp. 😍

[@userdjee834]

A wonderful video 👍

[@wecycleshop]

Did you feel sluggish on the 45mm at all?

[@johnhunt3076]

Are you still in Marin? Let's ride! I live in Fairfax (I also ride a Crux ;))

[@darongardner4294]

Motivational.Thank you.

[@thomasb.4219]

Looks like somewhere in the middle of France 😃 ... 8,6 kg

[@owenanstey436]

A dropper post would be good.

[@alainpfammatter8224]

I guess the weight will be around 8.8kg with all the accessories. Nice bike except for the seatpost. Come on David 😉

[@davidarthur]

I'm old man!! Need some creature comforts

[@Andyange]

Would Pirelli gravel H 45mm fit on that bike?

[@davidarthur]

Yes

[@hismoness23]

Would you be able to post your build list?

[@rickrichardson1141]

A Classified hub would be nice

[@lloydjarm]

going 2x would be an obvious upgrade imo.

[@Hayzie93]

Now that you have your dream crux, I'd be happy to take the Fairlight Secan off your hands. No Charge

[@sergeykeso8178]

What a weight with pedals?

[@whizler]

I have a sister who lives in that area. Perhaps it's time to give her a visit 😄

[@RestlessGambler14]

I want one as well but they are very expensive.

[@gregmorrison7320]

I'm surprised a cyclocross bike had room for such large tires, was weight the main factor in choosing this over other gravel bikes? It certainly has appeal, but the price, not something I could ever afford. And I wonder how it handles balls out gravel descents with the assumed higher BB and less stable handling but appreciate that is not what you really encounter in your part of the world.

[@davidarthur]

This new Crux is really much more a gravel/cyclocross bike than the old model though. It handles balls out descents pretty well as I found in Cali

[@Jacob99174]

Yes!!

[@Ivan_Zanicchi]

Why Zipp? Why not Roval?

[@charlesblithfield6182]

Nice bike! What model Ergon saddle did you use?

[@davidarthur]

It's their new Allroad model. Review coming soon

[@oneilwolfe407]

Very nice looking bike Great Review. I’m guessing 8.4 KG Maybe 😊

[@jimc5696]

Curious what size the frame is... 54?

[@davidarthur]

It’s a 56

[@DilbertMuc]

I was curious about your new bike... until you said, you have chosen the new S-Works Crux (U$D 14.500). That's too much GCN speak. It's like Top Gear telling us that for their weekend ride they have bought the new Lamborghini Aventador because it's just such a nice car: "...a bit lighter, a bit racier, a bit more stripped down." The rest of us... 😑😑😔

[@davidarthur]

Top Gear the show that regularly features multi-million pound supercars you mean ;)

[@oliverburke3743]

What size frame do you ride?

[@davidarthur]

56 and I’m 181cm

[@oliverburke3743]

@@davidarthur Cheers dude. What height do you run your saddle at. Is that height with shoes on?

[@davidarthur]

saddle height is 75.5cm from centre BB to saddle top

[@oliverburke3743]

@@davidarthur Awesome buddy thanks

[@sarahtoustra7127]

Nice MTB!

[@oliverburke3743]

What saddle pack is that David? Lush bike by the way

[@davidarthur]

It's this one, pricey but works real nice and has been super reliable saddleback.co.uk/products/silca-mattone-seat-pack

[@BikeLife154]

Nice looking bike, but not impressed by the outrageous price! I have the SRAM Rival xplr groupset on my gravel bike and can’t say I’m impressed. Hopefully, force is better.

[@drouleau]

Unfortunately the aero benefits from the wheels pretty much go out the window with a wide tire like that. You'd be better off getting shallow wheels that are super light (and more comfortable) and a 40cm aero road bar with no flare if you want to be faster (Ritchey Carbon Streem bars are great).

[@SergioCristancho]

10 kg ishh even if X2 no more than that and why not ... X2 is a better range... think about it David see you soon

[@midsfella]

7.55kgs ✊✊

[@jdrubio12]

Could you share the routes you did?

[@davidarthur]

I'd love to but they all start from a friends house. Most of the routes were on official cycle routes so should be easy to find.

[@timellyou]

@@davidarthur Umm, that link is for Fairfax County Virginia, not quite the same ;)

[@davidarthur]

Oops my bad! Anyway if you’re in town there is an official map of all the cycle routes you can buy

[@KevinMatassa]

Factor LS seems to be forgotten.

[@davidarthur]

Not forgotten I just can't get a bike out of them to review

[@KevinMatassa]

@@davidarthur thx

[@chuckfrizzell8668]

Great video David. Can someone make a recommendation for an alloy / aluminum (2x) gravel bike? Budget conscious in Colorado. Many thanks in advance

[@steinfossgard5210]

8.4kg

[@burronorteno]

My balls always hurt after riding. does this seat post help with that?

[@caseyclausen2627]

Burro, you gotta put a saddle on the post. Keep your balls.

[@zedddddful]

Have you had a bike fit?

[@burronorteno]

@@zedddddful not in a long time. do you think it would help?

[@byrondixon4648]

Weight guess - 8.6kg

[@EmmanuelNataf]

9.2 kg!

[@DonnieX6]

8.68 kg