GRAVEL Bike Review: Cervelo Aspero 2021 w/ SRAM Red/XX1 Eagle AXS Mullet

The Cervélo Áspero is built for speed and over the last four months I've been putting it to the test with my custom build over many MANY kms. This video covers the parts, the build, and the ride!
Links:
The Parts - Cervelo Aspero // SRAM AXS Mullet: • GPLama Gravel Bike Pro...
TheDropCycling Build Video: • Sub 8kgs 2020 Cervélo ...
Favero Assioma MTB Conversion: • Power Meter Pedals: Fa...
SRAM AXS MultiClics Install: • Installing SRAM eTap M...
CyclingTips Gravel Grading Information: bit.ly/3uwxhGb
GPLama Aspero Gravel Bike Part List:
Frame: Cervélo Áspero 2021 54cm
Levers/Brake Calipers: SRAM RED eTap AXS™ HRD amzn.to/3mPeCBt​
Shift Buttons: SRAM eTap AXS MultiClics 150mm amzn.to/3xX1GPU
Rear Derailleur: XX1 Eagle AXS™ amzn.to/3mNBLEv​
Cassette: XG-1299 Eagle AXS™ 10-52 amzn.to/36MeGwa​
Chain: XX1 Eagle amzn.to/2JP7dnc​
Crankset: SRAM RED 1 Crankset w/ AXS™ Power Meter Spider amzn.to/2IhCb6Y​
Chainring: 42t X-Sync amzn.to/3mQblSt​
Bottom Bracket: SRAM DUB amzn.to/33Lo8OM​
Pedals: Favero Assioma DUO with SPD Pedal Bodies
Bars: Zipp Service Course SL-70 XPLR Handlebar 42cm amzn.to/3mRHAAW​
Bar Tape: Zipp amzn.to/37E9FFo​
Stem: Zipp Service Course 100mm amzn.to/2JP8uuu​
Post: Cervélo Áspero
Saddle: Prologo Dimension Nack Rail Saddle amzn.to/2R4fM1q
Wheels: Zipp 303 Firecrest (2021 Model) amzn.to/3mOzI30​
Tyres: Zipp Tangente Course G40 Tubeless Clincher amzn.to/39IDCGZ
Video Index:
0:00 Intro
1:42 Background
2:17 Bike Components
4:13 Video Chapter List
4:34 Frame and Ride (Aspero)
6:45 Groupset and Gearing (SRAM AXS Mullet)
11:33 Wheels and Tyres (Zipp 303 Firecrest /w G40)
12:11 Saddle (Prologo)
12:43 Handlebars (Zipp SL-70 XPLR)
12:55 Maintenance
14:17 Comparisons
15:30 Are Gravel Bikes a Thing...?
17:05 Conclusions
♫Music By♫
●Henri Victory & Merow - Ghost of Kyoto [Bass Rebels]
●Song - • Henri Victory & Merow ...
●Download / Stream - www.bassrebels.co.uk/GhostofK...
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#GravelBike #Cervelo #Cycling

[@shaunpratt5521]

Great to see a bike review on here again. Luv it

[@davidpancerz5820]

Beautiful gravel bike and fabulous review. Loved the long intro, wonderfully shot and edited. I continue to learn so much from this channel. My thanks Shane.

[@galenkehler]

Love the intro, need more of those!

[@gplama]

Cheers! I loved making this one. It's not my usual thing.... but there was so many great rides I wanted to cram in.

[@philipp-christopherdeeke2210]

@@gplama I was like, ah another chill review to watch on a Sunday afternoon, but then, all of a sudden, my walls started shaking 🤣

[@apenny8295]

@@gplama Some of those roads were amazing, would you be willing to label them for those of us that want to dream of riding destinations?!

[@gplama]

@@apenny8295 No labels in the intro. That'd take away from the visuals. These rides are up on my public Strava.

[@larrygraham1580]

I love that exciting intro. Beauty review of the custom Cervelo! I wish I could afford a gravel bike like the Aspero but I spent way too much on my Trek Domane SLR 7 to afford a gravel bike.

[@aoe76]

Love the rival axs. It feels so good In the hand. Nice build 😊👍

[@EmanresuThe]

Apologies accepted as I just loved the extended intro! Great terrain to ride starting 1 minute in!

[@tieskuijpers936]

The bike is so beautiful!

[@RonnRider]

Love my Aspero with GRX Di2! So versatile, which you can’t say about most gravel bikes. I ride extremely rough and technical gravel and single track, then I throw a set of road wheels and keep up with fast bunch rides. So good👌🏾

[@jonathanblakeslee8014]

Loved this review!

[@JEreturns]

Nice review Shane.

[@ashishrajoba135]

Cool intro. More in the future video will be appreciated.

[@gplama]

Noted! 🥰

[@poopscoop2000]

Absolutely lovely looking bike and spec. I don't own a gravel bike (basically I only ride mtb apart from an old cx bike for Zwift duties) but I think there is a definite market for them. Very popular in the UK. I tend to think of them as being like a 90's mtb but in all the good ways! Thanks for the vid.👍

[@lindonandlisa8114]

Nice to find your australian view on gravel bikes

[@gplama]

Barks?

[@minisurfbanana]

My goodness gravel heaven!!!! Viva Victoria!!!

[@pe3117]

Beautiful setup...really like your bike! 👊

[@gplama]

Thanks! 👍

[@tobor58]

Shane, I recently purchased an Aspero 5 Black (2022 GRX Di2) and have only been able to ride it twice due to weather/life schedule conflicts. But I really Love the bike and realize that I may be spending more time than I thought on it vs. my S5 and LiteSpeed Siena due to its flexibility for fun on many surfaces. My mates have been riding gravel rides on there old MTB's for many years - I missed out on those before given that I only owned road bikes. this coming season will be different I will be joining them and maybe smoking them from time to time..🙂 For now I am vicariously enjoying your ride(s) in/on that gorgeous terrain in the footage here. We have nothing that lovely or as unspoiled nearby but I can know what to seek out and dream about. Thanks for giving up the good info with no extras. BTW I saw that finger cross..!

[@shanew634]

Nice review Shane.👍

[@gplama]

Thanks! Lots of fun on this bike captured in the intro!

[@rasmuswi]

Also my 5 cents on "Are gravel bikes a thing". To me, they are a modern take on something that used to exist. In the 80s, there were a lot of "Sporty" standard bikes, with standard sized tires, like 700cx37 or so, and the same sturdy and heavy steel frames as the normal clunkers. They had fenders and a rear rack, and a chain protector so you could ride in your everyday clothes. But they also had derailleurs (typically that awful indexed Shimano Positron 400 2x5 groupset) and a drop bar, so you could go on long rides with them while at the same time being excellent everyday commuters. When the 80s went away, those bikes went away, and bike shops told its customers the unless they were racers they didn't need drop bars. Cycle cross came along and kind of filled that gap. Now that gravel bikes are here, I consider that gap fully filled, with all the 80s stuff that sucked now gone, and modern awesomeness added. Not all of them are excellent commuters, but many of them are. Once again you have a bike that you can use on your everyday ride to work as well as on a 300k sportive or a two week bike tour.

[@jasonmcgrody9472]

I see lots of people where I live going with a road bike with wide tire clearance or a gravel bike and saying "I'll just buy a second set of wheels". I'm not certain how well this works but, psychologically, it feels a lot better to buy just a pair of wheels rather than an entire bike to do the thing (gravel or road) that you don't do very often.

[@timdixo]

Agree with your Aspero assessment Shane,the most striking feature is how superbly balanced the handling is. Haven’t tried the SRAM hood shapes. However having used GRX di2 and road di2 hoods I prefer the road...the GRX are too notchy at the front, it prevents using the draped over the hoods position.

[@nofrills00]

Great vid! looking forward to the next Lama Live!

[@B.r.o.t.h.e.r.2]

Nice review

[@Oji1978]

Liked the intro.

[@steveg5886]

Nice review. I'm fairly certain my next bike will be a gravel bike. A few years ago I wouldn't have even considered it but the idea of riding on a road mostly free of traffic is appealing. Also much nicer scenery

[@aaronchristiansen5774]

That is undoubtedly a massive appeal to gravel riding / bikes. Could not agree more.

[@conradcoolerfiend]

honestly i switched to gravel and never rode my road bike again so far.

[@brendanschiemer1276]

I did it a couple of years ago. The revelation was that there are SO MANY roads that I’d ridden past but never looked at, being unpaved. Now it’s a given that I’ve connected them in my mental map, I know where they go and which are worth it. (Like GP Lama I’m riding around Ballarat & central Vic, with the odd trip to Bright, etc.) I have an older, top shelf CX, on which I confirmed my interest in gravel riding. Now I’m on a titanium gravel bike (a Ribble CGR) with GRX Di2. Supremely capable and so much fun.

[@grvlmaml9043]

That shot @1:05! That makes me want to get out there and ride.

[@mikechan1720]

Would love to see a shot of GPSheepy chasing after you with an e-bike! 😎😎

[@rudyelizondo1935]

Love Cervelos, I own the R3 n fun to ride

[@Tethysmeer]

That zoom at the end 😂

[@AidanP1]

Nice video. Highly ironic I get ads for Peloton when watching your videos 😂

[@gplama]

Who? 😂

[@lifeincycling]

Brilliant review... I've been riding sort-of gravel for about a year now, but recently had the chance to build a proper gravel bike (650x47, custom Ti, GRX Di2, 40T x 11-40) and what a difference that made, especially coming from 700x32 wheels with no clearance to spare. After attending an "off-road" sportive last week I think I need that 42T at the back. Leap frogging MTBers was fun, you'll pass a fair share of them on the climb but they'll smoke you when it comes to those hairy descents. I'm not keen on bar bags mostly because I'm addicted to recording GoPro footage. I even run cable from a top tube bag to get hours of footage (of course it then gets trimmed to about 1% or less to be put on youtube) it's mostly waste of SD storage, but I've missed too many weird/funny moments to not not record any more. It's better not having to worry about the recording status or stopping to swap batteries all the time.

[@brendanschiemer1276]

Who did your custom frame, if you didn’t mind?

[@lifeincycling]

@@brendanschiemer1276 Soulrider Frameworks, I even have a build video

[@cjansson]

Also the geometry of gravel specific bikes makes a huge difference when descending tough terrain, same as comparing an old school XC bike with a modern enduro bike.

[@davidwargin1766]

Great video. I have the same view of my Cervelo build - real happy with it. (As you might recall, ours were near identical.) I do plan to add the salsa cowbell handlebars - they’re so comfy. I also interchanged my cervelo top tube bag with something a bit bigger. It drives me crazy that I also hit my knees when out of the saddle but front bags tend to rattle to much for me. The rear cassette also seemed to be an overkill until I hit some stupid steep gravel - so happy. I plan to do some long haul races in the Cervelo vs my Warbird. (3 200s and 1 480.) I’m sure it’ll be fine. Enjoy your new bike, mate!

[@chimi2169]

Finally!

[@gplama]

I know! The new model was released before I got this up.... 🤣

[@everywherelocal]

yeah! 💪

[@XX-is7ps]

12:40 is there actually anyone out there that has found the perfect saddle and stuck with it 🤣 It’s an eternal never ending quest for me

[@galenkehler]

I did, the selle italia slr is perfect for my a$$

[@stinkyfungus]

The Selle Itallia SLR max gel superflow is my jam. It's the only saddle I use.

[@sfef84]

Great review! Wax your chain in a slow cooker. I get a couple hundred miles out of each application on pure gravel and drivetrain is silent and clean.. that wet lube sucks and I've tried everything. Type of rider:250-300 miles a week

[@kidShibuya]

7:15 running a 9-50T e*thirteen cassette on my eagle Grail (7.4 kg ;P). But anyway love the bike. Agree on the frame mounts, there are none on my Grail but I just completed a week long trip around part of Japan with a tailfin thu axle mount.

[@davet003.5]

I can see Tobias smiling at the weigh ins. I have the same drive setup on my Diverge and I am dead happy (and its interchangeable with my MTB). I guess our logging roads are gravel grade 4’s and 5’s with 3 being a blue moon event.

[@gplama]

Good to hear. Mrs Llama is looking at the Diverge as an option.

[@galenkehler]

Sram should hook you up with a TireWiz! My hot tip is lower pressure in the back.

[@DavidLashlieThatBikeGuy]

Great review Shane 👍 I love the look of the Aspero frame! It’s super interesting to hear your take on jumping the fence from Shimano to SRAM. With other Asperos I’ve seen, the cable routing into the downtube seemed problematic insomuch as that it can introduce some gravel & dust, due to poor sealing around the cables (mechanical setup, 3 cables). Have you got any concerns in this area / has to pull out your BB to tip out any gravel?

[@gplama]

No issues with gravel in the frame as yet.

[@rasmuswi]

Thanks for the review. Without knowing the fine details of Vons Aspero, I'll just mention that I have a bike that I built this winter with mechanical GRX 2x, and I put one of those new Power2Max gravel on it, with a 46/30 (The P2M Gravel is also available with 48/31) on it, and an 11-36 cassette at the back. Lots of people have used the 2x GRX with 11-40 cassettes, so it shouldn't be too hard or expensive to improve her climbing gear. Unfortunately the super cheap Sunrace CSRX1 11-36 cassettes seem to be out of stock everywhere, I have them on all my bikes. Also, if you can get a hold of the Hope Rx4 4 piston brake calipers, get them at once. They are pretty fiddly to set up compared to Shimano or Sram calipers, but they are an absolute game changer when it comes to braking performance, the power and modulation is just awesome! Unfortunately, they are kind of unobtainium right now, just like everything else bike related.

[@brendanschiemer1276]

I’m using a SRAM 11-36 cassette on a couple of Di2 bikes - a 50/34 Ultegra and 48/31 GRX. I don’t mind pulling out the XT 11-40 cassette when I know I’m heading to really tough terrain. The medium cage Ultegra won’t accommodate this but the GRX does. Shimano warn us off anything bigger than 11-34 with 2x but these larger cassettes work well and I find them better for finding the right gear. I did buy my gravel bike with 1x 42 on 11-42, but there are too many super steep climbs in Central Victoria, and I prefer the closer ratios on the roads leading to them. 😄 👌

[@ToddWBucy-lf8yz]

try wend wax for your chain. I ride 3 to 5 times a week and clean my chain every two weeks. I find that their wax-off fluid helps in ensuring that the wax melts into all the tiny places in the chain and therefore lasts longer

[@glennoc8585]

You could swap the wheels out to road standard and you have an endurance bike or even a race bike but less so with other gravel frames I've seen. Weight is very good but you could get it down to low 7s.

[@markstone5390]

The bike has certainly been used. The poor old road bike doesn't get much of a look in anymore ☹

[@tristanreid9342]

Thanks Shane, great review. Thinking back to the grail, would you say the aspero handles more like a road bike? Is it any more sketchy/ unstable on the gravel? Which would make a better one- bike- to- do- it- all?

[@stevec8564]

Great comprehensive review 👍. I own an olive green Aspero with GRX 2x. Normally when I fit a chainset I cross check it’s central alignment by measuring from the crank to either symmetrical chainstays or if not, a symmetrical down tube. On this bike it seems neither are symmetrical. My drive side crank is much closer to the chainstay than non drive side and the opposite is true for the down tube. Anyone else experienced this issue? I am running an Ultegra 46/34 chainset with wheels manufacturing BB.

[@gplama]

I've just thrown my eye on mine from the rear. Same asymmetry. By design to accomodate wider tyres and provide enough strength/stiffness I assume. The 3T Exploro and Open frames do asymmetry to the extreme with the chainstays. My Wheels Manufacturing BBs just arrived today too!

[@stevec8564]

@@gplama thanks for looking. That’s what I thought but it’s a little disconcerting when you look down. With the Shimano cranksets there is very little you can do about it but with the Sram cranksets you can play around with different spacers to get it bang in the middle. The only central frame reference point might be the bottle cage drilling’s but who knows 🤷‍♂️😁. Btw - I wish sram would make an 11 up cassette 🤞. The WM BB has been faultless - 5000km in 👍

[@felixdieu]

Guess the longer wheelbase would make the bike more stable. Probably why your bike steers straighter when you ride hands-off.

[@Yu-chi-em]

Great intro, great video, great bike! Almost bought the Aspero, but chose a Lauf True Grit instead. (Better value, and more MTB capable) But still love to see the/your Aspero in action! And videos like these make me wonder if I should have gone Aspero ;) (= one of the better looking gravel bikes) One question though: why run 10-50 on road and 10-52 off road? Why not go for 10-52 on both(saves you from buying another >$300,- cassette)? Only difference is de biggest cog, I would say if you need a cog that big; why not go all the way ;)

[@gplama]

10-52 would work on both fine... but I don't want to swap cassettes back and forth every time I change my mind on the ride.

[@Yu-chi-em]

@@gplama good point, with two wheels you need two cassettes anyway ;)

[@joelterwilliger9901]

Good review as usual. Question: have you tried switching the rake on the fork (between the two options)? If so, what is your experience and do you recommend one setting over another? Thanks.

[@gplama]

Haven’t changed it.

[@denis.degioanni]

Hi Shane, Happy new year from France. Thank-you for this really great review, I really enjoyed watching it. One of my resolutions for this new year is to buy a Gravel Bike, and I have to admit that your review really convinced me. The choice of the components is great, perhaps I will choose different wheels, I will go maybe for Zipp 353 NSW, but that is a detail. My question is about the size of the bike (like always :-) I am 180 cm tall and the high between my legs (sorry I don't know the technical term in English) is 83.5 cm this mean I am in a middle for a 54 or a 56. With your experience with this bike, would you recommend a smaller frame or a bigger one? Thanks again for all the work you do on KZbin, it's amazing. 🙏🏻

[@gplama]

Best find both sizes to test ride. Bike fit isn't just about height or inseam, it's about personal preference, flexibility, etc, etc. If I was to give you the wrong advice it's at zero cost for me, and potentially many $1,000s for you if it was wrong - hence why I'd recommend a test ride and going from there.

[@denis.degioanni]

Thank you for this advice. I will ask my bike store if we can arrange a test ride.

[@KeithHeinrich]

Try Smoove for your chain. Be amazed.

[@scotth3354]

The reason that it's so stable no-handed is the same reason it's tough to make it turn. As George Thorogood would say, 'that same thang'

[@pam00088]

I just wish I had access to the trails that would properly justify a gravel bike purchase.

[@benjamjo]

Love your show Budd. Love your bike. My dream bike. Was wondering if I can ask how much was total cost?

[@gplama]

Retail here in AU... for tax purposes... is over $10,000. The Aspero frame set is now old news, the Aspero5 has since been released.

[@AREMPEE]

Thanks for this video. I’ll be changing the 2x gs on my 2022 S-Works Crux with the same gs you have but with 40T chainring instead of 42T. My question is, can I use 10-36 or 10-44 cassette with the XX1 RD?

[@gplama]

Unlikely it'll work very well. The 10-44 cassette (XPLR) is for road/flattop chain and the specific roller size of that chain. The XX1 RD is for Eagle chains.

[@AREMPEE]

@@gplama bummer. I forgot about that.

[@DMGDx]

jeeeeeeez where abouts is this 1:04? looks amazing

[@gplama]

That's just out of Bright, Victoria, Australia.

[@BadTanLines]

How normal is it to have a bike that pulls to the right or left as you've described with your road bike? My Canyon Aeroad does this but no other road, gravel, BMX, mountain or commuter bike I've ever had has done this. I would send it back for warranty but I bought it second hand so that's not an option. Just curious how many others have had a bike that does this... any fixes?

[@DumpStars]

Great video! How tall are you? I'm 5' 8.5" (174cm), curious if I should go for the 54 or 51. Thanks!

[@gplama]

181cm, but bike fit is a lot more than just height.

[@cannon1156]

Change saddle .. try the Prologo Scratch M5 saddle. A bit hard to find but very comfortable on a gravel bike

[@jasonmcgrody9472]

I have a Domane SLR7 coming (hopefully) next month and best I can figure with all the money I spent for some lighter stuff is that it'll weigh 8.094 kg - still not ligher than your bike. I do have a question for you or others - how does a bike like the Domane (or any bike with wider tire clearance fitted with gravel tires) measure up to a true gravel bike?

[@jms493]

The Domane is one of the most versatile bikes out there. Endurance Road Bike, Fast Road Bike, and a Gravel bike with bigger tires. I’m tempted to get one when available one day.

[@benjammin365]

What did that build cost you? Also, I find it hard to size myself to their frames. I don’t see a size chart on the website. I was thinking either 51 or 54 being 5’6” with a 30in inseam

[@phestik]

I’m 5’7”, 30 inseam and went with the 51 for my Aspero.

[@stuffhappens5681]

I don’t know what road bike you could fit gravel tires onto. Mine has zero clearance for wider tires.

[@stuartsinclair1721]

Hi Shane - lots of reviewers have raised concerns about the bottom bracket. I don’t know enough about this issue to decide how much of a concern it should be for me as I consider buying an Aspero. What are your thoughts? Thanks

[@gplama]

No issues with the BB to date. I have a Wheels Manufacturing BBRight/DUB BB to install soon to see how that performs.

[@cyclingtwig3638]

A bit slow to watch this one, but....... I noticed your comments about the hands off the bar and the Aspero rolling really straight. I rode my back up roadie the other day (Boardman) and noticed how easy it was to ride hands free compared to my 2019 TCR Advanced Pro 0, which I had been trying to ride hands free and thought I had lost my skills in this area as I was not staying very straight at all. One thing to note is on the Boardman I am only running alloy wheels, so that would make some difference in the wind. But maybe this is a "design flaw" with Giant front ends as opposed to the Aspero being above average?

[@gplama]

The TCR is twitchy and swift in the front end. I recall they’re all like that.

[@plaicknaa]

I use the same xpedo mforce 8 Ti and really I like them so far. Could you give us your opinion on them as you cant find anything online.

[@gplama]

No issues with them so far. They snap in nicely. I'm still able to hit good power in sprints with them.

[@theothervalentin]

those drivetrain noises are driving me crazy. i run a Rival AXS XPLR groupset and thought the narrow chainline with a RED crankset (45mm) was causing the noise because of chain angle. I guess it was the bad chain lubricant that was causing the issues! What's your go to lubricant to quiet down those 1x drivetrains? i am thinking about trying squirt dry lube

[@gplama]

I use Silca "Super Secret Chain Lube". It's a drip wax. Needs reapplication every 150-200km depending on conditions.

[@ejpeiker]

e*thirteen makes a compatible 9/46 cassette which I much prefer to the 10/50 or 10/52

[@gplama]

Interesting! Thanks for the heads up on those.

[@darkzine]

Can you share the mountain top route? Be keen to try this trail out on my Trek Checkpoint!

[@gplama]

Which mountain top? It'll be over on my Strava. I'll link you direct if you can point me at which one.

[@halfglassfull]

Ditched idea of a Giant Revolt Advance 0 after discovering numerous reports of a problem with frame cracks appearing and reappearing after swap. This Aspero looks similar in style hopefully not too weak for true gravel. What is the max size tire it will take?

[@gplama]

700c x 42mm or 650b x 49mm

[@LeoInterHyenaem]

Shane, may I enquire if the combination of the flattop AXS chainset and Eagle chain works impeccably? I'm preparing a cycle tour from Germany to Armenia, and am anticipating a lot of trouble riding up hills and mountains there with the 46/35 front chainrings and 10-33 rear cassette, and am now considering to replace the Force AXS rear derailleur, the cassette and the chain with Eagle AXS GX counterparts. Thank you.

[@gplama]

Things get tricky with compatibility between the road and MTB drivetrain components. Eagle, as I understand is only suited to 1x setups. So using a double ring chainset and Eagle won't work. I believe the SRAM chainsets (front rings) are compatible with both flattop (road) and standard (Eagle) chains. The rear derailleurs are only compatible with their respective chains. Rival/Force/Red = Flattop. Eagle = Standard chain. An option would be to check your Force AXS rear derailleur to see if it's compatible with the 36 tooth cassette. (RD-FRC-E-D1 is)

[@LeoInterHyenaem]

@@gplama Thank you for the brisk reply. No, mine is, unfortunately, thee original (non-Wide) rear derailleur. I might then have to remove the front derailleur (and the smaller chainring) and replace the rear derailleur with an Eagle GX AXS and the cassette and the chain with Eagle GX ones.

[@armandoariza8488]

How did you set up your xpedo pedals to the assioma shi? Can you use similar mountain bike pedals to the assioma platform? Perhaps I missed your video about that.

[@gplama]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5Okd3yegMabpK8

[@Jarek.]

Hi Shane! Fantastic review 😊 10:39 I’m still trying to decide: one or two gears in front in my new gravel bike. From your video it seems you’re pretty happy from the range of gears. How about gaps between individual gears? Thank you‼️

[@moo4rich]

From my experience gaps are not an issue if your mainly off road and are not on easy rolling tracks in a group or racing. For me my rides have 50% road with gravel and even by myself I prefer 2x but would be 1x if my riding was 80% gravel.

[@gplama]

I'm always looking for upgrades or enhancements, another front chainring isn't one I've considered. I can spin or grind, so the gaps aren't a worry for the roads I'm on with this bike.

[@vongdong10]

I find people make more of a deal out of the gaps then there is on a 1x system. If you're not racing then you don't need the 2x. I'm currently trialing a 1x with just an 11-34 cassette and 40t chainring but only riding on the streets for now. Don't miss the larger chainring at all, don't need it as I'm not looking for speed.

[@sdbowen18]

Would you classify it as the quiver killer the one bike for road and gravel?

[@gplama]

This would come very close. It rides nicely with the road wheels on it. For travelling it's the one bike I'd take (with two sets of wheels). I'll always have a road bike in the stable though.

[@adyparipurna6325]

Having longer trail even to mm order, has tendency to more stable off-hands vs road bike. Most gravel-specific bikes are like this.

[@saschaf6689]

Did you have any issues pulling the trailer? I’m a bit weary of hooking our Thule Chariot Sport up to a carbon bike. 🙈

[@gplama]

No issues.

[@finncox23]

Shane, I think I've heard you mention in some of your videos that you are around 5'11". I know this is highly individual, but I'm curious as to what saddle height and setback you typically run, and how much handlebar drop you end up riding on gravel setups? I'm of similar height, and the size 54 seems pretty aggressive to me, based upon the Aspero's geometry chart, but it seemed to work for you. Thanks, Finn

[@gplama]

Saddle is 77.5cm iirc. Setback.... depends on the saddle. I don't actually know. Since hanging up the TT bike I've stopped pushing everything forward to -50mm (UCI requirement). Bar drop... no idea on that either sorry.

[@DCCSound]

@@gplama I collected an Aspero from my local Cervelo dealer in Ballarat and plan on evaluating it this weekend (oh no - it's going to rain). I'm 181cm and am slightly ape, such that my BB to seat is 750mm. I picked up the 56cm, but you seem to have quite a bit of seatpost showing, and am on a 54cm frame. I guess you have longer legs/shorter torso? Cheers, Mike

[@gplama]

@@DCCSound Bikes on Latrobe? Sizing is always highly dependent on the rider. Arms/torso/legs and then personal preference. Keep safe and warm on the roads this weekend! Tomorrow has a weather warning here!

[@DCCSound]

@@gplama Yes, Bikes on Latrobe! I'm interested to compare the Aspero with a Diverge which I thought was pretty phenomenal riding over washboards because there's no tradeoff in running high pressures.

[@bratwurststormtrooper2576]

Hi Shane, I am going for the same bike but I am not sure about the size. I am 1,80 and thinking between 54 or 56 frame size. How tall are you and how does it feel on your 54 frame? Thanks a lot! 😃

[@Plextor1974]

Hallo i am 1.80 too (83SL) and bought the 56 and feel good.

[@skierskymichael2681]

Hi Shane, I consider buying an Aspero GRX 1 with 650x45...it possible to change the wheels 700x40 in this version? I think 650 are slower like 700 e.g. on tarmac... Good review. Greetings from Poland Michael

[@gplama]

All Aspero will take 700x40 wheels. You might need to switch the front fork setting and adjust the front brake. The local bike shop should be able to assist if you don't have the tools.

[@skierskymichael2681]

Ok. Thank you. I hope I get today the bike 😀

[@fairo2350]

Noticed this video is 2 years old now…. Do you still like the mullet spec? I’m currently spec’ing a custom build mog for a more gravel orientated bike and struggling with the right gearing. Going with this a 2x SRAM red. Thanks for feedback in advance!!

[@gplama]

100% love the mullet setup and the gear range. I've added another gravel bike to the stable recently with 1x 11spd GRX that doesn't have the same range...... I've even installed a Classified wheelset which now gives the range, with a LOT more cost and complexity. Switching between the Aspero with AXS mullet and the other bike with GRX + Classified...... I prefer the Aspero.

[@fairo2350]

@@gplama Thanks so much for that, really helpful advice! Coming from both mtb and road backgrounds, I didn’t want it moving too far away from why I like riding on the road… But you’ve convinced me! More difficult this gravel bike malarky ; )

[@Lynge1974]

Hi! I'm torn between these wheels and the DT Swiss GRC 1400. What's your experience after using the Zipp's for a while? Are the ZR1 hubs holding up?

[@gplama]

303 are still going very well. I've thrown a LOT at them over the last 12 months too.

[@Lynge1974]

@@gplama Sounds fine. they are the newer wheel anyways, and a whole lot lighter!

[@nathanjsimpson]

Great to see a long term chat about your Gravel Bike. What handlebar bag do you use?

[@gplama]

Rapha (thanks to Mrs Lama getting two of them) 👌🏼

[@matthewbenger8355]

You think the hands of the bar going dead straight is due to the wireless with less cables to pull the bars one way or the other?

[@gplama]

No. Any cables causing that would be a problem.

[@galenkehler]

No, it's the higher trail numbers on the bike most likely

[@Grunge_Cycling]

This frame is made and painted in the Pardus factory in China. Might as well buy a Pardus.

[@gplama]

Link me up! I'm on the hunt for another gravel frame build.

[@Tethysmeer]

@@gplama have you considered a CFR696? I just bought one, hope it will be ok.

[@johntobin1383]

So then how do you explain that my Aspero has a sticker on it that says made in Taiwan???

[@mrm95]

But is it worth going to a dedicated gravel bike as a secondary bike to a road race bike or should that secondary offroad bike be a XCO MTB like the new unreleased Specialized Epic (which is going in the direction of the Trek Supercaliber with less suspension)? It seems a XCO MTB is comparable if you can get to an aero position even on fast surfaces, so I'm not really sure which direction to go in as a road racer predominantly who wants to add gravel fondo races & rides to his spectrum. My road bike is already 10k+, so I don't really want to have 4-5 bikes if possible.

[@stinkyfungus]

A gravel bike will eat an XC mtb alive on rolling non technical off pavement terrain. When your 36x10t is spun out, (that's IF you put a big (for a 1x MTB) chainring on it... if you run a 32 or so it's even worse) My 42x9t (I run the E13 9-50t 12 speed MTB casette, Mullet is love mullet is life) is just getting it's legs under it. Gravel bikes are WAY faster on anything not technical. So it's up to you and your riding style, if you are just a casual ag road cruiser, the xc MTB might suit you. If you are into fast, dirty grand fondos... you'll want the gravel bike. I say, get both... N+1 baby. It's the only way to fly.

[@mrm95]

@@stinkyfungus Thanks for the answer. I'll have to ponder it for a while.

[@laxplaysu91]

Will this fit 42s? Have tried 42s? I know the website says max 43 but it looks like it’ll be very tight.

[@gplama]

Not something I've tried. Jump on the Aspero group over on Facebook and post there.

[@vongdong10]

You SOB, how did you get your hands on the rival shifters!? They sold out immediately from Pushys and BikeBug are really slacking on even getting them in stock. No one else has them online.

[@gplama]

They were around just after launch.... I may have had the heads up the groupset was about to be announced so I made sure I was on the reservation list! :)

[@bendardania]

Hi Shane, hope all is well. I was hoping you can share your hight, I got a gravel group-set laying around and thought I build a gravel bike and was thinking of buying the same frame as yours; can’t decide to buy a 54 or smaller, it’s my first gravel bike and my very fist gravel build… I’m 5.9. Thank you In advance.

[@gplama]

G’day Ben. It’s too hard to give a good answer on this as there’s a lot more than just height that goes into a bike fit. If you can throw your leg over a demo bike at a store or if you can find someone with a 54 Aspero to do the same, I’d start there. I’ve chosen a 54 as that’s my preference for road bikes and the Aspero is very ‘racey’

[@bendardania]

@@gplama The racy geometry has been confusing me. I have been trying to find one to try it for a month now!unfortunately no luck finding a 54 or 52 anywhere due to supply issues. I use to race on TCR 54 so that will help make my decision. Thank you! 🙏

[@ScottsGearReviews]

Do you think the áspero could replace your road bike with proper wheels and tires? Or is the geo too gravel specific.

[@gplama]

It depends what you expect from a road bike. Maybe.... I still like 2x on road bikes.

[@ScottsGearReviews]

@@gplama thanks! My frame broke this winter on my road bike so it’s time for something new.

[@tylerlougheed569]

How tall are you Shane? I'm so torn between needing a 54 and 56.

[@gplama]

181cm. In the middle of a M/L too... I've always liked a smaller frame and sorting out the reach with a longer stem. It all comes down to preference... and leg/torso/arm length too.

[@Vam1500]

Are you working on a Scribe wheels review?

[@gplama]

Eventually. I'll need more kms on them first.

[@anthonyhilchey8215]

@gplama did you run into your 42t front chain rubbing/scratching the frame on the chain stay? I have a 42t chain ring and it’s scratching the chain stay.

[@gplama]

It's close, but not touching/scratching. I have the Rival AXS 1x WIDE crank to install this week on the bike. I assume that'll give a little more clearance.

[@anthonyhilchey8215]

@@gplama cool thanks let me know how you make out

[@motomoto898]

@@gplama so why downgrade from red crank to a rival wide 1x axs?

[@gplama]

@@motomoto898 I was testing the Rival power meter that is in the spindle.

[@conradcoolerfiend]

Are gravel bikes a thing? LOL Can you fit 40mm tyres in your road bike frame? Do you have a 40 tooth cassette? can you mount pannier dacks? Enough said. I also ride up and down MTB trails on the gravel bike. roots, wood ladders, rocks etc. All the mountain bikers look at me like I'm mad but hey i peddle up the downhilling single track trail while they are peddling up the wide gravel boring path.

[@jemmimafaustere6448]

Can you tell the secret how you connected that rear derailleur to the shifters

[@gplama]

It's wireless (SRAM eTap AXS)

[@jemmimafaustere6448]

@@gplama just knew this would work hahaha im scared to ask other cyclist about this because maybe they will laugh at me but im glad it is a reality, is there a way to have a 2x setup on a groupset like this? Thanks

[@galenkehler]

I'd be interested to hear what offset you're running the adjustable fork in. In the 46mm rake position, with 700x45c tires, you have a trail of 65mm. This is going to be very stable in a straight line but a bit difficult to throw into corners (compared to typical road bikes)

[@gplama]

As it came for now, so the forward position.

[@gilpantaneiro606]

What you are using? Thanks

[@andrehubert8873]

hello, can you tell me what is your saddle height? to see what it looks like with the photos (I hesitate between a 56 and 58, the aspero seems to fit big)

[@gplama]

I'm 181cm. Saddle height is 77cm.

[@andrehubert8873]

@@gplama Thanks !

[@mllandry1]

Any problem of rubbing chain or any noise with the mullet setup ?

[@gplama]

Nope.

[@mllandry1]

@@gplama Thanks

[@JBSpine007]

What size road bike do you ride? 56 or 54cm?

[@gplama]

54

[@conradcoolerfiend]

what size gravel tires you running?

[@gplama]

40mm

[@riffmeisterkl]

A lot of MTB tech…Eagle 52T too. Maybe a suspension fork as well . At some point we may wonder - should one just get a light XC MTB instead of a gravel bike…? They’re getting closer and closer, in a funny way.

[@mitchellsteindler]

No. Riding a mtb on the road sucks.

[@conradcoolerfiend]

honestly no, i actually have riding the gravel bike down the MTB trails. makes easy trails harder. After riding drop bars i Cant go back to flat bars.

[@Jimfly30]

What happened to your hunt wheels review?

[@gplama]

Time. It’s still on the cards.

[@Jimfly30]

Honesty and integrity! I get it !