The 2022 Specialized S-Works Crux Is Worth Robbing A Bank For! Long-term review

My in-depth review of the brand new Specialized S-Works Crux which has been put on a massive diet and has a load of gravel influence to make it both a gravel crusher as well as a CX racer. But can it really do both cyclocross and gravel or is it compromised? Watch to find out

Sponsored by Saddleback

Content
00:00 Intro
00:52 Frame Tech
3:10 Gravel focus
4:03 BIG tyre clearance
5:29 Ride impressions
8:41 N+1 killer?
10:34 Lacks verstaility
12:00 Price and equipment
15:05 Verdict

Follow me:

[illuminatustm]

Traditional frame designs just do it for me in a way the new school stuff doesn’t ❤️

[ianboltron]

Great looking bike but supremely overpriced for the top of the range model. Solid review as always David!

[bradsanders]

As a weekend warrior, and weekday mornings picked up a 2022 Canyon Endurace with Di2 and love the thing.
Easy to get it below 16 lbs. Great comfy road bike, feels light to did a gravel climb last weekend and it just took off, every one else on typical weight gravel bikes, me on a light Endurace with my gravel wheels and really like the bike. The seatpost/frame give a great ride.

[jamiefarrell]

I’m lucky enough to have a new Crux and it’s definitely filling the multiroles you describe, Dave. It’s my twofer; one wheelset with GP5000s and a cassette for fun on the roads and another wheelset, with some knobbly Rene Herses and a wider range cassette, for non-tarmac fun. It’s not cheap, but it replaced both my Canyon Endurace and my Lauf True Grit and does as good, if not better, jobs than both of them. With a little bit of determined mental maths, I (just about) made the numbers work for me :) LOVE this bike.

[ultimatist]

I'm a Diverge owner, and the Crux is a fantastic bike. Still, I prefer the Diverge for steep, loose Bay Area descents: it has a 2x groupset for extreme gradients, longer wheelbase, slacker geometry, and more flex. Also, when you can fit 35mms on an Aethos, and cyclists are winning local gravel races on road bikes with 32-35mm tires, the Crux isn't as much of a default racer. No doubt we'll see it often on races with more elevation, where weight matters. But on Unbound's long, straight slogging miles? Interested to see the equipment choices this year... David, I think you're right that aero matters more.

[aaronedgeart]

Your opinion, stats, and impressions are most definitely aiming me at a Crux with separate gravel + road wheelsets. Thanx David!

[wsbygt]

This CX bike with different tires is almost as light(or even lighter) than my aero road bike. Impressive.

[mortlow]

i like the clean classic frame design . It looks amazing!

[dcv]

Awesome review David! As always 👍🏽 👍🏽 👍🏽

[dakrisht]

Having ridden a couple Rene Herse, the Gravelking SS+ and SK+ and the Conti Terra Speed - I honestly think the Specialized Pathfinder Pro is one of the best graven / tarmac mixed use tires out there. Heavy, sure, but feels like a Cadillac on the road, stable, rolling resistance is up there, supple, no punctures, solid solid tire.

The Terra Speed’s wear out way too quickly and are prone to punctures. Same with the Gravelkings. The Herse tires certainly do feel extra supple but they’re pricey.

[bobtilton]

Thoroughly enjoy your reviews and have watched the Diverge/Crux with great interests. Love my 2018 Diverge with updated 1.5 FS but I have had to replace the unit twice now hence the interest in the Crux.

[stevesnailfish]

I started riding off-road on a drop bar bike back in 2014 after being on MTB's for decades and have never looked back as it's so much bike is a Boardman CX Comp and I still get out on it as it takes 38c tyres (which measure out at 40c more capable with a Redshift stem, shorter stem and a gravel handlebar. I also turned it SRAM 1x11 with Rival hydraulic brakes etc last

The Crux series always look good need a larger wallet :) 1x is so good....

[gerlachsieders]

As a happy owner of a Secan, I wouldn't mind seeing yours once in a while ;-) Any adventures like on the King Alfreds Way on the horizon? That was such a nice outdoor adventure. All the best David! Gerlach Sven.

[jimthebikeguy]

I love it but I can't reconcile that price. And if you go downscale and buy a (still brutally priced) 5 grand version, it comes with a super heavy rival axs groupset thus negating the advantages of the frame. It absolutely is the future of bikes though; 3 in 1 is what we will all be buying soon.

[KameelMotionFit]

Great review, you ask for tires preferences. I like the continental terra speed or Vittoria terreno dry

[donschloth]

I just finished the SBT GRVL race in Colorado on my OBED GVR and was left wondering how I would have liked riding the Crux instead. I also own an Aethos and absolutely love it! The OBED doesn’t really inspire or excite me when I’m riding it and that’s not to say it isn’t capable, it just doesn’t seem to have any character. It’s heavy, sturdy and gets the job done but again, I’m just not excited by it. My thought is to replace the OBED and Aethos with a Crux. It’s my hope that I’ll enjoy the Crux as much as the Aethos with the ability to race gravel, road ride and use the Crux as my travel bike. I’ll have to keep researching and hopefully get a chance to ride a Crux.

[MJarthur]

Great review as always! The bike looks good 👌🏽!

It’s just sad that all these bikes coming out (even older models) is order now & receive them December 2022 or even mid 2023. Just absurd

[sandrospera]

I want to see you review the Ridley Kanzo Fast, I do have one and I love it !

[briantravis]

Thank you David for the review. I rode the Diverge Expert in 2020, then a Crux in 2021... I continually debate which one I prefer more for the Cadillac gravel we have here on the South Bruce Peninsula. I haven't decided for this season where to go back to the Diverge or stay with the Crux. When I am going up hill I'm convinced the Crux is the bicycle for me... then I hit the downhill and change my mind :) I think it might end up coming down to whether or not I like the new colour of this seasons Diverge :)

[rickbeckner]

Another excellent review. I will be interested to see, assuming you can get your hands on one, how you view the “lower” level Crux, given that the low weight of the S-Works version was a defining characteristic. Although you briefly touch on it, I think it is important to stress that the Crux has a very, very low stack compared to most gravel bikes. Even with wide, low pressure tires, many riders will find this an uncomfortable ride. As you say, this is a niche bike (although a compelling one for someone interested in that niche!)