I’m in a loop deciding my next bike. I have an aero race bike so this would be more for fun or everyday rides. So I thought Aethos. Standard parts, exposed cables would be easy to work on. Super light so I could build it up under 7kgs. But then I look at the Crux and I’m like, it’s only 100g heavier, and I get bigger tire clearance and slightly higher stack which could be good for long rides. But then I wonder if the bigger wheelbase and slacker front end would make it feel less fun to ride. Not like sluggish, more that the Aethos would be more snappy and lively. Then I look at the Fray and I see great tire clearance, downtube storage is nice, and it looks good. It’s not as long as the Crux so would feel more like a road bike. Clearance for 40s is more than enough. But it’s more expensive than the other two. And integrated cables looks awesome but more work. Then I think do I even need tire clearance if this isn’t a gravel bike? Which takes me back to the Aethos.
So I guess my question is, does the Crux make sense if I have no intention to ride gravel? Not that I wouldn’t. But I’m not looking for a gravel bike if that makes sense. What I want is a road bike that I can put big tires on so if I see a fun looking road I can detour. My ideal bike would be a Tarmac SL8 with room for 40s. The Fray could be the bike, but it’s a good bit heavier than both other bikes. And more expensive.
What are your roads like and what size tyres are you looking to run? I think running ~35mm is a great option if you’re somewhere like UK with often less than ideal road surfaces, lots of rain and a decent winter. Which would point towards the Fray if you’re not planning on doing gravel.
It depends very much on where and how you want to ride. I have an aero road bike, which is terrific … on tarmac. For “explore” rides, I’d frequently have to turn around. And when I am too stubborn to turn around, I would sometimes flat. Ugh.
Personally, I’d now love a bike where I simply would not have to stop, no matter the road surface or terrain. I would simply put on 35–40 mm slicks or, depending on the use case, a fast gravel tire like Schwalbe’s G-One RS. (The latter’s rolling resistance is getting close to that of a slick tire.)
If you already have an aero road bike, I don’t think an Aethos is different enough. As to the other two bikes, I’d test ride both and see which bike I like more. Geometry often plays too little a role. A lot of bikes make sense on paper, yet when you ride them, you might not like them.
go ride a few of these and maybe it’ll narrow it down. I almost bought a Crux because it’s an awesome bike. i did not get along well with the feel of it. for me personally I felt like I was sitting on top of it rather than in it…if that makes sense.
fwiw I ride a mountain bike (dual suspension) on the road. have done over 100 miles. I just like it - it’s comfy. the most I do off road is ride through grass or something to get around people rather than wait for them to move over.
get whatever bike you want. there’s no rules. a gravel bike on the road should be awesome.
I have a Crux and love it. If there is any chance you want to run 35-40mm (or even bigger) tires get the Crux. If not Aethos. For me, the Fray is just too expensive for what it is. Unless you are getting an Sworks then the Fray is same price.
This is exactly what I’m looking for. A training bike that I don’t have to swap out the tires. And I can ride all day. And go on pretty much any road. I don’t want a full on gravel bike because they’ve always felt slow and sluggish to me on tarmac. Especially with knobby gravel tires. I mainly want a road bike that’s fast in tarmac, but I can run big tires year round so if the surface gets bad or a little gravel-y I don’t have to reroute or worry about flats.
I was looking at an S-Works Crux for $3800. Previous model without UDH but that doesn’t matter because I run Shimano. So it’s still cheaper than the Fray.
I have a Crux and this is exactly what I use it for. My last ride was 2/3 gravel and 1/3 (not smooth) pavement. 42 s-works pathfinders are my favorite road/dirt combo tire.
Crux definitely has more road bike feel than a pure gravel bike.
The Crux is lively, light and nimble. I love how the back end is snappy and keeps you on your toes. Simply for the sake of tire clearance the Crux takes the cake over the Aethos. Between those two, if the gearing and the wheelset is the same - then you get way more tire clearance.
Sounds like you want an endurance bike with 40mm of clearance. Or an Aethos with 32mm tubeless tires.
I have a Crux and wouldn’t buy it without intending to ride gravel. Even though the internet proclaims this, it’s not an Aethos with more tire clearance. You can see the difference when you do a geometry comparison. You can feel the difference when you’re carving down the mountain. I used to run my Crux with 32mm GP5000 tubeless. It’s a very nice setup, but it’s not a dynamic road bike like a Tarmac if that’s what you want.
If you’ll never even consider a dirt road, then don’t go with the Crux. With that being said, the Aethos and Tarmac are closer than you might imagine in terms of comfort. For me it comes down to climbing bike with mid-compact crank and 25mm rims (Aethos) or aero bike with standard crank and 45mm rims (Tarmac). I reach for the Tarmac more often than not and the Aethos is next on the chopping block.
The Crux will open up new worlds to you. The Aethos will underwhelm you IMO if you’re looking for something really different. Crux geo is much more rear-biased and slower steering so you need to be aware that it’s not just tire clearance as someone above noted.
It’s not that I won’t ride gravel roads, it’s more that I’m not looking for a dedicated gravel bike if that makes sense. 90% of the gravel/dirt roads around me I can probably ride on my road bike and 28s. If I was doing gravel races or riding thick gravel, I’d want a different bike. This is a road bike with fat tires that I could ride on gravel if I see a fun detour. Or I plan a route and need to ride a stretch of gravel road but it’s mostly tarmac. Honestly, 32s on an Aethos would probably be more than enough.
Sounds like you just need one of those road bikes with room for 40’s - an “endurance” one. Roubaix, do they still make those?
I have a tarmac and crux (and stigmata) - I would not get crux unless you’re going off road. It’s a tall bike, that you sit on top of like another commenter said, even with a slammed long stem it’s not really road geo.
And tbf it’s lacking for gravel too, it’s not as capable where I personally prefer slacker angles and sitting in a bike not on top and even more room for tires. Crux is in no man land. Maybe ok for CX.
If they made decent ones without gimmicks, I’d probably be on it. The Roubaix has too many gimmicks. The Domane had too many gimmicks, can’t say I’ve looked at the new one. And they were both so heavy. The Fray might be ok. The stack is high and I was actually thinking of downsizing because the stack is really high on my normal size. The Fray is like 12mm higher than the Crux.
Edit: Just looked at the Stigmata. Some weird geometry. Really long reach and tall stack. Too slack for my tastes. Just a big bike.
Check out the Cervelo Caledonia (5). Fast endurance geometry that can clear reasonably large tires. Would make a great “go anywhere” road bike. My wife has one and loves it.
You can always adjust the gearing by changing out your cassette and chainrings later. Personally, I’d leave it stock for a bit, observe how my riding changes and then adjust as needed.