Looking forward to this!
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I’m working my way through some flags of questionable posts.
Please refocus to the topic and keep respect in mind as well, thanks. 
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What’s the weight of that trek checkpoint SLR9? Seems like the crux has set the bar low and I’m trying to compare everything to that especially since I do a lot of cx on the gravel bike.
56 - 8.10 kg / 17.86 lbs
This is from Trek website
The Crux has been high on my list for a while as a potential jack of all trades option - meaning I would sell my road bike and cross bike, and just have one for everything. Would you road race on the Crux? I think my Crit days are coming to an end soon, so I am contemplating whether I really need a full-blooded road bike.
Is it going to be faster than a dedicated road bike? Maybe (probably) not. But you could do it. The first crit I ever raced was on a Trek Boone with road tires. It might feel a little sluggish with the longer wheelbase, but it’s doable. I think it definitely could be a do-it-all bike. It’s a fun bike to ride, even on the road. It’s basically an Aethos with a longer wheelbase and slightly slacker. I’ve even grabbed it some days over the Tarmac when I don’t care about going super fast.
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That is kind of where I am at. I love CX, so the Crux should be great. I’m doing more and more gravel, so again the Crux should be great. And then it is super light and with road tires on I could still do faster group rides and the occasional road race.
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I own an Ostro VAM and top end builds are as expensive or more than many bikes in this list with some nice extras you don’t get included elsewhere.
It’s a premium brand and bike, it’s just your knowledge of and familiarity with them.
Mine came with a top end Shimano Dura Ace 9200, it was basically a “choose your spec” build. I also had someone from Factor spend over an hour talking to me before I committed, and got to choose frame size, bar size, wheels, and full component spec. Pretty great buying experience, event though it wasn’t cheap.
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If budget is no option, why not go custom?
I have a Pursuit All Road, picked up in October in advance of a milestone birthday. Cons are that the tire size is limited to 40, officially (I think I can get 42s to fit) and it’s aero nothing.
Pros: the layup was made for me, the geometry fits like a glove, and there are no other bikes that look like mine.
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With 2 bottle cages, pedals (Eggbeater 11) and mounts for Wahoo, front light and Varia saddle mount, it weights 18.45 pounds. Size 58 btw.
Character?.. um, it’s loyal and generous yet sincere and brave. It rides great and feels fast. I don’t know what to say here, it’s a top of the line gravel bike. I will say though, It doesn’t feel any better or worse than my SLR 7. Not sure it’s worth the extra $4,000.
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I meant in the boring/stable to lively/nervous spectrum. Also stiffness/compliance. How do they justify the price difference?. Different carbon and higher spec components?
Nice bike, but I’m leaning towards internal cable routing. Maybe if the Cruz Sworks blows my mind on a test ride, I’ll compromise in this issue.
I had a Trek Checkpoint SL and then upgraded to a SLR frame last year when they became available. Similar to @MI-XC I’ve been really happy with it.
I have mine set up with an ENVE gravel bar and G23 wheels and then 1x with Eagle mullet setup.
Clearance with the G23’s for 45s. I mostly ran 42 Pathfinder Pro’s last year. I’ve slowly been increasing the size of tires I run on gravel going from 38 to 40 to 42.
With a 650b wheel, like an Enve G27, you can run up to 53mm/2.1" tires (per spec) on it. I’d definitely be interested in trying that one day on the right course, but I also have a Trek Supercaliber that sort of feels like a magic carpet on really rough gravel and with the right tires is still pretty quick.
Couple other nice things on the SLR is the intergrated downtube storage and, at least some, aero shaping - mostly in the fork. The rear IsoSpeed does help with comfort on long rides. The bikes geometry feels “right” to me - stable, but still handles well. Big Sugar was probably the most technical race I did on it and it felt very planted in some of the higher speed corners and stayed stable when hitting unexpected big ruts and rocks.
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Salsa Warbird
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No.22 Drifter if money isn’t an issue.
NAHBS winner, looks extraordinary, no one else will have one.
Or a Mosaic GT-1.
And if a titanium gravel bike is fast enough for Brennan Wertz (500w for 20 minutes 
) it’s enough for just about anyone.
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I race XCO and mtb 100s, so gravel is pretty tame, lol. It feels plenty stable and comfortable. It’s much more comfortable than my XC bike with suspension locked out. Higher price gets you Sram Red components and upgraded wheels.
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Another one is 3T’s Exploro. The first-gen Exploro was the first aero gravel bike, and 3T has released their second-gen bike with two tire widths. They have 1x and 2x models, SRAM, Shimano, Campag, no matter your preferences, they have a bike for you. Plus, they have these super sexy made-in-Italy frames …
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I’ve been very happy with my Colnago G3X. Light, agile, stable in snarky corners, absorbs washboard shock well. Running GRX 2x and Light Bicycle carbon hoops with 38mm Gravel King SK
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