Specialized Crux 5 Comp SRAM Rival XPLR Bike (2027)

Specialized Crux 5 Comp SRAM Rival XPLR gravel bike in Obsidian Metallic, model year 2027. Manufacturer reference: 91427-5154

The Crux 5 was born from the fastest gravel race bike ever made. Not just because it is the lightest. Not just because it is our most aerodynamic bike. Not just because it handles dirt the way a Tarmac handles pavement. But because it delivers the lowest real-world Time to Finish of any gravel bike ever built. The Crux 5 converts more of your effort into pure speed, validated on real race courses, real terrain, and with real riders. If your goal is to stand on the top step of the podium, nothing is faster in gravel.

• 9:58 Faster at Unbound: What happens when we apply the Speed Equation with 15.2 watts less aerodynamic drag, a 789 g frame (S-Works size 56), a 6.9 kg system weight, high-precision surface telemetry, and elite rider power profiles? A saving of 9 minutes and 58 seconds. Had Sofía Gómez Villafañe raced the 2025 Unbound on a 2026 Crux 5, simulations show she would have finished 9:58 faster, entirely thanks to equipment efficiency. This level of simulation is still uncommon in cycling but is standard practice in elite sports such as Formula 1 and the America's Cup, where it is routinely used to optimize performance.
• A complete system engineered for speed: Drawing directly from the knowledge gained with the Tarmac SL8 and decades of aerodynamic research, every tube on the Crux 5 has been designed to maximize speed at elite gravel race pace.
• Aerodynamic gains are distributed as follows: Frame, fork and seatpost: 50%. Roval Terra Aero wheels: 30%. Roval Terra cockpit: 20%.
• *15.2 watts saved at 45 km/h using our moving-leg rider model. Results may vary depending on the rider.
• The Science Club at our Morgan Hill Innovation Center built multiple development prototypes by combining Crux 4 and Tarmac SL8 components. Early concepts ranged from a Crux 4 fitted with a Tarmac SL8 seat tube and seatpost to a Crux front triangle paired with a complete Tarmac SL8 rear triangle and a custom aerodynamic fork. Every aerodynamic improvement was validated using the moving-leg model because speed without a rider is meaningless.
• Aerodynamics with the rider included: No gravel bike races without a rider, so aerodynamic data without one is equally meaningless. That's why all testing in the Win Tunnel is carried out using our sixth-generation moving-leg rider model. Unlike tests performed with static mannequins or the bicycle alone, this system measures how a rider's moving body influences airflow around the bicycle at race speeds.
• The sixth-generation moving-leg model provides greater repeatability, lower test-to-test variability, and more accurate CdA values that include the rider. A cyclist's moving legs dramatically change airflow, making any aerodynamic calculation that ignores this factor incomplete.

Technical specifications

Frame

• Frame: Crux 5 FACT 10r Carbon, Rider First Engineered™, Threaded BB, 12x142 mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc, UDH dropout
• Fork: S-Works FACT Carbon, 12x100 mm thru-axle, flat-mount disc

Drivetrain

• Shifters: SRAM Rival AXS E1
• Rear derailleur: SRAM Rival AXS E1 XPLR, 13-speed
• Crankset: SRAM Rival E1 XPLR, DUB Wide, 40T
• Bottom bracket: SRAM DUB BSA 68 Wide
• Cassette: SRAM Rival E1 XPLR, 13-speed, 10-46T
• Chain: SRAM Rival E1

Brakes

• Front brake: SRAM Rival E1 hydraulic disc
• Rear brake: SRAM Rival E1 hydraulic disc

Wheels & Tires

• Wheelset: DT Swiss G500 rims, 26 mm internal width, tubeless ready, 24H, Specialized fully sealed bearing thru-axle hubs, Center Lock disc mount, DT Swiss Champion 14G stainless steel spokes, DT Swiss brass nipples
• Front tire: Pathfinder 700x45, Tubeless Ready
• Rear tire: Pathfinder 700x45, Tubeless Ready
• Tubes: 700x32-50 mm, 40 mm Presta valve

Cockpit

• Handlebar: Specialized Adventure Gear, 118.9 mm drop, 70 mm reach, 12° flare
• Bar tape: Supacaz Super Sticky Kush
• Saddle: Body Geometry Power Comp, chrome alloy rails
• Seatpost: S-Works Tarmac SL8 Carbon seatpost, FACT Carbon, 15 mm offset
• Seatpost clamp: Integrated Wedge

Weight

• Size 56: 8.89 kg

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