I bought the Crux frameset while I was at VeloNews. I wanted a disc brake bike to test certain products and the Specialized was a great value. It has seen the rounds. I've done cross races on it, gravel races, lots of winter miles. Kristen raced it for a couple seasons. Recently I got it back after KP got a new cross bike. This build is one of my favorites to grace the frame. It's nice, functional and reliable. As pictured, the bike is accessorized for the Land Run 100 in early March. I have some travels before I go there and I like to have my bikes dialed before toeing a start line. So far so good!

Gravel appropriate gearing (for me) thanks to a Sugino OX801D crank with 44/30 rings.

10 spd Shimano derailleurs and shifters with a fancy SRAM Red 11x32 cassette. It's not supposed to work but it does.

It's a mess of a cockpit, but it's everything you need for an unsupported 100-mile gravel race. I'll wrap the aerobars with some tape before I go.

Specialized Trigger 2Bliss tires are pretty great. Roll fast and corner well. They are the limit on width for the rear of the Crux while still allowing for some mud clearance.