{"id":56025,"date":"2023-11-09T14:00:05","date_gmt":"2023-11-09T13:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/?p=753522"},"modified":"2023-11-09T15:46:12","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T14:46:12","slug":"why-lauf-has-launched-a-road-bike-and-the-thinking-behind-it","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/why-lauf-has-launched-a-road-bike-and-the-thinking-behind-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Lauf has launched a road bike \u2013 and the thinking behind it"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lauf\u2019s gravel background brings a fresh approach to the Icelandic brand\u2019s first road bike <\/p>

By Paul Norman\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 09 November 2023 at 13:00 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Lauf has always done things a little differently, going back to 2013 when the Icelandic brand teased its first leaf-sprung suspension fork for mountain bikes.<\/p>\n

In the years since, Lauf has turned its attention to gravel bikes, with the True Grit arriving in 2017 and, more recently, the Seigla. Now, the company has launched its first road bike, the \u00dathald.<\/p>\n

In Icelandic, \u00dathald means \u2018endurance\u2019 \u2013 but, as you\u2019d expect from Lauf, it\u2019s a bike designed to challenge the traditional conventions of race and endurance road bikes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lauf has applied its knowledge from designing gravel bikes<\/a> to produce a road bike that takes a different approach to fast progress on tarmac, with a slack geometry that balances stability and performance, and a tailored approach to aerodynamics.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dive deeper into why Lauf has launched a road bike \u2013 and the thinking behind the new Lauf \u00dathald<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A road bike from a gravel background<\/h2>\n
\"Lauf\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Lauf has switched from gravel to road with the new \u00dathald endurance bike.<\/span><\/figcaption> Lauf<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The relationship between road bikes and gravel bikes is convoluted. The first gravel bikes were essentially road bikes with wider clearance, according to Lauf\u2019s founder and CEO, Benedikt Sk\u00falason.<\/p>\n

Then, gravel bikes started to develop their own personality, with a more relaxed geometry, lower gearing and ever-increasing tyre clearance.<\/p>\n

The emergence of gravel race bikes<\/a> as a sub-category has seen things swing back the other way. Many fast gravel bikes are getting closer to road bike territory again through more conservative tyre clearance and more responsive, race-ready geometry.<\/p>\n

With the \u00dathald, Lauf is coming from a different design direction though, as Sk\u00falason explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe brand has always been all about gravel,\u201d he says. \u201cThis gives us a different perspective on geometry. We originally came from an XC MTB background, so our True Grit and Seigla gravel bikes were groundbreaking when we launched them, with more stability than other gravel bikes. But now many other brands have adopted a similar geometry.\u201d<\/p>\n

The key, according to Sk\u00falason, was to find balance in the geometry \u2013 to offer stability for off-road riding, while still enabling the rider to get low on the bike. That same thinking has been applied to the \u00dathald.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the time, our geometry was radical, with a \u2018fast fit\u2019, which was more fun,\u201d Sk\u00falason continues.<\/p>\n

\u201cA fast ride doesn\u2019t mean that a bike shouldn\u2019t be stable though. However, road bikes designed for an aggressive fit always have a steep head angle that gives them handling that is sharp, responsive and nervous, and we questioned why this should be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stable is faster<\/h2>\n
\"Frame\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Lauf has used a slack 71.5-degree head angle on the \u00dathald.<\/span><\/figcaption> Lauf<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Lauf\u2019s first fundamental idea with the \u00dathald, according to Sk\u00falason, is that making you stable will make you faster. The over-focus on responsiveness in road bikes is down to two factors, he says: tradition, and that the ride feels fast if it\u2019s more \u2018edgy\u2019, even if it isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

On top of that, Sk\u00falason says larger brands often try to segment their customers between those who are less experienced, to whom they offer stability and a more upright ride, and faster or more experienced riders, who are offered a more aggressive fit and quicker steering. The latter typically comes at a higher price.<\/p>\n

Coming from its gravel origins, Lauf is ready to challenge that thinking with the \u00dathald. According to Sk\u00falason, the rider fit of the \u00dathald is similar to \u2018fast road bikes\u2019 from major brands such as Trek and Specialized \u2013 and indeed to Lauf\u2019s own Seigla and True Grit gravel race bikes \u2013 but the geometry is still designed to be significantly more stable.<\/p>\n

While we\u2019re typically used to seeing head tube angles of around 73.5 degrees for a medium frame on performance road bikes, the \u00dathald\u2019s is a whole two degrees slacker at 71.5 degrees. This has a big impact, Sk\u00falason says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re more confident, you can ride faster,\u201d he says. \u201cIt makes it more comfortable to go fast and there\u2019s not the feeling that you are going to be thrown over the handlebar.<\/p>\n

\u201cLonger, slacker geometry is already the norm for mountain bikes and gravel bikes, so why not for road bikes too?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n

Mind games<\/h2>\n
\"Ashley\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
\u2018Stable is faster\u2019, according to Lauf.<\/span><\/figcaption> Thrainn Kolbeinsson \/ Lauf Cycles<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The downside of a more stable ride is in the tricks a stable geometry can play, Sk\u00falason says. Riders used to quicker steering on performance road bikes may equate fast handling with performance.<\/p>\n

Bike designers have had a steady stream of innovations<\/a> to embrace over the past 15 years or so \u2013 carbon frames, disc brakes, aerodynamic know-how \u2013 and Sk\u00falason thinks a fresh approach to geometry could be the next frontier in road bike design.<\/p>\n

While there\u2019s science behind building bikes, there\u2019s an experiential layer above that, Sk\u00falason continues, and Lauf has looked to address the fun factor, too.<\/p>\n

Although the front-end geometry of the \u00dathald is slack, Lauf set out to keep the rear of the bike as tight as possible.<\/p>\n

Shorter chainstays are intended to give a more direct feeling to the ride, so Lauf has gone as short as possible \u2013 and shorter than competing bikes \u2013 at 405mm. However, the \u00dathald still offers 35mm of tyre clearance and meets the recommended shortest chainstay length for SRAM and Shimano drivetrains.<\/p>\n

A more compliant ride<\/h2>\n
\"Seatstay\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
The rear of the frame is designed to offer up to 4.5mm of \u2018sag\u2019.<\/span><\/figcaption> Lauf<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Lauf\u2019s second fundamental concept behind the design of the \u00dathald is that fast bikes don\u2019t have to be uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

For Sk\u00falason, the objective here was to build extra compliance into the frame, and avoid the extra weight and complexity of active suspension systems.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have the same compliance system in the rear of the \u00dathald as on the Seigla, which is up there with bikes with pivots and active suspension systems, but without any of the drawbacks,\u201d says Sk\u00falason.<\/p>\n

With a 75kg rider aboard, the rear of the \u00dathald\u2019s frame will sag by 4.5mm. According to Lauf, if that rider then hits a pothole, the frame can flex up to 15mm, measured from the saddle towards the rear hub.<\/p>\n

The carbon layup required to provide this compliance adds \u201csomething like 40g\u201d to the frame weight, claims Sk\u00falason.<\/p>\n

\"Cable\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Lauf has also developed a new handlebar for the \u00dathald.<\/span><\/figcaption> Lauf<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re giving you that compliance just from the frame,\u201d he adds. \u201cPlus you get the comfort from the wider 32mm tyres we\u2019ve fitted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lauf makes the frame from what it calls Impact Resistant Modulus carbon fibre. Lauf avoided using higher-modulus carbon, because the brand says this prevents frame flex, can make the frame feel harsh and leads to far lower impact resistance.<\/p>\n

Lauf hasn\u2019t neglected front-end comfort either. The brand\u2019s Smoothie Road handlebar includes impact-resistant glass-fibre tops. Lauf says it provides 2.5mm of compliance here under a 40kg load.<\/p>\n

Despite the weight added by the \u00dathald\u2019s compliance features, Lauf claims a painted, size-medium frame comes in at 985g, plus an additional 365g for a painted fork. The Smoothie Road handlebar, meanwhile, adds 270g in a 40cm width.<\/p>\n

Aero where it matters<\/h2>\n
\"Down\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
While not an aero road bike, the frame does have some watt-saving styling.<\/span><\/figcaption> Lauf<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Sk\u00falason says that, while stability and compliance are the key areas where Lauf has used its expertise in gravel to innovate with the \u00dathald, the brand has also applied some of the latest thinking in aerodynamics where it really matters.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe focused on aerodynamics where we could and where it matters the most,\u201d Sk\u00falason says. \u201cWe initially wanted to go for a highly shaped down tube, but you need to add \u2018lazy fibres\u2019 to achieve that, which don\u2019t do anything for you but improve aerodynamics. The trade-off wasn\u2019t worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead, the top of the down tube, for example, is designed to be aerofoil-shaped, while lower down it expands to shield the bottles, something that can be achieved without too much additional weight.<\/p>\n

On the head tube, meanwhile, the extended, deeper, tapered profile helps to reduce the drag footprint and also improves frame rigidity. In the fork blades, there\u2019s an easy win from the narrow but deep profile.<\/p>\n

At the rear, where the airflow is already much more turbulent, Lauf\u2019s design prioritises comfort over aerodynamics, incorporating a round seat tube and seatpost, for example. Although the slim, dropped seatstays may improve aerodynamics, they\u2019re designed primarily for their comfort characteristics.<\/p>\n

Keep it simple<\/h2>\n
\"Cable\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Lauf has eschewed the trend for internal cable routing.<\/span><\/figcaption> Lauf<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Lauf has also resisted two key aerodynamic trends, with the \u00dathald\u2019s cockpit remaining a two-piece affair, using external cable routing \u2013 despite front-end integration now being the norm on performance bikes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have yet to see any studies that show any benefit that is remotely worth it from routing the cables through the headset,\u201d says Sk\u00falason. \u201cInternal routing will make changing your fit and working on the bike much harder.\u201d<\/p>\n

The gains from integration tend to be quoted for extreme cases, adds Sk\u00falason, pointing out that a three-watt gain might, as an example, be quoted at a riding speed of 50kph. \u201cThis number drops to about 0.3 watts for a wirelessly shifting bike ridden at 30kph,\u201d says Sk\u00falason.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the \u00dathald is built for wireless electronic groupsets<\/a> only, which immediately halves the number of exposed cables (leaving behind only hydraulic brake hoses).<\/p>\n

Sk\u00falason also says the low stack height of the bike results in shorter exposed hose lengths.<\/p>\n

Race or endurance?<\/h2>\n
\"Top\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
\u00dathald means \u2018endurance\u2019 in Icelandic.<\/span><\/figcaption> Lauf<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

So, regardless of its name, is the \u00dathald a race bike or an endurance bike? It\u2019s both, says Sk\u00falason.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a race bike, but it\u2019s combining the benefits of both types of bikes,\u201d he concludes. \u201cWe fit the rider on it to go fast, but it also gives you stability and way more compliance than any other fast road bike.\u201d<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n

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