To say we’ve put the Lauf Úthald via its paces could be an understatement. Three of us have been using them for a bit greater than a yr now, throughout all the pieces from rolling east coast hills to Idaho’s dry backroads. From Japan’s coastal highways to their forgotten mountain passes.
And throughout all of these surfaces, via all of these terrains, all three of us like it.
Put merely, the Úthald would possibly simply be the right highway bike for practically each rider. Right here’s why…
The Úthald flat out performs
To be honest, most of our using has been on regular roads, underneath principally regular situations. In group rides and solo escapes. We acquired our bikes simply earlier than our journey to Japan final spring, and initially prepped them for eight days of supported highway biking throughout Japan’s Shikoku Islands and their practically flawless asphalt.
Out of the field, constructed, after which shipped half manner around the globe to interrupt them in. A terrific begin, and for Steve, mainly the primary time he actually acquired to experience it.
Irrespective of, he felt proper at residence instantly, and instantly crushed me up each climb (including insult to harm by by no means as soon as shifting into the little chainring on the complete tire. Thanks, buddy.).
Equally, Harrison joined on his new Úthald for the second leg (extra on this beneath) of my Japan biking odyssey with only a few introductory miles on it. And he did fantastic, too.
Which is to say, the Lauf Úthald is each conventional in match, but extraordinarily forgiving in perform. Steve and I are each very skilled riders, besides, with many bikes, there’s at all times some quantity of studying curve to really feel at residence. Hardly ever would you wish to deliver a brand-new-to-you bike on a week-long biking tour, particularly if that tour is punctuated by one other week of bikepacking on the identical bike.
But, the Lauf made us all really feel instantly at residence, with no surprises or quirks, cruising alongside comfortably and easily, mile after mile.
And when it got here time to hammer to maintain up with the quicker people on our tour, it delivered the punchy, responsive acceleration we anticipate from a contemporary efficiency highway bike.
Within the yr since that tour, the three of us have put untold miles on our bikes. Steve’s spouse loves it a lot she’s mainly claimed it as her personal. And Harrison has develop into an increasing number of of a bike owner in no small half due to how a lot he enjoys the bike.
As for me, it’s develop into my go-to highway bike amongst a way-too-big fleet of choices I’ve accrued over time. Why? As a result of…
It handles like a dream
It’s one factor to make a motorcycle deal with nicely for a sure set of situations. It’s fairly one other to make it a real all-round performer that additionally stands out in a crowded discipline of excellent bikes at the moment available on the market.
I’ve reviewed my fair proportion of highway bikes, from racing bikes to endurance bikes to all-road bikes, and I can truthfully say none excels throughout all three classes just like the Úthald.
That mentioned (and that is actually my solely caveat to picking this bike), for those who’re on the lookout for a crit racing bike, this isn’t it.
However that’s precisely why I like my Úthald, as a result of it’s not a twitchy little beast that calls for fixed consideration.
There’s lots of design consideration that went into making the Úthald what it’s, from a bent seat tube that creates intentional vertical flex for improved consolation to clearance for large tires (as much as 35mm).
However the largest factor that units it aside is the entrance finish geometry. Lauf gave it a slack 71.5º head angle with longer-than-normal fork path, yielding an extremely steady bike.
This bike is unshakable. Cruise together with no palms, or simply a few fingers if the highway is tough, and it’ll hold going the place it’s aimed. And when it’s time to carve a nook, it’ll maintain the meant line so nicely that it’s mainly begging you to take it quicker.
Similar for descending, significantly at excessive speeds on curvy roads…by no means have I felt extra assured on mountain descents, and by no means have I gone quicker than I’ve on this bike.
It additionally climbs like a machine. Quick chainstays saved my weight over the rear tire for nice traction and a quick, impulsive lurch ahead from each pedal stroke. Within the picture above, we began low within the timber, a lot decrease than you may see, and climbed and climbed and climbed.
Totally loaded, with a particular rearward bias to the packing, this mixture of slack entrance finish and brief rear did reveal the one time whenever you wished to pay just a little extra consideration to steering, however I give the Lauf a corridor cross on this as a result of let’s be honest: This bike was by no means designed with loaded touring or bikepacking in thoughts, which is precisely why I give it such excessive marks for having the ability to pull it off so nicely.
Decked out with the Previous Man Mountain Divide rack and North St. baggage, our bikes carried garments, tent, sleeping pad & bag, restore kits, first help, snacks, lights, and extra. I reviewed that bikepacking gear right here for those who’re eager on studying extra about how and what we packed and the way these things carried out.
It’s right here the place I worth Lauf’s philosophy on body building. They skip the lighter (and extra brittle) high-mod carbon fibers in favor of more durable “customary” modulus fibers. This makes their bikes extra sturdy, much less susceptible to impression injury, and, I believe, usually extra apt for real-world use from riders who don’t child their gear.
When you might hear the phrase “experience it arduous and put it away soiled” extra typically within the mountain bike scene, if that’s your mentality, then a motorcycle like that is precisely what you want.
The Úthald’s body was not designed with racks and bikepacking in thoughts. However OMM’s Divide rack has a pleasant workaround – it mounts to a through axle to assist the burden, and has common mounts that safe across the seatstays. Thick protecting tape sits between the body and the keep mounts to save lots of the paint.
That’s nice, however I nonetheless wouldn’t put it on a featherweight highway bike whose advertising and marketing revolves round what number of grams they saved by thinning each tube and stiffening it with hi-mod fibers.
However on the Úthald? I’ll do all of it day lengthy. The truth is, we did do it, for seven full days, with loaded rear packs and a trunk bag. And the body remains to be completely fantastic. And this, this precisely, is why I actually like that Lauf made this body bombproof.
Oh, and it’s nonetheless mild. My measurement Massive bike with the most recent SRAM Pink, Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels, Maxxis 700×32 Re-Fuse tires (that are powerful, puncture resistant treads), pedals, saddle bag with software package and tube, high tube bag with snacks, entrance and hind lights, Okay-Edge pc mount, Hammerhead Karoo, and two bottle cages weighs simply 18lb 15oz (8.6kg).
So, a completely succesful, ready-to-roll-anywhere highway bike with all the fitting equipment (and snacks!) and nonetheless underneath 19 kilos. Respect.
Now’s time to confess that I’m a Lauf fanboy. I like their group, and I’ve liked their bikes because the starting. My Seigla is considered one of my high picks for gravel rides, too. However I nonetheless preserve that I’m goal almost about their merchandise, it’s simply that I can’t discover something mistaken with this bike.
Neither can Harrison. Or Steve. Or Steve’s spouse. And I’ve talked just a few buddies into getting one, too, and so they love them.
Mainly, for those who’re within the advertising and marketing for a highway bike and wish one which’s prepared for something (besides, perhaps, a crit race), give the Lauf Úthald , arduous look. It’s a motorcycle that makes a lot sense for therefore many riders. It’s performed all the pieces we’ve requested of it, and we’ve requested loads, and retains coming again for extra.
If, in spite of everything of that glowing reward, you’re nonetheless on the fence, how ’bout this: Full bikes vary from $3,390 to $6,090, making them an excellent deal, too. Framesets are $1,890 (costs correct at date of publication).
LaufCycles.com
