I loved it so much that it influenced the geometry of my Firefly, yet that initial Stigmata review was over four years ago. In essence, GRX 800 is the gravel equivalent of Shimano Ultegra on the road.Shifts are smooth and precise, and feel remarkably refined for a “first-year” product. But others might call it smart, and which one of those is more correct to you will invariably depend on your perspective.The seatpost diameter is a relatively skinny 27.2 mm to help promote flex over bumps for a smoother ride. The seatpost slides in and out of the seat tube without leaving any unsightly scratches (and thankfully secures with a totally normal aluminum clamp), and the bottom bracket cups thread into the shell by hand without any grittiness. Our test bike was equipped with a 1×12 drivetrain consisting of a mix of SRAM Force eTAP AXS shifters, cranks and brakes together with a SRAM X01 Eagle eTap AXS derailleur and 10-50 t cassette. The paint held up well against all the little rocks that were kicked up by the front wheel. Retail price for that standard GRX 800 build is US$4,600 / AU$9,000 / £4,600 / €5,000.You could easily make the argument that the previous Stigmata models were outliers relative to their more conventional cyclocross brethren. The pronounced profile of the tires is a big advantage on loose terrain but results in relatively high rolling resistance on compacted ground or the road. Standover height has increased, too — another sign that Santa Cruz is more overtly embracing the Stigmata’s gravel intentions instead of pegging it as a do-it-all ‘cross rig.Front-end handling characteristics remain unchanged for the most part, meaning they’re still quite middle-of-the-road as far as modern gravel bikes are concerned with about 69 mm of trail: not too quick, not too stable.
And to be totally frank, I would have been happier with rims that had more space in between the bead hooks, anyway. It’s quiet and composed with none of the rattling that accompanied some of the other bikes we tested. The Santa Cruz storms forward when pedalling. Its handling is nimble when needed, but also sufficiently stable when things get hairy (although on the broad continuum of gravel bike handling, it still falls closer to the quick end than the stable one). Normally, brands using non-round seat tube profiles just resort to braze-on mounts that don’t look nearly as tidy if you decide to go with a single-ring drivetrain.The seatpost is held in place with a refreshingly straightforward aluminum clamp.Routing is fully internal, and there’s also room for a dropper post line should you decide to run one. And between the subdued color options offered under the Santa Cruz brand, and the decidedly snazzier-looking (but otherwise functionally identical) version that flies under Santa Cruz’s women-specific Juliana flag, few would argue that the new bikes look fantastic. For cyclocross, where you’ll regularly take tight corners at slow speeds that kind of handling is definitely an advantage. It’s still a great bike, but it also feels a bit less special than before.Both chainstays are lowered so that the rear wheel can be tucked in closer to the seat tube, but the driveside one takes a slightly more dramatic route.First and foremost, the Stigmata truly seems to be everything it’s made out to be.
And the clever brake lever blade shape really does fit better in your fingers than Shimano’s road-specific models, which makes me wonder if Shimano might eventually carry it over to 105, Ultegra, and Dura-Ace, too.Say what you will about the 2x drivetrain Shimano provided here; everyone will have their opinions on how many chainrings is the “correct” number.