Giant TCX Advanced Pro 1 vs Specialized Crux 5 Comp - SRAM Rival XPLR
Both are gravel bikes at a similar price. Here is what actually separates them.
The short answer
For a typical all-round rider the Specialized Crux 5 Comp - SRAM Rival XPLR comes out ahead (67% against 65%). That is not a universal verdict — change the terrain or the priority and the order can flip.
What actually separates them
- Weight
- The Giant TCX Advanced Pro 1 is 0.4kg lighter, which you notice on long climbs more than anywhere else.
- Riding position
- The Giant TCX Advanced Pro 1 sits you more upright (1.49 stack-to-reach against 1.45). The Specialized Crux 5 Comp - SRAM Rival XPLR is the more aggressive of the two — quicker if you can hold it, harder work if you cannot.
- Tyre clearance
- The Specialized Crux 5 Comp - SRAM Rival XPLR takes 55mm tyres against 45mm — the single most common thing buyers wish they had more of.
- Climbing gear
- The Specialized Crux 5 Comp - SRAM Rival XPLR has the easier bottom gear (23 gear inches against 30), which matters more than weight on anything genuinely steep.
Side by side
| Spec | TCX Advanced Pro 1 | Crux 5 Comp - SRAM Rival XPLR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,999 | £3,999 |
| Weight | 8.5 kg | 8.9 kg |
| Frame | carbon | carbon |
| Groupset | SRAM Apex AXS 1x12 | SRAM Rival AXS XPLR 1x13 electronic |
| Stack / reach | 1.49 | 1.45 |
| Tyre clearance | 45 mm | 55 mm |
| Lowest gear | 30 in | 23 in |
| Mudguard mounts | No | No |
| Comfort | 65 | 65 |
| Speed | 55 | 45 |
| Climbing | 60 | 69 |
| Value | 12 | 10 |
Neither might be the right answer
This page assumes an average rider. Tell us how you actually ride and we will rank these two against everything else at the price.
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