Zwift’s newest update includes a new bike frame – the first Lauf to show up in Zwift, ever! It’s the True Grit gravel bike, which is described in the Drop Shop like this:
The True Grit is a versatile gravel and endurance race horse, with nerves of carbon. Blast through gravel, sweep the singletracks, float on asphalt or open your recovery beverage of choice. At the core of True Grit is the Lauf Grit SL, with its 30mm of front suspension – the thing that changed how gravel riding is perceived, now taken to the next level.
Of course, experienced Zwifters know that real-world performance doesn’t necessarily translate to Zwift performance. So at Zwift Insider we run frames and wheelsets through a battery of tests to figure out just how well they perform in Zwift’s virtual world.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Lauf True Grit in Zwift…
Frame Basics
The Lauf True Grit is available at level 11, for a cost of 297,500 Drops. It is rated 2 stars for aero, 2 stars for weight.
The frame only comes in one colorway.
Aero Performance
The True Grit is only rated 2 aero stars, like most of the gravel bikes in game. That poor aero rating is reflected in flat course performance in our tests. In fact, this frame is one of the slowest in terms of aero performance, turning in the same time as the Canyon Inflite and Zwift Gravel.
The True Grit turned in a time of 53:53 on our test course (two laps of Tempus Fugit). The fastest gravel frame (Cervelo Aspero) turned in a time of 53:47, while the Canyon Inflite and Zwift Gravel frames turned in essentially the same times as the True Grit.
By comparison, the fastest road frame in game (Specialized Venge S-Works) turned in a time of 51:18 using Zwift’s stock wheelset, the 32mm carbon. That’s why, if you choose any gravel frame for a road race, you will be suffering!
Climb Performance
The True Grit doesn’t climb well, either. It turns in the slowest Alpe climb of any gravel rig.
The Lauf True Grit turned in an Alpe du Zwift time of 51:58. The fastest gravel climber (Canyon Grail) climbed the Alpe in 51:25, while the next-slowest gravel climber (Zwift Gravel) turned in a time of 51:56.
By comparison, the fastest climbing frame in game (Specialized Tarmac Pro) turned in a time of 48:57 (using Zwift’s stock wheelset, the 32mm carbon).
Final Comments
Apart from the super-funky True Grit SL gravel suspension fork, there’s really nothing special about this bike’s performance in Zwift. In fact, it has three strikes against it:
- Poor aero performance: even compared to other gravel bikes in Zwift, the True Grit is quite slow
- Worst-in-class climbing: gravel bikes in Zwift don’t climb really well anyway. But the True Grit is the slowest of the bunch.
- It’s a gravel bike: unfortunately, the way Zwift has set up its Crr and gravel bikes means they’re not the best choice on any route. Road bikes outperform them on tarmac, and mountain bikes fly past them on dirt roads.
Until Zwift changes the way their gravel bikes perform, gravel frames will remain quite unpopular in Zwift. Which is a shame, given how popular gravel has become outdoors! And while Lauf lovers may use the frame because they’re fans, given its lackluster performance, we highly doubt we’ll be seeing many Zwifters on the True Grit anytime soon.
Questions or Comments?
Share below!
Thanks, Eric.
Laufing out loud! worthless then
I see what you did there.
How does it perform against the other gravel bikes in the Jungle?
Slowest of the bunch, by 1-2s.
Do you think there’s a danger of ‘power creep’ with the more bikes added? Lots there now but tron/venge/aeroad/tarmac tend to rule the roost. So any bikes slower will hardly be looked at right?
awesome. can we also get a Speedmax performance assessment too 🙏 thanks!
Speedmax is broken currently. Won’t be publishing anything until Zwift fixes it. Maybe today though.
So not just visual on the shop screen then? Also, why update the Aeroad and remove the old version but keep the old Speedmax??
Maybe because the new Speedmax is broken, unlike the new Aeroad. 😂
Hi Eric, how do you do the test on the bikes/frames ???
Thanks
I have a question, how do you perform these tests? I know that you use a set wattage value but how do you do that? Or is it a secret, if so that’s fine, just curious.
Something like SimulANT+ I imagine. Just creates data output you want.
Then create a private meet up to discard any drafting and set the avatar off.
Basically what Mike said, although I typically use a firewall to force my rider to ride alone. But it’s all simulated ANT data…
Thank you, I was looking into testing Zwift’s sticky draft feature and maybe making a video about it but this was the one thing that I didn’t know how to do.
Hopefully in the semi-near future they will introduce more single track trails (or at least a 2nd one) and will adjust the bikes so that MTB is fasted on single track, gravel bikes fasted on dirt roads (ie. Jungle Circuit) and road bikes will keep doing what they do best.
Thanks Eric, nice feature. I don’t see the point of gravel bikes as like you say, they’re out performed by everything else.
Actually, what’s the point of generating this kind of bike (and more broadly any bike which underperform on every segment -flat, mountain or dirt-)?
it seems like such a waste, that with all of these frames in Zwift, the choice (aside from TT bikes) really only boils down to 1 of 4 road frames and the occasional switch to the free MTB
It’s indeed unfortunate that gravel bikes on Zwift persist as a sort of non-functional novelty. Perhaps some new routes (or route combinations) will bring them into favour? Zwift events combining, say, the jungle route with road routes are a real triumph for bike-change enthusiasts. Being able to leverage in a fourth discipline like gravel could add even more fun to such events. Will be interesting to see where Zwift takes this.
There is something that looks like a dirt road near the top of titan grove climb where the flashing barricades are. Maybe just to the lookout tower. Or maybe connecting to railroad bridge by the desert start pens, crossing the desert floor, and through the oasis somehow ending at saddle springs flashing barricades along the road. That zwift has not opened up yet. The idea was posted on a youtube video sometime back.
Eric you really need to test this on the jungle circuit against other gravel bikes and mountain bikes it goes quick on gravel
Already did! Results here: https://zwiftinsider.com/gravel-bike-results/
As a Lauf rider for over 18 months, I had steadfastly refused to buy any gravel bike in Zwift until the True Grit was available. I have purchased it but I’m curious why Zwift isn’t rating the True Grit better, especially in terms of weight. I’ve had several people just lift my Lauf and every one of them has noted how light it is, even again other carbon gravel bikes. I think Zwift could easily verify the weight and improve the rating foer the True Grit. As for in-game speed, if gravel bikes are made to be virtual boat anchors,… Read more »
Thanks for sharing – I love the look of this bike and would love to own one. Even if it is slightly heavier/less aero than the others, I think it should make up for it with it’s better off-road capabilities – i.e. approach the MTB times on the jungle route for instance due to front suspension.
I think Zwift should make tire and surface also equate to speed (to a certain extend). Like all gravel bikes are a bit faster compared to a race bike on gravel or something. The smoother it rolls, the faster, equation. Like, a road bike rolls normal on road, but bumpy on gravel. The gravel bike rolls smooth on road but it isn’t faster, because of weight and aero. While it rolls much smoother than the road bike on gravel, here it should offset that smootheness just likr in real life to potentially ride faster than the road bike on gravel.… Read more »
Ummm… most of what you describe is how Zwift already works. 😁