Lauf’s Ultimate R: A Case Study in Smarter Spec
Lauf pushes their gravel flagship to the limit with the Seigla Ultimate R, featuring 3D-printed saddles, Zipp XPLR wheels, and a 13-speed SRAM Red group.
I’ve always admired Lauf’s particular brand of Icelandic pragmatism. In a gravel world that often feels like it’s splitting between "road bikes with clearance" and "mountain bikes with drop bars," the Seigla has always occupied a clever middle ground. It’s a bike that prioritizes speed through vibration damping rather than just sheer stiffness.
Usually, Lauf is the king of the "sensible build"—the kind of bike you buy when you want world-class performance without the five-figure "prestige" markup. But their new Seigla Ultimate R feels like a rare moment where they’ve decided to lean into the "high-zoot" end of the spectrum, and the result is fascinating.
The core is still that distinctive frame with the 3rd-gen leaf-sprung fork (30mm of travel that requires zero maintenance—still a magic trick in my eyes). But the "R" spec pushes the boundaries of what we expect from a gravel race machine.
The Wide-Rim Gambit
The standout here is the wheel and tire choice. They’ve specced the Zipp 303 XPLR SW wheels, which are notoriously wide, and wrapped them in Goodyear Peak SL Race 2.25″ MTB tires.
On paper, putting 57mm mountain bike tires on a gravel racer sounds like a recipe for a sluggish ride. But weight-wise, these tires are only about 75g heavier than the standard 50mm Connectors. You’re trading a tiny bit of rotational mass for a massive increase in volume and "float." If you’ve ever hit a deep sand pit or a washboard descent at mile 80 of a race, you know that 7mm of extra width is worth its weight in gold.
The Math of the Build
What’s most interesting to me is the pricing strategy. At $7,290, it’s only $210 more than the standard Ultimate build. For that extra couple hundred bucks, you get:
- The new SRAM Red XPLR AXS 13-speed group (with the dual-leg power meter).
- A Fizik Vento Argo R3 Adaptive 3D-printed saddle.
- Those Zipp 303 XPLR wheels.
The saddle alone costs more than the $210 price jump. It’s a rare instance where the "Limited Edition" flagship model actually feels like a better value than the tier below it.
A New Shade of Red
They’re also debuting a new color called Kvika. It’s Icelandic for "Magma," and it looks the part—a deep, molten red that feels very at home for a company born in the shadow of volcanoes.
The total weight for a medium comes in at ~8.48 kg (18.69 lbs). For a bike with 30mm of front suspension and nearly 2.3-inch tires, that is an incredible number. It makes me wonder if we’re finally reaching the point where the "compromise" of a heavy gravel bike is disappearing.
I still wish they’d figure out a way to include down-tube storage—having a clean frame for long rides is a luxury I’ve grown fond of—but as a pure racing tool for rough, windy, and unpredictable terrain, the Ultimate R looks like a new benchmark.
