Standert Kieswerk SRAM Apex AXS XPLR gravel bike

The Standert Kieswerk is a versatile gravel machine that sports multiple mounting points and impressive tyre clearance, plus its clean-looking aluminium frame has a bit of a retro vibe running through it. Sadly, it doesn’t ride as well as it looks, with its firm ride being bettered by other machines.

Standert Kieswerk SRAM Apex AXS XPLR – Technical Details

The Kieswerk’s frame is designed in Berlin and manufactured in Southern China from 6061-T6 grade aluminium alloy. Standert says it’s ‘largely’ sourced from recycled materials, though it doesn’t disclose the exact percentage.

I reckon it’s a good-looking frame, especially with the main triangle being finished in this clear lacquered state to show the raw beauty of the tubing and the welds. Some manufacturers sand and fill the welds before painting for a smooth, almost carbon look, but not Standert. The finish is still clean and tidy.

It manages to keep that classic metal-tubed aesthetic, too, even with the inclusion of full internal hose routing and the now-obligatory disc brakes. Other modern touches are the T47 bottom bracket shell, UDH (universal derailleur hanger) compatibility, and a pretty huge 50 millimetres of tyre clearance.

There are plenty of mounting points on offer, including for a set of full mudguards and a rear rack. Add in the fork leg mounting points, and you have a gravel bike that can be pressed into commuting or winter road training, as well as nailing its intended adventures in the off-road wilderness.

Geometry-wise, this is pretty middle of the road, and when I say road, I mean it literally. Even from an aesthetic point of view, the Kieswerk is a gravel machine from the tarmac side of the spectrum, and the numbers show it too.

On this 54cm model (which sits smack in the middle of the seven options available), I had a 556mm top tube length mated to a 135mm head tube and a standover height of 784mm. The head angle is a fairly typical 71.5 degrees, while the seat tube sits at a much steeper 74 degrees – ideal for getting forward over the bottom bracket to get the power down. This results in stack and reach figures of 563mm and 394mm, respectively. How does that all translate out on the trails? I’ll get to that in a bit…

Standert Kieswerk SRAM Apex AXS XPLR – Componentry

The Kieswerk is available in either a Shimano GRX 600 build or with SRAM’s Apex AXS XPLR, the latter coming with either DT Swiss’ G 1800 wheels or Scope’s R2.0 carbon wheelset.

Standert currently has a single UK dealer (VIA Atelier in London), though more will be added in future. Alternatively, you can order directly from their German-based website, as they deliver to the UK.

The price for this review bike is €2,730.25, which at the time of writing is £2,375.20. You’ll need to add an import duty of 14% on the price of both the bike and delivery (€205/£178.45), though, and then 20% VAT on top of that. So let’s call it £3,493.40.

The full builds are good, with no skimping on big-brand components. The cockpit comes from Deda, with its Superbox DCR stem, which directs the brake hoses into the frame while firmly holding a Superzero Gravel handlebar. The bar tape is from Fizik – Microtex Tacky – as is the saddle, a Terra Argo X5. It sits atop a carbon seatpost.

The Scope R2.0 wheelset brings a bit of extra carbon to the build. The claimed 1,367g makes them very light indeed, while the shallow rims at just 23mm high make them responsive all-rounders. The 25mm internal diameter hookless rims aren’t the widest out there, though. Scope recommends tyres of 35 – 37mm, which is a fair bit narrower than the Kieswerk maxes out at. Still, they were robust through the review period, and I had no issues with them whatsoever.

Wrapped around them are Pirelli’s Cinturato Adventure tyres in a 45mm width. They’re a medium-treaded option, ideal for all kinds of gravel and other hard-packed surfaces, with enough bite to get you through the odd soft, muddy section without much effort too.

The SRAM Apex XPLR groupset is excellent, thanks to a completely wireless setup and long battery life. Here you’re getting a 40T single chainring mated to an 11-44T cassette, which gives a really good spread of gears for pretty much any terrain you’re likely to find yourself on.

The brakes slow 160mm rotors front and rear and create loads of power, while the latest SRAM hydraulic systems offer a great lever feel too – modulating that all that power is easy.

Standert Kieswerk SRAM Apex AXS XPLR – Performance

On paper, the Kieswerk’s geometry was spot on for me and straight away my position on the bike felt very natural, efficient and comfortable. That steep seat tube allowed me to get the power down through the pedals, and the drop to the handlebar was perfect for getting aero when needed, without being so extreme that it wasn’t an unnaturally low position to hold when climbing or on longer rides.

The handling focuses on the neutral side of things. Even on the loosest of trails, the front wheel felt planted and quite confidence-inspiring. On the downhills, I felt comfortable unleashing the Standert, and it felt like it flowed naturally through the corners and technical sections. In fact, it reminded me a lot of the way my Fairlight Secan behaves, which is very high praise for the Kieswerk indeed. Both bikes feel like an extension of the rider. I didn’t feel like I had to manhandle the Standert onto a line through a bend or anything; merely a simple guiding hand was all that was required.

This makes it relaxing to ride, even at speed and efficient too. If you aren’t having to focus on minor adjustments to the handling or your position all of the time, it’ll pay dividends towards the end of a long ride.

Somewhere where the Standert and Fairlight aren’t similar, though, is the ride quality. I appreciate that the Secan is steel, but with today’s modern manufacturing techniques, aluminium alloy tubing can be designed to offer as good a ride feel as steel. Something like the aforementioned Mason Bokeh 3, for instance, whose Dedacciai aluminium frame has a stunning ride quality, as does the 7005 series aluminium-framed Condor Odyssey..

The Kieswerk has a firm note to the ride, and not only does that impact overall comfort on longer rides, it also takes the edge off the feedback, which, in my opinion, makes it less of a rider’s machine. It doesn’t quite have the finesse of the best-designed alloy frames that I have ridden.

Some of the firmness can be masked by running the tyres at a lower pressure, but I find that won’t stop it eventually transferring through the bottom bracket area and into your feet via the pedals.

Overall, from a ride-side of things, there are better options out there for me, but if that isn’t the be-all and end-all for you, then there is a lot to like here.

Standert says that the Kieswerk is ‘ready for what you are’, and it is a brief that it has hit. It’s one of those bikes that you can just get on and ride however you want. It works for short blasts, mixed surface rides, longer jaunts and even full-on adventures.

Standert’s Kieswerk SRAM Apex AXS XPLR – Verdict

On the whole, the Kiewerk is a good bike overall. It’s well made, and its versatility will certainly help if you want a bike that will cope with a range of riding genres.

As I’ve said above, though, personally it misses the mark for me ride quality-wise, and that is the main component for me when it comes to buying a bike. At just under £3.5k, its price is higher than where I could say that I’d sacrifice the ride quality to save some money on the competition.

For instance, Mason doesn’t offer the Bokeh 3 as a complete build, but I could buy the frameset for £1,450. A 1x Apex XPLR AXS groupset can be bought online for around £900, and a set of Hunt 35 Carbon Gravel wheels is currently selling for £599.33, which leaves over £500 to spend on finishing kit for the same money as the Standert. The same with the Condor Odyssey, where the frameset is £1,499.99.

So, in a nutshell – it’s pretty good, but there are better options for those who prioritise ride quality out there for the money.