With Gravel Burn just around the corner, we’ve heard a lot of debate around setup choices. To get an informed perspective, we called on Kevin Benkenstein, South Africa’s original ultra-endurance racer and a pioneer of gravel riding, to unpack his setup choices and share his thoughts ahead of the event. Hear it straight from the horses mouth below:
Benky’s Gravel Burn Setup
My bike for Gravel Burn is the culmination of far too much tinkering, testing, and learning. I’ve prioritised both speed and comfort, knowing that those two are closely linked, along with the all-important factor of reliability. Ultimately, I’ve settled on my favourite training setup. Components I know, trust, and rely on daily, with a few tweaks for racing and the specific demands I expect from the route. I say expect because none of us really know for sure; we’re making educated guesses based on the general terrain we’ll traverse. My best guess? Two relatively smooth days, followed by a trial-by-bumpity-bump-bump.
The foundation of my build is the Santa Cruz Stigmata CC frame. I’ve been riding this bike for over a year, and I believe it’s the best option for South African gravel-racing conditions. It’s proven itself to me many times over, so there was never any question that it would be my bike of choice for this event. I love its slacker front end, longer wheelbase, and overall handling characteristics: it’s made me a better rider for sure. She’s a weapon.
I’ve gone back and forth on whether to ride with a suspension fork, but for this race, I’ve fully committed to it. I firmly believe it will allow me to stay fresher for longer and still enjoy the ride on days six and seven – when fatigue really kicks in. Those days are going to be brutal. The alternative was to use 2.1-inch tyres with a rigid fork, but my testing has shown that a suspension fork offers more comfort and still allows me to run 45 mm tyres, which feel better to me than wider ones. I know rolling-resistance tests may say otherwise, but in my experience, 45 mm tyres are the sweet spot for gravel. Most of those tests are done with rigid forks, forcing the tyres to double as suspension, which isn’t their job. There’s a weight penalty with a suspension fork, but at 82 kg, an extra 700 g isn’t what’s going to get me dropped, my legs will take care of that on their own. I suspect that’ll be another campfire debate waiting for me.
Groupset choice is always a hot topic, and I based mine largely on versatility and reliability in bad conditions. I went with SRAM AXS Transmission, because it eliminates the derailleur hanger and therefore reduces the chance of derailleur issues. I’m using the MTB rear end with a 12-speed 10–52 cassette, as the 13-speed 10–46 XPLR cassette has less range and lacks the bailout gear I might need on some of the tougher climbs. It still provides a solid top-end gear when needed, and mostly lets me ride in the efficient and safer mid-range of the cassette. My rotors are 160 mm front and rear: because stopping is nice. I’m still deciding between a 46 T or 48 T chainring up front. I will ride a 175mm crank like an old school bike rider because not every rider needs 160mm cranks and I will argue that to my death at the campfire I am sure.
Wheels are a no-brainer for me. I’ve ridden Reserve Wheels for two years in every condition imaginable, including 15 km off-road with zero air, and they’ve always stood up to the test. I’m running Reserve 40 GR rims front and rear, laced onto DT Swiss 350 hubs with Enduro XD-15 bearings. I’ll wrap them with Maxxis Reaver 45 mm tyres, with Vittoria Airliners inside. I never ride without inserts and love the lower pressures they allow (I ride 21/24psi) and safety they give from punctures and rim strikes.
I’ve opted for a one-piece bar and stem. It goes slightly against my comfort-first focus, but it gives me peace of mind that I won’t hit a rut and have my bars slip. Out back, an Easton EC90 seatpost does the job, and I’ll be perched on a very well-worn Specialized Toupe 143 mm saddle. I wrap my bars with different tapes at different times — this week it’ll be the stock tape that comes with the Stigmata (brand unknown). My bottom bracket is an Enduro Bearings Ceramic BB, which I know will roll smoothly through whatever the Great Karoo throws at it. I’ll use Shimano XTR 9200 pedals. I did consider road pedals, but I just feel more at home with MTB pedals, so that’s what I’m running. Also, if it rains, we’ll be hiking anyway.
The extras
Keeping my drivetrain running smoothly will be Squirt Hot Melt Wax, a product that I have been testing for a while and that I have learned is worth the extra effort of application. I have been using it for a few months on and off and have been super impressed. At sani2c nonstop, which is 250km of dust, I had zero chain noises and didn’t need to top up lube at all, so I am confident it is the right choice. If a top-up lube is needed I will use normal Squirt drip wax, which is well-proven and so good.
I will use TACX Ciro bottle cages to hold my 2 bottles, and likely put another in my rear pocket. I will take an USWE with me but, if possible, will avoid using it as it does add weight, reduce cooling, and negatively affects your centre of gravity.
My data will be recorded by a Garmin Edge 540 Solar head unit, small but easy to use. I set up my bonus buttons on my hoods to change screens, allowing me to keep my hands on the bars as much as possible.
So that’s me. A build I know, trust, and have put through the wringer in training. I expect a hard week of riding, tougher than people seem to expect, and have tried to cover all my bases for that. Time will tell if I am over-biked or ahead of the game.
Specification table
| Frame | Santa Cruz Stigmata CC – XL |
| Fork | FOX 32TC Suspension Fork – 40mm travel |
| Rims | Reserve 40 TA |
| Hubs | DT Swiss 350 With Enduro Bearings XD-15 bearing |
| Spokes + Nipples | SAPIM CX Ray Bladed |
| Tyres | MAXXIS Reaver 45 (Hyper-X compound for the race) |
| Handlebar | Black Inc Aero BarStem – 400mm width with 80mm stem |
| Grips | Zipp Service Course CX Tape |
| Seatpost | Easton EC90 – 20mm setback |
| Saddle | Specialized Toupe 143mm |
| Brakes | SRAM Red E1 |
| Brake rotors | SRAM Paceline X 160mm |
| Shifters | SRAM Red AXS E1 |
| Chain Lube | SQUIRT Hot Wax |
| Rear derailleur | SRAM XX T-Type |
| Cassette | SRAM XX T-Type 10-52 |
| Crank arms | SRAM Red E1 175mm |
| Chainring + size | 48t or 46t |
| Chain | SRAM XX T-Type |
| Bottom Bracket | Enduro Bearing BSA Thread-In Ceramic-Hybrid, XD15 bearing |
| Pedals | Shimano XTR 9200 |
| Power meter | SRAM Quarq |
| Bike computer | Garmin EDGE 540 Solar |
| Bottle cages | TACX Ciro |
| Weight | 8.1 rigid, 8.8 with Fox fork |
If you have questions for Benky please pop them in the comments below. He’s promised a post-race debrief on his setup. So stay tuned to find out what worked and what didn’t.
