New Bike! I’m a believer in MTB tires for gravel now.

I knew this bike would be fast and capable with big tires and an aggressive position, but I underestimated how fun it could be. It's surprisingly snappy, agile and responsive. While it is several pounds heavier than my Crux, it really doesn't feel that way when riding. I tested it on road, smooth gravel, Category 2/3 Gravel, Washboard, singletrack, and extremely chunky stuff that I had previously only ridden on full suspension MTB. It exceled everywhere. I set it up with the following:

Lauf Siegla Ultimate R
Enve SES Road 39/44 CM Bars
Uno 110mm -17 Stem
Cobb V-Flow Plus DRT Saddle
Schwalbe Thunder Burt 2.25 Tires (18psi F, 19psi R)

The fork is maybe my favorite part. It's unnoticeable most of the time. Until you realize it's soaking up tons of chatter and vibration. But the rear of the bike holds it's own too and the bike never feels unbalanced or excessively harsh in any one area.

Also, the 13spd XPLR is actually a very nice upgrade over the previous 12spd. The extra cog was very useful when riding fast on the road. This is the first time I've gone with top of the line components on a new build, and while I can't say it's worth the extra money over Force or Rival, it looks cool and the dual sided power meter was a must for me with my inconsistent L/R balance.