Showroom: KTM X-Strada Master

The developers focused on large tyre clearance, low weight, and many options to transport luggage. Accordingly, tyres up to 45 mm easily fit between the stays, the “target weight” of the carbon frame is 1,000 grams and the fork is compatible with lowrider luggage racks.
Other mounts allow for the mounting of lights, mudguards, rear pannier racks and, of course, bottle cages with add-ons such as a pump or tool set. Bike models carrying the abbreviation “LFC” in their name come fully equipped with lights, mudguards, and pannier rack, but are only available with aluminum frame.

The X-Strada Master’s frame is made of premium carbon, just like those of its big brother Prime and its little brother Elite. At the front, it is complemented by a rigid fork made of performance carbon. Only the top model comes with a Rock Shox Rudy Ultimate suspension fork specially developed for graveling as standard.
Standards worth mentioning are flat mount brakes, press fit bottom bracket and 12 mm thru axles in width of 100 or 142 mm. Furthermore, the platform is compatible with double chainring cranks, i.e., you may mount a front derailleur.

The bike’s look is clean with cables running directly into the frame through the Acros headset. The few Bowden cables the X-Strada Master needs – it is specced with a wireless Rival group set – only re-appear directly at their destination; but the same would also apply to a mechanical shifting group.
According to KTM it is purely for reasons of appearance that the bike got its distinctive tapered fork blades and the lovingly designed junction of top tube, seat tube and seat stays – which looks a little like the legendary triple triangle design of the good old GT bikes, and the flat connection of the two frame halves appears quite massive. A nice counterpart and a great bridge element to the prominent, slightly triangular front part!
The necessary comfort is supposed to be provided by the flexing seat post rather than the frame itself according to the manufacturer. One thing that the 27.2 mm diameter KTM Team provides for sure is some certain knowledge of insertion depth, as a handy height scale is printed on the back of the classically round tube.

Geometry

In terms of dimensions, the X-Strada finds the happy medium of the current standard for rather sporty gravel bikes. If you are looking hard to find something unusual to point out, it will probably be the seat angle that at 74° is slightly steeper compared to competitors' bikes.
It should be mentioned, however, that KTM remains true to their tradition of building rather long road bikes, even in the Gravel sector. The wheelbase of 1,054 mm for size M may be a first indication of this; the reach of 418 mm is definitely generous. The Upper Austrian company locates the seating position between lower and middle third on a scale from "stretched” to "upright”.
So, if you have rather long legs and a short torso, you'll definitely be better off with one size down. And even "normally” proportioned people, depending on personal preferences with regard to riding behaviour, are advised to at least check if a smaller sized frame might be the better choice.

With regard to its price of € 3,899 the Master is closer to the Prime (€ 4,099) than the Elite (€ 3,099), but in terms of weight it clearly wins; 40 millimetres of suspension on the otherwise lighter and more exclusively specced top model add too much weight to come anywhere near the Master's 8.9 kilograms.

What do you get for your money, along with various in-house parts (seat post, stem, handlebars) and a Selle San Marco saddle?
First of all, the Sram Rival XPLR eTap AXS with twelve gears, but only one front chainring. KTM combines the 42-tooth chainring with the wide-ratio (10-44 t.) XG-1251, which is the slightly heavier of the two options available because the large sprocket is made of steel instead of aluminium.
We still lack personal experience with Sram's new gravel-specific components. However, the bare figures and the impressions gained with the road cycling counterpart promise precise “transmission for all” paired with harmonious gear changes and a wide gear range (440%).
The bike also brakes with Rival components, and two 160-mm brake discs.

Tech Specs

The reason to opt for a DT Swiss wheelset probably was its affordable, unagitated reliability. GR 1600 Spline wheels are the all-rounders in the Swiss company's gravel portfolio, 25 mm high, 24 mm inside width, weighing around 1.800 grams. The aluminum wheels have 350 hubs including an 18-tooth ratchet freewheel system and are tubeless-ready. With their maximum system weight limit of 130 kg they are definitely not to blame for the comparatively low overall weight limit of 109 kg that KTM indicates for the X-Strada.
The DT Swiss wheels come with 40 mm wide tyres ex works, to be precise with Continental’s Terra Speed with extra puncture protection. If you often dig through deep and muddy soil on your gravel rides, you will likely opt for an alternative with bigger studs. As mentioned above, there is room for tyres up to 45 mm. For fast riding on dry ground, however, the dotted Continental tyre that is slightly reminiscent of human goose bumps is probably a good compromise between traction and rolling resistance.