Thinking about going for a Cyclocross

[nufcfan]

I have a basic spec 29er disc Rockhopper, standard spec and a Road bike. Not really got into the road bike, too busy on the roads and prefer bridle paths, waggonways etc.

Plan on selling the road bike but not sure which route to go. Buy a cyclocross? Boardman CX can be had for under £750 with BC and Halfords sales.

Or do I spend some money upgrading the rockhopper, although not sure where to start?

Other idea was to sell both bikes and buy a better 29er, something lighter.

[mouseymousey]

Can't help I'm afraid but I was thinking of getting a CX bike for the winter months. Currently only got a road bike so I was thinking of something that can take mudguards, bigger tyres and has disc brakes so I will watch this thread with interest.

[benny.c]

This time last year I had a road bike (Spesh Allez) and MTB (Orange Crush). I decided that the MTB was overkill for the towpaths, bridleways etc that I ride so sold both bikes and purchased a cyclocross bike (Cube X-Race Pro). I've got one set of rims for mainly off-road rides and another set for road rides. I'm more than happy with the off-road performance and it feels great to be zipping along the local abandoned railway knowing that it used to be much more of a slog on the MTB. Full length mud guards in the winter mean I come back from a ride pretty clean too, even when the paths are deep in mud.

Fast forward to now and I've just purchased a road bike to go with the CX bike. The compact geometry of my CX and the 46/36 chainset isn't quite right for longer road rides. Off-road, longer rides of more than two hours are little uncomfortable, and certainly more so than the MTB was. I very rarely spend more than an hour or two off-road though so it's not really an issue for me.

So for me personally, the CX bike is perfect for mixed use riding, providing I'm not off-road all day. It's way faster off-road and not much slower than my road bike on tarmac either. Plus it's the perfect winter bike.

[Bobley]

CX is a jack of all trades, master of none. Considering you dont want to do much road riding I'd consider moving the focus slightly MTB and look at a 29er hardtail. You can always put slicks on a MTB and lock up the fork but you cant add serious MTB ability to a CX bike.

[Fluffsri]

Bobley said:

CX is a jack of all trades, master of none. Considering you dont want to do much road riding I'd consider moving the focus slightly MTB and look at a 29er hardtail. You can always put slicks on a MTB and lock up the fork but you cant add serious MTB ability to a CX bike.

I disagree fella. I use my crossbike everywhere I've used my MTB and in some places ie hills it's better than my bouncer. I love my CX bike and it's only the same as an early rigid MTB but on drops.

OP buy a CX bike, you won't regret it!

[gazza285]

Bobley said:

CX is a jack of all trades, master of none. Considering you dont want to do much road riding I'd consider moving the focus slightly MTB and look at a 29er hardtail. You can always put slicks on a MTB and lock up the fork but you cant add serious MTB ability to a CX bike.

Proper CX bikes are the master of what they are designed to do, CX racing.

As for not being as capably off road as a mountain bike, so what? I race XC and CX and while the MTB would definitely be slower at the CX race, the CX bike would maybe struggle with a tenth of the XC lap, and would be quicker on the rest.

Modern mid-range CX bikes are aimed more at the do-it-all cyclist, and they fill that gap better than any other type of cycle, if I could only have one bike I'd have the CX.

[Highway Star]

I'm also looking at a CX bike, but have been waiting ages for Halfords to get Boardman CX Comps in stock in the 57.5 frame. I need a bike for a new 12 mile commute, in summer and winter, on a mix of poorly surfaced and often muddy country roads and suburban and urban cycle paths and cycle lanes - my creaky old MTB is really showing its age and not up to commuting every day, so I think that the CX will be a good bet, especially given the state of the roads in winter around my way and the fact that I'm not exactly Peter Sagan in the bike handling stakes.

[Barchettaman]

benny.c said:

Fast forward to now and I've just purchased a road bike to go with the CX bike. The compact geometry of my CX and the 46/36 chainset isn't quite right for longer road rides. Off-road, longer rides of more than two hours are little uncomfortable, and certainly more so than the MTB was. I very rarely spend more than an hour or two off-road though so it's not really an issue for me.

So for me personally, the CX bike is perfect for mixed use riding, providing I'm not off-road all day. It's way faster off-road and not much slower than my road bike on tarmac either. Plus it's the perfect winter bike.

Funnily enough, a 46/36 chainset with an 11-28 makes a massive amount of sense for the vast majority of road riding. I can't understand why it isn't specced more often on road bikes - with the caveat that you really have to have the 11 tooth sprocket on the cassette.

[Rob_T]

i recently bought a titanium cx bike - kinesis tripster. i mainly use it for roads and it's just as capable if not more so than my ex-road bike which was a specialised venge. so much so i sold the venge and now have this as my main road bike. it too comes with 46/36 and 11/25. the gearing is fine, although i did notice on a ride yesterday i wasn't quite able to keep up with a group i was out with on a long gentle descent. whilst i was working hard at around 35mph one or two seemed to pass me without their legs spinning quite as furiously as mine! it is extremely comfortable on the road, and the relaxed geometry is superb. i commute with it and will use it as my all year round, go anywhere bike.

as far as off road is concerned i have used it a few times and it is really not bad. being titanium it absorbs a lot more of the ride so i give it a big thumbs up. i run 25mm for road but it can take unto 42mm so a decent range if you use it more for off road.

it also has disc brakes which although cable operated do a perfectly fine job.

done about 1500 miles since May when I bought it and no complaints yet.

[benny.c]

Barchettaman said:

Funnily enough, a 46/36 chainset with an 11-28 makes a massive amount of sense for the vast majority of road riding. I can't understand why it isn't specced more often on road bikes - with the caveat that you really have to have the 11 tooth sprocket on the cassette.

It's not bad, I just prefer a compact with 12-25 for some reason.

[Uncle John]

I have a Planet X Uncle John and it's a great bike!

I whack slicks on it and have done plenty of club runs and training rides, then put on some nobblies and go off road. I've even done the 3 Peaks CX race on it as well as a road century.

I keep looking at a dedicated road bike but I just don't see the point, this bike does all I want it to.

[47p2]

Had a ride on my daughters Charge Filter a couple of months ago, couldn't believe how comfortable it was so now looking out for a tidy used one in my size

[ALawson]

I was thinking about one, these look lovely! I think the bottom of the range one is £850.

[anonymous-user]

ALawson said:

I was thinking about one, these look lovely! I think the bottom of the range one is £850.

I could probably Google this, but can somebody explain why this is a CX and not a road bike? genuine question. (these drop bar bikes all look the same to me)

[Barchettaman]

More tyre clearance at the fork, chainstays and seatstays
Non-caliper brakes (disc in this case) as road calipers get cruddy
Higher bottom bracket
Slightly lower gearing
That's about it, consider a CX bike 'the thinking man's road bike'

[anonymous-user]

Barchettaman said:

More tyre clearance at the fork, chainstays and seatstays
Non-caliper brakes (disc in this case) as road calipers get cruddy
Higher bottom bracket
Slightly lower gearing
That's about it, consider a CX bike 'the thinking man's road bike'

Now you say that, yeah I can see those differences (apart from the gearing)

Assume there's more strength in these types of bikes than a roady? I'm tempted to get something similar for my commute instead of my MTB, but it needs to be strong or I'll buckle it with my carcass.

[TheInternet]

CX are the current fad and appear to just be hybrids with drop bars. Good all rounders presumably.

[Steve vRS]

CoinSl0t said:

Barchettaman said:

More tyre clearance at the fork, chainstays and seatstays
Non-caliper brakes (disc in this case) as road calipers get cruddy
Higher bottom bracket
Slightly lower gearing
That's about it, consider a CX bike 'the thinking man's road bike'

Now you say that, yeah I can see those differences (apart from the gearing)

Assume there's more strength in these types of bikes than a roady? I'm tempted to get something similar for my commute instead of my MTB, but it needs to be strong or I'll buckle it with my carcass.

My Giant TCX SL2 has a sturdier frame than my Defy 1, especially the forks.

[gazza285]

TheInternet said:

CX are the current fad and appear to just be hybrids with drop bars. Good all rounders presumably.

Seeing as CX bikes have been around for much longer than MTBs and hybrids put together, perhaps it's just that more people are aware of their existence than ever before.

Which came second though, the MTB or the hybrid? I'm thinking of the modified bikes we used to have in the '70s, old style road bikes with 26x1&3/8" knobbly tyres and cow horns that we used to bomb through the woods on, as similar to the modern hybrid as '70s road bikes are to the current stuff. It's only MTBs that are a recent invention.

[TheInternet]

gazza285 said:

Seeing as CX bikes have been around for much longer than MTBs and hybrids put together, perhaps it's just that more people are aware of their existence than ever before.

Such is the power of marketing and the subsequent faddery. Presumably the drop bar / disc brake combo is key to its success at this stage?