CX as a road bike..
Discussion
Hi,
Just wanted some opinions on using my current CX bike as a summer road bike, my wife has been using my carbon road bike and enjoying it, so i was considering some slick tyres for my carbon CX bike to use on the road.
Will it be much slower than a carbon road bike? My CX has disc brakes so it seems like a new road bike with disc brakes will be very similar to my CX bike.
Thanks
Just wanted some opinions on using my current CX bike as a summer road bike, my wife has been using my carbon road bike and enjoying it, so i was considering some slick tyres for my carbon CX bike to use on the road.
Will it be much slower than a carbon road bike? My CX has disc brakes so it seems like a new road bike with disc brakes will be very similar to my CX bike.
Thanks
It will be like any road bike. Personally I think the differences are overrated once you fit slicks. I regularly use an old 1995 MTB fitted with 26 x 1.5 slicks, it's my commuter/tourer, and it's not significantly slower than a road bike in everyday use. The tyres make a huge difference, when I removed my knobblies and fitted slicks it was worth about 2mph across the average commute.
If you are racing or doing centuries, then OK, there's a difference. Otherwise, the difference is the engine.
If you are racing or doing centuries, then OK, there's a difference. Otherwise, the difference is the engine.
battered said:
It will be like any road bike. Personally I think the differences are overrated once you fit slicks. I regularly use an old 1995 MTB fitted with 26 x 1.5 slicks, it's my commuter/tourer, and it's not significantly slower than a road bike in everyday use. The tyres make a huge difference, when I removed my knobblies and fitted slicks it was worth about 2mph across the average commute.
If you are racing or doing centuries, then OK, there's a difference. Otherwise, the difference is the engine.
On my 3 mile commute I'm actually quicker on my full sus mountain bike with it locked out. I think mainly as I don't need to dodge potholes and I think I'm slower so work harder. If you are racing or doing centuries, then OK, there's a difference. Otherwise, the difference is the engine.
Like for like, a CX bike on slicks is very similar to a road bike for solo riding. My road bike is quicker than my CX hack, but the road bike is lighter, on better wheels, thinner, faster tyres -and it is kept cleaner 
my CX bike is quicker on potholed tracks and can carry panniers, though.
my CX bike is quicker on potholed tracks and can carry panniers, though.My Carbon road bike has been made redundant! I now use my CX bike all the time. I commute to work on tarmac but can go home on a canal path/woody route. I have a set of rims with road tyres on and a set of rims with knobblies on. To be fair over the 8 mile tarmac commute, if I have the knobblies on its not a lot slower.Mopre fun on the way home though as I can turn 8 miles into 20 quite easily nwith only 2 miles of tarmac 
MC Bodge said:
Like for like, a CX bike on slicks is very similar to a road bike for solo riding. My road bike is quicker than my CX hack, but the road bike is lighter, on better wheels, thinner, faster tyres -and it is kept cleaner my CX bike is quicker on potholed tracks and can carry panniers, though.
Big difference in geometry though. My old CX wasn't much slower than a road bike but the geometry wasn't that suitable for road use. my CX bike is quicker on potholed tracks and can carry panniers, though.Depends if it is a "proppa" CX or a Commuter/Winter bike CX
As said if its a full CX machine then gearing and geo could be an issue on long rides
You might notice a difference you might not, depends on you as a rider
I'm noticably quikcer on my summer Carbon bike than my Winter Steel machine, winter bike is heavier and more upright geo, with lower ratio gears.
As said if its a full CX machine then gearing and geo could be an issue on long rides
You might notice a difference you might not, depends on you as a rider
I'm noticably quikcer on my summer Carbon bike than my Winter Steel machine, winter bike is heavier and more upright geo, with lower ratio gears.
What chainset do you have on the CX bike? A proper CX chainset and it won't be much fun but if it has a normal compact 50/34 then it'll be fine. There are a few decent looking sets of wheels which would do the job, Wiggle have launched their own Cosine branded ones which look decent and light, add some nice 25c or 28c road tyres and you're away.
yonex said:
MC Bodge said:
Like for like, a CX bike on slicks is very similar to a road bike for solo riding. My road bike is quicker than my CX hack, but the road bike is lighter, on better wheels, thinner, faster tyres -and it is kept cleaner my CX bike is quicker on potholed tracks and can carry panniers, though.
Big difference in geometry though. My old CX wasn't much slower than a road bike but the geometry wasn't that suitable for road use. my CX bike is quicker on potholed tracks and can carry panniers, though.MC Bodge said:
There are differences in geometry, but "unsuitable for road use"?????
Twitchy, fast steering, short head tube, not overly stable at speed. All the things that make it great as a CX bike but less brilliant on the road. Each to their own, if it works for you you've got a great best of both worlds.yonex said:
MC Bodge said:
There are differences in geometry, but "unsuitable for road use"?????
Twitchy, fast steering, short head tube, not overly stable at speed. All the things that make it great as a CX bike but less brilliant on the road. Each to their own, if it works for you you've got a great best of both worlds.Mine is an 8? year old Crosslight which has a flattened underside cross bar and a carbon fork. It was probably fairly racy in its day. The steering isn't twitchy compared with a road bike (as opposed to a tourer). I suspect that the wheelbase is fairly long (to accommodate 35mm off-road tyres) as it isn't unstable at speed either. I know a chap who does big miles on a Planet X XLS at decent speed.
Fluffsri said:
My Carbon road bike has been made redundant! I now use my CX bike all the time. I commute to work on tarmac but can go home on a canal path/woody route. I have a set of rims with road tyres on and a set of rims with knobblies on.
This is why my old MTB gets more use than my roady. It has slicks but is OK on rough tracks, and it's got guards and panniers, so it's just a more versatile machine.Quote: "my CX bike is quicker on potholed tracks and can carry panniers, though."
Panniers on a CX? Sounds like a commuter/tourer. Nothing wrong with that but why would you put hangers on a CX?
Quote: "My CX bike spins out at 25mph" Really? What gears? My old MTB (see above) with 22/34/42 (or whatever) front and 11-31 rear spins out between 30 and 35, so 25 must be really low. Now OK, to get mine to 35 you have to spin like Chris Hoy, but I've done it on descents occasionally.
I used p-clips to mount my pannier rack and mudguard on the cyclocross-framed bike on 28mm tyres which is set up as my winter commuter.
Riding a cyclocross bike on the road, on road tyres, is perfectly possible and acceptable.
There is a degree of prejudice and bike-type-snobbishness on this thread, non?
Riding a cyclocross bike on the road, on road tyres, is perfectly possible and acceptable.
There is a degree of prejudice and bike-type-snobbishness on this thread, non?
MC Bodge said:
Each to their own indeed, but....
Mine is an 8? year old Crosslight which has a flattened underside cross bar and a carbon fork. It was probably fairly racy in its day. The steering isn't twitchy compared with a road bike (as opposed to a tourer). I suspect that the wheelbase is fairly long (to accommodate 35mm off-road tyres) as it isn't unstable at speed either. I know a chap who does big miles on a Planet X XLS at decent speed.
Well the Crosslight I had was a poor road bike. I sold it and bought a cheap road bike and a mtb as I feltMine is an 8? year old Crosslight which has a flattened underside cross bar and a carbon fork. It was probably fairly racy in its day. The steering isn't twitchy compared with a road bike (as opposed to a tourer). I suspect that the wheelbase is fairly long (to accommodate 35mm off-road tyres) as it isn't unstable at speed either. I know a chap who does big miles on a Planet X XLS at decent speed.
It was only good for what it designed for i.e racing around fields
yonex said:
MC Bodge said:
Each to their own indeed, but....
Mine is an 8? year old Crosslight which has a flattened underside cross bar and a carbon fork. It was probably fairly racy in its day. The steering isn't twitchy compared with a road bike (as opposed to a tourer). I suspect that the wheelbase is fairly long (to accommodate 35mm off-road tyres) as it isn't unstable at speed either. I know a chap who does big miles on a Planet X XLS at decent speed.
Well the Crosslight I had was a poor road bike. I sold it and bought a cheap road bike and a mtb as I feltMine is an 8? year old Crosslight which has a flattened underside cross bar and a carbon fork. It was probably fairly racy in its day. The steering isn't twitchy compared with a road bike (as opposed to a tourer). I suspect that the wheelbase is fairly long (to accommodate 35mm off-road tyres) as it isn't unstable at speed either. I know a chap who does big miles on a Planet X XLS at decent speed.
It was only good for what it designed for i.e racing around fields
My Crosslight has done 1,000s of miles, mostly on the road commuting, with some light (and not so light) off road. The riding position has been set to be very similar to my road bike, it is not twitchy or unstable at 40+ mph. With decent road wheels and tyres it would be fast with a fit rider on board.
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