Specialized Tricross Sport

adifiddler

Hi all i am new here and just about to start cycling to work, I am moving to Chichester so will be cycling into Portsmouth everyday, a round trip of about 36 miles.

The distance does not bother me but I am a little out of shape and my fitness does. I have a MTB that I use with slicks on but it is an old training bike and the frame is only 18" so there is now way i am going to ride that. I have been looking at road bikes but I am very hard cyclist and can go through bikes like a knife through butter. So i am looking for something a little stronger. I have looked at both cyclocross and light tourer bikes. I dont think a tourer would be responsive enough for me and believe cyclo geometry make for good distance commute bikes. Is this correct in your opinions.

Money is a little tight so i am limited to £800, i wish i could aim for £1300 as i would get a lot more bike. I have seen and like the Specialized Tricross Sport but the LBS only has a small so i have not been able to have a ride on it to see if it suites me. It also leaves me with £100 for some shoes and stuff. What do you guys thing, is it a good bike and suitable for a 30+ mile commute each day?

I have a 84.5cm isl which suggests a 58cm frame but at 6'1" (185.4) i have a long back, would i be better off getting a larger frame, they do one at 61cm.

Your comments would be appreciated, cheers.

I am not new to cycling but have been away from it for many years, now apart from the occasional hack out and trips around town. Whilst in the army I raced both road and XC to quite a high standard.

tyskie

I'm in a similar situation - currently using my road bike for a 35 mile round trip but am looking to get a more or less dedicated commuter as I really don't want to trash my best bike. I tried out the Kona Jake (£600) at Evans the other day as they are our designated Cycle to Work scheme shop. It looked good initially as I also want to incorporate a bit of Thames side riding into my return commute, however, I found the whole transmission system a step down too far from what I'm currently using (Centaur) and really didn't like the ride. I have found what looks great value and am going to give that a test ride. Evans are doing a Felt F1X Cyc-X for £850, so Adifiddler, see if you can get down to Evans to give that a run-out (have you got one anywhere near you?). It's about £150 more than the Specialized you are looking at but appears to have much better components.

btw - anyone own or used the Felt F1X Cyc-X?

grimmison

I bought myself a Tricross for commuting back in november and it's done me pretty well. Very comfy and it's great hopping it up and down curbs for short trips around town and a bit of cycling through fields when I get bored of the regular commute.

I stuck 25mm tyres on it to give me a bit more speed on my commute which seems to do the trick nicely. The gearing is very wide and will get you up pretty much any hill. I lived in Sheffield and there wasn't a hill it couldn't cope with even with panniers filled to the brim with crates of beer.

adifiddler

Felt F1X Cyc-X Does look like a lot of bike and with great reviews. The price is good too, Why does someone always through a spanner in the works by suggesting something better and nicer.

I would be silly to pass on one of them.

reefman

My commuting bike is an audax bike a Ridgeback Horizon , the practicality of a tourer (mudgaurds and rack for a single pannier, 32 spoke wheels) but the geomertry of a road bike.
I cycle 16 miles per day rain or shine.

It cost £499,I will upgrade the rear sora mech to 105 when it wears out.
It is perfect for a fun commute and not so exotic I worry about it too much.

Reefman

baudman

adifiddler wrote:

I have a 84.5cm isl which suggests a 58cm frame but at 6'1" (185.4) i have a long back, would i be better off getting a larger frame, they do one at 61cm.

Sounds like a good bike.

I'd get a proper bike fit if you can - the length of your arms also have a lot to play in the geo. My road bike (Felt F80) should be a bit too big for me, but I have long monkey arms. The guy doing the fit couldn't work out why it was fitting me, until I showed him.

adifiddler

Thanks for your response buys, After careful consideration and plenty of research I have ordered the Felt F1X, its a lovely looking bike and the components package is excellent. I feel it will make a great commute bike with the option of getting out onto the Southdowns at weekends and not being tied to the roads.

I will keep you guys informed.

tyskie

Well Done!! They didn't have any left in my size so back to the drawing board for me.

I really don't fancy the Specialized so it's either wait for the 2008 Felt F1X to come out or splash out big style on the Kona Major Jake. I've worked out it would cost me about £800 buying it through the Ride2Work scheme. As I'm saving over £100 a month on petrol by commuting, it's gotta be worth it. :shock:

adifiddler

I was tempted to wait till the 2008 Felts came out but i had a limited budget which would not stretch to a grand+ so i decided to go for it. The Felt is a fare better specked bike than the Specialised so it made perfect sense to go for it.

I have also made a shopping list of items i need to get.

Peddles, Shimano M324 SPD to match the bikes main use.
SKS mudguards probably Race Blades
Some slick boots probably 23 or 25c looking at GP4000s
A new front light to replace my old rechargeable lights (they must be 10 years old now)
Replace my old cycle clothing and rain jacket
Replace some of my older bike tools.
Some decent locks
Bike shoes

And i am even toying with the idea of a helmet, i used them in the past whilst racing but never liked them but i am sure they would be more comfortable, lighter and cooler now a days.

tyskie

I'm using GP4000's for my commute on my road bike at the minute. The rear tyre is really getting cut up and I've a couple of punctures in recent weeks. You may want to think about using something a bit tougher. Conti GatorSkins?

adifiddler

Ah cheers for the advise i was looking for a tough puncture resistant tire i was under the impression that that 4000s had good puncture resistance but still being light and fast.

BentMikey

I like GP4000s, they are great tyres, and I commute on them. Mind you, I'm happy with the Stelvios on my recumbent too, which are about as resistant as a party balloon.

adifiddler

My LBS said i should go with Bontrager and not the 4000s but they always push Bontrager products, i think its because the make the biggest GP form the sales.

I once had my chain snap on me about 100 meters from work, the chain fell off my bike and went straight down a drain so i ran the bike into the LBS which is right across the road from my works and said can you but a new chain on and i will pick it up later. They fitted a Sram chain which snapped a couple of weeks later, when i took it in to have it replaced they refused to do it for free so i had to fork out for a shimano HG73. They are a great shop but i dont wholly trust them.

I was looking at the Schwalde Marathon plus 700 x 25c but i am not shore about there weight and rolling resistance.

Tire chose has always been the bane of my life. I did like my Specialized Armadillo slicks i had on my MTB but again when i went to replace them the LBS said they couldn't get them and advised Bontrager semi slicks i had no chose at the time to take them and have to say the have no punctured despite pulling out a 5mm shard of glass out of the rear tire but i am not happy with there rolling resistance.