Which CycloCross?

lmurf

My boyfriend and I are about to get some cyclo cross bikes, we have been looking at the specialized and the Kona. We do not want the same bike but want one of equal quality.

Also as we are new to cycling will we see a difference if we spend @ 1200 rather than @ £800??

blackhands

The only difference you will see is £400 each from your bank account Also have a look at Focus from Wiggle.

lmurf

Thanks, not seen them before - just read the review seems really favourable..

Phekdra

blackhands wrote:

The only difference you will see is £400 each from your bank account Also have a look at Focus from Wiggle.

I have the Focus Mares Cross. It's a very nice bike, but I wouldn't buy another one as the mini-v brakes are a nightmare and have been thoroughly replaced. Also trying it out at a bike shop would be nice. The Specialized Tricross looks nice.

Phekdra

lmurf

Cool, thanks for the pointer. My boyfriend wants the specialized, so I am looking perhaps at the Kona.

Any thoughs on the price brackets? Sport or Comp range??Jake or Jake the Snake??

Phekdra

lmurf wrote:

Cool, thanks for the pointer. My boyfriend wants the specialized, so I am looking perhaps at the Kona.

Any thoughs on the price brackets? Sport or Comp range??Jake or Jake the Snake??

I'm no expert but personally I'd like something with the equivalent specifications to the Mares Cross, and that would mean the Comp & Snake, but they are quite expensive...

That's the advantage of the Mares Cross - you get a lot for the money.

Phekdra

Mark_K

I've been looking at the Mares Cross but being only 5'6/5'7 i think i would need a 52 and they are not making that size anymore acording to wiggle ? Anyone know if the 54 comes up short ???

jpembroke

Buy a Mares Cross and order a decent set of canti brakes at the same time e.g. Tektro Oryx or Shimano BR-R550. Seems daft to pass up a good bike just because the brakes are a bit iffy (Mini Vs are terrible).

So, why do you guys want 'cross bikes? Are you thinking about racing? If not then be very careful when buying a cross bike: they can have quite odd geometries in comparison to road bikes (short top tubes, high bottom brackets); often do not have bottle cage bosses, or rack or mudguard mounts; and may not be able to take a triple chainset.

Mark_K

jpembroke wrote:

Buy a Mares Cross and order a decent set of canti brakes at the same time e.g. Tektro Oryx or Shimano BR-R550. Seems daft to pass up a good bike just because the brakes are a bit iffy (Mini Vs are terrible).

So, why do you guys want 'cross bikes? Are you thinking about racing? If not then be very careful when buying a cross bike: they can have quite odd geometries in comparison to road bikes (short top tubes, high bottom brackets); often do not have bottle cage bosses, or rack or mudguard mounts; and may not be able to take a triple chainset.

For me i'm comming from a MTB back ground and want a bike i can do my commute on pluss get some miles in for training and fittness when i dont fancy getting muddy So short top tubes and high bottom brackets sound fine to me lol Cheers for the tips on the mini v's though.
The Mares Cross is a lot off bike for the money but i'm concerned that a 54" maybe to big for my stubby legs

Mark_K

Specialized Tricross was my other choice ?

100%

a decent set of canti brakes at the same time e.g. Tektro Oryx or Shimano BR-R550.

I've got the Tektro Oryx on my 'cross bike. They seem pretty good as far as Canti's go... Work surprisingly well in the wet too - perhaps I'd just got a bit too used to the discs on my MTB.

I've not seen the Mares Cross before but it looks a really nice bike with some nice finishing kit on it.

So, why do you guys want 'cross bikes? Are you thinking about racing? If not then be very careful when buying a cross bike: they can have quite odd geometries in comparison to road bikes (short top tubes, high bottom brackets); often do not have bottle cage bosses, or rack or mudguard mounts; and may not be able to take a triple chainset.

Also definitely good advice. I bought mine with little intention of racing (although if I can get fit enough, it looks like fun!) and I expressly like the geometry and find it comfortable - it definitely has a slightly more upright position than a normal road bike. I have a Kinesis CrossLight 4T frame - very nice, has bosses for two bottle cages and also drilled for rack and mudguards. However the carbon CrossLight fork has no provision for a front mud guard. This is definitely something to consider if you're planning riding to work/touring etc.

You may also want to check the the chainset that comes with the bike. The frame is capable of running a triple chainset at the front, but it was built up with a double and angled towards racing with 48 and 39 tooth chainrings so you may want to check that too. E.g. the Kona Jake as a triple at the front, so you've got some easier/more relaxed gears for riding up long hills. By contrast, the Jake the Snake has a double. WIth the set up I have there is at least one climb on the way to work I have to grit my teeth and just pedal hard up.

With regards to the Kona Jake, a friend's brother has one and apparently loves it. He rode it down from London to Southampton recently with no worries.

Having said that, I really like my cyclocross bike for road and light off-road use. I'd highly recommend looking into it, but I suggest you think carefully about the type of rising you want to do and try and get a test ride of some description.

Cheers,
Steve

CrookedCucumber

FWIW I have a Specialized Tricross. I don't have much experience of that kind of bike so I don't know what the competition is like; but I certainly don't regret buying it. It does have bosses for bottle cages, and racks, and that kind of stuff, and you can get a model with a triple chainring.

I bought a cyclocross bike because I do ride a fair bit on crappy unmade roads. It wouldn't be my first choice if nearly all my riding was on good roads.

Phekdra

jpembroke wrote:

Buy a Mares Cross and order a decent set of canti brakes at the same time e.g. Tektro Oryx or Shimano BR-R550. Seems daft to pass up a good bike just because the brakes are a bit iffy (Mini Vs are terrible).

Can't argue with that - but if I was buying a new bike I'd rather not be messing with it straight away as I had to do, and I'd like to try it out first, which you usually can't with Focus bikes. The higher models in the Cross range cost more but come with decent brakes so they might be a better bet. I finally settled on some Tektro CR520s which have stupendous power and good modulation. The instructions warn that they are powerful and suggest practicing at low speed. Yeah, right, I thought, they're just covering their rear ends. First time out on the road I give the lever a gentle squeeze and nearly go over the handlebars! Very nice brakes, and they take V-brake pads too.

I wouldn't buy another cyclocross bike, though, unless I was going to race, as somebody else has commented. I've basically turned it into a pure road bike, fitting slicks and getting rid of the annoying auxiliary brakes, which is what I should have bought in the first place. I thought it would be a good do-it-all bike, but a road bike for roads and a mountain bike for off-roads now seem like a more sensible option.

Phekdra

acorn_user

Dawes Galaxy would do this too, just saying

Also, not everyone hates mini-v's, but I will probably be trying those Tektro brakes soon.

Barrie_G

Also for you to consider the Felt F1X, it doesn't have any bosses for fitting mudguards but it has two sets of bottle bosses, it also comes with the Tektro orynx cantilever brakes.

Felt F1X £850 from wiggle http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ProductDetail.a ... F1X%202008

jpembroke

FWIW, I have a Planet X Uncle John with 105, Mavic Aksiums, Tektro Oryx brakes, Stronglight 48/34 chainset, and Planet X finishing kit. Top bike but I built it specifically for racing. Wouldn't be my first choice for road use.

feel

get one of these and share it

jpembroke

Despite my frame having the mounts for them, I still can't bring myself to add disk brakes to my 'cross bike. It just seems wrong. Silly isn't it?

jpembroke

Oh, and that is a fantastic looking bike but I'd hate to race it. Maybe put it in a glass display cabinet instead.