Road or Cyclocross bike?

_Matt_

Hi all,

I want to buy a bike with a budget of £700. I've been to three shops in Bristol this weekend looking for advice and seem to get mixed messages from wherever I go.

I want a bike which I will use mostly to get to work (a 22 mile round trip each day) which will account for 99% of its use.

Getting to work is predominantly on cycle paths (of which I believe most are tarmac), roads and perhaps a few gravel paths (depending on which way I go).

I've been leaning towards cyclocross bikes because of the all-rounder aspect but I'm starting to question whether that really is the best option.

I was going to get a Specialized Tricross Sport but now am wondering whether a proper road bike such as the Cube Peleton (do like the look of this) might be more appropriate?

If anyone is in a similar situation and can tell me what bike they went for that would be great.

Really appreciate any help!

Thanks,

Matt

boyse7en

I'm waiting to get a Spech Tricross Sport from my LBS - bought it to do a 30 mile commute on a mix of road and gravel. I was looking at a 'proper' road bike but I went for the Tricross as it seems more adaptable (can fit wider tyres, mudguards, panniers) and has a triple crank, which will help on the steep hills around here.

I didn't go for a pure road-racer as I was a bit worried, coming from an MTB background, that I'd bugger it by dropping off a curb, or something. So I'm a bit happier with the sturdier nature of the Tricross

_Matt_

Thanks, boyse7en.

Are you local to Bristol too? Which other models were you looking at?

Good point about the sturdiness, not having had a bike in several years and previously owning a MTB there's a good chance I could throw it around a little.

Just reading an interesting point about road bikes only having 2 cranks whereas cyclocross have 3. Might come in handy seeing as Bristol several large hills.

Vitessetortoise

I had exactly the same thoughts a year ago and decided to go with a Cyclocross, dishing out 700 notes on a Genesis Vapour. I love it, I find it a perfect commuting bike, with slicks fitted it's quick but solid enough for London's degraded roads. Also, when I can be bothered putting the nobblies back on, it's great for riding around the gravel paths of Richmond Park with the missus.

However, be aware, if you go over serious rough ground you really will know about the shocks going through your backside :shock: and hands.

As a compromise it's great, but it is exactly that. After riding almost predominantly on the road for the last year I find myself eyeing up carbon road bikes and that's the way any future bike is likely to go (not that I would get rid of the vapour for commuting).

As for which Cyclocross is the best, Tricross, Vapour, Bianchi, Pinnacle, Kona, Cube etc etc, it's a personal choice, the bikes are roughly comparable so ride as many as you can. I did and just liked the vapour, partially because it's so understated.

_Matt_

Thanks Vitessetortoise. Genesis Vapour is a nice looking bike. My LBS does sell them but none in stock at the moment.

Any idea how the Genesis groupset compares against the Specialized?

It would seem this is exactly the wrong time of year to buy a bike - getting out the old in time for the 2009 stock.

OK, I think I'm coming back down on the side of Cyclocross now; functionality being the decider.

daz51

Hey guys,

the Specialized is an amzing looking bike with good spec. I think like mentioned above the adapatability is great for mud guards etc,

throw you a curve ball in have you thought of a single speed fixe / freewheel such as the Specialized Langster or even still the Tricross single speed?

worth an option if its a flat / small hill ride to work and you get great momentum.

_Matt_

Hi Daz,

Unfortunately there's the mother of all hills on my way to work. Shame because a single speed would have been great - and easier on the wallet!

I took (dragged) a couple of friends round with me. One of them was constantly talking about single speed. I think my poor knees might give out if I try and get up any of the hills in Bristol. In fact, I think I'd be walking it most places.

daz51

could just drop say a 20 or 22 tooth sprocket on the back instead of the 16 or 18 i think they come with most of them?

Vitessetortoise

Vapour is (or was last year) mainly Tiagra groupset with a 105 rear. The double chainset rather than a triple worried me a bit at first as I was used to a hybrid (stolen :evil: ) but it's not been a problem.

Time of year is an issue, I bought mine almost exactly a year ago and then watched the rather lovely looking Bianchi Axis in my LBS window get cut to the same price as my bike, necessitating a different route for several weeks to avoid seeing it. Can't be helped though, whatever you get there will be a better version along next year (same with PCs, tellies, cars, lasses ) just have to choose a good one and be happy with it.

CanterburyTailwind

Hi Matt
Tough decison, and one I had 6 months ago. I was torn between the Tricross and Giant SCR2. In the end I went for the SCR2, because (as someone else said) the cyclocross may well seem like a (slightly slow) compromise as most of your time will be on tarmac or something close to it. Once you get into cycling more, you may find (like me!) that speed is a deciding factor. Combined with this the fact that the SCR can take full mudguards and rack, and I took the plunge. And it's been great! But then, I don't have any cyclocross experience to compare it with... :?

boyse7en

Are you local to Bristol too? Which other models were you looking at?

I'm based in Barnstaple, North Devon, so I know some of the hills you've got around Bristol are nearly as steep as the ones around here

Other models I tried were - Giant SCR2 (didn't like it - felt uncomfortable on it and thought it looked dull), Trek Pilot (loved it but it was way too expensive) and the Trek 1.2 (was p'ing down when I road it and the skinny tyres were slipping on the manholes/concrete kerbs which made me nervous. Tried the Tricross in the same conditions and felt more at home)
I also had a quick go on a full carbon Madone (£2k+) as the LBS owner said it was worth a go, just to see what I might want next year.

It would seem this is exactly the wrong time of year to buy a bike - getting out the old in time for the 2009 stock.

When will new stuff be coming in? Is it worth waiting a couple of weeks to see if the prices drop a bit?

daz51

YES YES YES !!!!!!!!!!!!! some one else who agrees with me about the Giant SCR range !!!

thank you boyse7en

100%

Hi,

I went the cyclocross route in the end for my commute - it's a round trip of about 44 miles. I've been riding predominantly on roads, although there does seem to be a few possible shortcuts down tracks and the like. It's worth noting that the roads are fairly poor quality on the route I take, and when it's wet will often be covered with gravel and soil washed off the banks at the side of the roads. There's quite a lot of potholes and broken up road surfaces too. I'm unsure about a pair of road slicks due to the small patches of mud I frequently encounter.

I managed to get a Kinesis Crosslight 4T at a bit of a bargain price - £500 off on a setup the LBS had built for their cyclocross team last season and never used. I went to check out the Bianchi Axis and fell in love with this bike instead. It does mean I have pretty brutal gearing - a 48/39 up front - but I can climb all the hills I need to without too much trouble. It's not a gentle cruise up some of those hills you might expect with a triple though. There is one (thankfully short!) hill I don't believe I could climb in the saddle at all.

One thing worth bearing in mind - whilst the frame may have mudgruard and panier mounts, the fork may not if it's cyclocross specific. This is the case with my bike, but I don't want to use either currently.

I'm finding myself eyeing up a carbon road bike too, but I'm still not sure I'd ride it to work, particularly given the rough route. At least not with some superlight wheelset. The cyclocross bike works for me, and I find it pretty comfortable to ride too. It's also very fast when off-road :twisted: and I'm very tempted to have a go at a cyclecross race this winter!

Cheers,
Steve

daz51

steve. all the positives you have just given and with the free / fixed wheel Re-revolution taking place i can see the Specialized Tricross single really taking off

_Matt_

Hi CT, thanks for your input. It's funny, two weeks ago I was deadset on the SCR 2 but since then I've changed my mind umpteen times.

CanterburyTailwind wrote:

... the cyclocross may well seem like a (slightly slow) compromise...

Very true. It'd be interesting to see how much speed you do give up on a cyclocross.

I still think I'm on the cyclocross side of the fence at the moment.

_Matt_

When will new stuff be coming in? Is it worth waiting a couple of weeks to see if the prices drop a bit?

I think they said Aug/Sep time which is an awfully long time to wait. I'd love to get a knocked down 2008 model but there aren't any for them to knock down! :x

I also had a quick go on a full carbon Madone (£2k+) as the LBS owner said it was worth a go, just to see what I might want next year.

Clever sales man :twisted:

meanwhile

_Matt_ wrote:

Very true. It'd be interesting to see how much speed you do give up on a cyclocross.

About zero. If you search you'll find a post last week from a guy who switched from a Tricross to a dedicated TT bike and found his trial times were only marginally faster. In traffic the cyclocross bike may well be faster - running slightly wider grippier tyres and v-brakes will let you ride more aggressively without compromising safety. A road racing bike's only real advantage is weight reduction, which is marginal when you remember to add rider weight. (But can still be decisive in a road race which isn't entirely on the flat.)

A good cyclocross is one of the ultimate all rounders. You might want to look at the Foxus Mares Cross, Soma Doublecheck, Surly Crosscheck, Cotic Roadrat, Giant TCX, Planet X Kaffenback, Jamis whatever, etc as well.

will3

Hi I ride a road bike and sometimes a Genesis Vapour on my commute Both are equipped to similar standards. The commute is 8.5 miles and the road bike is about 1-2 minutes faster for the same effort. Most of that would probably be re-gained if I fitted slicks to the CX bike.
One really noticable difference is that the road bike really accellerates quicker.

_Matt_

Hi meanwhile,

Interesting post and basically cements my decision in getting a cyclocross. Thanks

I had looked at the Focus Mares Cross and it looked brilliant. I really want to get the bike from a shop near where I live as they offer a great service agreement. I read on the Focus website that Wiggle are their only distributor - I wonder if there's any possibility they'll ship to my local store? Anyone been able to do that?

The other thing I heard about it was that there are no bosses available for attaching panniers - odd decision by Focus. That means I would be tied to using a rucksack.

CanterburyTailwind

Good luck and go for it Matt! I think you've seen from all the posts that everyone has a different opinion.. :? ...so the decision is ultimately yours. If you can, and your LBS has both cyclocross and road bikes, have a go on both, and see if you can see/feel any difference.

Let us know what you find out!

_Matt_

Hi all,

Thanks for everybody's help and opinions on this.

After A LOT of deliberation I've decided to go for the Focus Cross Expert which is a little above my original budget but the group set did it for the price. I think the investment will pay off eventually and I'll be glad I 'upgraded' earlier than later.

I'm going to have to wait 3 - 4 weeks for the cycle to work scheme to kick in before I can ride it now

Thanks again

buzz_ig

_Matt_ wrote:

After A LOT of deliberation I've decided to go for the Focus Cross Expert which is a little above my original budget but the group set did it for the price. I think the investment will pay off eventually and I'll be glad I 'upgraded' earlier than later.

Certainly looks very nice, and seems to take mudguards - though not sure about a rack?

If I was in the market for a commuter, it would be on my list. Let us know what it's like.