what CX bikes are people riding?

mkirby

right my winter hack/work bike is on its last legs and its a perfect excuse to get that cx bike i've wanted since i first found out about them.

What are people riding? It's going to be used for work, manky weather club rides and a little short range touring. Ideally i would like to get full mudguards on and maybe a pannier rack. Though i'm happy to do without the rack for a better bike.

I like the look of the ridley crossbow as it has eyelets for guards and rack but then found the orbea mud and man that thing is sexy.

Any advice much appreciated oh and i want to keep it under a grand and an ali frame if pos.

Thanks

Stevo_666

I don't have one but I took a look at this as a possible commuter:
http://www.boardmanbikes.com/cx/CX_Pro.html
Alu frame and just within your budget @ £999.99

spasypaddy

im eying up the CAAD9 CX bike. or the ridley. Probably the CAAD9...

Downwardi

What does CX stand for ?

Stevo_666

Downwardi wrote:

What does CX stand for ?

Cyclo Cross

Kallaen

I ride a scott CX Comp.

http://www.scottusa.com/us_en/product/8 ... 42/cx_comp

The 2009 model however. With a mix of shimano 105 and tiagra. Great bike, except that I think the bike size for me is too large and I've ran into some problems with my knees hurting quite badly, don't know why. Because I've got a lookup on how I sit on it by the store where I bought it and have driven 3 months without problems.
It started after I drove on my racing bike for a week and went back on the CX.
Overall it's a great bike, the only thing I miss is 10 speed chain and cassette and full shimano 105.

Jay dubbleU

See below

Buckled_Rims

I've a Kona Jake the Snake. I love it apart from the left 105 shifter (which is another story). I've changed the tyres to 25mm Marathon plus for added protection.

It has all the holes for the mudguards and racks. I'm also finding ideal for hilly sportives as it's a comfortable of bumpy roads.

Although ever time someone mentions a CAAD9 CX I lick my lips :shock:

linsen

I have a Giant TCX ( I think that's what it is)

It's having a rest in the loft right now, but when I do ride it, I love it. If I could only keep one bike, that would be it.

gumball3000

Giant TCX 2 would do the trick. Alu frame and fork with decent kit for £750. I had a caad 9 with an Easton EA 90 Carbon fork and could never get rid of brake judder on the road. Alu fork, no problem. Sometimes less can be more!

stevedb55

Pinnacle expede 1.0, excellent bike.

Steve

Canny Jock

Don't think the Boardman can take guards and racks, so maybe not an ideal commuter. I picked up a 2009 Tricross comp for under a grand which is well equipped and pretty light, its been a great commuting bike. The frame is alu with carbon forks and rear triangle.

cjcp

Kona Jake (bottom of the range Kona). See signature.

I've a 15-mile each-way commute and I like it a lot. However, it feels reasonably heavy, so, if you have a commute with aome proper hills in it, you might want to look at something lighter (MTFU is the other option ).

On the subject of hills, if you have steep descents, I'd look at one with disc brakes. I don't like cantilever brakes - mine squeal like hell after a couple of wet or muddy rides and I'm not wild about their stopping power, especially in the wet; I think disc brakes would be much better. I've been using my normal road bike for the last couple of months.

lardboy

Tricross Singlespeed, but have my eyes on a Genesis Croix de Fer when budget allows.

downfader

cjcp wrote:

On the subject of hills, if you have steep descents, I'd look at one with disc brakes. I don't like cantilever brakes - mine squeal like hell after a couple of wet or muddy rides and I'm not wild about their stopping power, especially in the wet; I think disc brakes would be much better. I've been using my normal road bike for the last couple of months.

As much as I love my Jake I have to agree. Any bike with cantis has this downside that should be taken into account - for example on my commute one of the routes has a 35 degree downhill with an immediate right turn at the bottom. Something I cant do in the wet and I tend to avoid it with this bike.

Second downside to the Jake is that if you dont get on with the BB then you have to change the whole crankset. The FSA BB is specific to those cranks.

Also I'm told the boardman is a great bike, but you have to understand its designed just for sport, not commuting and so misses the capability to mount mudguard and rack. Even crudcatcher.

gbsahne001

I've the same problem with the crosslight frame I'm riding, no mudguard holes so I'm looking at building up a Ribble audax using the hybrid as a donor. The other alternative is n+1

mudcovered

downfader wrote:

Second downside to the Jake is that if you dont get on with the BB then you have to change the whole crankset. The FSA BB is specific to those cranks.

Not sure if that's true. It certainly wasn't for the FSA crank/BB combination on my Jake The Snake. When the FSA external BB bearings went I replaced it with a Shimano Ultegra one but I'm still using the same cranks. It is a different crank on the Jake so it would be worth checking.

Mike

Specialized Needs

cjcp wrote:

On the subject of hills, if you have steep descents, I'd look at one with disc brakes. I don't like cantilever brakes - mine squeal like hell after a couple of wet or muddy rides and I'm not wild about their stopping power, especially in the wet; I think disc brakes would be much better. I've been using my normal road bike for the last couple of months.

Hmm. How do you think the cantilever brakes compare with V-brakes? Anyone here able to compare the two (sorry if this is a can of worms)? My only experience of cantilevers is on a late 1980s rigid mountain bike.

I am in discussion with a couple of shops about swapping the 2010 Tricross's cantilevers for some mini-V's at point of sale (to make it easier to take the wheel off when transporting - I don't know if cantilevers have an easy quick release), much like the 2009 version came with. One shop seems convinced that the wide cantilevers on the 2010 Tricross would provide more power and be easier to set up (the V's would need to run closer to the rim for similar power, they say). If what the shops are saying is true, then I'll save the cash and not swap to mini-Vs.

To address the OP - I hope soon to have a Tricross Sport 27 for similar usage

Jay dubbleU

C de F has mudguard fittings although you'll need a disc compatible version. It also has rack mountings. My 2009 version is a 34/50 although I think the new 2010 is a triple and has cro-mo front forks instead of the carbon.

OrangePro

Cotic Roadrat.- Simple, strong, steel frame, bullet proof, all the adaptability you would want or need.
Run as single speed commute for last 12 months- no complaints. Just switched out the magura julie's to run with cheap deore v's ( reason being to simplify the maintenance as far as poss- running with kool stop brake blocks- previous shimano only lasted 2weeks!

turnerjohn

Planet X Uncle John, bomb proof but light, has all the fixings on you could want, and its also disk compatable which is top in the winter...no dead rims :-)

cjcp

Specialized Needs wrote:

cjcp wrote:

On the subject of hills, if you have steep descents, I'd look at one with disc brakes. I don't like cantilever brakes - mine squeal like hell after a couple of wet or muddy rides and I'm not wild about their stopping power, especially in the wet; I think disc brakes would be much better. I've been using my normal road bike for the last couple of months.

Hmm. How do you think the cantilever brakes compare with V-brakes? Anyone here able to compare the two (sorry if this is a can of worms)? My only experience of cantilevers is on a late 1980s rigid mountain bike.

I am in discussion with a couple of shops about swapping the 2010 Tricross's cantilevers for some mini-V's at point of sale (to make it easier to take the wheel off when transporting - I don't know if cantilevers have an easy quick release), much like the 2009 version came with. One shop seems convinced that the wide cantilevers on the 2010 Tricross would provide more power and be easier to set up (the V's would need to run closer to the rim for similar power, they say). If what the shops are saying is true, then I'll save the cash and not swap to mini-Vs.

To address the OP - I hope soon to have a Tricross Sport 27 for similar usage

I think some cantis provide better stopping power than others - I've seen folks using wide cantis for races.

I think you have to get the set-up right: make sure the toe-ing of the brake pads is right and, as far as the Jake is concerned anyway, I'm told it's better to have the front brake cable hanger on the forks rather than just above the headtube (mixed with the spacers).

I've not had any issues getting the wheels off either the MTB or the CX.

downfader

Most cantis you can simply pull the levers up and into the rim and unhook the cable which is clipped in on the left side.

I've adjusted my brakes with toe in and changed the CX brakes for koolstop dual compound designed for MTBing. Seems to give me better stopping power than simple CX. As I said before you still need to keep a checkon it down hill.

..oh and avoid deisel. Got some of the nasty stuff on the wheels a couple of weeks back and nearly crashed. Nothing will help you brake in that.

Oh and as for mini-Vs. My local tech says dont bother. They're next to useless. I was going to install full on Deore Vs but he says thats a no-no too as theres too much "pull" in the levers.

Specialized Needs

CJ, Downfader

Thanks for that info, much appreciated.

By the look of the pics on the Specialized website, the 2010 Tricross's hanger is attached to the crown of the forks, so that should negate any judder. [In that colour I am glad that I plan to use it as a commuter and not a CX bike :roll:]

Diesel, yep, not a lot you can do on that whatever vehicle you are on :shock: Although I hear it can be good as a chain cleaner

downfader

Just had a look and saw that mine is at the top. I dont seem to exerience judder though. I do have a reflector infront of the canti though so perhaps that stops it flicking forward.

gbsahne001

just ordered the koolstop mountain blocks for my canti's, which should help the juddering I'm getting at the moment.

mkirby

Sigh more choices.

I think im down to the Orbea mud and the genesis croix de fer. Dad is of to evans in a couple of weeks with a cycle scheme voucher (hes also looking at a cx) so i might have a look and a test ride on the cdf if they have one in.

Out of interest how heavy is the cdf? I would imagine a steel frame and discs is a hefty combo. And just how powerful are discs? i've only ever ridden normal roadies so a bit apprehensive of moving to discs.

The cdf does tick all the boxes and its only 100 more than the orbea, man i can see which way this is going to go.

cjcp

gbsahne wrote:

just ordered the koolstop mountain blocks for my canti's, which should help the juddering I'm getting at the moment.

Which brakes do you have and which blocks* have you ordered? Cheers.

EDIT: just in case there's more than one type of block.

gs3

Specialized Needs

If the hanger on the Tricross Sport is the same as the Comp 2010 then you won't have any problems at all with brake judder.
I've got the Comp (see 'commute' below in sig), and have no issues at all. Frame size is 56cm and I'm about 15 stone but brakes work well whether riding on the hoods or the drops even with the original pads.

Hope this helps

.

edit: just had a look at the Spesh website pics and the brake hanger is the same on the Sport and Comp.

cjcp

mkirby wrote:

Sigh more choices.

I think im down to the Orbea mud and the genesis croix de fer. Dad is of to evans in a couple of weeks with a cycle scheme voucher (hes also looking at a cx) so i might have a look and a test ride on the cdf if they have one in.

Out of interest how heavy is the cdf? I would imagine a steel frame and discs is a hefty combo. And just how powerful are discs? i've only ever ridden normal roadies so a bit apprehensive of moving to discs.

The cdf does tick all the boxes and its only 100 more than the orbea, man i can see which way this is going to go.

One other point arising from your original post: if you want to use it on club rides in manky weather, I'd go for the Genesis - I wouldn't use a bike with canti brakes if I was riding in a group.

Lift them both up to see how they compare weight-wise.

toasty

gs3 wrote:

Specialized Needs

If the hanger on the Tricross Sport is the same as the Comp 2010 then you won't have any problems at all with brake judder.

Good news, I ordered that exact model on Saturday The rack mounts and dozens of travel logs from people touring all over on them sold it for me. Most of the time it'll just be a commuting/light playing in the woods bike.