Cyclo-Cross bikes
cgarossi
Posts: 729
Make no mistake, I'm a mountain biker. But I do have a certain respect for super fit roadies, while secretly wishing I was that fit.
After trying a few road bike rides I found the it too monotonous and uninteresting. 50 miles of riding on the road while the traffic does it's best to push in you into the nearest hedge, or worse, is not my idead of fun. But I did want a bike that could help me improve my stamina and still have the interest of off road riding.
A friend of mine introduced to me to cyclo-cross. Kind of the bastard child of a road and mountain bike holiday romance.
I thought, what the hell and ordered a Genesis Vapour X cyclo-cross bike. It came a few weeks later and I love it.
Last night we went out for a good two hour blast. It seems to have that perfect middle ground between roadbike speed and light off road capabilities. After a 10 mile road ride we headed into a local wood to try out some of the single track that we used to do with mountain bikes. It's a perfectly capable bike that will go over most things with plenty of confidence. The lack of suspension and the drop handle bars takes some getting used to but after a while, when you realise you should attack the trail rather than gingerly negotiate it, its fantastic.
No only do you have some good off-road ability but you have the road bike speed and sprinting abilities that you could only dream of on a mountain bike. Which in turn helps build your leg strength.
After a month of weekly cyclo-cross riding it's helped me no end with my mountain biking. The extra strength gained in the legs and core has helped me gain that extra advantage on the trails.
Recommended if you're considering a supplemental bike for your mtb.
After trying a few road bike rides I found the it too monotonous and uninteresting. 50 miles of riding on the road while the traffic does it's best to push in you into the nearest hedge, or worse, is not my idead of fun. But I did want a bike that could help me improve my stamina and still have the interest of off road riding.
A friend of mine introduced to me to cyclo-cross. Kind of the bastard child of a road and mountain bike holiday romance.
I thought, what the hell and ordered a Genesis Vapour X cyclo-cross bike. It came a few weeks later and I love it.
Last night we went out for a good two hour blast. It seems to have that perfect middle ground between roadbike speed and light off road capabilities. After a 10 mile road ride we headed into a local wood to try out some of the single track that we used to do with mountain bikes. It's a perfectly capable bike that will go over most things with plenty of confidence. The lack of suspension and the drop handle bars takes some getting used to but after a while, when you realise you should attack the trail rather than gingerly negotiate it, its fantastic.
No only do you have some good off-road ability but you have the road bike speed and sprinting abilities that you could only dream of on a mountain bike. Which in turn helps build your leg strength.
After a month of weekly cyclo-cross riding it's helped me no end with my mountain biking. The extra strength gained in the legs and core has helped me gain that extra advantage on the trails.
Recommended if you're considering a supplemental bike for your mtb.
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Comments
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i'd rather dieAlways remember.... Wherever you go, there you are.
Ghost AMR 7500 2012
De Rosa R8380 -
NEVER!!!!
I've stuck semislicks on and locked out the suspension for my commute to work - that is far as I'm willing to go.
2007 Felt Q720 (the ratbike)
2012 Cube Ltd SL (the hardtail XC 26er)
2014 Lapierre Zesty TR 329 (the full-sus 29er)0 -
Each to their own of course. I was skeptical until I tried it.
But I have two other mountain bikes which are still my main rides. Although not at the same time.0 -
really can't see why riding cyclo cross would make you fitter to be honest.. seems just a bit silly to me.
Still each to there own.0 -
Love my cross bike and, if heavens above I was limited to one bike, it'd be the one I kept.
It's great for whizzing about exploring new areas and road sections aren't a massive ball ache.
You can race cross in the winter which is simply the best workout for heart, lungs, legs and bike handling skills there is.
Stick slick tyres on and you've got a road winter training bike... no matter what the nay sayers say, some solid road miles make you a stronger mountain biker.
You can do the ultimate biking test in the UK, The Three Peaks Cyclocross.
I'd love to build up a Ragley TD1 as a Monster Crosser.. would be spot on for the sort of riding I love to do.0 -
Ditto, and just repeating it for effect.Thewaylander wrote:really can't see why riding cyclo cross would make you fitter to be honest.. seems just a bit silly to me.
If you're working harder on the CX "bike" than on your mountain bike, then you're riding your MTB like a granny, surely.
Ride harder, ride faster, put some bleedin effort into it.0 -
shamefull as I am to admit it I to have joined the cyclocross club with a specialized tricross and think its brilliant. I have actually gone down the route of putting slicks on it though and use it to pop to the shops and make most journeys under 15 miles each way on it (instead of using my deisel guzzling hilux) its saving me a fortune in fuel, improving my fitness for "proper" riding and I dont panic about it being nicked every time I leave it locked up somewhere for longer than 2 mins. It has litterally doubled the time I spend in the saddle and I can now ride my mtb twice as long. It would be nice if every journey could be done on sweet single track and if bike theivs saw a nice full susser locked up and thought "WoW thats a nice bike I'll give it a polish and lube the chain while the owners away. That will make him/her really happy" but alas, until such times I'll keep on riding my crosser. they make super comfy road bikes!Yeti SB66c 20130
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ddraver wrote:I did a few cyclocros races on the MTB last year - Its an hour of abject pain and, in my case, humiliation. I very rarely ride my MTB like that except on 24hr race laps...It definitely helped my MTBi fitness...
Oh for the love of...
So what you're saying is that you found riding your MTB really fast for a prolonged period of time, like in a race, made you fitter?
Someone give that man a medal 0 -
I hate the bloody things! Very highly skilled riders will get more out of them than I can, but when off road I kinda like fatter tyres, wider bars, brakes on the bars and not on drops, a bit of suspension, easier to use gears, more top tube clearance and more stable handling.
Hey, if you enjoy them though! I don't.0 -
ddraver, you need to get over yourself. :roll:0
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I got a crosser and I gotta say it is huge, huge fun to ride.
If it makes folk happier I am running it with a Deore chainset, though! How would I write my own epitaph? With a crayon - I'm not allowed anything I can sharpen to a sustainable point.
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed herein are worth exactly what you paid for them.0 -
yeehaamcgee wrote:ddraver, you need to get over yourself. :roll:
Right back atcha...We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
You really see nothing amusing in what you wrote, do you?
Keep reading it, then eventually it'll hit you, and it'll be an epic facepalm moment, I assure you. Particularly after kicking up such a fuss 0 -
As yeeha said, you'll realise how stupid what you said was in a bit. God dammit, yeeha seems to be in a phase of talking sense, I keep having to agree with him0
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I'm in the "just dont get it crowd". Surely a lightweight XC hardtail is only going to be 3-5lbs heavier and if that makes riding on or off road drastically more difficult for you, over any terrain or distance, than you just need a man-up pill. 0
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If you need front suspension off road then you need a man-up pill too. In fact I'm thinking about converting my CX bike to singlespeed because I am so hardcore!0
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I'm going 1x9 on a 160mm all mountain bike, there isn't even a mountain around here! Thats how hardcore I am. 0
