Road vs cx, speed and position question

supercyril
supercyril Posts: 201
edited June 2011 in Road buying advice
I am building a bike for the winter and it will only be used on the road but the choice of frames with mudgaurd mounts is limited so I have started looking at cx frames. Would I notice a huge difference in position on the bike or speed?

Comments

  • explosifpete
    explosifpete Posts: 1,327
    If you buy a "true" cyclocross frame it will not have any mudguard mounts or bottle mounts for than matter but most cross bikes are now made for a wider market so will me a bit more versatile.
    the differences between a cross bike and a road bike are.....
    Canti brakes
    bike mud clearance
    more relaxed geometry
    top routed cables (to keep them away from the dirt
    I think they make the perfect winter bike and can't see any disadvantages to them
    http://www.iwaxstudio.co.uk/
  • dawebbo
    dawebbo Posts: 456
    canti brakes are terrible
  • tiny_pens
    tiny_pens Posts: 293
    You should be able to make it match your regular bike position if you buy the correct frame size. However cyclocross bikes often have a higher bottom bracket so don't just rely on measuring from the floor up to find your current measurements.

    Well adjusted canti brakes work perfectly well. However they are more prone to induce fork chatter when used in combination with a carbon fork.

    Probably the biggest difference is likely to be weight. The frame and forks are going to be heavier and I would also guess that you are likely to end up fitting cheaper components (wheels, groupset) which would also add a little weight.

    I wouldn't change from my cross bike as I love the versatility (at the moment my commute has about 1.5 miles of downhill bridleway on the way home - which is nice), but, have you looked at the bottom of the range road bike range (probably sold as Audux bikes anyway)? I think the giant scr had mud guard mounts and might be a bit cheaper.
  • explosifpete
    explosifpete Posts: 1,327
    Cantis are bad when set up badly but really good when set up well :D
    http://www.iwaxstudio.co.uk/
  • dawebbo
    dawebbo Posts: 456
    disagree, they're at best adequate when set up well.
  • Flamez
    Flamez Posts: 105
    Lots of cx now use disc brakes.... Boardman have both mudguard and pannier compatabili built in.

    I find the biggest disadvatage is rolling resistance due to the larger knobbly tyre ut of course you could put slicks on
    Condor World Series 2012
    Boardman Team 2011
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Heavier frame and forks. Possibly restricted to cantilever brakes (can be tricky to set up well) or discs (bit heavier, but saves rim wear)

    Kinesis T2 and Tk2 are winter trainers so have clearance / mounts for guards. So does the alloy Synapse this year. Ribble winter trainer also frequently recommended on here, although the clearances are tighter. Or consider a steel audax frame? I quite fancy the new Dawes Century or even the Audax LE
  • supercyril
    supercyril Posts: 201
    Thanks guys.
    I am currently looking at the Kinesis T2 and the crosslight 5t . Both seem very similar and i thought that the crosslight would give me the option of cx-ing in the future if i wanted.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Frame geometries for some CX bikes is near identical to roadbikes. In terms of higher BB, it's typically only 10mm difference. There is a knack to setting up cantilevers, but done well, they're as good as calipers IME, but discs are a different league if you can live with the weight (I have both). My CX race bike is as light as my road bike and I regularly use it for fast road rides having swapped tyres. I'm in the process of speccing a custom ti CX frame to be use as a trainer / pit bike / travel bike - I simply love their versatility, especially on holiday where it gives me the option to go anywhere I choose. If we have another snowy winter, it also means my riding doesn't stop - I'm not fat or slow enough to want an MTB :wink:
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • gwillis
    gwillis Posts: 998
    I've been doing loads of research into cx bikes as I wanted something to get me off the roads in the winter, allow me to train whilst wearing out my collies and also dip my toe into the cx racing. I was about to pull the trigger on a kinesis when a mate pointed me in the direction of KHS . The reviews in cycling mags and the net seem very good and these were carried out at a time when the bikes retailed at £899.

    My mate and me purchased 2 of them today from KHS for £649 +£15 delivery.

    Ok I haven't ridden in yet and have yet to see how heavy it is etc but I do have a comments on the service so far. Steve at KHS was extremely helpful and was able to give me some good advice on sizing and about what to look for, and when we discussed other brands he didn't fall into the slagging of scenario that some dealers do.

    I was swayed away from the self build due to price the KHS is a tiagra /105 mix with and for the price it's in my opinion a good deal and possibly a way into cross

    I might in the future swop the forks for carbon and maybe the wheels for something else.

    http://www.khsbikes.co.uk/bikes/khs-cx-200-cyclocross

    http://www.cyclingactive.com/bikesgear/ ... 200-899-99

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