CX Bike as Winter Bike - Confused?

Secteur
Secteur Posts: 1,971
edited October 2011 in Road buying advice
Hi all,

I had firmly decided that I didnt need a dedicated "winter bike". My current (only) best bike wont take proper guards but will take SKS Raceblades which are clip on / off "semi"guards.

However, wet leaves & slippery wet roads - got me toying with the idea.

I just wondered how a CX bike would work out for exclusive road use.

The Boardman Team CX looks great, but will the fat 35mm knobbly tyres be more of a hindrance than a help? But the disc brakes would probably be better.

Really, the question I am asking is what is the best tyre for the winter, and I will build the bike around that.

I am not sure that I would ever go off-road.

Comments

  • It didn't rain much last winter, and the leaves will be gone in another month or so

    If you're not going off road i'd forget about buying a cx bike
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • markos1963
    markos1963 Posts: 3,724
    Secteur wrote:
    Hi all,

    I had firmly decided that I didnt need a dedicated "winter bike". My current (only) best bike wont take proper guards but will take SKS Raceblades which are clip on / off "semi"guards.

    However, wet leaves & slippery wet roads - got me toying with the idea.

    I just wondered how a CX bike would work out for exclusive road use.

    The Boardman Team CX looks great, but will the fat 35mm knobbly tyres be more of a hindrance than a help? But the disc brakes would probably be better.

    Really, the question I am asking is what is the best tyre for the winter, and I will build the bike around that.

    I am not sure that I would ever go off-road.

    Perhaps I'm stateing the bleeding obvious but why don't you buy the bike and change the tyres if you don't like them?
  • solboy
    solboy Posts: 368
    You dont need disc brakes just get a bike with Avid Shortys they are awsome!
  • cookdn
    cookdn Posts: 410
    markos1963 wrote:
    Secteur wrote:
    The Boardman Team CX looks great, but will the fat 35mm knobbly tyres be more of a hindrance than a help? But the disc brakes would probably be better.
    Perhaps I'm stateing the bleeding obvious but why don't you buy the bike and change the tyres if you don't like them?
    I've ordered a Boardman CX and a pair of 28c Continental Gatorskins. The CX tyres may eventually get to see some use on trails with the family, but as I plan to use the bike predominantly on the road the tyres will get switched as the bike comes out of the box. I'm not suggesting that the Boardman CX is necessarily what you want/need but a £40 pair of tyres on an £800+ bike isn't a deal breaker.

    Best regards
    Boardman CX Team
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    I got my Boardman CX because ice tyres are essential for me and the narrowest available are 35c which certainly won't fit on my Cayo. The disc brakes are awesome in the wet too. It'll almost never go off road but will cover more miles than your average "proper" CX.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I love my Planet X Uncle John CX bike. I've done 100m+ sportifs on it and triathlons up to IM distance and 2 Adventure races on it.

    To me its as fast as a road bike - I've some Type B wheels with skinny tyres for the road stuff, and some sturdier heavily spoked wheels with marathon plus 35mm on for the rough stuff. But lately i've been lazy and riding the road with those tyres. Slightly heavier for starting off but fine when up to speed. I dont have to worry about potholes quite so much and I can take short cuts off road too. I love it.

    Only thing is my CF race bike hasnt been out to play in a year now.....
  • unixnerd
    unixnerd Posts: 2,864
    I got my Boardman CX because ice tyres are essential for me and the narrowest available are 35c which certainly won't fit on my Cayo.

    Which ones are you using? Might need a set myself this year.
    http://www.strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible Price.
    Specialized Roubaix SL3 Expert 2012, Cannondale CAAD5,
    Marin Mount Vision (1997), Edinburgh Country tourer, 3 cats!
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    unixnerd wrote:
    I got my Boardman CX because ice tyres are essential for me and the narrowest available are 35c which certainly won't fit on my Cayo.

    Which ones are you using? Might need a set myself this year.

    Marathon Winters this year - they are really heavy, mind you. Last year I used Ice Spikers in my MTB - they are fantastic - just too knobbly and slow for the commute. The Marathons are relatively smooth.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    FWIW CX tyres are designed for mud and softer, off road conditions. No tyre is designed to cope with wet leaves on top of tarmac IME, just best to avoid them.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • passout
    passout Posts: 4,425
    It will be fine although you can get guards and wider tyres into road frames with 57mm long drop brakes e.g. the Pinnacle Dolomite or some Genesis bikes. I just bought one of these:
    http://www.realcycles.com/m37b0s283p246 ... er_10_2011 for my commuter / winter trainer.

    The only real downsides with an CX bike is that you'll probably need to change tryes. Also personally I don't like cantis. The bottom bracket is higher (which can mean a little less stability), and for their weight they are not cheap - personally I don't see these two last crticisms but I have heard them made before now.

    Of course if you wanted less limited off road ability, you'd get an MTB....just saying!

    So, yes it will be fine but there are other options.
    'Happiness serves hardly any other purpose than to make unhappiness possible' Marcel Proust.
  • unixnerd
    unixnerd Posts: 2,864
    Also personally I don't like cantis.

    I have cantis on my tourer and they're useless no matter what pads I try or how I set them up. In the wet they're scary. Discs are the way forward for tourers and CX bikes.[/quote]
    http://www.strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible Price.
    Specialized Roubaix SL3 Expert 2012, Cannondale CAAD5,
    Marin Mount Vision (1997), Edinburgh Country tourer, 3 cats!
  • passout
    passout Posts: 4,425
    Yes, I had cantis on a cross bike and they were useless despite hours of tinkering - even regular road brakes are much better IMO. Shimano V brakes are alright & obviously discs are great...might be overkill for general road duties though. I'm a big fan of the shimano 57mm long drop brakes, if we are talking winter trainer - I don't understand why all winter trainers don't have these.
    'Happiness serves hardly any other purpose than to make unhappiness possible' Marcel Proust.