Cycle cross or hybrid

coxy75

I want a bike to commute to work and maybe the occasional tour. Also use it for cycling at weekends when I don't go out on my mtb. I have been looking at either the specialized sirrus expert or their tricross sport disc. But i am still not sure which one to go for. I live near Dartmoor so I want to make the most of the open roads. It must be able to take panniers and a bar bag. I have £1000 budget. Thanks in advance for your help.

turboslave

Have a look at the Boardman Team CX, the reviews are excellent and it's within budget.

Long_Time_Lurker

Not a hybrid.
Too much of a compromise. Ok for a brief commute, but if you intend to tour or take it offroad, you are better off with a cx.

The Rookie

Many people say that about Hybrids, yet I know people who've converted from drops to (low mounted) flats as they prefer them.

My commuter has low mounted flat bars and I've done a few 40 mile rides without issue, average speeds in the high teens (with panniers on).

gbsahne001

The Beginner wrote:

Many people say that about Hybrids, yet I know people who've converted from drops to (low mounted) flats as they prefer them.

My commuter has low mounted flat bars and I've done a few 40 mile rides without issue, average speeds in the high teens (with panniers on).

Puts hand up in the air; Kinesis 5t converted from drops to flat, mainly because I wanted the extra power of V brakes on braking and disks weren't a viable option at the time plus I wanted the drops for a road bike I was building up. Average speeds with panniers on is between 17 - 19mph on 20 mile rides and is very comfy.

If I could start from scratch, I'd probably go for the Kinesis pro 6 frame with drops and BB7 disk brakes, which is very similar to the Boardman CX-pro, although a CF frame instead of alu.

cookeeemonster

coxy75 wrote:

I want a bike to commute to work and maybe the occasional tour. Also use it for cycling at weekends when I don't go out on my mtb. I have been looking at either the specialized sirrus expert or their tricross sport disc. But i am still not sure which one to go for. I live near Dartmoor so I want to make the most of the open roads. It must be able to take panniers and a bar bag. I have £1000 budget. Thanks in advance for your help.

Definately go for a cross bike. Plenty out there to choose from those with a more race geometry to a more relaxed style...and at £1000 they should have discs too.

Search the forum for hybrid vs road (cx) style threads...there are hundreds

I went from a hybrid to a road bike, though I wish i'd considered a cx as well.

Ulitmately you need to make a list of bikes (of whatever type) and test ride them. At £1000 they will all be good, though not all will suit you

supersonic

A CX bike is essentially a hybrid. Thee are so many types of 'hybrid' out there that one type will suit you, or customise one.

flybywire

CX & hybrid are different for many reasons and uses .. sorry to disagree S/Sonic

.. frame geometry & mud clearances,brakes although later/costlier cx bikes have discs and so do hybrid although some hybrids will have hydraulic brakes when cx not.. list goes on and applies to the initial question so customising a hybrid may not be suitable.

First instance it's difficult to ride a hybrid on rough tracks, ie: dartmoor where you might go with an mtb

supersonic

But what is a hybrid? ;-)

That is my point really, the term covers so many types of machines. Can't see why a CX bike is excepted from the group.

First instance it's difficult to ride a hybrid on rough tracks

Not on mine it isn't lol. Again, depends what you have done to it.

slowbike

coxy75 wrote:

I want a bike to commute to work and maybe the occasional tour. Also use it for cycling at weekends when I don't go out on my mtb. I have been looking at either the specialized sirrus expert or their tricross sport disc. But i am still not sure which one to go for. I live near Dartmoor so I want to make the most of the open roads. It must be able to take panniers and a bar bag. I have £1000 budget. Thanks in advance for your help.

I've ridden both the Sirrus and TriCross on a winter commute - it's 11 miles each way and all "road" - although some of the road is country lane = very muddy when the tractors are out!

I switched to (the wife's) Sirrus because the road bike with race blades was getting clogged up with mud - so it was going from a road bike with drops to a hybrid with flats - it was fine, but I missed the option of the drops and alternative hand positions, especially in a headwind.
Deciding that I was going to continue the commute through the winter suggested that I bought a suitable bike (the Sirrus was a little small) - as I missed the drops it seemed sensible to consider the CX option.
I now have a Tricross Sport - this has served me well from Jan onwards - through all the ice and snow. Mudguards fitted ok (need extra bracket for the front forks) an there are fixing points for rack should I want them.
I also use the Tricross at the weekends when we ride out with a friends family - very much trails riding - and it is great for this too - even with a trailer attached... (just change the tyres from slicks back to the CX ones)

It's not a mountain bike - but I don't ride on any sort of terrain that requires that sort of technology - I prefer my wheels on the ground!