Talk me out of a CX bike

unixnerd

I have too many bikes already probably. A nice old Marin full susser, a steel tourer and some nice road bikes (one stays in Aberdeen as I work away from home a bit). Mainly I'm a road rider and do 100-200 miles a week, but if the weather's bad I go off road and ride trails near Aviemore. Lately I've been thinking that a lot of the trails would be well suited to a CX bike.

Not really sure why I fancy a CX bike, just because it's something new I suppose! I like my old Marin and it's not that heavy for a mountain bike, mainly XT kit. Interested in hearing folk's thoughts on CX bikes.

Perhaps I just need to make the Marin climb better by replacing it's very old rear shocker with something more modern? (it's a '97 Mount Vision, original rear shock with rebound control and little else). Would a modern air shock with partial lock out ability make much difference to climbing?

ilovedirt

CX bikes are for roadies that are scared of owning a proper bike.
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BelgianBeerGeek

ilovedirt wrote:

CX bikes are for roadies that are scared of owning a proper bike.
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Ho Ho very funny. Unixnerd I have a CX bike to sell - a Pinnacle. PM me with size requirements etc.

Kowalski675

Maybe I'm missing something, but I just don't get CX bikes. It's like fitting knobbly tyres to a CBR600 to ride motocross at the weekends, because that's what grandad did with his Matchless before anybody had thought of inventing off road bikes. :?

I passed a guy riding one (while wearing way too much lycra) in my local woods on Thursday evening - he looked like he'd taken a wrong turn and lost the road. It didn't look very comfortable over the tree roots and rocks.

The Rookie

For the right route they are a good option, but they are for perverts who have neither seen the mountian bike light nor turned to the dark road side completely, sort of a bisexual bike.

HebdenBiker

You're not bothered about doing CX. You just want to buy another bike. Get a new MTB instead. Much more versatile!

YeehaaMcgee

Kowalski675 wrote:

Maybe I'm missing something, but I just don't get CX bikes. It's like fitting knobbly tyres to a CBR600 to ride motocross at the weekends, because that's what grandad did with his Matchless before anybody had thought of inventing off road bikes. :?

Oh god, I feel like I'm going to need a shower after saying this, but... He's right. They're just a bizarre anomaly that don't make any sense.

BelgianBeerGeek wrote:

ilovedirt wrote:

CX bikes are for roadies that are scared of owning a proper bike.
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Ho Ho very funny. Unixnerd I have a CX bike to sell - a Pinnacle. PM me with size requirements etc.

It's not funny, it's true.
And besides, if they were any good, this dude wouldn't be selling his

The old Marin actually climbs fairly well. It's a little heavy by today's standards, but was always a good climber. A modern rear shock would hel pit out a bit, but mainly because the damping is better controlled. However, they are a funny size. If you DO decide to get a new shock, give TFTuned a call, they'll know what you need, and will sort you out with an unit that fits.

unixnerd

Thanks for the input guys, my wallet is very thankful and remain closed as a result :-)

ilovedirt

BelgianBeerGeek wrote:

ilovedirt wrote:

CX bikes are for roadies that are scared of owning a proper bike.
[/thread]

Ho Ho very funny. Unixnerd I have a CX bike to sell - a Pinnacle. PM me with size requirements etc.

Not even close to joking....

ddraver

I think like fat bikes, gravel grinders or whathaveyou a CX bike to ride MTB trails is the sort of thing that's fun for 6 months or so and then when the novelty wears off just gets put in the shed and forgotten

They re bikes designed for a very specific type of riding that only lasts 1 hour...

ilovedirt

ddraver wrote:

I think like fat bikes, gravel grinders or whathaveyou a CX bike to ride MTB trails is the sort of thing that's fun for 6 months or so and then when the novelty wears off just gets put in the shed and forgotten

They re bikes designed for a very specific type of riding that only lasts 1 hour...

Fat bikes are designed for a specific type of riding. CX bikes are just wrong for every type of riding.

supersonic

CX bikes are amazing off road. I really see the appeal of 44cm bars, brakes on the drop bars, changing gear by using the same levers, narrow tyres, no suspension, mega steep head angles, crap specs (for the money), no standover clearance (should you want it), crap brakes, stupid gears and piddly flexy road parts.

;-)

ilovedirt

Ah crap, you might have there something SS! All those people spending all their time/money developing the mtb as we know it have clearly been wasting their time

mrmonkfinger

Interested in hearing folk's thoughts on CX bikes

I'll sum up mine:

All them things a CX bike is supposed to be for? Flyweight XC MTBs are better at them. CX bikes are just this kind of weird dinosaur like, dead-end bike category that simply hasn't yet died out.

bails87

I've got a CX bike.

I use it with slicks on as a year round commuter. For that, it's great. Just as quick as my carbon road bike (now sold), but I can put spiky tyres on it during winter, it takes proper mudguards and it has brakes that actually work when it's wet (discs).

But....
I did a few rides off road on it, and it's fun in a novelty kind of way, but when I did the same route (fairly flat, field-edge bridleway stuff) on my 5 inch full sus I was faster and more comfortable. The road sections in between were a bit slower though.

If I had a big chunk of stuff like this to ride on:
with a few miles of road on each side then I might put the knobbly tyres on and use the CX, but for anything rougher, a MTB is more comfortable and more enjoyable, and probably quicker because of it.

mrmonkfinger

bails87 wrote:

I've got a CX bike.

I use it with slicks on as a year round commuter. For that, it's great.

But even then, as a commuter, you know what? I reckon a tourer would be better at that.

bails87

mrmonkfinger wrote:

bails87 wrote:

I've got a CX bike.

I use it with slicks on as a year round commuter. For that, it's great.

But even then, as a commuter, you know what? I reckon a tourer would be better at that.

Maybe, but I don't have a beard and I'm not 78 so I can't ride a tourer....

Also, tourers don't (usually) have discs. Not sure if they have clearance for knobbly 35mm tyres either.

mrmonkfinger

bails87 wrote:

Maybe, but I don't have a beard and I'm not 78 so I can't ride a tourer....

Also, tourers don't (usually) have discs. Not sure if they have clearance for knobbly 35mm tyres either.

I have a clip-on beard for when I ride mine. Oh, and it'll take 45mm tyres quite easily. Not sure every tourer will. But, there are some appearing now with discs (if you must) and all will have clearance for 35mm knobblies. Big comfy tyres and racks/mudguards/mirrors/other-crap were kind of what they're designed for...

YeehaaMcgee

bails87 wrote:

mrmonkfinger wrote:

bails87 wrote:

I've got a CX bike.

I use it with slicks on as a year round commuter. For that, it's great.

But even then, as a commuter, you know what? I reckon a tourer would be better at that.

Maybe, but I don't have a beard and I'm not 78 so I can't ride a tourer....

But you ride a CX? :roll:

ddraver

mrmonkfinger wrote:

Interested in hearing folk's thoughts on CX bikes

I'll sum up mine:

All them things a CX bike is supposed to be for? Flyweight XC MTBs are better at them. CX bikes are just this kind of weird dinosaur like, dead-end bike category that simply hasn't yet died out.

That's not entirely fair...

It's one of the fastest growing parts of cycling in the US and has a huge following in the BeNeLux and Eastern Europe. They re good races to watch on a rainy afternoon when you ve just got back from a (proper) ride.

Ironically that's making them even less suited to all round use as companies are making them more and more racey to appeal to that...

YeehaaMcgee

ddraver wrote:

mrmonkfinger wrote:

Interested in hearing folk's thoughts on CX bikes

I'll sum up mine:

All them things a CX bike is supposed to be for? Flyweight XC MTBs are better at them. CX bikes are just this kind of weird dinosaur like, dead-end bike category that simply hasn't yet died out.

That's not entirely fair...

It's one of the fastest growing parts of cycling in the US

Oh well that must mean it's awesome then.
Best go out and get a job as a barista, buy some skinny jeans and a tweed jacket and put on some NHS glasses too, because I hear that that whole stateside "hipster" thing is growing really quick over there too.

ddraver

erm...kay