CX or hard tail MTB?

johngti
johngti Posts: 2,508
edited March 2014 in Road buying advice
Having finished paying for my first cycle to work bike, thoughts have turned to the issue of the next one. Currently riding a defy 1. This will remain my number one, live in the house bike. But it's not really practical for the more family based riding I'm hoping to get everyone signed up to over the summer.

What I want is a bike that I can go off road on a bit but not too mad (not my thing!), trail centre sort of stuff. I want to install a pannier rack and maybe tow a trailer for the little one sometimes. I'd also want to use it in deepest darkest winter for the occasional off road jaunt just to keep the legs turning as it were.

I love the road bike, nothing can beat it. I started off on a flat bar hybrid and have to say I'm not a fan of flat bars although they seem sensible for family etc.

So what do I get? I can pick up a decent MTB from decathlon for a couple of hundred. A CX bike seems to be more expensive but would I enjoy it more?

What sayeth the collective?

Comments

  • rafletcher
    rafletcher Posts: 1,235
    For what you want I'd say rigid or hard tail mtb.
  • samsbike
    samsbike Posts: 942
    I have a mtb and a road bike. The former is set up with mudguards, slick tires etc and is my winter commuter (as guards dont fit on the road bike).

    I keep looking at a CX bike, but it would mean getting rid of the road or mtb, neither of which I would do. However the CX is more likely to replace the mtb and the reason I don't is because I think the mtb would be more useful in the woods near my house with the kiddies in tow.

    So in a roundabout way I am agreeing with ratflether as I think the mtb is more versatile off road.