Beginners bike help needed :)

Lukeaerowallace

Hi all,

Needing some advice on choosing a cyclocross bike for a friend, they have a budget of £1500 and am looking for some recommendations on bikes for that price.

I have so far looked at both the Raleigh rx pro (http://www.raleigh.co.uk/ProductType/Pr ... 4&pg=12143) and the CAADX SRAM RIVAL DISC (http://www.cannondale.com/nam_en/2015/b ... rival-disc) and think that they are pretty good options but I would look to know if people think these are good or if any one has had any experience with these bikes?

Any help is really appreciated, as I really have no idea what to look for in a cyclocross bike

cyclingsheep

Lukeaerowallace wrote:

Hi all,

Needing some advice on choosing a cyclocross bike, I have a budget of £1500 and am looking for some recommendations on bikes for that price.

I have so far looked at both the Raleigh rx pro (http://www.raleigh.co.uk/ProductType/Pr ... 4&pg=12143) and the CAADX SRAM RIVAL DISC (http://www.cannondale.com/nam_en/2015/b ... rival-disc) and think that they are pretty good options but I would look to know if people think these are good or if any one has had any experience with these bikes?

Any help is really appreciated, as I really have no idea what to look for in a cyclocross bike

The first question you'll be asked is what do you want it for? Racing, commuting or a winter bike?

Lukeaerowallace

Oops yes that would help wouldn't it haha.

I'm prominently going to be using the bike to start racing however I will also be using it as a winter trainer so I wont be looking for something too racey when it comes to gearing.

tgotb

For that budget I'd look at the Planet X XLS, and keep the rest of the money aside to spend on a second set of wheels at some point in the future; once you get the racing bug you can never have too many wheels :-)

No reason you can't start racing on a standard compact; for racing you might ultimately end up on something like 46/36 or even a single chainring, but compact is fine for starters, and will cover any training you want to do on the road.

Note that the XLS is very much a race frame, so there's no easy way to attach mudguards. If you want to do that, look at the Kinesis Pro6 which is pretty much identical geometry (I have both). The XLS is nicer though. Both will take bottle cages if required.

Edit: In CX, more than almost any other type of bike racing, it's really not about the bike. So long as the bike has decent tyres at the right pressure, reasonable mud clearance, and doesn't weigh a ton, you'll be fine. By the time you're going well enough to benefit from something flash, you'll have a much better idea of what you want. Another thought would be to spend £600 on a used bike; when you're ready to upgrade, sell it on for close to what you paid for it (or keep as a pit bike) and you'll have a much better idea what you want to upgrade to...

Lukeaerowallace

Thanks for the response some great advice there and i never thought about planet x

So anyone else got any other suggestions or maybe an opinion on the Raleigh or cannondale?

metronome

I ordered the CaadX Rival last week. I was tempted with the Canyon Inflite AL (Hydro + Ultegra) but for various reasons went with the Dale. The Canyon is close in price to the RRP of the CaadX Rival and really worth a look if you don't mind waiting a few months.

antsmithmk

The budget and the suggestions really don't fit into the beginner category. Why not get something a little less flash to home your skill on? Your going to be pretty upset when you crash £1500 worth of bike. Better to get a specialiazed tricross second hand for 500 and learn your craft.