Cyclocross/Gravel Bike Advice

vulva65

Hi to all,

I'm looking at getting a Cyclocross/gravel bike, mainly for my commute to work which is only about 9 miles but about 80% road, 20% bumpy lane (technical term). I'm currently doing it on my full sus which is great fun on the bumpy lane but a bit cumbersome on the roads. I did think about getting a road bike and going the alternative route which only adds a couple of miles but I don't like the idea of not being able to go where I want, the road bike alternative seems too restrictive.

I will also be using it for getting around Cornwall on the weekends so again will be majority road but with a fair bit of fields, fireroads etc.

I was after some advice on some half-decent cyclocross or gravel bikes that won't break the bank, ideally no more than say £600. Oh and naturally they need to be pretty!

I'm also aware that there is a thin line between cyclocross and gravel bike but figured this would be the most suitable forum.

Thanks for any advice guys (and gals).

bobley

For £600 your choice is going to be limited but Halfords are clearing out last years CX bikes at the moment so you can get the bike for £650 (haggle another 10% I was told by the staff if you want the display bike) and you'll get a £100 accessory voucher too!

Oh year, they'll do it on C2W too, my colleague picked his up last night and spent the voucher on Shimano MTB shoes and SPDs.

meanredspider

Yup - the Boardman CX still seems to be popular- there's a whole thread over on Commuting Chat dedicated to the bike that I started 6 years ago and is still going strong.

A British Cycling membership will get you 10% off at Halfords too.

BTW - I love thrashing around the lanes and fire roads on my Renegade. MTBs are fine but a bit sluggish and road bikes can do it but with too much care required for it to be fun.

vulva65

Thanks guys, yeah the Boardman CX seems to be the one that everyone is mentioning in various threads and looks to be a winner for me. Have seen it going second hand for a bout £450 - £500, but for a bit more I would rather go direct to Halfords and get ex-display....especially if I get £100 worth of accessories. Seen a few of the genesis bikes which look amazing but bit out of my price range...Boardman it is. Thanks again guys!

vulva65

Hi guys, so after all the boardman advice, I ended up going for an Orange RX9, 2016 model in Lava Grey, it has been ridden only a couple of times and was £600 but haggled the person down to £450. Do need some clipless pedals though, want something easy to clip out of, and preferably flat on one side so I can wear normal shoes, any advice on whats good for about £30 - £50?

trek_dan

Shimano single sided touring pedals (a530) are pretty good if you only want to occasionally use the flat side (i.e riding a few miles to the pub in normal shoes) but if you want something more grippy for regular use you may be better off M324 pedals but be warned these weigh a ton.

vulva65

trek_dan wrote:

Shimano single sided touring pedals (a530) are pretty good if you only want to occasionally use the flat side (i.e riding a few miles to the pub in normal shoes) but if you want something more grippy for regular use you may be better off M324 pedals but be warned these weigh a ton.

Legend, the A530 seem perfect for what I need, now to just find some subtle shoes to use these with. Are they nice and easy to clip out of?

trek_dan

Yes SPD are definitely the easiest to get out of, make sure you set the spring tension in the pedals as low as possible (at least at first while you get used to them).