Upspec cyclocross or entry-level road bike?

JD84

Hi there,

I bought a Jamis Nova Race cyclocross bike a couple of years ago for around £750, and it’s been incredibly versatile as my commuter, weekend road-rider and touring bike. (https://www.evanscycles.com/jamis-nova- ... e-EV210721) But in reality, I use the bike pretty much exclusively on road and I’m now looking for something a quicker for longer day rides to keep up with my road-bike mates, especially on those hills!

I’m torn between adding an awesome wheelset (such as the Mavic Kyrsium Elite Disc for around £550) or just buying an entry level road bike for a couple of hundred more, which would have inferior wheels but would be lighter with more of a road geometry. Has anyone else “up-spec’d” a Xcross into a roadbike? Any thoughts/advice?

sungod

buying major components to 'upgrade' tends to be poor value vs. the cost of a bike built with them in the first place

on the existing bike i'd look at the tyres, the link you gave suggests it has 31mm tyres fitted

the atd470 rims are a smidge over 22mm, simply fitting a slick road tyre 23 or 25mm (and matching inner tubes) is likely to save you around 200g and will change the feel

you've got some experience now, you should be able to assess what you're looking at, check secondhand market and see if there's anything interesting

if you really want to buy a new bike (nothing wrong with that ) look for end of season/last year models being sold off, there can be some large discounts, just make sure you know your size and be ready to make a fast decision if you see one you fancy

JD84

Thanks, that's really useful advice!