CX Purchase Sense Check

cgfw201

On the brink of buying my first CX bike. Want to mix up my riding a bit, and having ridden one across Scotland last year over all kinds of terrain, the versatility of a CX appeals. I’ll do some racing, some commuting and some random riding along paths, trails and wherever else I end up.

Got around £1200 to drop, looking at either a Rose or Canyon, both seem to do decent value bikes around that budget. Any other good bikes around that price point? Also not ruled out buying a frame and building one up.

I like the look of 1x chainsets, but from what I’ve read, when you use these on the road there’s some bigger jumps than ideal between gears (?) Some CX bikes come with standard 50/34 gearing which would be great on the road, but will 11-32 on the back give me enough freedom off road? Instinctively this feels like it should, would be interested to hear when people need smaller gears and how often they are used.

Do standard CX wheels allow you to run a pretty wide range of tyre widths? Most seem to come with something like 28mm slicks, but would 35mm knobblies fit onto the same wheels?

I’m aiming to pretty much replicate my fairly racy road bike geometry and positioning, assume that’s fine in principle? Ride 15-20h a week currently and have no problems so makes sense not to shake it up too much, right?

Any other tips appreciated.

joey54321

50/34 might be too big depending on where you ride. Along bridleways, gravel, light mud etc... I think it'd be fine. If you end up going through very heavy mud to the point where the speed really nosedives or live somewhere very hilly then perhaps an easy gear. A 34x32 at 80rpm is ~6.5 mph or so, so very steep or very muddy/slow to really need something else. I've got a 1x groupset and love it, but my cross bike is just for offroad stuff so doesn't need to be as versatile.

Most standard wheels allow you to run up to 35 (I think the limit for cross racing is 32 or 35) and unless you're doing some very tough terrain 35 should get you round most things I would have thought. The width of the rim should be published somewhere and there will be websites which give recommended tyre range for a given width if you want to double check. Common thought these days is wider rim gives a better shaped tyre for offroad grip.

Fit, again depends where you are riding. If doing a lot of offroad it might make sense to raise you bars by up to ~1cm and maybe a 1-2cm shorter stem, but very much depends on your current position. Though if you have a racy position it may not be possible to replicate on a cross bike due to head tube length. I had to rule out Rose and Canyon has they're significantly higher (3-4cm) then my slammed road bike. I went with a Focus Mares which is has a far lower stack height.

ryan_w-2

Used my 42 - 11/28T 1x11 CX bike this morning for the first time, absolute pleasure to ride on the road (running 33c Schwalbe X-One's).

Shall be taking it off road this weekend. May need to go bigger than 28T on the back, but I'll just get off and carry it if needs be.

fenix

Do Planet X still do their Uncle John Cross bike - I love mine to bits = does it all. Fast road rides on light tyres. Winter biking on stout tyres and full guards. Adventure Races too. It can do it all.

meanredspider

50/34 with 11-32 should get you through pretty much anything where there's a reasonably firm surface. It is what I have on my Renegade and it has been good for Highland off-road including some MTB trails.

cgfw201

meanredspider wrote:

50/34 with 11-32 should get you through pretty much anything where there's a reasonably firm surface. It is what I have on my Renegade and it has been good for Highland off-road including some MTB trails.

bon, reckon that is what I'll end up with. Doubt I'll find much I can't get up in 34/32.