Would a Gravel bike be 'ok/suitable' for CX racing?

daniel_b

Afternoon all,

I have a Scott Addict Gravel 30, which is a multi use tool - it has factory syncros mudguards (not fenders) and a tailfin rack can be fitted to carry panniers and rack bag, so it does service as a commuter/winter bike/light tourer/family bike ride bike - you get the idea.

Our club is co-running a summer cx series and my partner, our daughter and moi are all interested in having a crack for the fun of it really.

My partner is on the board (If that is the right term) for our club now, and is trying to increase female participation, though we have a healthy female membership already, and is also a qualified coach now for the youngsters.

My daughter has a Frog 73 (26" wheels flat bar) which I think would suffice as it stands, but my partner doesn't really have anything suitable.

Her old 2005 mtb we donated to a cancer charity a couple of years back, but it needed a fair bit of work anyway - we do have a boardman hybrid thing, which is capable as a town bike, but it's fairly heavy, and has a rack and guards fitted, although these could be removed of course.

Her winter bike dates probably from 2016, and is a Fuji something, maybe 2.1, it's allow frame, drop bars, with 105 hydraulics, but it can only accommodate up to 25 or maybe 28mm tyres at a push.

I was thinking perhaps to sell that one, and look to get her a Gravel bike instead, which could then serve most of the duties, bar commuting, as mine does for me.

Would a standard gravel bike be ok for cx racing, and or is there a tyre width limit they apply, or is that only for serious UCI type races.....?

Mine for example wears either 40mm or 45mm tyres.

*To add - I do realise these are not going to be for us 'competitive' races, but equally I'd still like her to have a machine that is well suited to the task and that she can get a lot of mileage out of elsewhere as well.

davebradswmb

The maximum width of the tyre for CX is 33mm but it isn't usually enforced at the lower races. They will need to be tubeless though or else you are going to have to run them a lot harder and still have the chance of pinch punctures.

daniel_b

Yet to go anywhere near tubeless - would tubes not be ok on, what I believe will be, mostly grassy courses?

Webboo2

I would let your other half try it on her winter bike to see if it’s for her. I rode the 3 peaks on 23mm tyres and tubes with side pull rim brakes and most cross courses aren’t usually as technical as that.

If it’s dry you won’t need that much clearance or massively knobbly tyres. Back in the day we used to inflate our tyres to road pressures as we didn’t know any different. We’d be riding them with more pressure than I have in my tyres and tubes on the road these days.