Can't believe I'm asking this.... what 'cross bike?

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Can't believe I'm asking this.... what 'cross bike?

38 posts & 30 voices | Started 8 months ago by DaveyBoyWonder | Latest reply from antigee

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DaveyBoyWonder - Member

'cross bikes are ridden by deviants. Road bikes should belong on the road and not fitted with knobblies and taken (run around with on your back) off road.

And yet I feel strangely drawn to getting one. Just read the review on the front page and thats confirmed my suspicions that one may make a cracking weapon for a bit of road riding and a lot of scoping out new trails whilst adding a new dimension to my local regular rides.

So, in case my mate doesn't get back to me about selling his Airborne Lucky Strike, talk to me about 'cross bikes. Don't want to spend an awful lot. £700 absolute max. Second hand is ok. Quite fancy the Cotic X if anyone has one for sale that'd fit me (5'8").

Anything I should look out for / be aware of? Literally know nothing about them other than they're wrong. And I'm wrong for even wanting one.

Someone tell me they're rubbish.

Cheers
Dave

Posted 8 months ago #
ton - Member

you strange man.............

Posted 8 months ago #
qwerty - Member

You can't go wrong with a Specialized but I think the Crux may be stretching your budget.

Dolan.

Paul Milnes.

and there is another a can't remember....

Posted 8 months ago #
chutney13 - Member

i've got one of these, slight budget stretch. but it is good fun.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/caadx-5-105-2011-cyclocross-bike-ec025338

Posted 8 months ago #
cat69uk - Member

I built this for £500, mainly from Ebay, dog not included!

Posted 8 months ago #
andycs - Member

Been thinking the same Daveyboy, I will watch this thread with interest, mind you don't know where I will put another bike! Did wonder if I could build one out of my Inbred 26?

Posted 8 months ago #
crikey - Member

Look at Giants, Cannondale, Raleigh amazingly enough have a crosser in their brochure, but for my money, the Cubes both race and comp take some beating.

I got a comp and its the best thing since the best thing since sliced bread.

Posted 8 months ago #
meehaja - Member

56 cm kona jake the snake if you fancy it? Couple of races, a year of commuting. Its a 2008 model, yours for £450?

Posted 8 months ago #
sofatester - Member

Marketing 1 - 0 DaveyWonderBoy

Just stick some 1.5 Conti tyres and a 46 chain ring on your MTB.

Posted 8 months ago #
ourmaninthenorth - Member

I picked up a barely used P-X Uncle John for £250. First race next weekend. Though I ought to put it back together and ride it first...

Posted 8 months ago #
druidh - Member

From the other directin, I put some knobblies on my Amazon tourer, flipped the stem and am loving it as a "cross" bike. So much so, I'm seriously considering some of the Scottish CX races.

Next plan is to ride down to Glentress, do the Green and the Blue and ride home.

Posted 8 months ago #
johnny - Member

I have a kinesis crosslight pro5- great commuter and explorer/ winter epics on downland. Cheap off ebay, about £300 the full build.

-The newer kinesis frames have bottle cage mounts though, which is a plus- i find the lower sitting position of a road-style frame with a camelbak gives me proper back ache.

Also, Salsa Bell lap bars give you a great riding position. My right wrist has never been ideal since i broke my scaphoid a few years ago, and Bell Laps have been a great solution.

I saw a Boardman CX frame on Ebay the other day- they take discs...!

Posted 8 months ago #
qwerty - Member

£800 gets you:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dolan-Cyclo-Cross-Bike-Sram-Rival-/310344308010?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item4841f6552a

Graham Weigh was the other i was thinking of:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Graham-Weigh-Cycles/Frames-Cyclocross-/_i.html?_fsub=990280012&_sid=814119992&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

i'm guessing he'll build you one from one of his stock frames.

Posted 8 months ago #
tony24 - Member

daveyboywonder i have a medium focus mares pro like the 1 posted above which has been ridden about 6 times supposed to cost £1000 but you can have it for £600 + postage or pick up ?

email me for pics tony18@hotmail.co.uk

Posted 8 months ago #
T666DOM - Member

I got a Specialized Crux in the summer for my longer commute (mostly road some fireroad) since I moved house. A great bike cant fault it at all, took a while to get used to being fully rigid, can be a little boneshaking on North Yorkshire's finest country roads!

Posted 8 months ago #
oldgit - Member

I picked up a barely used P-X Uncle John for £250. First race next weekend. Though I ought to put it back together and ride it first

Good stuff. Me to 1st October.

Posted 8 months ago #
h4muf - Member

Uncle John FTW! Love it!

Posted 8 months ago #
Digger90 - Member

I'm selling a Cotic X in your size... I could also build it into a complete bike with a newish full Tiagra gruppo for approx £700.

Cotic X frame & fork, brand new and unused, 54.8cms effective top tube, 52cms seat tube (both measurements c-to-c).

Bought new a couple of months ago ready for the CX season but plans have changed.

Has been partially built up, then dismantled. Forks never fitted.

Not a mark or scratch on it - literally 'as new' from the factory.

Cost £350 - sell for £300 posted.

Email: simonpearson AT yahoo DOT com

Have a few other parts for sale elsewhere that fit this frame e.g.

- SRAM Rival OCT CX chainset (rings 38/46) also new in box £120

- Frogleggs brakeset in White, brand new £25

Posted 8 months ago #
bigG - Member

Kona Jake the Snake works well for me, used for a whole number of purposes. The most fun is to belt down the trails at Carron Valley past the Storm Troopers in full armour and suspension.

A fat lad in lycra on a cross bike creates quite a stir, especially down Kelpie's staircase.

Posted 8 months ago #
grahamh - Member

may be outside your budget but how about one of these bad boys?

Posted 8 months ago #
Dylan08 - Member

ive emailed you dave.

Posted 8 months ago #
woody2000 - Member

<slowly shakes his head at DBW and sucks his teeth>

Posted 8 months ago #
johnny - Member

Just in: potential common drool-fest for both those from a road or MTB persuasion alike:

[url=http://road.cc/content/news/44973-first-look-kinesis-crosslight-pro6][/url]

Posted 8 months ago #
gearfreak - Member

Did my first race on my Cotic >X< last weekend. Despite it raining, me being unfit and being near the back I still finished with a big grin on my face. Bike was great. ('54cm' Cotic >X<, carbon forks, campag veloce with triple, tiagra disk brakes, hope hubs on open pro rims (hand built by me), wondering if I should take it out tonight instead of the MTB?)

Posted 8 months ago #
fisha - Member

Cross bikes are great.

After being a bit of a sceptic about them a year ago, I'm sold on them now. To the point I'll be selling the hardtail single speeder.

Went a ride yesterday which involved a bit of a road run to get to it, plenty of climbing on road and firetrack, a nice long singletrack for miles, then road the way home ... on a mtb, the ride always felt like a chore to get there, this time round on the cross bike, the whole ride was fun.

Posted 8 months ago #
hammerite - Member

defo check out eBay and see what you can get hold of at a bargain price. Now could be a good time, people are upgrading as the season starts and they want something new.

Although flipside of that is that they can sell for a bit more as people who are starting out racing CX will be having a look.

I paid £400 for a Kinesis crosslight with Campag veloce. Suits me fine in races, although I'm not a the sharp end in races.

Posted 8 months ago #
no_eyed_deer - Member

Love it. Probably done more miles (and hours) on this bike than all the rest combined.

Posted 8 months ago #
Bream - Member

I have the same question right now, seriously tempted to buy a new CX bike for winter riding duties, but I want them with discs

Boardman CX seems a fair deal, but would prefer it with Shimano gears really.

Any other ideas? Plus I need to buy it this weekend from the Derby area, as I'm only in the UK this weekend.

Posted 8 months ago #
organic355 - Member

that boardman also looks alright for £900.

I am also looking at the following:

Charge Filter Apex

Specialized tricross elite disc 2012:

Genesis vapor Disc:

Swaying towards the charge at the moment as its a bit different.

Posted 8 months ago #
Bikerat - Member

Been looking at Cubes X-race Pro on cycle scheme at work, after the discounts it looks like an amazing buy, anyone tried one?

Posted 8 months ago #
The Swedish Chef - Member

Cube x-races are nice bikes, very good value, frame angles suitable for racing. I train with a guy who uses on one, (as well as a Cube mountain bike in summer), they both seem perfectly OK to me and certainly do not hold him back in anyway.

Posted 8 months ago #
crikey - Member

Got the x race comp, and its excellent, proper race bike and built to take abuse.

Posted 8 months ago #
Bream - Member

They all look nice Organic, but they're all ~£1200, the Boardman at £810 (with the 10% discount) is at my limit really.

Is there anything to compete with the boardman disc cx on price/spec?

Posted 8 months ago #
organic355 - Member

Day one Cross at £649, no discs though

Posted 8 months ago #
organic355 - Member

also thread hijack, any opinions on the 3 I am looking at above?

Posted 8 months ago #

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