I’m recovering from a back operation and I can’t go out to play on my mountain bikes until May. I have the prospect of using the cycle to work scheme to buy another bike…so rather than putting a set of racing ralphs on my hardtail..I am tempted to update my old raleigh (1989) with a new road bike.

A quick review shows how little I know; but I need a comfy bike and I’m tempted by a cross bike eg the Spesh Tricross.

What are the experiences of others? Good to ride? Comfier?

Thanks

The crosser will have a slightly shorter top tube length which could be more comfortable. The tyres will be comfier, but also slower, than those on a racer. Rob

Tricross might be alright. It’ll have fatter tyres and a shorter higher position than a proper road bike. If it’s only going to be used on the road, it might not be ideal though.

The Roubaix might be a better bet as it’s specifically intended to be comfy on tarmac. It’s a soft-riding road bike rather than some sort of cross/road/commuter hybrid.

For comfort, and assuming you get the right fit, I’d be looking for skinny curvy stays, maybe carbon stays, and a skinny carbon seatpost.

Thanks; a quick review and the Cannondale synapse looks a possible contender

I bought a cx frame, then built it up as a road bike. Plan was it’ll last for ever (was a closeout Ti airborne) and not rattle to bits on the crap roads round here (everywhere ?). Also has space for mudguards etc if I ever restart commuting

It feels nice & light to me but not compared to a proper road frame or even a roubaix I suppose. I’ll “never” ride it off-road.

I like it and a couple of mates have tried it & think it’s comfier on rough surfaces than their road bikes. TBH, I might do it differently next time – if, say, it got nicked. Other than that, I’mm keeping it for aaages.

They maybe comfier if you are running thicker tyres, but running the same tyres, then I find my road bike far comfier. It’s much quicker, handles better, stops better and is generally a much better machine to ride on the road. If you were just road riding, I’d say get a good comfy road bike. Where the cross bike is brilliant is at adding bridleways, tow paths etc into a route. A great machine for exploring on.