Come what may this will be the final season on my current crosser.
So a new bike is on the cards, but there are a few things to factor. One is a limited budget 1.5k tops. And two I’m not getting any faster. If I was 23 and not 53 I might throw a bit more at it.
Looking at that budget a Giant TCX SLR2 is tops for the disc choice, and with a mate owning a Giant dealer a small discount would mean perhaps a few upgrades.
But for that money I could ‘build’ a canti bike 2lb lighter.
That’s my only dilemma really. A modern bike with a very upgradeable frame or the lightweight racer.
And mine gets raced only.

Why buy this season?

New bikes will be out before next.

2lb will make you **** all faster, 23 or 53.

It’s not the easiest choice, depends what else you have in your toy shed to play with. I’m thinking about discs in maybe couple of years just to let it all settle down and get to sensible money and then to have a few nice wheelsets that can see duty for cross in the winter and mountain bike in the summer. Hopefully by then discs will be allowed in road races that way it will do everything.

If its only for racing, you’re happy with doing regular maintenance, happy with the braking performance of canti’s, then maybe go for that.

If it was my choice, I’d go for discs simply because they’re so reliable / ease of use / consistent performance etc. etc.

If budget is the issue can you get a frame that will work with both and then upgrade later?

I have my road race bike and a nice training bike. I have a new 29er for off road days and races.
cynic-al, did mean I’d wait to see this season out. Pretty well all the 2014 bikes have been announced.

Discs, but then mine will hopefully be a winter road bike as well as a cross bike (maybe the occasional race) and my only geared off-road option…if that makes a difference?

If budget is the issue can you get a frame that will work with both and then upgrade later?

The TCX frame is already nice and light.
I’ve just done a few sums. If I swapped the Giants own brand bar, saddle and stem for my nice light Deda ones, and changed the heavy FSA Omega chainset for my CX70 I’d same almost a pound. Plus as a matter of course swap the stock tyres for Challenge offerings I’d save more. Plus there’s almost a whole kg in the wheels if I went to Stans or the like later on.

So if you did swap the bits and upgrade the wheels in time, you’d end up with a disc brake equipped bike that was 1lb lighter than a canti based bike you could buy now….

Was looking at upgrading my Boardman frame this year and after much research etc decided to go down the Chinese open mould carbon route.

Got this as a frame for £350, swapped all the bits (other than new seat post and stem) over. Dropped at least 2kgs on bike weight too.

Custom vinyl graphics £20.

IMG_20131118_093328_737 by spangel great, on Flickr

Regards

I’m quite tempted by the TCX SLR2 myself but would probably look at it as being a frame and a bunch of bits for the spares bin and some training wheels. Having said that the seatpost and stem needing to be Giant non-standard ones would be a bit of a pain. Is the fork 15mm too?

I’ll probably go Chinese carbon.

For me I’ve just build a disc cross bike and not looked back
Far prefer the feel and the confidence it gives
2lb is bugger all IMO its all about fitness

If it’s just for racing, canti’s.

If it was for proper offroading or commuting, disks.

Disc. I have just changed and won’t go back. Even just for racing. You won’t notice the weight.

One other thing to consider is mud clearance. Cantis collect mud because of where they sit. Discs don’t. The weight you save will be probably made up for in the mud that accumulates around your cantis.

Hands up anybody with a disc equipped mountain bike who hankers after v brakes or cantis nowadays?

Both – New forks and a BB7 road on the front. Spend the rest on race wheels. You already have what looks like 6600 shifting, a new bike won’t shift better.

Don’t forget the titanium bolts and rotors, could save an extra few grams there. Plus going tubeless could save another 100 so.

But you could do the upgrades to a canti bike. Bottom line is discs will be heavier.

As discs are so popular you can probably get more bike for your money with cantis and if its for racing then light weight makes all the difference.

I’m using disc now and I would never go back.

I think you need to do some test riding and let the bike decide.

The TCX looks a no brainer, possibly with trade discount. That leaves room for upgrading in the wheel dept.
Plus I can swap over some of my best bits and sell on a nice cheap little CXer for a few more quid.
Looking even more closely at the Giant, it’s tubeless ready and comes with tubeless tyres. So just a case of adding valve and jollop. It’s also bridgeless unlike a lot of disc frames, that’s a nice touch.

There’s one at my race today which I’m going to try.

I was aiming at the Giant as well but then started to consider how long it would last. I don’t doubt the frame but am not so sure about that very flexi seat pin. Just how many years will that last and will you be able to get replacements or will Giant have moved on? if you keep bikes a year or two then no worry, if like me they stay in the shed as n+1 then they may become unusable.
Probably over worrying but I am dubious about this sort of thing.