Following on from my previous thread here I have now been given the green light to get a cx bike for my 40th in October. My budget is a generous £2k and all I can decide on at the moment is that I want Ultegra drive train.

I do like Rose cx bikes but building one myself is another option.

*Any ideas on wheels, frames, brakes etc? 🙂

*I realise that october is a long way off but I’m incredibly anal when it comes to buying stuff of value and I have to research it extensively hence why I’m asking now. 8)

custom BURLS Ti frame, Ultegra groupset from Ribble, Hope Pro 3s on Mavic Open Pro

for racing or just riding?

If I was going to buy a new CX frame it either be a Yeti ARC-X or maybe a SantaCruz Stigmata.

Does Ultegra come with cross ratios or just standard compact? Might be worth looking into getting a different crankset or some new rings as the 50T can be a bit annoying unless you’re just canal pathing it.

Disc or canti?

If I was going to buy a new CX frame it either be a Yeti ARC-X or maybe a SantaCruz Stigmata.

The Arc-X is no longer available unless Evolution have them kicking around, afaik it was a “limited” run. If I was building a cross bike now I would certainly buy a frame with a disk mount even if it isn’t used at present, something the Arc doesn’t have :'(

Edit: that seems to be a lie! Arc-X seems to be back in the catalogue!, still doesn’t have a poxy disk mount though!

SantaCruz have no intention of putting a disc mount on in the immediate future 🙁 Never got a reply from Yeti when I enquired with them 😕

for racing or just riding?

Both

Does Ultegra come with cross ratios or just standard compact?
Disc or canti?

Good point with ratios. Definitely want cross ratios. Will probably go for canti’s too.

I do like the Guerciotti X-Crow frame from planet x. Linky

If you aren’t buying until October, you will find a lot of disc frames released between now and then I reckon. UCI changes mean that a lot of manufacturers will have new disc ready frames out for next CX season.

Planet X / On-One have a carbon prototype thing (pics on their facebook page a while back), and Kinesis have a a Crosslight Pro6 disc due in a few months. I’m sure all of the big guns are prepping disc ready frames at the moment too.

If its for both racing and general riding then I’d seriously look at a Cotic X with the Ultegra groupset and get a couple of pairs of disk wheels built up, one set with tubs for racing and one set of normal clinchers.

See Strada for wheels.

Yes the Cotic is not super light, but unless you’re looking at top 5 then over the course of an hours, (40 minutes?), race I’d sacrifice a little weight for a such a more all round bike.