Let me see your Cross Checks, Croix De Fer's or Similar

Looking for a do it all, road/fireroads/touring bike.

What do you have and what do you think?

loving my Nature Boy…

Got a cross check built up with second hand bits and bobs. Probably my favourite bike to be honest. I use it for the commute to work and for CX in the winter. It’s not the lightest but rides brilliantly, is comfortable and is nicely understated.

Would be even better if it had discs as cantilever brakes can be a bit funky downhill off-road at speed in the winter.

Good strong dependable frame! It’s used much more than my mountain bike. It’s a great feeling passing people on mountain bikes on. The look you get is brilliant. As if to say how is that possible 🙂

Got a Norco Indie Drop which I love – was looking at a Salsa Vaya or Kona Rove/Sutra but they were both out of my budget, so I picked this up last summer. Currently set up in commute mode but will also take front & rear rack for touring, and I’m planning on getting some CX tyres soon for a bit of off road stuff. Definitely my favourite bike at the moment!

The Gaycross…

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2013-08-04 16.15.52[/url] by lowey.com[/url], on Flickr

Kinesis Decade Tripster. Its ace.

2014 Croix De Fer.

Built up from frame with full 105, TRP Spyres. Kinesis CX wheels and some tarty thomson/3T bits.

Due to a knackered shoulder, only been out on it 3-4 times since I built it at the beginning of November. It’s my only bike, and am quite happy with it for the mo. Might have gone for a ally/carbon frameset if had my time again, but currently, my weight is more of an issue than that of the bike.

Might consider a DC37 carbon fork down the line, tho.

Only other issues is the paint is a bit weak, or rather it seems to have worn off inside the stays with impressive ease, but have touched it up and none the worse. I am in the process of swapping the QRs, with XT, that came with the Kinesis wheels as the front has come loose twice now.

Not sure if it happened for the 2014 frame, but the rear brake cable got routed underneath the downtube. Unfortunately, the designers forgot to remove the crud catcher bosses, and when bolts are in there…which you probably want as otherwise water/crap can get in there, then it fouls the cable run. The current solution is to fit low profile bolts to minimise the issue.

My 2013 Croix, I’ve made a few changes including TRP Hy/Rd brakes, Ultegra chainset and H Plus Son Archetype / Hope Pro II wheels.

2013 Genesis Cdf, £699 in the Bicycle Co-op Xmas sale, lovin it 🙂

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22nd Jan; Genesis Cdf 40 miles roads and some Roughstuff 032[/url] by coastkid71[/url], on Flickr

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11th Jan; Genesis Cdf Half Century-with a bit of Roughstuff 103[/url] by coastkid71[/url], on Flickr

Coastkid what’s that frame bag?

Old one with hydro discs

Kinesis Tripster ATR built with up with Ultegra groupo, TRP Spyres and Halo Aerotracks in the pic. Got some of the new Kinesis wheels to put on for this summer and since that pic (almost at the end of a two day tour doing the 180 mile Cheshire Cycleway Route 70 last summer) have pimped it with some Ritchey carbon bars and post, Time carbon/ti pedals and a few other nice bits.

Top bike for commuting, touring, easy bridleways / old rail lines (did that ride with 28mm Conti 4 Seasons on that were fine on road and on the off road sections). It’s quick as a regular road bike too…

Salsa Vaya.

Now with Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour tyres.. Which seem about perfect for this.

As for the bike?
It’s my most ridden bike at the minute.. Love it.

About to build up a Fargo too…

cloudnine – Member
Coastkid what’s that frame bag?

JabDD frame bag, around £40 posted from USA. I use it for my camera and munchies 🙂

JanDD Frame Pack

If your looking at the Crosscheck, i’d consider the Stragler, which is basically a crosscheck with disc mounts.

Straggler

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comfy, reliable, fairly fast.

longer headtube* and wheelbase** please.

(*so i don’t need a massive stack of spacers, and an ugly stem)

(**even my diddy size9’s get overlapped)

105 kit and 46/34 chainset, iron cross on hope pro2 evo – 22.5 lbs with those pedals. Saddle could be lighter but its comfortable with that titanium seattube.

Salsa cowbell 2 bars.

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I’ve had my Cotic X (Weekday build, plus disks) since last April. Used it for my short, urban commute since then, plus riding to and at the ‘local’ trail centre and some local on/off road rides.

My eyes have broken looking at Mike’s pic…

Coastkid what’s that frame bag?

Nice, innit? Might get one. Do wish there was an option to get from the UK, though. As will there not also be duty charged on anything over £18? Or is that old info?

My eyes have broken looking at Mike’s pic…

Sorry, it’s a bit ‘Instagrammy’ 🙂

Looks like this at the moment, takes me to work and back and road rides with some or all of the gubbins stripped off.

Also had plenty of fun with 2.0″ Race Kings in proper mtb territory – surprisingly non sketchy downhill at speed – it is on the long and slack end of the scale for this sort of bike.

Not light, is the only thing. I notice it out on road rides with others when the road points up – I start having to really try. But I guess that’s good some plus points in the form of reassuing handling etc

Looking forward to Charlie’s Gravel Dash, looking at some lighter wheels, a frame bag and cowbells to replace the midges for more useful grip options. – And maybe a double crankset. That or 38T, 11-36

Nice, innit? Might get one. Do wish there was an option to get from the UK, though. As will there not also be duty charged on anything over £18? Or is that old info?

Alpkit equivalent??

Do wish there was an option to get from the UK

Jamie – YHM

You want a frame pack? Talk to BeerBabe

Q for the Croix de Fer owners – much weight saving to be had by changing wheels? Not sure if I’ve got this right but the hub seems over twice the weight of others?

Thanks. 🙂

I’ve been after one of those Jandd frame packs for a while but the US customs bit put me off. Seem to remember there was a Swedish online bike shop that stocked them?

Was going to sell my Cross Check but then thought I’d wait till the Straggler forks become available.

Q for the Croix de Fer owners – much weight saving to be had by changing wheels? Not sure if I’ve got this right but the hub seems over twice the weight of others?

Dunno. Never used the originals.

Hope that helps 😀

Built it from a frame – Hope/mavic wheels, 105/Sram, Ritchey finishing kit. Love it.

I went with a Pompino. Love it. Light and lovely on tow paths, etc..

A big thumbs-up for the Alpkit Possum here, the M is a good fit on a lot of 54-58cm CX bikes. Nice adaptable strap system means it fits different bikes well.

A big thumbs-up for the Alpkit Possum here, the M is a good fit on a lot of 54-58cm CX bikes. Nice adaptable strap system means it fits different bikes well.

I’m going to order one for my 56cm Cotic X soon. Wondering if it will also fit my 18″ Inbred – length is fine, just the tighter front end of the main triangle because of the short headtube that I’m not sure about.

much weight saving to be had by changing wheels

certainly for the earlier ones, but I guess also for the current ones.

My mate has a stock 2011 and he is very meh about it, and it is a heavy bugger.

I built mine with slightly better kit but the wheels are 1610g and it makes an awful lot of difference.

cinnamon_girl – Member

Q for the Croix de Fer owners – much weight saving to be had by changing wheels? Not sure if I’ve got this right but the hub seems over twice the weight of others?

don’t worry, the rear deore hub is not ‘over twice the weight of others’ – but it is a bit hefty – around 500grams.

the rims aren’t light either, but they are very strong.

you could probably save around 400g?

i think the newer models have upgraded wheels since i bought mine, so the potential savings might be a little less…

A big thumbs-up for the Alpkit Possum here, the M is a good fit on a lot of 54-58cm CX bikes. Nice adaptable strap system means it fits different bikes well.

Confirms my thinking that a S would be appropriate for a 52cm Croix De Fer.

ahwiles – thank you, so not much to be saved. It’s a 2014 model with Alex/Deore. Just surprised how heavy they were compared to my 26″ mtb ones. 🙂

certainly for the earlier ones, but I guess also for the current ones.

My mate has a stock 2011 and he is very meh about it, and it is a heavy bugger.

I built mine with slightly better kit but the wheels are 1610g and it makes an awful lot of difference.

Thanks TurnerGuy. Yes, savings to be made with wheels although at a cost as I’ve found out with mtb!

Another Crux Doofer…. surprised how comfy it is as I have not been able to ride road bikes for years. Love it.

On the wheels front, I’ve been playing with the idea of losing some weight from mine. Thoughts and findings if they’re any use:

Current wheels, built to a budget for C2W purposes, are Open Pro on SLX 529 32H with DT comp and brass nips. 1971g bare rims.

I need something that’d do 80,90psi on 28c and take a beating off road. be nice if they were wider, better profile on 2.0′ nobblies, and be easily tubelessable.

Lightest without getting silly expensive is A2Z hubs (only do 32H) on Stans Alpha 340 with DT Rev and brass nips = 1462g Self build and all the bits from the cheapest places = £320.

Or there’s these for £20 less and a few grammes more:

http://www.charliethebikemonger.com/stans-notubes-ztr-alpha-340-disc-wheelset-4755-p.asp

I don’t think the Alpha 340s are up for a beating though, the 400s are better, but some of the old 355s I think would be better still as the bead locks are better.

There are some iron crosses on ebay :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stans-Iron-Cross-lightweight-cyclocross-bike-wheels-/161068863771?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item258073d11b

and they guy sells cheaper direct.

He had some 355 wheels a while ago.

They won’t do those pressures though, or might with tubes but what’s the point of running tubes these days ???