So, before I decide I definaltey need a cross bike for commuting….

Any experience of the Pentlands on a cross bike?
My main (most direct) commute will be from Penicuik down to the Flotterstone, Glencorse Resr, Maidens, Pistachio, Easter Kinleith, Down ??? (it's on the tip of my tongue) to the WOL then into Edinburgh.

So – is this do-able on a cross bike.
Will I need a triple or is a double OK??

any info greatly appreciated.
Anyone got a XXL cross bike (>60cm) that they'd be willing to let me ride up one of the steeper parts to let me see how it is?

Poet's Glen?

Do-able certainly, I tried it once on a crosser and to me it was not fun. Probably becuase I lack the skilz/gnarl to ride one properly (what I was told at the time 🙄 )

Thanks, yes Poets.

Thing is the bit down the WOL to work, the North side of Maidens, around the Flotterstone is all a drag when commuting on my normal bike – hardtail with big draggy tyres. If Poets is a pain going up then I can always do the kirk road, or up Bonaly and round the reservoirs to Kinleith.

really need advice on the double / triple chainset.

Pentlands is ace on a CX, makes it much more fun than 5" of travel.
Compact double with 12-27 cassette has got me up/down everything there (not that I've ridden it very much on a CX…)

Cheaper to get some narrow (i.e. light) tyres or pump your up.

It may well feel slow on your mtb but you might be surprised that it's only a few minutes slower.

cynic-al,

thing is, that is my only MTB… I know it's seems propostrous that I frequent STW and only have one MTB, but it does happen….

So tyre swapping isn't really an option, and when I commute I have them up at approaching 40psi anyway.

Thinking a cross bike would be good for the road commute that I sometimes do too (but on a very old road bike at the moment – and it needs some love)

CrazyLegs, thanks

I've got a triple, but thinking I'll switch when I can to compact and 12-28 cassette when I can. Mine's XXL, but in The Lakes, so probably no good to you. If you do a fair bit of road, then CX would be the way to go. My 30/25 lowest gear feels about the same as granny and fourth on the hardtail. It's quicker ovearll on anything smoother than a lumpy forest fire road, but much less effort on tarmac.

cross bikes are fun, rigid, crappy brakes and skinny tyres livens up most stuff

try alpine or edinburgh bike co to see if they'd let you play on something? i know most shops dont have a cross bike demo but poss worth a punt

I had a go on my Tricross up in the Pentlands:

I had a go at Poet's Glen on it and it was do-able although the bike did get kicked about a lot on the rocks. Unless you're particularily fit I think a triple would be advisable if you're going to be doing climbs like Maidens from both sides.

epic steve, I was thinking that poets then Maidens after a long day at work would best be done with the safety of a triple. I'll have a look at ratios and see if a small inner on a double and a bigger block would do.

I'd say that I'm reasonably fit, North side of maidens is done in 36/28 on the MTB, although up Poets is something like 24/28.

Poets glen climb is fine with a 1:1 (32:32 on my xc bike). But then a cx bike is likely to be lighter and a better climber so you might get away with a lower gear.

I ride that route fairly regularly on a CX bike, though I typically use a 11-34 cassette with a 50-34 compact double.
All the Pentland climbs I do on my MTB are do-able on the crosser albeit at a lower cadence, the only one that still gets me walking is the Black Hill climb.

There's a fair number of steep climbs in the Pentlands all in all, so the triple would probably be best – depends on your style. If you like to spin the granny on the MTB then obv a triple on the crosser makes sense.

I find the CX bike to be far worse on proper MTB climbs than a MTB, so I wouldn't bank on it being a superior climbing experience. Seems like a MTB gives you a lot of stability and traction which you don't get with the narrow tyres of the crosser, steering can go all over the shop when it's steep.

I only take it out on the trails once in a while, mind. I'm sure the CX mentalists can blast a cross bike up anything.

Something I find makes a big difference is to run the biggest tyres you can, even if they're low-profile block tread. I suppose this might slow the road bits of your run, but I think its worth it for the lower risk of snakebites and such.
Anything much less than 34mm and I find the bike gets thrown around at speed on the bumpy bits, and on dry days I've had the tyre disappear straight down into loose gravel on corners, much to the amusement of passing walkers.
(Please pm me if you need an explaination of the term 'dry days') 😉

compact and if you need it put 11-32 and either an mtb rear mech or if 10 spd the new sram rd mech that covers the same range, its there new gorupset, the cheapest one they do they are doin 10 psd 11.32 as well in that range

i know most shops dont have a cross bike demo but poss worth a punt

we do.

Surly Cross Check
Marin Lombard
Ibis Hakkalugi
next week when we get time to build it… Yeti ARCX.

all available for getting muddy.

TBC – I'm 2m tall, so do you have anything >60cm open for a test?

I'm hanging on a week or two as I may get taken on permenantly where I work at the moment, if I do then it's C2W time.

The other option is get a new MTB and commuterize the HT…

mmmmmm hakkalugi

>60cm would be a no at this stage but happy to assist in sorting one.

We would probably look at a Cross Check in that size, although their 58cm bike is a beast – have a look at the geo and see what you think.

Call tomorrow if you can and i will see what we can sort you.

Mark

Mark,

I'll leave it a week or two. My boss is waiting to hear if he can hire me permenantly or not. If he can then it'll be a C2W purchase.

I'll drop round one lunchtime and discuss things.

cheers
Chris

I have a 60cm cross frame/fork/bits that I am was going to sell, if you were interested and you could certainly have a try on, (I am in central-ish Edinburgh) although currently missing mechs and wheels, but could probably put something together if you wanted a try (although not wanting to sell the wheels)

It's a resprayed crosslight frame, white with virtually new kinesis crosslight pro fork, 105/ulterga (double), deda. I bought the frame 2nd hand but is really nice only selling due to 1 not enough space in the flat for it and mainly due to a shoulder injury that is aggravated by drop bars.

Looking for £250 let me know if you want more details
Cheers
Henry

c_in_c,

ygm