Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)
  • road bike or cross bike ?
  • iainc
    Full Member

    My road riding consists of once or twice a week around the back roads (not good condition) for around 25 – 30 miles, plus the odd weekend touring on west coast of Scotland, maybe 60 miles per day max. I currently use a 07 Jake the Snake, usually with Spesh Borough 32's but sometimes I'll stick on Bonty Racelight 28's if going for longer/smoother roads. When on weekend trips I hang my kit in a huge carradice seatpack, so panniers not an issue.

    Anyway, C2W coming round again and deliberating whether there is any benefit in going for a 1K 'proper road bike' as per the thread a few down – Boardman/ CAAD9 etc ? I have a suspicion that it might gather dust in the garage, but not having ridden such a beast I am unsure – any words of wisdom ?

    and, no, I don't need another mountain bike on C2W either 8)

    clubber
    Free Member

    Sounds to me like your CX is pretty spot on for what you need it for.

    IHN
    Full Member

    I had a roadie (not a very expensive one, about £600), then I bought a CX frame and swapped most of the bits over. It's much more adaptable (i.e. I can stick knobblies on it for a bit of off-road fun) and for 'just riding along on the road' it's all I need.

    So, get a new CX on C2W 🙂

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    vinnyeh
    Full Member

    If you could get a good set of wheels on c2w, that's what I'd do… run two sets on my cross bike, it's fine. Get the odd comment about it though.

    What's the point in buying another bike just because you can?

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    CX is much more versatile as you've found out but a proper road bike is faster and lighter.
    Why not give it a go? If the worst comes to the worst and you don't like it, strip all the decent kit off it, replace with old worn out CX bits, then sell!

    fontmoss
    Free Member

    not sure if you can get just wheels on c2w but if you could get lbs to do a build and skew the budget so it was a cheap frame but lovely wheels then that might work?

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    I suspect a raod bike would gather dust, you sound happy with what you want and a nice cx bike rides 90% as good on roads as a road bike.

    Get some light 23c tyres though!

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    I've a tourer which is pretty much the weight and geometry of a cross bike. Its nowhere near as fast as the road bike, but then it depends on if you think speed is an issue. It cant take panniers, but you can pedal it up a hill in 38-25 whereas the tourer feels like hard work right down into 34-27 (there is a granny below that but its never been used) with its slacker seat angle and heavier components.

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    IMO while a tourer FEELS slower, the only significant difference in speed on the flats is due to the tyres.

    Always nice to have a bike that feels fast though.

    iainc
    Full Member

    lots to think about in there, is kinda confirming my initial thoughts so might look into the light wheels/tyres idea, thanks

    meehaja
    Free Member

    I have a JTS as a commuter/ occasional race bike. I loved it so I bought a "proper" road bike which now sits in the loft getting dusty and unused. If you really want a new bike on B2W, get another JTS/Major jake?

    RestlessNative
    Free Member

    I just lightened up my Jake, nice carbon forks and better group, and got a 2nd set of wheels that have road tyres on. I think if I got a proper road bike I'd mostly just look at it

    breatheeasy
    Free Member

    Done the same as RestlessNative – it nicer kit on it. Flys along on some 24c tyres. Mudguards on during the winter.

    Really can't see how having a 2lb lighter bike makes you suddenly a cycling god. Certainly when theres 180lbs of rider on top.

    If you consider £1000 on C2W is about, say, £500 then I'd got for some nice wheels and maybe spend the rest on a few choice upgrades – bars/stem, forks maybe.

    cupra
    Free Member

    I have a cx bike and 2 sets of wheels, works a treat, also fitted tektro mini v brakes so that I can stop when I want to!

    Tyredocter
    Free Member

    Try what i did, had a perfectly good mountain bike with straight bars then re-built it with drop bars and lighter components

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)

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