Viewing 34 posts - 1 through 34 (of 34 total)
  • What £1k cross bike – any opinions?
  • razor
    Full Member

    Short-list; Cube Cross Race Disc / Specialized Tricross Sport Disc / Orange RX9 / Bianchi Zurigo

    As you can see I’m not intending to race competitively, but I’ve loved my Genesis Day One Disc this year and want to get something similar with gears for around a grand that isn’t made out of wrought iron, and I can’t realistically test them all. I imagine they’re all made to a budget by mass market factories so my expectations are roughly set, but all I can see between them at the moment is brand image.

    I’ve had Cube, Spesh, and Orange mountain bikes, but no experience of Bianchi

    singletracksurfer
    Full Member

    the Boardman is usually a favourite around that price mark – do you not fancy that? Only experienced the Tricross from that list otherwise. It is a very nice bike though.

    iainc
    Full Member

    Search my posts, loads of threads over last few months.

    The answer is….Pinnacle Arkose 3

    Although I just bought a Croix De Fer 🙂

    simondbarnes
    Full Member

    Genesis Vaypour Disc looks nice for £1k…

    benji
    Free Member

    I like the thought of the orange, but when you look at the spec for the money it’s not very good. The Cube is a great bike, well thought out, good value and reasonable mud clearance, same with the tri-cross, but you might want to look at the crux, which is it’s racier brother.

    iainc
    Full Member

    Vapour Disc is nice, but odd geometry with extremely short head tube, which won’t suit all – put me off

    househusband
    Free Member
    andypaul99
    Free Member

    Get a tricross if you want a multi purpose bike,they seem to be evolving into a commuter bike with the latest editions. There are lighter and quicker cross bikes out there. Best one ive ridden is the Giant TCX SL, which would keep up with many so called fast road bikes with the right tyres.

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    Well then, I’ve just bought two cross bikes, ones a Boardman Team Cross £899 and the others a Giant Expert Tcx £3k and both are brilliant for what they do.
    So I’d say for £1k, go for the Boardman Team or the Giant Tcx2.

    vincienup
    Free Member

    Biggest factor I think is what you plan to do with it.
    I don’t plan to race cross on mine so I wasn’t too weight conscious, and I do like steel.
    I ended up with a disc only Cotic which I love very much and has seriously damaged my MTB mileage this year. Shame it looks like it’s been dropped for 2014. 🙁
    Make a list then go sit on a few I think.
    When I was looking, £750 ish to just under 900 was where the real differentiation was happening and 1000 was an awkward price point – many options that were in that ‘just a little more…’ category…

    Conqueror
    Free Member

    Norco Threshold A1 – I think this looks pretty decent

    Planet X CX
    Cannondale CAADX
    Giant TCX SLR2

    The genesis stuff looks good but also looks quite heavy

    vincienup
    Free Member

    I’m told the Dirty Disco is one I should have seriously considered if I’d been race inclined since On One have been mentioned…
    My ‘must have’ really was discs and the new Sora or better (2013 on has real double tap not mouse ears) – but these should be much easier to find nearly a year on.

    cp
    Full Member

    My ‘must have’ really was discs and the new Sora or better

    Well the PX XLS smashes that spec!

    http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXXLS105/planet_x_xls_shimano_105_cyclocross_bike

    I normally rave about Boardman Team CX, but I’m a Shimano man and for just that bit more you’re getting 105. HOWEVER, if you can get a web discount combined with in store BC discount, then the Team CX is only about 750, which is silly cheap.

    eskay
    Full Member

    I like my Crosslight 5t.

    cloudnine
    Free Member

    Kinesis pro6.. might get one in the black Friday sales for £1k

    ski99
    Full Member

    The Boardman Team CX is on and end-of-line sale at Halfords at the mo’ and with the 10% extra sale, comes out at £728.99.

    http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_777731_langId_-1_categoryId_289005

    I wonder if you can get the BC discount on that as well?

    johnnystorm
    Full Member

    If you can pay for it in store you’ll get the extra 10% off. Jon SELOC the Lotus club (£12) and you can buy halfords vouchers with 10% off as well. 🙂

    tomkerton
    Free Member

    I have had a CAADX disc in the shed for about a month, no complaints at all. It was £1k. It has Tiagra on it but it’s worked like a charm. Highly recommend it, seems smoother over bumpy lanes than road bikes I’ve ridden in he past and it loves a bit of bridle path. it’s currently my favorite waste of time.

    Dales_rider
    Free Member

    Ridley X-Bow

    nano
    Free Member

    I picked up one of the 2013 Boardman’s with 20% off as web order. Got it around the time they recalled the 2014 models with the paint problem.

    It’s a great bike for the money although I wasn’t keen on the high BB as this meant I needed the saddle much higher than on my road bike. SRAM apex and BB5’s all worked well.

    I returned it after the cable wore the paint through on the forks through to the carbon after 3 rides (approx 100 miles)and they weren’t able to colour match a replacement set. Service from the local Halfords was great though and there was no problems getting a refund.

    I now have a 2013 CAAD X Ultegra that I got for £400 less than the current 2014 model (only difference is 11 v 10 speed Ultegra). Def recommend looking at Cannodale although the alu models are more of a commute on weekdays / race on weekends geometry than the carbon models. Must be some more 2013 bargains out there.

    thomthumb
    Free Member

    i thought this looked like a good buy.

    merida cross 4

    haven’t seen one – let alone ridden one though…

    bajsyckel
    Full Member

    ^ tomthumb – I got a merida cross 4 frame from Paul Milnes recently, built up with a discounted sram apex kit, some odd bits and pieces, XT wheels, avid discs… cheaper than the full build for a better specced bike. Definitely worth considering that route, but if I was going to spend a bit more then I’d probably go for the Kinesis Crosslight Pro6 frameset (in green) or the Planet X full build.

    GrahamS
    Full Member

    In the spirit of recommending what you own, have you looked at Rose?

    Found it hard to beat on bang for buck.

    The Rose Pro DX Cross 2000 comes in at almost exactly £1k, available with CX50 / 105 groupset, BB7 brakes, Fizik saddle.

    A few more in the line up if you decide to spend a little more:
    http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/products/bikes/race/cross-bike/pro-dx-cross/

    (Disclaimer: I have the 4400 and I like it)

    razor
    Full Member

    I’m a bit overwhelmed by the choice now (this is a new part of the world for me).

    I have to admit to a bit of brand snobbery for this much money, so the Boardman and the Pinnacle are out really, but the ‘Dale and the Giant look promising. I love my Genesis too, but I’ve already got one if you see what I mean.

    Although I don’t want to race, I don’t want it for commuting either so mudguards and rack mounts aren’t necessary.

    Nobody has any love or hate for the Bianchi Zurigo? The main downside I see is no disc bakes at this price point, even on the 2013 model, and there is no way I’ll get a test ride, but it certainly appeals to my inner brand snob.

    Anybody have a feel for a reasonable weight for this price? The 2013 Cube Cross Race Disc seemed competitive at 8.9Kg (although the 2014 one is 9.5Kg). Not that the rest of the manufacturers publish their weights…

    alexdodd
    Free Member

    TCX 2 is unbelievable value for money, but they probably won’t have any in until january, going by our shops supplier lists last time i checked… I was interested myself. The TRP Spyres make is very interesting. Although the stupid seatpost and clamp, is on the verge on unforgivable, coupled with the wait i ended up buying a whyte suffolk (go figure!?)

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    If you are interested in a TCX bare in mind a recall because of the SRAM brakes that has grounded the sale until all the brakes have been replaced. Only those that are on the shelves are ok, which means no more until Feb at the earliest.

    Just sayin like.

    monksie
    Free Member

    I’ve got and indeed can get the Cannonadale Caadx 105 . Good deals on the price as well. Email in profile etc. shop supplied, nothing dodgy 🙂

    davetrave
    Free Member

    Isn’t the ‘Dale a straight 1 1/8th steerer though…? Just bought a new ‘cross bike and, although my budget was a bit more than the OP’s, I recall looking at the CAADXs and writing them off because they weren’t tapered steerers like pretty much all of the other bikes. Ended up with a Felt F5X…

    Anyhow, I also have a 2013 Cube Cross Race, non-disc though. Thoughts? Nice enough bike but feels a bit more upright and less racy than the new Felt. Comfortable, considering it’s an alloy frame, decent stiff and precise but compliant carbon fork – had no problems with brake judder from the cantis.

    rockfield
    Free Member

    My shortlist was the Giant TCX slr 2 or the Cannondale CAADX 105. Both currently impossible to get hold of in small or 51 cm size 🙁 The cannondale is apparently not back in stock in any spec flavour till April 2014, whilst the Giant is alledgedly going to be back in stock in February. The Felt was my next choice but sounds like they are difficult to get hold of as well.
    has anybody seen a 51cm caadx in their shop? Either 105 or ultegra spec would be ace. Might have to look at the Cube or Merida I guess.

    Doug
    Free Member

    CRC have the 2013 Cube Cross Race disc at £930 instead of £1300 for extra tall riders.

    eruptron
    Free Member

    rockfield

    This any good fella?

    has anybody seen a 51cm caadx

    Podium points as well 🙂
    http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/cannondale-caadx-105-disc-2014.html

    I must add I’ve not bought anything from them! I have been in the shop and the seemed pretty helpful other than that I don’t know what ther service is like.

    davetrave
    Free Member

    The Felt was my next choice but sounds like they are difficult to get hold of as well.

    Err, mine wasn’t – tried the display modeal in the size I wanted in the shop, they ordered it in and it arrived within a couple of days…

    Where are you? Mine came from Hoops Velo in Farnham…

    Hadge
    Free Member

    Excuse me butting in but if you don’t want discs and need a 53cm frame I’ve a lovely Ibis Hakkalugi for sale.

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