Who uses a drop handlebar/cross style bike?

Just curious as I keep seeing a whole bunch of bikes with thin tyres and drops posted on here.

Its got me lusting after the different kinda riding experience that something like that would give me.

Who is using one and what does it give you?

Have tried it and am not convinced at all, though my mtbing is not on gradual or smooth trails where a CX bike would (to me) make sense.

I ride this when I'm after a bit of dropbar fun.

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I use a cx bike on all sorts of different trails, but I'm used to riding a rigid mtb.

What does it give me – a faster and easier way of getting to where I want to ride off road.

I use a Specilized SingleCross on and around the South Downs near Brighton.

Generally I prefer it when it's less muddy – it's a great 'hour or so blast in the summer' type bike.

you have to keep tyre pressures up so it's a bit 'slide and ping' on wet roots etc.

I bought this to use on my commute:
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Its fun to commute on and honestly its capable of doing most of my local trails as well. Drop bars are fun off road as you feel like you are flying.

I might even race it next year after some belly loss. 😀

Explosion In a Spaghetti Factory – that's effectively a 29" MTB with drops, right? Nice looking though. Cable discs?

wwaswas – I grew up riding the south downs outside Brighton, how on earth does a single speed bike work without crushing your knees on those ascents?

cynic-al – Member
Have tried it and am not convinced at all, though my mtbing is not on gradual or smooth trails where a CX bike would (to me) make sense.

Exactly. Like any other bike it only makes sense if you have the 'correct' sort of trail's. If I'm going up my local trails (Kilvey Hill in Swansea) I'd kill myself on a cross bike. (OR at the very least be going so slowly on the technical stuff that it wouldn't be enjoyable)

However if I'm going for a 25 mile trip around Gower, on bridleways, wide access tracks and nothing more technical than the rocky drop into Pwll Du, then a cross bike makes far more sense than a full sus MTB.

For the mythical rider who only rides trail centres it would make no sense at all.

I use a crosser and another older heavier crosser for most of my off road riding. And it gets more use this time of year when the trails are quagmire, the reason for that is because I use lanes and byways more.

TheSwedishChef – I've cheated a bit and it's running a compact crank for a 34:16 ratio rather than the 39:16 it came with.

There's not many long hills that you can't winch yourself up if you're prepared to stand up and have a stomp. My knees have proven resilient to date.

I just try and think of it as a 29er with odd geomtery and drop bars.

The Swedish Chef – Member

Explosion In a Spaghetti Factory – that's effectively a 29" MTB with drops, right? Nice looking though. Cable discs?

Yep. It's a Singular Gryphon. Shorter top tube, longer headtube, none suss corrected and more offset on the fork to allow for drop bar use.
Brakes are BB7's.

A great laugh round trail centers and local trails.

i used to have a singular too now just run a surly crosscheck but use 1.8 29er tyres 🙂 great fun all over

I have to admit, I rarely use a mountainbike at all these days for riding in the Pentlands and surrounding areas. I just prefer drop bars and the huge increase in range and speed ( over a MTB) that my Lynskey crossbike gives me.
Aye, there are some situations where it gets a bit out of its depth-wet rocky drops or loose gravel etc, but for most things its perfectly do-able, and it does give you a bit of smug satisfaction when you pass some 'UK conditions trail riders' who assume they've just been humiliated by some 'gay roadie' on a full roadbike 🙂

who assume they've just been humiliated by some 'gay roadie' on a full roadbike

Funny.

Think I've been reading too much Rouluer.

Might give this is ago with a 26" wheeled bike I've got an idea to do up. Add some drop, change brakes, get some narrow tyres. Would suite the area where I ride quite well, and complement my normal mountain bike.

I'm sure it's possible to ride Pentlands, trail centres etc on a cx bike, I've just not found it much fun.

i found dalby more fun on my old cx with skinny tyres than i did on the full sus.

Skinny tyres, canti brakes and drop bars prove to me that I really am not in control going down wet, rooty chutes 😯

But, the satisfaction in reaching the bottom just makes you want to get to the next out-of-control section 😀

wouldn't suit me for the mountains i ride. If/when I move back to thetford where there's smooth, flat and muddy trails I think I will give it a go

I'm sure it's possible to ride Pentlands, trail centres etc on a cx bike, I've just not found it much fun.

I find it MORE fun!
The Pentlands in particular could have been built for CX bikes and they're capable of most things that the average "XC MTB" can do – sure in some situations they'll be slower or a bit more twitchy but there's plenty of terrain where they'll be at least as fast if not faster.

They make great sense in winter especially, they'll just cut through the mud that would be wearing out all the pivots on a full sus, it improves your handling and riding skills and it's just a bit different. Even a well-used route can become new and interesting the first time you try it on a CX. They're incredibly resilient and versatile bikes – thrash it senseless for an hour round a race, load it up for a weeks touring, you can do the local roadie chaingang on it, pootle along some towpaths, whatever.

They've never been designed to compete with MTBs; they'll never win a DH race or anything but they are true jack-of-all-trades bikes.

old Trek Easton ali' mtb frame off ebay – 700c cx wheels and other bits off here, xt mechs and triple crank set, sti's and canti's

great for stuff like the TransPennineTrail and gravel tracks in the local woods

as said above have to have suitable stuff around – for me means can ride back roads on the drops into the wind out to Holme Moss and then back over Woodhead off road – which makes it less of a compromise than either road or mtb
would def' prefer discs though

crazy_legs speaks the truth, sure, there are situations where a proper MTB is going to be faster or require less concentration, but a horse or MX motorcycle would be more suitable than both of the former, if thats whats important!.
As others have said, its nice to be able to just head out the door, and head out on any type of trail or road without finding yourself at a big disadvantage on one or the other, and being able to cover big Ks.

I've just recieved some cross tyres, will be fitting them to a marin flat barred road bike. I'm looking forward to giving it a go, but might have to change the pedals to flats. Lots of stuff round here is muddy without rocks, so should be OK for that.

I ride my 'cx bike all over the place, it's a fun bike to ride (and race)

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I use mine for blatting out around Delamere..

Great fun for a couple of hours out, if I can't be arsed to drive anywhere and ride..

Excuse the crappy iPhone Pic..