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LS - Member
As menioned above, a lot of the new 'cyclocross' bikes are effectively drop-bar hybrids or touring bikes with 'cyclocross' decals on.
A proper (i.e. race) cross bike will have race geometry and a lack of non-essential tosh such as rack/mudguard mounts. Bottle bosses are just about acceptable
Ideal if you want to be seen riding the "correct" bike, however if that doesn't bother you and you want something useful...
Neither of the ones you mention!
Alan, Vitus and Paul Milnes are the big "traditional" CX brands (in the same way that 3 out of every 4 bikes at a velodrome are Dolan)
Cotic do a race version of their CX bike the >X<. Scott and Specialized do race versions too, the Specialized CruX is much racier than my old S-Works CX. Having said that I've done the Three Peaks on my CX without any problems, if anythings it's fractionally higher/slacker geometry is an asset on terrain like that.
Ideal if you want to be seen riding the "correct" bike, however if that doesn't bother you and you want something useful...
Spin that round the other way and you could argue that those on faux-cross bikes are the ones who want to be seen on the 'correct' bike, as it's the current fashion.
My very first cross bike was one I converted from a tourer. It worked, but then I got a Sirius 653 to replace it, which worked much better.
Want a bike to do everything on? Great, get yourself a Tricross or similar. Want to do cyclocross racing and have a decent MTB and road bike already? Buy an Empella/Ridley/Van Tuyl.
Apparently they're "bike to work bikes for tossers" as I was told by a ****ooed 29er rider last August. He was going on about how he'd "rode 12 miles that morning", I'd ridden 60 miles and had another 20 before I got home.
just had a quick google, couldn't find much.
what kind of money are entry bikes of the above brands?
Look at Paul Milnes.
sefton google moda legato, can get last years model the blue one for 999 at a few places comes in at 19lbs. i ahev jsut built upa frameset with ultegra and planetx wheels, nice to commute on and a spare set of wheels to take it off road.
Ridley, Stevens, Guerciotti are "proper" cross bikes, I'd also say that the carbon offerings from Focus, Canondale, and soon to be Kona would also count
I don't care if my UJ isn't a "true" CX bike. I like it anyway.
harry - looks like its not fit for purpose. I'm sorry. I sugest you tell people its a modifided tourer for now on. 😉
oldgit - Member
Also wear and tear is high when used year round.
I've always found that W&T is less on my CX bike if only used as a general purpose ride. (Road, bridleway, sort of thing.) It barely gets cleaned, never mind serviced.
However, I haven't raced CX for a few years, and it's the racing that kills bikes.
Btw, I know they've changed a lot over the years, but my old steel Paul Milnes was a horrible bike.......
I don't care if my UJ isn't a "true" CX bike. I like it anyway.
Nobody else cares either. If you like it, spot on 🙂
sefton - Member
harry - looks like its not fit for purpose. I'm sorry. I sugest you tell people its a modifided tourer for now on.
When I started racing CX in about 95, there were quite a few converted tourers in the field and not many 'pure' CX bikes..
Kona Jake is around £700 as is a Tricross
http://www.evanscycles.com/categories/complete-bikes/cyclo-cross-bikes
I have a fairly novel approach to bike use, which sadly seems to be in the minority here.
Mountain bike - use offroad, trails etc.
Road bike - use on road.
Cross bike - use for cyclocross racing (shock horror!).
I use the right tools for the job in hand.
Why on earth would you care how others use their bikes.
I don't like to be quite so narrow-minded about what bike is most suited. In fact unless racing for me it's more about enjoyment which often makes the 'wrong' bike the better choice.
Bottle bosses are just about acceptable
Really? And just what are your pit crew up to??? I suggest you have a word! 😆
Yeah - nothing wrong with converted tourers etc - my first 'crosser was a road frame with bosses welded on (I was lightweight then!) and it did just fine. In fact my first 'cross racing was done on a 19" Raleigh Mustang SIS when I was nine... 😳
Just that a pure 'cross frame will give a pure experience in the right environment, and be a lot more snappy fun imho. I'd rather see folks riding/racing on 3speed shoppers than think it's actually [i][b]necessary[/b][/i] to spend silly amounts of cash on niche bikes though!
looks great! 🙂
I don't know what my Jake the Snake is. It sounds like it's a tourer though, as it's got bottle and rack bosses. I don't know what I was thinking, daring to race 'cross on it this season. Everybody must have been s****ing at me. Oh, no, wait. Everyone was really welcoming to me and even the oddballs on singlespeed 29ers and the guy racing a road bike with 23mm slicks on the frozen tundra that was Pembrey Park this year.
If I had the money, I might look into a Ridley and a set of tubs but as I've spent my bike funds on a carbon crit bike, I'll have to race on my tourer again this season. Tomorrow I'm taking it on a 250 mile club training weekend in North Wales so it must be a road bike too. I'll get on to Kona and inform them of their pigeon holing mistake immediately.
Coleman, in theory I agree with you. However I prefer the impracticalities of a cx bike to the ride and feel of an mtb.
A few years back I thought I was late for the start of the race as I could see all this blinged up exotica on the start line. Turns out that was the novice event, the proper race was a far less colourful.
Surfr - I repeat my comment above. Nobody cares. I'm just about the only guy around towards the front of the race who isn't on alu or carbon. I couldn't give a toss and neither does anybody else.
But, don't try and pretend that a hybrid with drops is a cx bike. It isn't.
oldgit - I've used my cx bike on a 100mile road run in the past, so even I use the 'wrong bike' on occasion and it works/is fun.
It just seems to me there are a few bods on here who often post about how they've ridden 'this and that' very technical terrain on their cross bikes - just smacks of 'Oooh look at me!'
LS: I know I was being tongue in cheek. Cross is awesome, the racing is fun the people have been ace and the bikes are massively capable in all sorts of scenarios. I'm plenty happy 🙂
Do you have to shave your legs to enter a CX race?
lets not get all touchy (if you have a tourer that you bought thinking it was a cx bike...I feel for you) 😉
Basically I was riding some reservoir foot paths on my XC HT last night & thought it would be great on a cx bike (even though I have never been on a cross bike), so then I got thinking what exactly would be different
Mate of mine owns two bikes:
Pompino for riding around on.
Kona Jake for cross racing, winter training, road racing, crit racing, time trials, hillclimbs, touring.
If I tell him he's doing the wrong thing, I suspect his reply won't be printable.
(As for me, my current CX bike is a converted road bike SS'd. I'm going to build a geared race bike - likely a Mines/Columbus - for racing on.)
"Mate of mine owns two bikes:"
Oh dear, sorry to hear that. Has he fallen on hard times! 🙂