[Closed] Cross bike - off road limitations?

I bought a cross bike a while back and was at first disappointed that it wasn't a road-esque bike which rode like a mountain bike. Once you get the hang of the fact that it's a cross bike and not a mountain bike and therefore does slightly different things and behaves in a different way, it's fine!

These days...I love my cross bike.

the only limitation is the rider - ive taken my cross bike places some mtbers wont like - i find riding my cross bike when the missus is on her mtb puts us on a level field when it comes to tech ability !

3 peaks

I think this was posted on here a while back [url=

roadie_in_denial - Member
Once you get the hang of the fact that it's a cross bike and not a mountain bike and therefore does slightly different things and behaves in a different way, it's fine!

Exactly - they ride in a different way to a MTB. You need to ride to preserve the (narrow) tyres and make sure that you don't kill the wheels on large drops or jumps for instance, and also be aware that your position on the bike is different from on a MTB. I can ride pretty much anything on my cross bike that I can on my MTB, just with a little more care and at a completely different speed. Steep drops are approached with much more trepidation than on my mtb.

The only comparison with a 29er is the size of the wheel - a 29er will ride more like a MTB than a cross bike will (0bviously really).

If you were to buy a cross bike and try to make it ride like a MTB then you'd sort of be missing the point.

You can do loads on it, only real limitation is when it gets properly rocky IME. Even then you can pick your way down, but it's not much fun. I go round Glentress on mine once in a while, usually up the black and down the red.

The main limitation for me is more the rigid frame rather than the cross geometry - I'm not used to riding rigid bikes. If you're happy on rigid MTBs then you can take the crosser anywhere within reason. There's no getting round the fact that good descents are usually much more fun on the MTB, though.

A ss cx bike makes no sense if you're thinking about taking it on serious trails IMHO. They do look nice, and are ok on more rolling hill type stuff - but the bigger gear sucks bad on even moderate off-road climbs that ss mtbs can handle.

ETA - you'd think you'd pick up loads of punctures on the rocks with the narrow tyres, but I've found it OK. Might just be on a lucky streak.

What's a "steep drop"?

It's mainly going to be used for flat but off-road commutes but I didn't want to invest in a bike that had serious limitations should I decide to do something different.

I ride like a girl anyway so will probably be ok.

A 'steep drop'?? Those Cinelli Ram bars are seriously overpriced!

I ride like a girl anyway so will probably be ok.

You might find you ride like a little girl on a cross bike... 😉

I've seen people ride their CX's down steps, jump out of bombholes and, in one instance, do a steep chute that a lot of people, me included, wouldn't do on MTB's.

It's mostly down to the rider but as a general rule they'll do any normal XC. Sometimes a bit faster, sometimes a bit slower. I ride my CX in the Peaks and Lakes quite regularly. Had a few interesting comments when I rode it round Grizedale North Face Trail in the snow and ice, mostly from people who couldn't believe that the boardwalks were ride-able on it.

I'm amused that 35c is seen as being a moderate cross tyre - I've just got some 34s that seem huge...
I ride pretty much everything on the surrey hills that I do on my mtb, just at a different speed.

Used a road bike off-road on 18/20C tyres before mountain bikes Basically the secret is ground reading and always use the largest cog at the rear with the middle or standard chainring at the front usually at walking speed The Maxxis Cultivator from cyclelife.com would be a good tyre choice along with the Raleigh puncture Resitant tubes or try the Halo Courier [29C] from billys.co.uk A coil sprung saddle helps to save the rear wheel from damage too though that might be considered dorky so if you have the room try a suspension seat post, the rear will get battered with the hard frame 😡

Ok, I'm convinced about the potential ability of the bike. Can anybody tell me what the actual max tyre size is on a 135 spaced pompino? on-one website says 32c but is this really the case?

Like MTB tyres, you'll find that some 32s are larger than others. I haven't got a pomp, but would be asking about specific tyres rather than a nominal size if that makes sense.

I have an older Pompino (2nd generation blue?), that takes Maxxis Locust 35s no probs (which is a good tyre for rocky stuff and pumps up hard). You can ride around places like the Marin, Llandegla, etc., if you've been there? 3 Peaks is a fairly harsh course and doesn't see [i]that many[/i] broken bikes 🙂

vinnyeh - Member
I think this was posted on here a while back

God, what a legend 😉

As other people have said the only limitation is the rider. Yeh so a MTB maybe easier but I can ride 99% of the stuff I do on my MTB, on my CX SS bike.

Took it around CYB (the beast) was some of the best fun i've had in a while.

I admit I walked the two 10m STEEP sections of this as I was in shirt, slacks and slip on loafers (on SPD pedals) at the time.

Dyfi Enduro World Cup Descent scouting outing the day before the event:
[img] [/img]

Usual sort of stuff I ride, in this case the route to Hyddgen from Plynlumon
[img] [/img]

They're awesome, to the point that my ST4 hasn't seen any action since the Dyfi Enduro some 3 months ago. The crosser gets all the rides with slicks on for Crits, TTs, Chaingangs and Sunday club rides, and knobles for mixed/off road routes.

A ss cx bike makes no sense if you're thinking about taking it on serious trails IMHO. They do look nice, and are ok on more rolling hill type stuff - but the bigger gear sucks bad on even moderate off-road climbs that ss mtbs can handle.

ratios are not fixed. 🙂

I don't own a CX bike but have dragged my touring bike (with mudguards and a saddlebag) across the Ochils and through Glens Borland, Almond, Ample, Artney, Finglas, Little Glen Shee; and also across the Coulin Pass, to Craig Hostel and then Redpoint.

You can always get off and push

ratios are not fixed.

They're great, limits are more the amount of punishment you can take rather than ability. I'd happily do Afan on one...

This is what I aspire to on a CX bike:

Smoooooth!

That is simply awesome!

I'm going out on the CX bike this afternoon!

My old CX frame snapped at the down-tube whilst riding along the banks of the River Mersey.

What was strange was that 3 days earlier I had been to Rivington and ridden the San Marino/Belmont descent and the Ice Cream Run with a certain amount of joi de vivre and it had been fine....

It is mostly down to the rider, but the life of the frame will be reduced substantially with rough use.

700cmx is the way to go

As other people have said the only limitation is the rider. Yeh so a MTB maybe easier but I can ride 99% of the stuff I do on my MTB, on my CX SS bike.

Yeah but that 1% you can't ride is the best bit! 🙂

The limitation is the rider? Wtf does that mean? It's easier to ride hard stuff on an mtb - fact. Anything else is waffle 🙂

As in, if your crap on a bike you wont really be able to ride much on a CX bike due to it being harder. Also, I dare say that the rider would give up before the bike.

I do totally agree that it is [b]easier[/b] to ride hard stuff on a MTB, but still do-able on a CX bike.

[img] [/img]

I had great fun riding down there.

[img] [/img]

but then i was known to ride

[img] [/img]

as my XC bike as recently as 2004 when i raced still downhill

"It's easier to ride hard stuff on an mtb - fact"

or your perception of hard .....

i am of the opinion if i can get my XC bike down it i can get my cross bike down it - slower on some parts yes , but it can still be fun ....

if i want to go baws oot i take a hardhitting bike and hit it faster and harder --- same shit though

I challenge anyone to follow me on a CX bike when I am on my XC bike.

Seriously 🙂

where you live ?

TR is that Loch Muick?

EDIT and what Molgrips said, I don't see the point of a cx for my rides.

yes it is loch muick

depends what your out to do al - no different to a rigid XC bike really

........ok, ok, i'm convinced! over to the classifieds!

BUT - a 29er is also great - i have a GF rig also - it is like a dh bike because it floats over shit ! ask "whosthedaddy"

no different to a rigid XC bike really

Erm 35mm vs 2.3" I THINK NOT!

I regulary go out on our local Club rides on my CX, certainly ride all of the ups and all of the flat much faster than the other guys, the downs however are a different ball game, mainly due to lack of braking power that the CX has over the MTB's.
That said, I will still use my CX at most XC events (that allow) much quicker over the distance!!

A neutral location if you like, a trail centre, or somewhere you live if you like 🙂

your a great troll to have around al really.

trail_rat - Member
your a great troll to have around really.

**** forgot about this gem

bannockburn classic MTB race in new zealand on a stock kona jake last december 27th

came 23rd out of 500 folk or 13th outa 250 in my catagory (before the pedants also look it up ;)) . 8 mins (edit it was 11 i looked it up to check) down on marcus roy (google him) over 35k - peeved a few folk

Not seen it in any SXC though.

Right, we need a CX/XC bike challenge.

If I were to include it in a potential South Wales STW ride, would trail-rat attend?

because its against the rules al

depends on timing - but given im pending a trip to the equator for the next 4 months its looking doubtful

Oooh yeah - run away, that's it!

😉

I'll save it til you get back. Haven't planned owt anyway.

Where do you live now?

stonehaven - aberdeen

been on standby for this trip for a month now - soon as my back to back gets his multi entry visa i fly out so cant even get holidays that werent booked pre-standby - hence friday and monday last week were hols 🙁

Hmm, Aberdeen could make it tough!

equitorial guinea even tougher 😉

Would be happy to be proven wrong on this one.

I've got a few trails in mind down here that could make it tough to be on a CX bike. I could take a few pics maybe.

One goes up a very steep hillside on heavily eroded loose stones and soil - I've never cleaned it but I have ridden it all. Then on the other side the trail is a deep pile of large loose rocks all sliding over each other 🙂

and how shall we measure "percieved fun" - a ruler for the size of grin at the bottom ?

Uhh tough one that.

I just don't think you could ride some stuff on a CX bike, and some stuff nothing like as quickly...

True mate - You can select different gears for different terrain. It can be quite time consuming to change chain lengths and cogs prior to going out on your ride

WI Dos - takes 2 mins to switch between 36/16 & 36/18. Ride pretty much everything on this that I would on a mountain bike, just a bit slower (downhill). It is the South Downs though 🙂

[img] [/img]

To the asker of what size tyre for a 135 spaced pompino....

I have quite a new one and 35 is pushing the limits to be honest, some fit and some don't but they're all very close indeed, I put a 32 on in the end because I was bored with trying to get it set up perfectly without rubbing.

If we're doing a race molgrips, then it has to include a bit of everything, yes? Some road, some offroad uphill and some offroad downhill, some jumpy bits. LETS DO IT!

/clears space on mantlepiece for trophy.

Problem is, if I race you you might be much faster than me anyway.

I know full well a CX bike is faster on roads and smooth stuff, of course it is. The original challenge was to take you CXers on the kind of thing found on my local trails and watch you struggle 🙂

However, I'd be up for some kind of challenge with split times, if only for a laugh 🙂

You could say, do a lap of Cwmcarn, then go back up the road and down the DH course - how about that?

Just under 2 months til the Three Peaks CX. 🙂
My CX bike is covered in dust at the moment although I suspect it'll be covered in mud within a few miles of starting my ride this weekend.

[i]/clears space on mantlepiece for trophy. [/i]
samuri, you'd never win the trophy. Your bike would break...

Nah, I'm only having a laugh. If I did my normal evening loop, ten miles of road, about 6 miles of proper hilly offroady stuff followed by 12 miles of light offroad, mx trails and canal paths I'd be miles faster on my cross bike than my mountain bike. I'm sure if it was all proper hilly offroad stuff I'd kick my ass on a mountain bike.

Interesting idea for a race. I'd certainly be up for it 😆

Could do an uplift day at Fort Bill, and the team with the most bikes (or bodies) left in tact at the end of the day wins 🙂

😆

Can you go tubeless with a 'crosser?

I ask because, whilst they seem appealing, a guy brought one to our weekly XC ride and suffered from pinch flats. If this could be alleviated I reckon it would be a lot more versatile. Not that I can afford/justify one unfortunately 😥

Yup - used tubeless on my cross bike.

Hutchinson do a tubeless cross tyre. Dunno anything about it though....

I'm a big cross fanatic, and love taking mine places where they possibly weren't designed to go, but I don't think a cross bike is ever going to be quicker than an XC bike on a genuine cross country route or race

Race around Dalby and i will be in for it also! On the cross bike. Cant promise i wont get off and run some bits though.

Cant promise i wont get off and run some bits though.

That would be called "losing" - it's about riding FFS!

Losing is the last to finish. Its a cyclocross bike! 😆

Cross bikes rock - fact! In technical rocky trails, they are undoubtedly slower but for flowy singletrack, they're hard to beat for speed. The most inappropriate trail I've ridden on mine has been Conic Hill down the steep descent. What a hoot! There's something fun about riding the wrong bike that makes it all the more satisfying when you ride it.

Loch Muick? Good effort sir!

Sanny

Ah.. interesting point.. Getting off and running is part of CX is it not, and bikes etc are designed around this concept. So CXers should be able to get off and run I reckon.

Btw have you timed yourself on MTB and CX around the same route?

Ive done a timed run around Dalby on an Xc hardtail and on the same bike but rigid. Rigid was slower by 5 minutes. I reckon the cross bike would make some time up on the fire roads so would be in the same ball park as the rigid xc lap.
Its been known for me to run some sections on the mtb to! I am still pretty fast though, just not as technically gifted as some. Or maybe i lack bottle!

Interesting.. if you are technically worse then you might gain more from a CX bike, since you'd be losing less on the techie bits cos you're a mincer anyway... Hmm..

There's something fun about riding the wrong bike that makes it all the more satisfying when you ride it.

Hmm.. maybe a small novelty factor, but that (for me) does not make up for being able to attack something full-on on a big bouncer 🙂

Mincer!!! 😆 Do you know me?!! 😀

No, clearly 🙂

But the point still stands for those who really are mincers, does it not?

Its a fair point. Also being a fit rather than technical rider when i am on a cross bike and the terrain suits it, eg uphills or fire roads i am more inclined to start trying harder and the speed difference over a xc bike feels quicker which encourages me even more. If that makes sense?!

I haven't got a "proper" cross bike, but have a single speed, drop bar RoadRat which I run cross tyres on. It will cope with pretty much anything my Surly 1x1 will, and is way faster on the flat / tarmac but at the expense of some speed on rocky downhills. Having said that. it's a lot easier to "unweigh" it over fast rooty sections.

It's perfect for longer mixed road / off road routes. It makes me very happy.

Cross bikes v mtb? What, like this...
http://www.youtube.com/user/willfoxere2k7#p/a/u/0/Sr2sOhlwOo4

and this...
http://www.youtube.com/user/willfoxere2k7#p/a/u/2/W3ZND8nbU4s

Molgrips

It's not always about getting there but the journey that matters, he said in a wise Mr Miyagi style.

Which reminds me, what the hell is this about a new Karate Kid movie. The first one was guff! Surely this too will be equally as guff or indeed, even more so!

Sanny

OK, I've read on these forums at least twice about people riding SS CX bikes in the south downs. Where would people recommend is a good place to ride? I've just set up a pompino for cross, but the sections of the south downs way I've ridden have been pretty rocky and unpleasant (Amberley area). The best place I've ridden so far has been Epping Forest because of the smooth hard packed surface. But that's not as easy to get to for me. If there's any smoother tracks in the south downs I'd love know about them.

There's loads, trying venturing off the main SDW.

Any specific areas? S Downs are huge and my time is limited, so would ideally like to go somewhere reasonably confident of a good ride...