Right I am definitely going to buy a CX bike with disks. Simple reason because evidence shows I am a better disk fettler than rim brakes and also it ain't half gloopy round here in Wiltshire
I can afford up to a grand (well I can't, that's how much money I can get out of the bank), the best bet at the moment looks to be this:-
http://www.boardmanbikes.com/cx/cx_team.html
Any comments or other options I should consider?
Kinesis
pushing the budget, [url= http://www.cotic.co.uk/product/bikes/x/sunday/ ]Cotic X[/url]
On one Dirty Disco, although it's only available frame only at the moment, and would also be pushing the budget as a complete bike.
Whyte do the Cross series, three bikes all with discs. [url= http://www.whytebikes.com/2012/bike_range.php?BikeModels=11 ]Whyte Cross[/url]
Really don't want frame only which is what I thought the Kinesis option was.
Boardman seems similar spec and weight to Whyte Charing Cross but £100 less?
Cotic too expensive
Kaffenbak is great value for money IMO.
Boardman.
Although my lemond poprad is sweet and rare 🙂
I'd go for the Boardman. In fact I'm very close to pulling the trigger on one myself through Cyclescheme at work.. 🙂
Kenesis cx frames are carp. Mate has had to put up with two ali frames and two carbon frames snapping on him. All replaced under warranty, but a right pain.
Sorry David, should've read your post properly, the ones I came up with were suggestions rather than recommendations.
Plop - I think your mate has just been very unlucky. I ride a Kinesis cross bike and have had no problems, there are quite a few ridden in the races I've done, no one seems to have any problems.
kinesis cx frames are great, in my opinion.
i've raced cx on one week in, week out, for 5 years now without incident, as have a significant number of riders in my local league.
Kaffenbacks (see above) may be good but unless they have changed recenly then they don't have the clearance for real cross action.
Kinesis are no worse for reliability than any other frame maker. There are an awful lot of them about too although it might not be what you need.
It's not just the cx frames. The racelites are no better. A group of us did the Paris Roubaix cyclo and five, all riding these frames, had them snap. For one to go, yep that's bad luck, but five, on one ride!
Ok it was P-R but even so.
I'm still dithering, don;t like the cable routing on the Boardman.
Any more options before I push the button on a Whyte Charing Cross?
The Charing Cross isn't really a proper cross bike is it? I thought it was more of a commuter. That might be what you are after, but the Whyte Saxon Cross is the proper cross bike in the range (at an extra few hundred pounds).
I'm liking my Kinesis Pro6, but you'll really struggle to build one for £1,000.
[shameless plug] Year-old Cotic X, on the classifeds at the moment? [/shameless plug]
I've got a Whyte Charing Cross on the way to me as I type this (woo-hooo!) and will let you know what its like when it turns up - probably next week.
I am curious as to how the slack head angle will feel?
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may i just say that charing cross is one of the worst names for anything i've ever seen in my entire life? thanks.