[Closed] Cyclo Cross Bike or Road Bike?

get a bmx

Get a motorbike

You are both 'Single Track Legends', good effort gents. 😆

Depends what you want to do on it I guess...

CX- lower gearing, less "aggressive" geometry.. Cantis etc, etc, great fun for making usual trails, unusual..

Road bike?

Can't beat it for flat out blats and getting some serious miles in..

I'd go for a CX, then buy a spare set of wheels with road tyres on it.

Best of both worlds?

What are you going to use it for? I'd be inclined to suggest cx if you've not roadied before and might want to give that, cx and general cx riding a go.

If you want to ride on the road, buy a road bike

If you want to ride CX, get a CX bike

Surely you must know?

Make a decision!

Thanks to those for the helpful contributions.

Ed

If you're buying a bike mostly to ride on the road, buy a road bike. And that's it really. If you want to ride off road, buy a mountain bike. Why are you considering a cross bike instead of a road bike?

Hi mate I bought a merida x bike and put road tyres on it, gives me the option to ride it cross plus has those daft levers in the bars so I can brake like a eejit! With out using the drops. Good gearing solid bike really can't tell the difference between it and a road bike so happy days!

If I had to downsize and choose to keep my cx or road bike, must as ive been a roadie for a long time, it'd be the cx I'd keep. Add slicks and flip the stem and it's basically as fast as the road bike.

If you're considering commuting on it, then CX bikes are fairly nice - disc brakes 'n all that for the rain 🙂

I have a mountain bike and I am looking to buy a road bike, then I started to consider a Cx bike as it appeared to be more versatile. I dont have much background on road bikes or cx bikes so I tought I would ask a bit of advice from those who might know. Some have been kind enough to offer some advice for which I am grateful and will help me decide.

Again, thanks for the helpful responses.

Both are ace. Get a cross bike now, spend good money on it. Buy some slicks. If you find yourself riding more than 50 miles in one go, buy bigger rings for it. I'm quite sedate and prefer being a bit more upright so my CX bike is my commuter (25 miles a day) my tourer, my occasional CX race bike, and my road bike when I don't fancy riding the SS road bike (which i usually do fancy riding, but thats another story.)

Don't believe the marketing hype, you can ride any ride on any bike. I got dropped in CX races by guys on mountain bikes, I got dropped in mountain bike races by guys on CX bikes, I get dropped on my commute by guys on Bromptons and there's a really pretty girl on a road bike who drops me overtime i see her, but she pedals like her life depends on it, which makes me feel like a bad person.

Yeah, CX all the way.

road bike 5000%

Cross bikes are hugely versatile. Ibought one last January to commute on. I ended up doing a season of TTs, several centuary sportives, 2 cat 3/4 circuit races and a town centre crit, 3 league cyclocross races and a number of XC rides and trail centres. I'm now building a race bike for the new season but only to compliment the crosser. I'd make the same decision if I was doing it all again. 2 wheelsets makes life easier.

The right word has been said.

Versatile.

A road bike will do road, that's it.

Cross bikes can do everything. This all comes down to what you will want to do with it.

+ 1 for Versatile.

The only thing I have not done , is a cross race on it 🙄

Are you thinking about doing cross races?
are you thinking about having a bike for a bit of commuting, odd shopping trips maybe a cross race for a giggle?

if it's the first two for the primary reason for buying the bike then a cross could be the best option

are you thinking about getting some tarmac miles for fitness and the change of scenery and the odd summer commute?

if it's this reason then a road bike is better vfm and what they are designed to do, and the comfort thing is because road bikes need a little time spent getting the setup really right so that they fit you (but this isn't hard to do)

I'd say get a road bike, or have a loan of one

I bought a CX bike as my work and race bike. I couldnt afford to replace my road bike that got stolen. Got a good deal on the forum and have slowly upgraded it so its nice and light. I love to race cross on it but never really take it out for off road rides. Got 2 mtbs for that . It does however also get used as my work bike as I teach safe road cycling at schools. Its perfect for that. 2 sets of wheels and cassettes. Ill happily race road next year on it to but hopefully I will buy a road frame and fork when I have the cash.

Id say get a road bike if you can as I dont find CX bikes near as much fun as a MTB. Unless you want to race CX.

My only road bike is a CX bike. When I got it I changed the tyres to road tyres (only 28c tho' so not tiny); when I've done the 3 peaks for the last two years I've put some CX tyres back on then left them for the winter. Round here some of the roads are quite rough and I was concerned a fancy proper road bike would be likely to get trashed - they're probably much tougher than I imagine. Early on in my ownership I went for a ride with a mate on his Pinarello - he minced around on some of the roads, I barely noticed the roughness. When you ride off Penyghent and your bike still works you realise how tough these things are - if you don't need that toughness then get a full on road bike.

HTH

In my world
My cross bike =

A tourer .
A Winter (road training) bike.
A rollers bike.
A commuter .. 40 mile round trip with 14 of them through forest.

My road bike =

A summer machine,for faster road miles and speedy (all on road) commuting.

I posted this ramble a few days back. Unless you think you really want to mix road with some off road I'd get a road bike. It's a myth that road bikes are fragile little things, it's also a myth that CXers are all sit up and beg.
Anyway I bet ya that come summer you wont even be thinking about CXers, like suddenly no ones so interested in 4X4s.

I've just turned my crosser over to road riding as I'll be getting a new one for next year.
Anyway all I've done is slap some good road tyres on it, and the ride is absolutely fine. So I started to think about all the questions about gearing, tyres and what bikes best road or cross.
The set up I've ended up with is almost a perfect do it all bike. The Pearson which is the same as a Zepnat gives a nod to road geometry and it takes proper guards as well as two bottles.
The old nine speed 105 and FSA Gossamer compact running gear is ideal for almost anything, general road use, sportives, cross racing and rough stuff rides.
Though in reality all you need to do is change tyres to change the whole bike.
Also this type of frame and others like it i.e Crosslights I think are a bit more handy than some of the micro brand jobs, in the fact that they're light enough to press on with on the road and more than capable off road including proper racing.
Just wittering, but I know this subject comes up a lot.
Edit; Also I used Eggbeaters and average mountainbike shoes, which were fine with the compact gearing. Again get some stiffer off road shoes and they'd be ideal on road as well as top dollar on your mountainbike

I love cross bikes but a cross bike is nothing like a road bike on the road even though it looks vaguely the same. The gearing, geometry, brakes, position all make for a slightly awkward road mission.

Cross bikes are great at being cross bikes, and average on the road. If you think you may use it 95% of the time on the road, I'd stick with a road bike and use your mtn bike offroad.

Cross for me. I've used mine for mountain bike routes, Fife Coastal Path, big road rides, trips to Mallorca for road cycling - versatility is the key. I doubt I'll get another road bike any time soon. I love the fact that it is a bit of a do it all legend. Road rides are much more fun when you can nip onto trails. Oh and they work fine on the road. They are almost as fast as a road bike in my experience.

Cheers

Sanny

I've got a cross bike, a mountainbike and a road bike (because I don't have a car!)

Of the three, the one I would never consider getting rid of now is the road bike. It is the most reliable and most consistently fun.

That said, if I didn't know how good a proper, fast, road bike felt, I would be perfectly happy with the cross bike, did 65km today mixed road and offroad and the bike was perfect, allowing me to link up little back roads with sections of forest track that would be superdull on the MTB.

If I were the OP, I'd get a nice pimpy cross bike, experiment with slicks etc. and maybe one day talk the s.o. into letting you get a real road bike as well 😉

Steel road bike with rack & guard mountings, clearance for larger tyres than 23mm and some nice string 32H wheels is the way forwards.

Fast enough to feel like a 'proper' road bike without the guards & racks, sturdy enough to take a beating while commuting and comfortable enough for any 'touring' you may wish to take on too.

I had a cross bike and used it 90% on road and the canti brakes just got on my nerves too much in the end plus they were borderline dangerous. I sold it and got a proper carbon road bike which is much more comfortable over longer distances and actually stops when I want it too. I also got a rigid 29er as the crosser showed me a lot over fun can be had off road with large wheels and no suspension.
If you want to commute or tour then definitely go for a CX or maybe an Audax bike. I just found one too compromised for my road biased riding.

Unless your going to do the odd cross race I'd go for a road bike. Apart from racing, my cross bike only gets used a couple of times a year when I'm realy bored. Mtb are so much better on proper off road stuff.

It is a bit grim taking a nice road bike out in this weather though, that's why I've roadified my crosser for the winter.

Now then, what's all this about canti's not working then? Yep they can be a cow to set up ( I do mine with the tyres off) once done I'd say they're on a par with the older single pivot road brakes.

Anyway, what you need is a nice sensible road bike with guards...I'm off to search for one for you 🙂

This one will do.
[img] [/img]
Condor Fratello

Thanks for all the input folks. Not sure the Mrs will let me have both 😕 I have Mountain Bikes so as has been mentioned, I have off road fairly well covered. I reckon a road bike is indeed what I should look for. Oldgit according to the lad in Evans, I am in need of a 56'' frame 😉

Hope you all have a decent New Year.

Regards

Ed

Ps What road bike 😆

Oldgit that looks expensive?

Think that comes in at about £11oo upwards, Condor fit the frame to you, then you spec the kit.
Off the peg you have the Genesis Equilibrium bike or frame only.
Obviously move away from steel and prices start tumbling.

Although not a CX bike owner , having road bikes and MTBs, I can well appreciate verstaility of a CX bike....indeed sometimes consider changing over to one. If its any help my mostusefulroad bike is one which takes full mudguards, and has good tyre clearnaces. So it is used through winter as well as summer, on other hand myfull oncarbon road bike is fab to ride but is for best days only. If I had to chose one Id go for the more versatile of the two, ie a round the year bike with mudguard capacity, which with lighter wheels is also graet stripped down. So in your situation I`d chose a CX bike for the sheer adaptibility, echoing others thoughts above. 🙂 Have a look at Cotic X bike??

[url= http://road.cc/content/review/28748-cotic-x-weekday ]Not such a great review of the Cotic X bike[/url]

Unless you're after a cross back with the intention of racing an/or taking it off road, I'd reckon a road bike would be a better option. The versatility of CX bikes that people talk about is often really just compromise. Canti brakes are a good example of this (mud/tyre clearance at the expense of braking power).

I sold my road bike to pay for a crosser but I do miss it. Although I really enjoy riding and racing my cross bike, it doesn't quite have the snap and sharpness of the road angles. Got a baby coming in a few weeks, but another road bike is on the cards for 2012.

If you're after something in steel, and on a wife-controlled budget, how about a 2010 [url= http://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m14b0s6p7271 ]KONA HONKY TONK[/url]?

Road bike for dry roads. MTB for most of the year. Just got a second hand cx bike to use in the wet and cold so i don't destroy my nice bikes.

Todays 100k of hills and cake. The crosser is proving to be a great winter bike.
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good shout from sponging machine

http://www.bikeradar.com/ROAD/gear/category/bikes/road/product/honky-tonk-10-38691