As the title says really. I was going to buy a Focus Mares 09 but they are sold out in my size so now I'm after alternatives - any suggestions?
Kinesis Crosslight 4T? mighty fine bike.
Planet X Uncle John's are supposed to be v good and you'll get a good one for a grand
[url] http://www.planet-x-warehouse.co.uk/acatalog/Kaffenback_and_Uncle_John_Drop_Bar_Builds.html [/url]
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columbus xwing
Scott Cross Comp is good and about a grand
I had a look at the uncle john but that ordering system drives me mad. Having never ridden CX before I've no idea how CX bikes should be set up or what my desired setup will be. I'd rather order a stock bike and change what is required.
I'll have a look at the kinesis and scott as I have local dealers nearby, but can't find much on the columbus?? Who sells them?
Has anyone ridden a Ridley Crossbow?
I've got one of these frames and built it up with parts I had to hand.
Give paul milnes a ring I'm sure you could get a full build for under £1000.
i found the ridleys had really short top tubes and high standover really felt odd to me. The xwing is a great buy and as said above paul milnes can sort a great bike for the money. Give them a bell tho website is awful but they know their cross stuff
by the way cant remember the proper columbus site it ends in .be for belgium but cant easy check as on phone. But rob jebb has won three peaks on one if your not sure on the quality 🙂 apparently they are made in the same factory as empellas but cant confirm that 😉 very good tho
I'm considering selling my Genesis Vapour to get a proper road bike. Its done less than 100 off road miles (honc and the local woods) and the rest of the time it's had road wheels on.
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It's a 58" (large), mail me if your interested.
Might be worth a look at the Giant TCX1 - Light compact style frame with sharp geometry
second the Giant above + excellent value for the cash
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I've got the Scott Cross Comp. £999 I think. I got it from Pedalon and with their points scheme, got free Endura Singletrack baggies, gloves and a Giro Atmos helmet.
Some of the finishing kit is pretty poor, like a 400g seatpost and a massive 400g saddle but the frame's pretty fancy and light. Swapping post, saddle and tyres dropping about 2lb. The back end is very stiff, and not helped by a 30.6mm seat-tube.
Are you actually using it for CX, or is it just the idea of a "capable" road bike that attracts you? If the latter, try googling for the new Marin Lombard.
I'd agree with Druid. There's a difference between those that are for comfy riding on easy trails and riding rough back roads, and those designed for cross racing.
Mine's great off-road and is obviously designed for going flat-out for an hour. It's not the best for longer road duties.
agree with above depends on if you want a proper cx or a bit of an all rounder the columbus is an out and out race bike. Ive not got a surly cross check thats a great all rounder . Guards and rack mounts bottle mounts too and room for big fat tyres 🙂
Lads, thanks for the replies on this. I'm after a 'proper' CX bike for racing only. I have to say I've been drawn by the columbus (having never heard of them before yesterday) and will prob ring Paul Milnes for a chat.
A local store has an 08 scott compt for £800 which I may have a look at too.
In the meantime can someone tell me if 2nd brake levers are a must for CX and can they be retro-fitted?
gingerflash, how do the Scott's size up by the way? I'm 5 ft 11 and normally ride a medium MTB frame. I've spotted an 08 model for £800 but it's a 56 - not sure if this is too big for me.
Gingerflash - you really do need to put your saddle level.
If you're 5'11" then a 56 could be right - I'm 5'8" and ride a 54 BMC cx bike - but you'd be better off going to a LBS and asking their advice
If it's a proper CX bike you are after, then make sure you pay attention to how much clearance you get. You won't believe how muddy the bikes get and if it's your only bike then this can become critical. The Kineses bikes, for example, are great but have always required more clearance on the forks IMHO.
The guys in our team swear by the Columbus bikes they have. Scott also seems to be popular. I have a Trek and that's pretty good clearance-wise, although I wish it had more clearance on the chainstays.
The 2nd brake levers aren't a must and can be retro-fitted easily. I don't use them myself although I might get a pair if I'm going to do something like the 3peaks. Don't worry about them. If you're racing then you don't use your brakes very much anyway.
then its columbus all the way 🙂 and you dont need the top bar levers i tried them but took them off thru lack of use. Easy to fit and remove tho
gingerflash, how do the Scott's size up by the way? I'm 5 ft 11 and normally ride a medium MTB frame. I've spotted an 08 model for £800 but it's a 56 - not sure if this is too big for me.
Scott's size up quite short in their geometry - ie they're meant to be short. I'm 5' 11" and ride a 54cm Scott which seems perfect for me (53 and a bit cm TT). I do ride in the drops quite a bit and quite like the head down, knee/elbow overlap sort of position. If you're riding on the tops most of the time it might feel a bit short - but a similar sized friend of mine got a 56 and spent ages swapping to shorter stems before deciding that it was too big.
I'll second the point about 2ndry levers.No point for normal racing . For trail riding etc they might be usefull. I used to think they were for mincers though, but after seeing Nick Craig using them at the 3peaks, well if their good enough for him.