Hello fellow singletracker’s!
My conundrum is this: I am selling my road bike (as unfortunately I have outgrown it) and am also selling my XC bike as I no longer have a use for it.
I am left with a gorgeous, yet to be built, stanton ti hardcore hardtail with travel adjust forks and a dirt jump bike (i’ve spent the last 3 months 2 minutes away from a jump track and will be going back there this summer for the next 3 years – so pretty invaluable).

The problem is, I have to commute to my job, which is a good 9 miles away + doing road rides with friends etc. (originally being a roadie, but now seeing the light :lol:)

The options would be a Disc cross bike as a tougher version of my old roadie, cable of doing the odd xc trip too. Another Road Bike, but it wouldnt be as comfortable and would need to handle icey/rubbish conditions (my last did, it just went throught lots of tlc/replacement parts in the process) or a 29er with slicks – theoretically comfortable and solid.
The follow up would be geared or SS? I have ridden SS and rigid mtb for the last 3 years – absolutely loved it – but switched to hardtail/gears after two months in the peaks as it meant I could go for a gentle ride without attacking the hills/bruising on the downs (fun though it was)

Current ride conditions: all year round (sun, snow, hail, wind), flat-ish (although I’d like to be able to adapt it to future living areas, peaks/wales).

Any help and/or opinions from people that have been in a similiar position would be really useful! I’m not looking at spending too much, but could stretch to 900ish at a push! Will build it myself.

Thanks in advance 😀

cx fixed. 😉

Sounds like you need a gear/ss adaptable, rigid, light 29er that would be good with flared drops – is a Singular Gryphon or similar too compromised? Otherwise any CX bike that can fit 28C up to 42C as well as ss/gears if poss is an adaptable bike.
I’ve been through a number of bikes like this, ended up with a winter-level steel road-audax bike, a rigid 29er (mainly SS but geared sometimes) and a SS CX that has been a CX, pub/town and flare-drop 42C road SS oddball bike, that gets used the least. Some very blurred lines and nice potential to experiment in all that, but all rubbish at proper road rides (9 miles would be ok) compared to a road bike, as you’ll expect )
I also found H-bars worked well on a rigid 29er off-road as well as making it feel like some sort of road/cx bike on longer road/track type stuff. Something to do with the hand positions having an option that feels close to on the hoods of the road bike. Worth considering something like that if you go more rigid 29er than road/cx.

Light rigid 29er, ss on vertical dropouts, so gears could be added.
Scandal would be ideal, or something like

A fixed cx? Ohhh.. i like 😀

That Gryphon looks like a wonderful creation although -heavy? Why 29er over say a cross bike considering it is mainly for road miles? (more versatile perhaps)
Otherwise thank you very much – that post is experience filled! I will be going for an unusual hand set up anyway.. either drops with trp’s hlyex (hydraulic hoods!!) or mtb bars with bar ends and a tt bar extension in the middle

Ahh, I did have my eye on that!! Although at 6’1.25″ i think i might be a bit small for the frame?

Either way – whats the deciding factor? Still cant figure it out :S

heavy?

Not really, to me at least- steel CX, tourers or ‘non hardcore’ 29er frames all seem to be about 5lbs +/- 8oz.
Hylexs are good, tried some out and was impressed. Hoods are long but comfy.

Why 29er over cx?
……..because you’re selling your cx as you have no further use for it.
Why not put some disc ready carbon forks and disc brake on you existing cx?

Hehe, XC – very different! 😛 tiny 26″ wheels that.

Ahh, okay thanks for the pointer – I’m so used to looking (lusting) at ti stuff or roadbikes that it shook me! That’s good to hear r.e. the hlyexs, I haven’t been able to find much in the way of a review

Bumpy

……..because you’re selling your cx as you have no further use for it.

op reads to me as selling his road and xc (not cx) bike and thinking of 1 bike to replace them.

CX or 29er, well are you going to use it more for proper offroad or road/dirt road? Predictably 29er will be better for proper offroad and cx for road/dirt road. If commuting is your main use I’d go for a cx with full guards (essential for uk commuting IMO)

Been running a cx ss for 12 months, the gear it has (63″ iirc) is not too spinny on road, perfect for winding up the speed on fire road and blasting down singletrack but you’re knackered (or your knees soon will be) on long xc climbs, just the limits of SS, either put up with some pushing offroad or revving up to 200rpm to hit 20mph. I’ve heard fixed offroad is a massive jump up from fixed road so only go for that if you’re really mental 🙂

Ref the 20″ whippet, I ride a 20″ inbred and am 6’2″. I know the whippet is a different design but TT length v height should be ok.

Ahh, thanks donk! Indeed it will be mainly for commuting, my fear would be that as I am currently stuck for 6 months the cx would be too uncomfortableand the stanton to dh orientated to have any fun at all on xc days out. Mind you, having ridden for years a rigid 26 ss mtb with 2.0 I cant imagine it will be unberable on the cx, just different?
Thanks for the tip on the gear ing also! Did you straight up switch? I fear I wont get on with ss on a laden commute, is it worth hedging bets by converting a geared cross bike? (although you then add a full rear freewheel, dished wheel, and tensioner into the fray) or is it a case of finding a comfortable gear? Commuting on the mtb (2:1 ratio) was dead easy if a bit slow!

Thanks Shedbrewed! I did look into the whippet more but I’m not sold on the press fit BB, I can imagine it would cause problems. BSA threaded for me please

my fear would be that as I am currently stuck for 6 months the cx would be too uncomfortableand the stanton to dh orientated to have any fun at all on xc

Tricky depends what you ride I guess, I haven’t taken the cross bike out on the trails I normally ride my mtbs on, I have seen others on cx bikes tho they seem to manage, how much fun…dunno. Blasting along rooty singletrack if great, should be good for moorland mile munching, not sure I’d wanna take it down the ice cream run tho (fast steep-ish very rocky local trail) Actually scratch that, I’m nervous just imagining it, I know I wouldn’t even attempt it.

I was running a road SS but switched to an xc commute and decided I wanted a more xc gear and discs so bought a genesis day one. Only thing I changed on it was the freewheel (WI) and bar tape (original was too firm) and added mudguards, pretty damn good straight out of the box, a bit portly but you only really notice when lifting it over gates. Dunno about laden I’ve never liked commuting with gear so have always stashed my stuff at work and travelled light, guess you may need a lower gear if you carry a lot. When I got the road ss I thought the gear was too low but after a few weeks riding I decided it was fine, the default cx gear worked for me too, dunno if I adjust to whatever I ride pretty quick or it’s that these “standards” have been proven over the years (road 70ish, offroad 52ish, cx 63ish)

If you’re doing a home build or want more versatility a geared frame and hub with a tensioner and spacers should be just the job – better had be, I just ordered a new frame to do just this. I ran an inbred ss with tensioner for years no problems so can’t see a cx being any different.

A CX bike is not a slightly bumpier mtb IMO – they’re fantastic but not really comparable. I ride my CX on mtb trails and it can be fun but you really lose any flow that you have with an mtb if the trails are properly bumpy/rooty – some people enjoy that ‘challenge’, I just find it annoying after a bit.

If you want a bike that you can mtb on and also commute then I’d suggest a 29er with a spare set of 700c wheels with slicks on. If you’re willing to sacrifice the ‘proper mtbing’ then a CX, otherwise, something that will allow you to do ‘monster cross’

Or a CX bike with big tyre clearance that feels a bit more ‘mountain bikey’ than most CX’s? Saaaay something like a Singular Kite? 🙂

Shouldn’t your login be ‘Sam@singular’? 🙂

Perhaps we need a system like they have on mtbr where you need to declare your trade affiliation in your signature 😉

Good idea

________________________________________
Clubber – Roubaix Cycles, not affiliated with Specialized.

This is what I use for my commute and old school XC riding

I’ve found it’s quite up for most offroad – it does really struggle with:

v.steep dh
v.rocky dh
v.jumpy (small drops ok, jumps and larger drops nope)

It’s surprisingly good at technical climbing – lots of grip.

I’m just about to fit larger (42c) tyres to it for more cush – almost monstercross

Ninety miles a week comuting says to me that you need a commuting bike. Above all else. A reliable, fine riding, efficient, low maintenance bike that is always there to get you to work. My solution is a fixed wheel road bike – since you are a roadie, with 25/28c tyres and full guards and a rack. Mine# is maintenance free (rare punctures aside).

I’ve not gone down the Cx route, but a SS Cx bike (Tricross). I think you’d prefer the geometry of some of the more roady offerings. Some may also have disks, but I’ve not felt the need for on-road commuting (in all weathers). This could be suitable for off-road usage, but I would not be bothering to continually take things like a rack and guards off to go riding of a weekend.

Buy the bike you need, not the one you want.

#Kona Paddy Wagon frame, carbon forks and custom wheels, rack and SKS P35 chromoplastic mudguards

I’m not so sure – by all means get a fixie/SS if that’s what floats your boat but I didn’t really find my fixed very good for commuting and absolutely hated that bike some days when I was knackered and all I wanted to be able to do was crawl along and freewheel downhill. I would always choose gears for regular commuting.

Fixie / ss is ok when you’re feeling fit and the conditions are good – I need my 34×26 when i’m crawling home from work in the dark, it’s raining and I’ve got 3 hills to get over (well 2 and a bit)

hated that bike some days when I was knackered and all I wanted to be able to do was crawl along and freewheel downhill

Fair enough for hills, but a flat commute in 42×16 should be OK for riders of modest fitness, even into a headwind. You can always get the SA S3X fixed wheel three speed hub 😈

But definitely buy the bike you need.

Yeah, I’m sure it’d be fine for the right combination of rider and terrain, just pointing out that the misty eyed image of a fixie can be (not always, note, I loved mine on days when I was feeling OK) less fun in the real world.

Have a look at the new http://www.boardmanbikes.com/cx/cxr92.html

great value and superb on road weight for a do it all bike that will manage serious off road

those new Boardman CX’s are pretty lush – i guess the frameset will be about a grand?

My times on a Scandal 29er (Carbon Fork, stans crest with 1.9″ bontrager XR-1 + narrow carbon bars) are almost exactly the same as on my cross bike I recently brought.

According to Strava I’ve only managed to beat my 14 mile commute time on my 29er once on CX.

This maybe partly because I’ve always been a MTB and im not a confident and cant get as much power uphills on my CX. This might not apply to you.

Therefore I might be tempted to say go for the 29er to me at least the difference on a real road commute (ie with round about and thing you need to slow down for) is minimal but the difference riding off road is immense.

If you want I can add you as a follower on Strava/Velorider so you can see the comparison of the stats between the 2 bikes.

actually I’ve just checked my stats and the fastest time was actually on the 29er with road wheels (same wheels I now use on the CX).

That suggests obviously the tyres are the important thing. The position much less important.

Remember through my 29er has rigid fork with a low front end and narrow bars so position might not be too different in terms of wind resistance but its just so much better off road.

This sounds a bit like my commuting conundrum as well.

My commute is 15 miles (can do a bit off-road coming home) & during good weather I use my nice road bike. I bought a CX bike (Boardman CX Team) for commuting a year ago thinking it would be perfect for my commute. In many ways it is as it has proper mudguards, comfortable etc but I’ve not used it for at least a month. I don’t like riding it off road so I have been using my XC HT with fast rolling tyres. It is a bit slower than the CX (5 mins) but it is more versatile & during the bad weather & dodgy road conditions I feel safer.

I think that I’ll replace both the CX & XC bikes with a racy 29er.