Toyed with a CXer myself but thought it would be too much like MTB’ing in the early 90’s. Perhaps not quite that bad good.

FTFY

It’s not the ones that are obviously wrong, it’s those that continually give you that niggling thought/doubt that something’s not right and no matter what fettling you do like change saddle, handlebars, stem you never feel comfortable. On a more positive note when you get on a bike that is right for you, it’s pretty obvious and the personalised tweeking only makes it better.

Mountain biking is expensive enough without buying the wrong bike which is why I think hiring your desired steed for a day (or better a weekend) is money well spent.

only bike i regret buying was a saracen havoc, all my others i have really enjoyed.

I swithered over an El Mariachi for ages, read all the reviews and the stories of folk having epic adventures on them and was then thoroughly disappointed when I rode it. Nothing I could easily put my finger on, it just felt a bit dead and lumpen. I kept it for a year or so, still riding it, then used what I’d learnt to get a Burls Ti frame so it wasn’t a total loss.

With a head angle of 71-71.5 degrees, the CdF is never going to excite on the road. You can swap to lighter wheels, with decent road tyres and a close ratio rear block for better gearing, but it will still handle like a bus (well tourer, anyway). The CAADX has a 72 degree head angle which will be a little more twitchy off-road, but is a better balance for winter road duties.

Sell it.

seems like the actual bike fits the OP fine, comfort wise etc, so it’s more that it isn’t as much fun as a HT off road for the stuff he is wanting to ride on.

As is often said, cx bikes are a compromise, but where they do excel is for the combined road/gravel/tame off road type rides, but with the realisation that the road bits would be better on a road bike and the off road bits better on a mountain bike 🙂

With a head angle of 71-71.5 degrees, the CdF is never going to excite on the road

I’m confused. Who’s bought a CdF? Thought the OP had an XLS?

ZOMGZLOLWTF!

Doh, so he did. My comments were aimed at the CdF mentioned earlier. The XLS looks fine for road (72.5), so I guess it’s just a compromise too far,as ianc says. A colleague has the same bike for commuting to work (as his first real “road” bike), but it hasn’t been the joy he was hoping for either, and he often reverts to his steady hybrid for the canal path.

But it’s more getting a CX bike because I’ve a couple of roadie mates who are keen to get CX bikes at the minute and I of course am an MTBist (Who also rides a Road bike) I think CX riding would give us a bit of a Cross over point where we’re all trying something new, they’re not into MTBs and While I enjoy Road riding, it’s not my preferred Niche…

Will a CX bike be My next cycling mistake, or an epiphany?
Depends. Do you enjoy riding your road bike over cattle grids ?

I liked my cross bike, but that was mostly a case of expectation management- I got it specifically for those times when my rigid xc bike wasn’t shite enough, and it really nailed that. If I’d expected it to be any good at anything else I’d have been disappointed. But when you want a really awful (but not quite useless) offroad machine, accept no substitute.

My next bike will be perfect for me.

I got a Ti 456 and realised it was not the bike for me when the NDS rear dropout detached from the rest of the frame.

I also built up my old XC hardtail frame as a rigid “to tow the trailer with kids in”, did about 20 miles on it over the course of a year (thanks to Strava I knew this and had to face the facts) so spend a couple of hundred mildly improving it and chucked some suspension forks on it. Still hardly gets used but it’s now a keeper, good for long not too technical rides and any XC races I’m silly enough to do (although it could do with a lighter set of forks, and 29in wheels, and….)

And I have a SS inbred that used to be my go to bike for local rides, but since I moved house I’ve hardly used it. It’s now in the process of being broken to sell/cannibalised for parts. Not a huge amount wrong with it, just didn’t suit the new local trails (or getting to my old local trails ~10 miles away).

I don’t get this ‘I’ve bought the wrong bike’ thing,if its the right size surely you ride it and get to know it,you’ve been riding bikes for years right? what did you expect it to do? Theres seems tons of people on here who are more into buying stuff that the actual riding/adapting to a different bike.

I can ride it and have got to know it, I have changed my riding to suit it and the places I go when I’m on it. Only now that I have changed I have come to the realisation that the type of riding the bike is for isn’t what I want to do. I wouldn’t have known this without living with the bike.

As I said earlier I wanted it to get me more into road riding with the added benefit of being able to go off the beaten track. Problem is, now more than ever, I don’t like being on the road and the vast majority of the beaten track that I ride isn’t suited to the bike.

I need another ht.

Officerfriendly – sounds to me it’s not the stiffness of the frame that’s the problem, probably the size?

Or even more likely – weight. Frame stiffness is generally a plus point, but there is always a trade off between weight and stiffness. At 45 kg you would almost certainly want that trade-off to be toward a lighter frame unless you were hucking off big stuff.

I does sound like you need another ht,ah well at least know you know 🙂

I had an Azonic Steelhead. Way too stiff in the back end and weight a ton, so swapped it out for a Chameleon.

Chameleon was still stupidly stiff so tried a Soul.

Sold the Soul. As it turns out I just don’t like hardtails – everytime I’d ride any of those three I’d be thinking “this trail would be much more fun with a bit of float in the back”. Much happier aboard a FS 😀

As long as you replace it with a lightly used secondhand HT, you’re arguably not losing out at all (apart from the warranty).

I’d recommend a 29er for the local hills. Maybe the On One Parkwood (except there won’t be many for sale used yet).

fasthaggis – Member
My next bike will be perfect for me.

hora’s next bike will be perfect for me!

Keep thinking about the 29er route but I have been dead set against them. Really don’t know why as I’ve never ridden one, would have to try one properly first this time round!

Depends. Do you enjoy riding your road bike over cattle grids ?

Sorry You’re going to have to explain this one…

Been there done that and had a few t-shirts on the way.
I kept seeing people going fast and looking at strava and thinking I need a cx bike, dived in the deep end and got a ridley xfire , sold that after 6 months as the ride was so harsh after about n hour on the bike and no where for mudgaurds , I wanted a HT 29er but ended up not waiting for canyon to release it, so I bought a Caadx instead , I’m now in the process of getting it ready to sell as I want a 29er HT. I just sold a scott spark 29er ( to make room for my YT capra ) and I was faster on that ( not up hill ) than I was on my cx . I have my road bike for the road , will have the capra for enduro/ trails and a HT for some xc fun !. Lost money along the way but hopefully that’s it till my next phase, hope I don’t want a full on DH bike lol.

I’ve bought the wrong bike a couple of times. I can admit it myself.

I have never admitted it to the wife though…. 🙁

One thing I’ve learnt that spending $$$$$ on a bike won’t mean it’ll be great.
Currently I’m on some of the cheapest bikes I’ve owned, but they’re the most ridiest bikes I’ve ever had. GF X-Caliber and Defy 2 (though with major upgrades)

Cross bikes on the road and on the trail…nah. Cross bike for racing and it’s a corker.
Had a CDF and it seemed pointless, just use an XC or road bike two cheap bikes that are meant for the job not one that does nothing that well really.

Got rid of the custom steel and the Ti road frames PDQ.

Regret ditching the 853 geared Inbred and the GF Sugar

Just going through the same with the Trance 29er I have moaned about at length on here. I have thought about selling it but it was a self build with loads of odd and non-matching parts so probably wouldn’t get much for it. I have tried to make myself use it instead of wheeling the HT out and I am warming to it a little but I really wish I had not been so impatient and hung on for a decent 2nd hand 26er FS.

I usually agonise over the frame size as I buy most stuff unriden 🙁

Was a bit worried over my carbon titus ftm in a medium as I’m 6’2 but it’s perfect 🙂

Did the same in June, bought a Roadrat for commuting. Wheels are too skinny. Should have got a 29er like everyone told me to 🙁

Keep thinking about the 29er route but I have been dead set against them. Really don’t know why as I’ve never ridden one, would have to try one properly first this time round!

You’re welcome to a spin on mine, it worked out well last time after all.

😉

I bought a Ibis Mojo HD140, lasted 5 months, hated it. I just disked it all, sold the frame at a loss and went back to Santa Cruz and have never looked back.

Keep thinking about the 29er route but I have been dead set against them. Really don’t know why as I’ve never ridden one, would have to try one properly first this time round!

So was I until I rode one 🙂

Ps 700c is the same diameter as 29″…

Do at least 1 CX race on it.

My Nicolai Argon FR was supposed to be my dream bike. Just didn’t get on with it and sold it after a few months. After many experiments I now have a Litespeed Cohutta 29 HT and I love it. Keeping a bike that you have started to resent (for whatever reason) isn’t good – ill feeling kind of creeps into your riding.

I have a couple of cx bikes. I love them and ride one as a winter road bike. The other is set up for long off road adventures – I live in n Wales and quite often ride to the trails so combine a few road miles with off road exploring. The cx bike also has the advantage of being easier to carry when the obvious path disappears in heather/bog or needs to hefted over the gate that has been crocheted shut with frayed baler twine.

Not to mention cx races – hilarious and a brilliant way to get and keep fit.

You’re welcome to a spin on mine, it worked out well last time after all.

Haha what’s the worst that could happen? I might even wear some appropriate footwear this time 😯

Not sure I’m ready for a cx race, would need lot more practice getting on/off let alone getting quicker.

I think it’s got more to do with where you can ride it. Round here in County Durham we have mile upon mile of old railway track converted to cycle way. A CX bike would be ideal for winter riding and the odd winter commute. Then put it away when the proper trails are ok to ride and get the MTB out.

I had a brief affair with an il pompino ss but alas it didn’t work out.

Just never felt right with drop bars then put straight on which was better…I did crank up some commuting miles but never really liked can’t is and the riding position etc. Gave it a work m8 years ago and he’s been riding it ever since…

Good solid bike but not for me never felt the love…every time I think about a carbon race bike its ohh well didn’t like the pomp.

I’m really thinking of a baby fatty for the local pump track An walking the dogs …

I also bought a cx bike thinking it would be a good compromise – that’s what it turned out to be as I was not racing cx.

Slow / undergeared on road – not as capable off road as my Mtb hardtail.

Did not make sense for my needs, of course if racing cx then a different need.

Yup done it countless times …. Move it on take loss on chin and buy something new to cheer you up that may or may not be right 🙂 🙂

Then repeat !!!!

I’m more worried that I might have found the right bike!