Pondering a new CX bike, for general winter road, some off road and a bit of light touring.

Currently have a Jake the Snake which does all of this.

Main criteria is available on C2W and also, I don’t want SRAM, so Boardmans are out. Also needs to be a 2014 stock model as I won’t get voucher for a few months

The 2014 Vapour Disc looks killer value.

Any other suggestions ?

Giant TCX SLR 2, looks a nice machine, spot on the price tag and 105 group with discs.

This must be a contender…

Merida Cross 4? http://merida-bikes.com/en_gb/bike/2014/59/CROSS/Cyclo+Cross+4

I’d go for the planet x

Best VFM

Some good ideas there. What are the tektro Spryre brakes like ?

The new boredman cx

Planet x dirty disco (might be available soon) or xls seem fantastic value but it doesn’t have eyelets for mudguards or panniers so no good for touring although there are adaptations you can use.

I have a kinesis tripster (do it all bike) which has been excellent but there’s also the kinesis pro 6 which is more cx racer but might be just over a grand

Many thanks all, planet x and giant looking top of the pile now

With the Giant, stock might be an issue.

Spyres aswell.A little weighty but most of that is in the wheels.I’d have had one if there were any larges left this side of the cross season 🙁

Looking at the same thing, list so far:

Giant tcx but haven’t seen one in the flesh
Boardman I seen one today very nice and I don’t have a problem with SRAM
Croix de fer or CDF because I like the look
Cannondale caadx refreshingly un sloping top tube.
Vapour but hey have very short head tubes
Kona Riove not really a cx but they look cool and I love that video

I’m still not convinced by discs, there not really needed for the use I have in mind and rim brakes would make swapping parts with existing bikes much easier.

@Rorschach

What stand is that? Is it a Minoura DS520?

Thanks all, the Giant looks look like my list topper now. It will be a while till I get the C2W voucher so have time to speak to lbs about stock, delivery etc. Cheers

IanW – good point re the short headtube on the vapour, hadn’t spotted that, so not ideal for me. Thinlk Giant may be ideal, although will need to swop out carbon post when touring as i use a big carradice post mounted bag.

although will need to swop out carbon post when touring as i use a big carradice post mounted bag.

You may have an issue there…

TCX was high on my list too, until I realised that (unlike the ladies ‘liv’ equaivalent model) it features the new overdrive steerer ‘standard’, which at the moment ties you into giant only for replacement fork, headset and stem.[edit -and the seatpost and clamp so it would seem from above post] -Sorry Giant, great value bike compared to the current competition but I am too chicken about new stuff and would wait for a couple of years for other manufacturers to adopt or make parts for it. 😕

fwiw i ordered a caadx because besides bb30 (this will be my first one but I am encouraged by that screw-in collet thingy if it realy gets silly) everything else on it is ‘normal’, (including 27.2 seatpost, 135mm rear disc hub), one of my lbs’ does it and you can fully ruin it with proper mudguards and a rack. 😆

interesting re seatpost and other bits – that certainly reduced the appeal…

Caadx6 seems to fit bill well, although Tiagra rather than 105.

The Merida looks nice, and well specced, but similarly short head tube to the Vapour..

which at the moment ties you into giant only for replacement fork, headset and stem.[edit -and the seatpost and clamp so it would seem from above post]

The SLR 2 has Overdrive 1, rather than OD2, which uses a standard 1 1/8th tapered steerer. So you can use any standard stem. Most other bits can be sourced as normal as well.

The CAAAAAAAAAAAADX is a nice bike, well, apart from the Promax brakes and it having one to many logos on it.

Have a look at the Arkose 3 at Evans.

Arkose

I have one of these and am very happy with it.

That Arkose 3 looks really good, and with a 34-50 chainset and 11-32 cassette would look after touring duties well too. any downsides to it ?

Not really.

Have a read of this thread.

Jamie – any thoughts, pics on rack mount possibilities on the Giant ? I could always get a rack and pannier

The Giant comes with an adapter, that bolts on to the rear seat post clamp using longer bolts/spacers, which allows for a rack etc.

The lines are where the bolts go through, and the arrows show where the rack etc screws into.

Design gurus eat your hearts out…. 8)

Lugs near dropout:

….on a sidenote, that new Pinnacle Arkose 3 looks very nice.

Thanks Jamie – looks like a solution to a problem that shouldn’t exist !

Yes, I hadn’t come across that Pinnacle before, and on paper looks like the best bet for me. I don’t know much about the Pinnacle frames though. I’m not fussed on brand snobbery though, and it probably comes from same factory as some of the others anyway !

The Planet X is nice, but I am between sizes on it as want a 545/550 ETT.

Pinnacle now top of list, with Giant in 2nd 😆

One thing to note, if it’s important to you, the SLR has a press fit BB, and not a external as listed on the Giant/dealer websites.

Thanks Jamie – looks like a solution to a problem that shouldn’t exist !

Giant has positioned the TCX as the their race weapon, hence the lack of rack mounts. Their model for the more all-rounder market is the Revolt which can take up to a 50mm tyre and has all the mounts/lugs you could wish for. My issue with this bike, apart from looking a bit gash, is the price. As it it is the same price as the SLR 2, but they have dropped the 105 gearing. Regular seatpost, though.

…of course you could always wait for their ‘softer option’ and get an Anyroad 8)

Jamie, very useful info, much appreciated. Have had a look at that link to the Pinnacle review – looks good.

Dthom3uk – have you had any of the heel rub on brake caliper mentioned on the review of the Arkose 3 ? Cheers

Iain, I have. Every now and then my heel clips the adjuster and winds the pads closer to the disk. I wouldn’t say it’s a major problem.

I’ve had my eye on that Planet X one for a while now, just hope they are still in stock when my current c2w scheme is up in November!.

Thanks dthom3uk.

Whyte Dorset might be worth a look

The Dorset, and the £200 more Suffolk, do look they would also fit the OPs requirements. The cable routing seems a bit odd, though.

Dorset looks nice, but not 105 and has promax brakes, so not as good value on paper as others incl Pinnacle

That Anyroad… dear god 😯

I got a Pinnacle Arkrose 3 from Evans back in April – not sure what current spec is but for bang on the £1k limit I got 105 shifting, BB7 brakes and more fun commuting than you can shake a stick at.

Mctd, that’s encouraging to hear, thanks.

2014 spec here

As I said on the other thread the Arkose is a great bike. Mine sees rack mounted child seat duties right through to ‘should be ridden by the mtb but brought the cx instead’ type stuff. It amazes me what it can handle in terms of the rough stuff and of course it eats fireroad/gravel path easily.

I actually like the look of the new Arkose 2… 1×10 105 gears, and Tektro hydraulic discs for £900. And it is green 🙂