With a lot of road bikes moving to disk brakes… is there going to be much in it between a carbon road bike with 105 or ultegra (say Planet X Pro Carbon) and something like a On One Dirty Disco if they’re fitted with the same tyres?

I’m asking as I was planning on trying to get something like a Pro Carbon in the next few months – waiting to see what the sales throw up.

But then I’m thinking a Dirty Disco would be just as good on road (for someone who just rides solo, not in a club or racing) but also opens up a lot of other riding too – gravel paths, canals, winter-y stuff.

FWIW I’m coming from a Genesis Aether – alu frame, carbon fork, 2300 8 speed gearing

In general, CX bike will have slacker HA, bigger tyre clearance and higher BB.
Gearing on a full bike will also be lower.

Fit a CX bike with road tyres & gears and they are pretty similar.

I’ve got a pro carbon, and it’s lush. very fast on my commute, even when I want to plod.
however, if you’re not bothered about going full roadie, I’d go for the planet x XLS, as it’s running shimano and not sram, and a couple of hundred quid cheaper than the dirty disco.
that said, I’d hang on a bit, and wait until they do the Ti pickenflick for £1500 again. I’m going to get a crosser, as one of the country lanes I use is a bit rough, plus I can always detour over margam and afan argoed on the way home then.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the ti pickenflick. Wonder when it’ll be back?

I ride my cross bike on the road in spring as once the cross season has ended I can put slicks and mudguards on it.

It is slower than my road bike but not by much – more to do with the 33c file tread vs 23c racing tyres than anything else I’d guess.

They are versatile – if you have no intention of racing then they are really good bikes just to ride.

Just keep an eye on gearing I run a 46:34 up front and I run out of gears occasionally but not until I’m at about 35mph by which point if you are not racing just tuck up and coast.

have a kinesis pro6 and got a 2nd set of wheels

use 32mm tyres for gravel roads and singletrack

lighter wheels slightly different cassette and 25mm tyres to keep up on road rides and audax style thingies

sold my road bike as never used it

Just man up and use the fatty!!

With a lot of road bikes moving to disk brakes.

But are they?…

I still can’t quite shake the idea that disc braked road bikes aren’t “Proper” road bikes…

They’re more like practical commuter/winter/touring bikes IMO. and yeah you might as well use a CX bike as it performs the same basic functions as a roadie, disc commuter with a change of tyres, obviously having the added bonus that you can also use it as a CX bike too…

I rode the TdF Day 1 stage a few weeks back with a bunch of guys on very nice carbon road bikes, I was on my stock Boardman CX with 32 heavy commuting tyres.

I was slower up the big hills, but not by much. On the flat I was ok, but if I wasn’t careful I would easily get dropped off the back and find it very difficult to get back.

Gearing didn’t appear to be an issue even though we were averaging about 23 ish on the flat.

Lighter rims and tyres would have made a big difference IMO.

Edit: on decents the geometry helped as did the discs

Aye, everything I can see suggests that (for me – a non racer) that a CX bike will do everything a nice road bike would, plus more.

Rose Bikes have some nice bikes
Alu frame, carbon fork 11spd Ultegra at <9kg for £1300 or with Ultegra di2 and hydraulic brakes for £2k

I’d be weary of buying a CX race bike rather than a commuter/tourer that’s been branded as CX because it’s trendy, it might not have things like bottle cage mounts, or mudguard eyelets, and they’re built for sprinting round a CX course for an hour, not all day comfort.

I had a Spesh cx bike and found it neither one nor the other, bit stiff and unresponsive. Now much happier with a carbon full-on road bike and 2 mountain bikes.

thisisnotaspoon – Member
I’d be weary of buying a CX race bike rather than a commuter/tourer that’s been branded as CX because it’s trendy, it might not have things like bottle cage mounts, or mudguard eyelets, and they’re built for sprinting round a CX course for an hour, not all day comfort.

though you’d be pretty unlucky if you picked an actual CX bike off a list of CX bikes! 8)
Calling all drop bar hybrids CX’s is a bit off – anyway they will all be gravel racers next year leaving CX for CX racers

Edit but a point well put

Ive got a CAADX and must say i love riding it as its so versatile I can be going along and then just shoot off up a bridleway etc great fun..that said i wouldn’t get rid of the road bike

interesting review from over on road.cc

http://road.cc/content/news/121785-first-ride-gt-grade

suspect 100% subjective but

“In a nutshell, it rides very nicely. The Grade is a fantastically fun bike to ride, no matter the surface passing under its 28mm tyres. It barrels along the road at the same sort of speeds a regular road bike achieves”

^ Yeah, was just reading that and it seems spot on for what I want.

I liked the Alloy X model they mentioned with the shimano hydraulic brakes but going on GT’s site they don’t seem to have that model. You can get a 105 with the cable actuated hydro brakes, HYRD or something? It’s in a gopping champagne colour though.
Even searching their international sites doesn’t bring that bike up. In fact, the yanks get less models than us