I am currently looking at selling my Singlespeed Tricross and getting a geared cylocross bike circa with a budget of about £1500 max

Other than the obvious ones such as Specialised, Kona etc any ideas? I am also happy to build form scratch…

Would be ti or nice steel for me.
Poss put a wnated ad in the classifieds – some one was selling an Indy Fab ti crosser a few months back which would be my dream bike.
J.

new cotic cyclocross bike looks nice too.

Ooh that cotic is nice indeed….was also thinking of a custom frame (Lee Cooper).

To be honest Specialized doesn't really fit into the "obvious ones" for cross.
bmc, Redline, Ridley, Paul Milne, ………

Kinesis do completes,ragley rodwell,salsa.

Paul Milne are the obvious ones I guess. People seem to swear by them.
I am very impressed with the Scott cx I've just recently got. Really nice tight handling and good clearance on the rear stays.

Fixie Inc Pure Blood with last years fancy writing hmmmmmmmmm

I have riding a 2002 vintage Jake for last 3 or 4 years.
Proper battered but works really really well.
Geometry seems really sorted for me.
I would also consider one of those.
J.

Do you want it for riding or racing?
For racing, Milnes, Giant, Scott, Ridley, BMC, Geurcotti! Kona.
For just riding Genesis or anything niche so it's good to look at as well.

ridley do some nice ones for around a grand.

Them Ragdley head tubes are tiny, can't imagine why, i'd need 6" of spacers 😥

Its for riding – I do a 30 miles a day commuting on and off road. Plus some longer distance stuff at the weekend, but that's mainly road stuff.

I mainly looking at a change as I need gears for some of the longer journeys I do – but I don't have the space for a on/off road commuter, road bike and a mtb.

Focus have a nice carbon frame CX bike for roughly the same as your budget.

I have a focus and think its great for both racing and riding. Definetly worth a look.

Surly Cross Check?

Covers a lot of the road / off-road bases: takes 1.8" 29er knobblies / hubs can be either 130 or 135mm for a road or off-road set-up. Takes racks and mudguards so great for commuting / touring. Runs geared or singlespeed. Lots of options!

Huge fun to ride, the steel frame may not be the lightest / most technologically up-to-date but it rides really light.

I love the idea of steel, but the cross checks top tube slopes the wrong way for my liking!

Maybe what you really want is a tourer?

Cross bikes generally tend to not have too compact a frame as you need to get your shoulder under the top tube to carry it.
People I knew who had the old style Giant TCXs used to complain that they were fairly useless for carrying because they were too compact. Giant have redesigned them now though, and I have to say the new style ones do look like they could be pretty good.

traildog – still a semi compact frame and ok for shouldering. Wouldn't recommend for touring though, definitely race geometry and no mudguard/rack eyes.

Coleman what's the max on that cassette youre using?

I'm trying to find out what the max was on my 9 speed 105.

oldgit – it's a 12-27 10speed Ultegra. The new 6700 is available in 11-28.

Edit;
Just remembered I've got a 9speed 12-27 Ultegra on another bike.

Have a look at http://www.mscbikes.com there's a cyclocross bike in their range, frame and forks or full build

That Giant is pretty sweet too. I am not worried about eyelets and guards, I never really do more than 100 miles in one go and I use a pack (have been forever)

Ever since I have seen Coleman's Giant I want it. Please can you stop posting pictures.

Coleman … That giant is lovely, what size is it ?? … lookin at the 2010 giant crossers myself

dont forget the planet x uncle john. cheap as chips really

Cannondale CAAD9 – got one with 105 gears for about a grand, £1500 would get the ultegra version maybe?

Its a fantastic frame – looks the business and is tough and light, perhaps a bit stiff so works best on road or racing, I use mine mainly to do a 30 mile commute and 60 mile + rides.

Got eyelets on carbon fork, and a mount under wishbone stay which will take a Tubus rack, I bought a £5 seat clamp with mounts (M:part) and used the drop out mounts to fit a normal rack.

The cannondale is pretty rare but has an outstanding frame.

Here is the 2010 version, the 08 one had a better paint job though!

Love the colnago world cup.

That picture of Coleman's Giant just made me do a sex-wee.

I looked at the Giants myself recently, but they're not importing them in xl sizes. 🙁

stumpy_m4 – The TCX is a medium 51.5cm with 55.5cm top tube & 110mm stem. I am 5' 11" if that helps.

That Cannondale is super tasty! How much?

The Cannondale CX9 is £1299 and seems to have shockingly bad wheels for a bike of that price!!

But otherwise….v.nice

Just looked at a very nice 2009 Major Jake….it seems to tick all the right boxes!!

coleman that be the first giant ever that i think looks awesome.
looks like it could rip your head off.

traildog – Member
Paul Milne are the obvious ones I guess. People seem to swear by them.

I had a steel Milne cx bike about 11 – 12 years ago. It was possibly the worst bike I've had in the past 15 years – heavy, handled badly, toe overlap, felt sluggish, etc. The only good thing about it was that it was cheap.

A long time ago though, so maybe they've improved.

nonk – Thanks. It's a pussycat really.

Just put a deposit down on a Major Jake!!

IdleJon, I don't think that's the same as the Columbus frames that everyone now swears by. Still, I have never ridden one so they maybe terrible for all I know. Lots and lots of them at the races though.
Coleman, your Giant looks very nice. They are certainly look not as sloping now as they used to be. The Scott I have is also semi-compact and I do find it slightly harder to shoulder than my previous bike, but I am sure I'll get used to it.

You're right traildog I don't remember if the frame I had was even a named steel. They brought in alu frames shortly afterwards, but both were very popular at races.

Having said how bad mine was, I have to admit that I raced it loads, and I think I did the 3 Peaks on that one 3 times, so it can't have been all bad. I eventually bent it in a local race and replaced it with a Jake which is now in retirement, like myself, for the moment. (Maybe it'll be raced next season when I'm bound to be a little sleeker.)

My cannondale CAAD9 has RS10 wheels which are low budget for a £1250 bike, however they are light and very reliable – I would say that the 'dale has an outstanding frame and specced well in all the right places.

Would recommend this bike as a true all rounder, it replaced my road bike and i use for commutes, tours, training, racing… pretty much every day.