[Closed] New CX bike has just arrived! Opinions? & tire pressures & local trails?! (Bath)

Any reason you sought out the cantis, rather than discs?

As for tyres, I am 72kg, and run 35c smart sams 50-60psi for mixed terrain. So you might be ok around the 40psi. Best bet, he predictably said, is to experiment.

CX bikes are great. Enjoy!!

Any reason you sought out the cantis, rather than discs?

It was a second-hand deal too good to refuse Jamie. Would definitely have preferred discs given the choice. Figure this is a nice safe way of trying out cx (since I shouldn't lose much should I decide to sell it on) and if I really take to it and ride it lots, then I can probably justify going for the Ridley with discs I was looking at, ready for winter (assuming my bro can still get me 50% off later in the year!). I would have gone for the Ridley now, but there's no XS left in stock 🙁 but then this came up and - subject to actually riding the thing(!) - it seems like a cracking bike and I'm really pleased with it! 😀

It was a second-hand deal too good to refuse Jamie

Ah. That makes sense. I was fooled by the fact it looks like a brand new bike, so figured it was a new (old) model.

Those Racing Ralphs are great tyres, ran mine at around 35psi. Cantis make it CX, nothing beats a wet, muddy, rocky decent with the death grip pump in your forearms & a jellyfied spincter.

jellyfied spincter.

Coming to a Heston Blumenthal restaurant near you...

Ah. That makes sense. I was fooled by the fact it looks like a brand new bike, so figured it was a new (old) model.

Understandable - they've cleaned it up very nicely, but if you look closely (in real life, not the pic) you can see some chainslap and a few marks to the top tube, etc. It's definitely used, but has been serviced very thoroughly, so still feels new and shiny to me! 😀

Thanks for the tire pressure recommendations, I will def have a play around, but it's good to have a ball park figure as I run my mtb tires at 22psi and my road bike at 90psi, so figured neither of those would provide a helpful reference point!

Cantis make it CX, nothing beats a wet, muddy, rocky decent with the death grip pump in your forearms & a jellyfied spincter.

Ha! 😆 I'm not convinced about that, but they're Avid Shorty 6 and supposed to be pretty good (relatively!), and well, I'm up for giving it a go! ...can't wait in fact! 😀

Around bristol on a CX? I hate to say it but Ashton Court is great fun on a CX bike, think interval sprints interspersed with death grip braking as you realise your going into stuff far faster than you would be on the mtb...

Is the summer CX series still going?

Any tips on what tire pressures to run for a mix of (mostly) road and (hopefully) a few light trails? (I weigh 46kgs)

Never mind tyre pressures, I'd suggest a couple of bags of sand in your pockets in case it's a bit windy out! 😉

I weigh 46kgs)

Did your dad buy it for you and will he let you ride it without an adult being there 😆 😆

Never mind tyre pressures, I'd suggest a couple of bags of sand in your pockets in case it's a bit windy out

This made me lol, as I really dislike going out when it's windy as if it's exposed I genuinely do get blown about a bit! 😯

Did your dad buy it for you and will he let you ride it without an adult being there

If only! The best bike my Dad ever bought me was a crappy old Raleigh that weighed more than our house! (Course, I still loved it because it was green & blue)

"I hate to say it but Ashton Court is great fun on a CX bike, think interval sprints interspersed with death grip braking as you realise your going into stuff far faster than you would be on the mtb."

I can imagine! One of my biggest motivations in getting this bike though was so that I could take in some local riding without having to drive anywhere, so definitely looking for some woodland/light trails closer to home!

Is the summer CX series still going?

it is indeed. More popular than ever. 2nd round was tonight at hengrove. They're even racing in Bath on the crit circuit, bmx track and fields.

https://twitter.com/WesternLeagueCX

Oh if you run clinchers for racing then latex tubes make quite a difference

From Oldfield park you could ride some of the trails towards Englishcombe. You could also head to Weston village and get on the bridle path over north stoke and Lansdown, drop down through Upton cheyney and back along the closed kelston rd towards bath.

You should ride the bath round of the CX series (although this year I may ride it on my MTB!).

Edit: Nice bike and I ride Canti's!

From Oldfield park you could ride some of the trails towards Englishcombe. You could also head to Weston village and get on the bridle path over north stoke and Lansdown, drop down through Upton cheyney and back along the closed kelston rd towards bath.

Think I know where you're talking about (we only moved to Bath 6 months ago, so still finding my way around a bit) - how/where do you find the trails toward Englishcombe?

You should ride the bath round of the CX series (although this year I may ride it on my MTB!)

When/where is it? Probably too much of a newbie this year, but might check it out for a bit of fun!

Nice bike and I ride Canti's

Thanks! I was hoping more people would comment on how pretty it is! 😉

I have just been trying to find a gpx for the Englishcombe route but cannot find one.

Here is the area:

[img] [/img]

We usually ride down Haycombe Lane (beside the garden centre) take a left towards Englishcombe then get on the trail to Inglesbatch and onto Wilmington. Go right towards Newton and you can then choose to go along twelve o'clock lane or drop down into Newton. There is a trail that leads back up to the start before you get to Clay's end (not marked on the map).

The Weston/North Stoke/Lansdown route is also good, like I said above you can drop down from Upton Cheyney and ride the virtually car free Kelston road as they have put a path in to bypass the slipping road.

Ah that's brilliant! Thanks so much eskay!

That looks like a great little loop to test it out on. I'm really excited about finding some proper local trails/loops to ride.

As soon as my exam is out of the way next Tue, I'm hoping to persuade my husband to have the kids for a couple of hours so that I can go for a proper explore. Oh and yes, good tip on the closed Kelston road, will definitely have a look around there too. Can't wait!

Thanks again for taking the time to put that up for me, I really appreciate it.

No problem!

Come along to the Bath round of the summer cx racing. It is one of the most accessible forms of racing you can do. Every ability will be there and you will end up finding a few riders of your ability and having a mini race within the race. I think the Bath round is on 25th June.

Mr Disco - May see you at one of the rounds soon. My son wants to ride TTs at the moment on Wednesdays so I am scuppered (again!!). I did dig my old TT bike out though and had a bash around.