Ive been fanning around for the last few weeks wondering whether to get a full blown road bike or a CX bike as a halfway house so I can still go on some of the local bridleways. It’d mainly be used for longish (50-60mile) rides on weekends and the odd commute (26 mile round trip).

It’s all been brought to a head today as I’ve seen a Planet X XLS on here going for fairly decent money considering it’s (allegedly) only a few months old. The XLS was one of the bikes I was looking at, the road option being the PX Pro Carbon Ultegra thingy.

So, road or CX, bearing in mind that the CX bike will be about £500 less.

Road. Don’t comprise.

Cotic Escapade or upcoming Planet X London road…

A xc bike is fine on road, unless thinking of riding in a roadie group, and great fun off road

I’d looked at the Escapade but can’t get over the price for a fairly low end groupset.

The only thing that bothers me about a CX bike on the road is the how small the chainrings are compared to a roadie. Concerned about not being able to keep speed up due to spinning out, great for hills though but not really much of that round my way.

I’d looked at the Escapade but can’t get over the price for a fairly low end groupset.

Yeah that put me off the full build, but I also realised I wanted to fit my own fork – so I bought the Escapade frame only, no forks.. building up now

A compact chainset doesn’t cost much, and unless you’re racing (which you won’t be if you’ve got discs) you won’t spin out 50*11.

Both of course!

I’m thinking of swapping my 34/50 for cx gears. Don’t use the 50 that much round here and certainly not with 12/14 rear.
46/32 or 34 would be good. Laughs at potholes/’rustic’ roads, unlike the road bike.

Pete, I’m doing well to keep this one under the radar. If I got both I have an inkling the other half would start pricing up a new patio.

See the tripster thread…!
(Not saying you should get a tripster specifically, but a few in there were in the same boat as you, and feel they chose wisely!)

DrP

DrP you are going to have my missus to answer to now! That price from freeborn is a bloody steal for ti cross bike.

So very very tempted.