Which cyclocross bike (or frame) for racing

have raced on an old crosslight pro 3 with old parts from other bikes for a while. Running v brakes with a travel agent and think it’s about time i splashed on a cross bike for racing (nope, not interested in rack mounts, riding on gravel paths) this is about mud clearance, stiffness and geometry for racing

I ride a 54 crosslight which gives a 55.1 Effective top tube. I recently rode a ridley X night and this has a 56 seattube (ridley 52) and a 53.5 top tube. This felt pretty good actually.

I’m also thinking discs (shimano are releasing hydraulic in august)

I’m tempted by

* Planet x xls -full build is good value, has pf30 bb which i;m told is still. good clearance and heard good reports. Can also do this on the cycle to work scheme

* Pickenflick. looks awesome! love the clearance. Worry its less racy and heavier than anything carbon

* Ridley x fire – Think this would be awesome. have heard the disc version (as with most disc versions) is it feels a lot heavier than canti. Would probably go frame only and build up

* Chinese carbon jobbie – Frame off ebay. Bit unknown?!

I will be moving to 1×10 with a thick thin so not worried about what they come with.

Anything else i should be looking at?

bump for the day crowd 🙂

Similar quandary here too.

Tempted by a Giant TCX Advanced here, though I’d rather buy a frameset and build it up but don’t think that’s an UK option. I like the Spesh Crux carbon frameset too, but that’s a grand and a half and mud clearance doesn’t look brilliant, though borrowed a canti one for an afternoon a while back and it was amazing to ride. I’ll probably end up just getting a new Crosslight.

I’ve heard the crux is good but very different to a ridley (much lower BB drop). Although I think a lot of these changes you can get used to. I’ve got used to my crosslight but i jumped on a ridley and that felt great and could get used to straight away.

I’m leaning very much to disc brakes because i know they are going to get better/lighter. Everyone compares the canti/disc argument to pros but forget that pro’s can get a new clean bike every lap if they want to (and are very concerned about weight)

Also i’m loving my v brakes so i’m used to a bit of power

Plenty of posting on Chinese bikes and the right places to get them from:

This is a good starting point:
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/chinese-carbon-road-bikes-with-discs-like-wot-clubber-has-got

Yes, I rode the Crux and a TCX pretty much back to back and after the Crux the handling on the TCX felt very wrong, almost fell into corners, and took a little getting use to. Probably the high BB. I think it would be something you just got use to. The Crux definitely feels more like a fast road bike in terms of handling, and still felt surprisingly good out on some trails. Still, £1.5k for the frame 😕

Still on the fence about canti or disc. Probably go disc just because that seems the way forward.

Plenty of posting on Chinese bikes and the right places to get them from:

The prices are pretty compelling. Regardless I’d probably get some carbon Chinese tubs for whatever I end up building.

cheers. Although i’m more interested in hearing comments of people racing on them (stiffness shouldering, how does it handle around cross courses)

Some of the chinese frames have very different geometry where the top tube seems longer than the seat tube.

Ridley is the first i’ve seen where the seat tube is longer than the top tube (effective).. So a 56/53.5

I’m really happy with mine. Probably my favourite bike if I dare admit that 😳

FWIW, I’ll probably have it at the Bristol Bikefest this weekend (doing the Steve Worland event and he always liked riding CX bikes round there)

The MC098 is basically the same as the Fuji Altamira Disc. You’ll find that’s pretty common – that the chinese frames are based on an existing design – or at least most/many of the decent ones. Miracle/Ican offer a Dirty Disco clone too. It does mean that you can find reviews of the geometry/etc at least.

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/category/bikes/cyclo-cross/product/review-fuji-altamira-cx-1-3-46777/

What have you got nemesis? Is it the same as clubber frame?

ahem… yes… identical 😳

Ridley is cross, or at least that’s what everyone says.

Plenty to drool over here:
http://shop4cross.com/rahmen.html?limit=all

Make sure you’re certain about the sizes though as they can come up a little on the large size.

Disks with the new TRP cable to hydraulics’ look interesting too!
http://www.trpbrakes.com/category.php?productid=1198&catid=206

ooh gotta love cross threads in June, less than 100 days to CrossVegas 8)

i’ve ridden my mates x night (52 c-c 56-c-t) with the ISP and that fits perfect. I really liked the shorter top tube 53.5 (as opposed to 55.1 on my crosslight)

What do you ride swedish chef?

Also love the look of the dedacciai super cross which the hope guys ride.. pretty expensive though

What about a crosslight pro6?

Mine was £400 from probikekit ebay outlet

Crosslight pro6

I’ll probably go for one of these. Just seems a very safe (if a little boring) choice for a first CX race bike. Available at my LBS too which is good.

Have a look at Fossa – http://www.fossa-bikes.com/

Race-winning frames designed by cyclocross racers for cyclocross racers (I’m slightly biased as I ride for them).

I came from a genesis day one 54″

Built this and sizing is close bar shorter headtube(hence spacer stack) feels very good doing a 2hr local blast in my local woods.. Yes I will be racing it come cx season 🙂

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image[/url] by Plus one2010[/url], on Flickr

Bought from speeder cycling(aka focus carbon technologies)

I’ve got a shop branded hand built carbon frame from Italy which I’m 90% sure is a Dedacciai.

Logic says a Ridley, passion says a Ritchey, as possible next frames.

I’ll probably go for one of these. Just seems a very safe (if a little boring) choice for a first CX race bike. Available at my LBS too which is good.

That was my alternative to the Chinese carbon. I decided to take a risk (which turned out not to be much of a risk) and go Chinese but the Pro6 is definitely a good option. I am glad I did take a punt now though.

CAADX. If you aren’t wedded to disk then there are some bargain SORA bikes around for easy upgrading. It’s a fine frame.

plus one. Whats the geometry on that?

Is it the Icann frame?

I think i remember you mentioning this in another thread

they say only race what you can afford to replace.

i struggle to see past an kinesis alu pro6 when looking at racing frames, just seems sorted in terms of features, clearance and affordability. i worry about the top tube – bar interface on carbon frames in the inevitable crash.

xls looks lovely esp. in the flanders colours but it has a big mudshelf on the bottom bracket.

pro 6 here with trp hyrd! great frame.

CAADX geometry – not disimilar to their CAAD8 race bike.

i worry about the top tube – bar interface on carbon frames in the inevitable crash.

I wondered the same.

I broke my original CX frame. Got it warrantied but had the old frame less the seat tube/top tube junction. I cut up the tubes and did some non-scientific testing on how tough they were. The carbon tubes were ridiculously tough against what I expected and I’m not someone who thinks of carbon as fragile. I had an another broken aluminium frame and, non-scientifically again, gave it some stick.

In conclusion 😉 I’d trust a decent carbon frame to stand up to abuse more than a thin walled aluminium one.

Anyone got an opinion on the Trek Crocket?

Link

http://www.speedercycling.com/Carbon-Bicycle-Disc-Cyclocross-Frame-FF-R014-_p32.html

I’ve got a TCX Advance1, the carbon jobbie. Unfortunatly it’s with Giant having the recall on the SRAM brakes, yet to know when I’ll get it back TBH and I’m a touch ferking annoyed, but hey.

The TCX 2, alloy versions nice, got all the bits on and loads of clearance. If you could get a ride on one I think it’d be worth it.
Or indeed the Adanced1 like mine. IIRC the TCX 2 is about £2.2k and I know the Advanced1 is £3k.. don’t forget the season sales are almost with us.

Where are you based, if you are around London or Southampton you could have a spin on mine (when I get it back) .. 😀

I’m brizzle based but reckon i could look in one of the giant shops ( i think one of the giant guys help run the western cx league)

My mate has offered me his x night for good money but it’s not disc 🙁

Buy it if it fits! Cantis are fine, even from a mud clearance perspective. I ran one bike for years and the brakes were never the bits that clogged up.

Probably a lot of good deals to be had on second hand CX bikes with cantis.

I rode a very muddy race last week. Even with v brakes the worse area was around the crank and jockey wheels. The clearance on the kinesis looks a bit crap! this led me to look at the pickenflick. The clearance is huge!

I also hear ppl talk about similarities with mtb riding and cx with discs – late braking as opposed to gradual slowing

Did you race last night, Tricky?

I couldn’t get across to race, it must’ve been stinking anyway.

I’ve just bought a carbon Ritte Crossberg which is lovely-haven’t raced it yet, still tampering with the shifters/bars.

Matt Lewis

I didn’t know. I was a wuss and couldn’t be bothered (spent the previous night cleaning from warmley!)

Wow! a ritte crossberg. My dream bike! what’s the build?

I rode a very muddy race last week. Even with v brakes the worse area was around the crank and jockey wheels. The clearance on the kinesis looks a bit crap! this led me to look at the pickenflick.

Bum. That might be off my list. I wonder how long before we get mtb crank spacing on cross frames for this reason. 29er space with 32c tyre heavenly.

Problem is those who take cross seriously solve it with two bikes and a jet wash.

To Tricky:

Sram Red/Force groupset/Avid Ultimate Cantis and some Velocity A23 wheels- I got very very lucky on ebay!

I dont think the clearance on the planet x bikes are brilliant. they are ok but not the best. the new picknflick has a seat stay bridge too (to collect mud)

clearence on kinesis evo’s are very good

I like the look of the Fossa bikes

with regards to weight the PLX bikes arent actually that light

the fork on the xls is 700g I think

BB heights are ‘horses for courses’

with regards to canti’s are the pro choice – I think this might have something to do with Shimano (who supply almost all the Belgium cx field with kit – most run Shimano kit, wheels and finishing kits) I’d bet they will all be running discs as soon as Shimano have the Hydro sorted for good

I know friends that race the addict frames and rate them highly! £1600 frame/fork though.

with regards to canti’s are the pro choice

I also think this is due to them being able to come in whenever they want for a fresh clean new bike. In amateur races this just isn’t possible.

It was like riding through treacle the other week. The cranks and wheels had to be properly forced round cus of all the mud