You will get a bike for under £200, but realistically you shouldn’t expect much.

Mind you, as a first foray into road riding it’s a good start.

Having been a mtn biker for years, my first road bike cost £60. Yes, it was a POS! But, it gave me an idea of what road riding was all about, and I found that not only was it significantly different to mountain biking, but that I really enjoyed it, and it complemented mtn biking brilliantly.

Suffice to say – as was the case with my MTB’s – I bought every better road bikes and gear, culminating in my current ride which is a beautiful carbon Colnago with full Campagnolo Record carbon! YUMBA! 😀

Ooooh – what an exciting start!

Super-duper folks – many thanks!

I don’t use background maps – just it Cyclemeter to track distance/time/avg speed etc…

Slow steering. The Cotic X has a slacker (by 1 degree) HA than a lot of other CX frames.. which doesn’t sound much I know, but when riding it is very noticeable.

Jumping between an ‘X’, Stigmata and Crux with 2 mates on several rides was an amazingly insightful experience that just point blank exposes the differences between the frames.

I quite liked the ride of my Cotic X, but found it a quirky bike… it’s not really a CX bike at all even though it’s marketed as one, but for your intended use is possibly ideal.

The annoying quirks (to me) were:

– very poor bottle cage locations(2 on the down tube). Cotic’s rationale doesn’t stack up on this one… there’s just nothing at all wrong with one on the DT and one on the ST. Cotic have created possibly the worst compromise ever, as when you do run 2 bottles on the X they are both in awkward positions… Duh!

– Neither fish nor fowl in the braking dept. You either run discs or cantis. Cotic’s canti bosses are a fugly, Heath-Robinson affair that is unnecessary, heavy and detracts from the visual appeal of what is an otherwise lovely looking frame. If running discs you want a clean, uncluttered look yet you’re left with fugly bolts or blanks covering the unused brake boss mount holes. Double duh!

– 135mm OLN spacing. Required for disc rear hubs but rules out 100% (?) of road hubs… you can use a road rear wheel by squeezing the rear dropouts 5mm in when you wind up the QR skewer. IME and in practise this is a PITA and again just detracts from the quality and experience of what is otherwise a lovely looking frame.

– Slack steering. My Cotic X was noticeably slack in the steering dept vs. lots of other CX bikes I tested, rode or owned back-to-back: Santa Cruz Stigmata, Ridley, Specialized Crux etc…

As I said, for towpaths, hooning around, commuting etc the X is a great bike – but as it currently is configured it’s just not up to it as a CX bike. I sold mine, replacing it with a Spesh Crux. Shame, as I still love the small diameter steel-tubed CX frame look, I liked the overall ride feel (barring the slack steering), and the quality of the frame construction/welding was great.

What I’d love to see from Cotic is an X made from better quality steel, with revised geometry, canti-only or disc-only (not both), and bottle cages on DT and ST. I’d buy one, as I think lots of others would.

I’ve visited Le Tour 4 times in person.

Suffice to say they’ll close the roads waaaay early, before you can get there. Our refined (enforced) strategy has been to simply drive to as close as possible and dump the car wherever we can (as does everyone else), then walk to where we want to go.

Taking your bike is a better idea though as you’ll have fun riding up the course a little and can go further, but expect to be flagged down by Police officers and told to get off your bike at least 2hrs before the race comes through, as the Publicity Caravan comes through approx 2-3hrs before the riders.

Sounds a PITA but there is NO substitute for being there in person – experiencing the Tour in all its glory and madness is one of life’s highlights. Part carnival, festival, rock concert, bike race – it is sheer madness – and just brilliant!

It’s a huge sensory smack in the face which leaves you wanting more, more, more. Watching it on TV yesterday my 9yr old son said “Dad, can we go and see it again next year?” That’s my Boy! 😀

You’re complaining that you didn’t have to walk your bike?

Yep. Dismounts are an essential part of CX. Ever seen a Pro CX race without them…?

Me neither.

Oh… and as for the one CX race I did last season.. it had NO dismounts at all (Brighton/Hove… Hope Valley CX).

How can it be a CX race with absolutely NO dismounts/shouldering??? It was more like a grass-track Time Trial.

A waste of £17.

Why am I not doing more events this year?

Because they offer poor value for money.

MTB events?
High entry fees for what you get, Plus general frustrations with organisers, routes.. .such as there’s a massive blast off the start line then a few hundred yards later everyone’s standing beside their bikes waiting in a queue to file into the first section of single track. That’s disappointing and exhibits very poor route planning by organisers.

Sportives?
Again, steepening entry fees with very little value for money. Many Sportives offer little more than a few signposts and 1 or 2 ‘feed stations’ where a cereal bar and water or sports drink are offered, for what… £35?

Compare that to the Tour of Flanders I rode this Spring, which offered an epic (this is an appropriate use of the word ‘epic’ as opposed to the use of the word that many Sportive organisers seem to think, which just means an extra loop added into their route) route, incredible marshalling, fantastic and plentiful feed stations, and excellent organisation. And all for 20 euros i.e. about £16 !!!

Enduros?
All too far away from the SE. Would cost circa £100 – £200 in fuel, plus another £50 in accommodation. Shame.

Road riding is just so much more convenient and easy – as the OP says.

Can go directly from house, instead of loading bikes onto roof each and driving 20-30mins to trails.

Doesn’t require complete wash down, clean, relube after every ride…

And I hate crunching through expensive XTR stuff in the flag (summer clag!) that our trails are at this time of year.

Besides, life is too short for just one type of riding anyway… to those who berate roadies, well, it’s a little one-dimensional to only ever ride MTB is it not?

As your MTB cup runneth over, why not try road?

Me – I count myself as a “Cyclist” rather than a “MTBer”… I ride most things with 2 wheels and pedals.

Yes, they are MASSIVELY better… and I have a pair for sale, boxed, in virtually new condition, for £110 posted.

Whether interested in mine or not.. Avid Shorty Ultimates are by FAR the best CX brake set out there.. . I used Shimano canti’s, Froggleggs, Tektros and all sorts of other stuff without much success in the braking department until I finally blew the money on the Avids and boy was I glad I did. They were the first brakes I used that actually stopped the CX bike rather than just scrubbed a little speed off… and they work equally well in the wet, which is something no other canto even came close to achieving.

If you are interested in mine my email is simonpearson AT yahoo DOT com. Only selling as I sold my CX bike.

Would be funny if we all arranged to stop watching at some point

Ooooh – a timed ‘unwatch’… that’d freak him out!

I asked if it was Petrol or Diesel (duh!)…. and got a reply within 2 minutes! 😯

Done – and 1st stupid question asked! 😀

A good backhand usually works…

I just bought one – thx for PSA!

Loving Raw… so easy to live with. No nicks, no scratches, no cable rub… the most stress-free ‘paint’ finish I’ve ever had.

The weld looks like it is separating from the main tube… but judging by the paint it looks like it has been doing that since new – that is the part on the right hand side. On the left hand side it looks like the failure to weld the tubes correctly has created what’s called a ‘stress riser’ which has, over time, flexed the weld and tube creating 2 hairline cracks (these are the 2 small dark lines on the left hand side flowing west of the major gap).

Agree with others – it is spectacularly shite welding.

Stayed in a hotel and ate every meal out – wasn’t too bad, but that was 2 of us not a whole family.

Strangely we couldn’t find many places that did pancakes & maple syrup for breakfast. The one we did eventually find (which was close to the main square type thing where the main chairlift goes up from) we went to every day thereafter.

We went early July which was too early as the top half of Whistler wasn’t yet open… however there was still plenty of runs there and with the lifts being open far longer than in the Alps (10am – 8pm) we were completely beat up after 4 days. Mind you, we only stopped for coffee & lunch and that was it – full on, all the time, first 1st chair, to very last.

Anything from On One will be too heavy for actual CX racing. PX are doing the Guercotti CX frames which are proper race bikes, but they are much more expensive.

Kaffenback good for all else though – pub, winter training, touring, hacking etc.

Despite the industry sizing bikes by seat tube height, the effective top tube length is by far the most important consideration, especially so on a road bike.

Try different frame sizes until you find the right length frame for you.

Castrol LHM.

Flux is a VERY nice bike!

I ran Fox RLT’s on mine, very adjustable, but after a few weeks I left them in the 120mm setting ALL the time.

Fox no better/worse than Reba or Magura so choose anything but 120mm is great.

Digger90 – you obviously don’t know your trails very well then. Nothing wrong with jumps, unless you can’t jump

Another outstanding example of totally missing the point…

van assisted illegal uplifts
I’m not entirely sure there’s a law against uplifts. Or uplifts from Peaslake.

Maybe not illegal but motorised-assisted sport is against the Hurtwood’s Byelaws, Regulations or Code of Conduct.

The point is valid – some Twunt has been organising van assisted uplifts from Peaslake. Is it the same goof-off involved in the Leith Hill ‘MEGA’?

London fanboys

Killer! 😀

So is this hero that supposedly built ALL the trails around the Surrey Hills (s’funny because I recall riding nearly all those same trails as far back as 15yrs ago but without the ‘rad’ jumps in them.. Whoa!) also the Twunt who’s been running van assisted illegal uplifts at Peaslake, further alienating MTBers from the local community?

Surprised you’re defending the indefensible geetee.. you ride up there too.

We all know who organises it and he puts in a hell of a lot more than he takes out so I for one trust him not to destroy mountain biking in the area!

Well, whoever that is is a stupid f*cking idiot. Deserves a right slap.

The prostitutes are gorgeous… ! 😀

My first evening of a biz trip there my business host waved at several hookers at the bar and asked “What would you like, Black, Brown, Yellow, White… we have everything and all good!”

I did not partake… but if you were single or that way inclined, well! 😉

I’m shocked. Ride Leith and Peaslake all the time.

Can’t believe anyone would be stupid enough to do this… don’t we have enough enemies already?

For Morzine you really want something with a bit more travel… a Reign X or Nomad would be better choices.

Anythign Santa Cruz, Turner hold values well… although if you’re only buying/selling within a month you should get most or all of your money back.

Interested in replies too… as I’m 2 weeks near Bordeaux/St Emilion in July.

Never been and don’t know what the riding is like.

Nice weather!

Thought it was supposed to be thunder & lightning this week?

If you can’t get easy access to trails then a WTF would be a great half-way house kinda replacement for an MTB.

BUT – why not keep the MTB (or get a cheapie) for days out in car with mates when you can go?

Having a young family is NOT a reason not to MTB. I’vehad 3 children and I know it’s hard to find the time, especially if the wife is – how shall I put this – on the more needy side… (that doesn’t mean sexually – it means thinks you should spend ALL your time doing family/house/kids stuff and resents any time you spend doing anything that is not that).

However, my advice is not to get stressed out by it all… balancing family time/kids and for own personal leisure is not an impossible task. In fact, it’s vitally important both for you and the family.. as you need exercise, oxygen blah, blah.

I used to feel guilty about the time I spent riding instead of being with the kids (and I’m talking about going out on the road bike for 1hr … not a 4hr MTB ride!). Then someone very wise showed me how to reframe that issue: not only do we as humans need exercise but by going biking (or running/whatever) I was acting as a great example and role model for my kids.. they would grow up clearly inculcated with the value and importance of exercise throughout their lives.

….and indeed they have. At ages 9, 11 and 15 my eldest is a BMX nutcase, the middle one a talented and competitive gymnast and the youngest an up and coming freerunner/tumbler/circus act!

Short answer: keep both bikes and use ’em whenever you can.

Go for the 56cm.

I’m 5’10 and rode a Medium Soul and Simple.

Hmmm, this is starting to sound all too familiar…

Headsup is something similar or rather on ebay username.

The account is located in Sheffield too.

[EDIT]
slowupslowdown ( 64) that’s the fooker
[EDIT]

– Located in Sheffield… check

– Trading in dodgy parts and ripping people off… check

Oh God, it’s not that Peter Gratwick fecker again I hope!

Check out these STW threads on him…

Peter Gratwick – have I been scammed?

Peter Gratwick – Oh dear, I think I have made a mistake

Less than honest Forum dwellers – Peter Gratwick

And the Mother of all Peter Gratwick threads…
Classifieds Scammers

You should use grease on it.

In the Camoag – Shimano wars I’m definitely on the side of Campag.

Used Shimano Durac Ace for 10yrs, switched to Campag Record 2yrs ago for a change… will NEVER go back. It’s just so much better.