Which cyclo-cross for £800?

[Troy McLure]

Hi,

I'm looking at getting hold of a cyclo-cross bike on the old cycle2work scheme and I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions on one for approximately £800.

My current bike is appalling, a £330 carrera mountain bike with slicks fitted. So I've really made it into a bit of a hybrid. It's safe to say it's knackered now due to the hammer it's had.

Some details of why I'm going for a cyclo-cross:

1. It is for a daily commute to work 17 miles each way.

2. About 7 miles of it is road and the other 10 miles being light gravel/uneven concrete.

3. The surface only really gets muddy if it's been throwing it down with rain.

4. There aren't any hills as such but there are maybe 3 inclines where I would drop the gears to get up comfortably.

4. I usually do the journey in an hour (slightly longer if its windy and I've done it a few days running!) so I use it as a workout as well.

Would you say a cyclo-cross is the right choice? I basically want the speed of a road-bike but with the durability to survive the hammer it's going to get.

I'm hoping to shave a good 10-15 minutes off my journey time each way. I'd also like drop bars really due to the way in which I currently sit when doing the journey and clearance for mud guards also. I've read/heard that hub gearing is possibly of benefit due to them being more resilient to mud splatter?

a couple of bikes I've seen (which don't have hub gears I hasten to add!) are:

1. Kinesis Crosslight 5T (slightly over budget at £899 with alloy fork)
http://www.fatbirds.co.uk/detail.asp/sku=upgra-cross5tbk

2. Specialized Tricross 2010 Cyclo Cross Bike (£699)
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/tricross-2010-cyclo-cross-bike-ec020084

3. Specialized Tricross Sport 2010 Cyclo Cross Bike (£849)
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/tricross-sport-2010-cyclo-cross-bike-ec020083

Any help will be much appreciated!

 

[Norm]

Have a search around for my previous posts on the subject - especially, have a read of this thread. I had similar thoughts to you and went with the Tricross Sport.

My Tricross mostly gets used for road work but it's also been thrown up stony tracks and used for the very muddy riverside path a couple of times. Very good bike for the road and the beaten track, IMO, which doesn't feel fragile when throwing it at the scarred tarmac.

The stuff I wrote here might be of interest, and this post has links to some of the videos I took and here for some photos showing the results of "throw it at the countryside and see if it works" style of off-roading.

 

[delb0y]

Another vote for a Tricross Sport, here. I bought the 2009 model late last year and haven't regretted it for a moment.

A lot of my rides take me a little off the beaten track (I tend to seek out the quiet roads and lanes) and even before winter the roads were full of pot-holes and mud, loads of gravel and dirt and horse manure. My old road bike was very twitchy on a lot of such surfaces - expecially some of the narrow lanes coming off the Cotswolds. The Tricross feels a lot more suitable. Since winter when about a zillion more potholes have appeared it's even more appropriate - even with the 28mm road tyres I have on at the mo'. I also use it on the canal tow-path for which it's perfect.

Previously I had a Claud Butler Roubaix. The Tri-cross is lighter, for me it has a better (more-upright) riding position that means for the first time in years I haven't had a permanent neck-ache, and the range of gears means I can now get up hills that previously I had to walk (even with a compact on the Roubaix). For example, this morning I was spinning my way up a steep lane that (according to my Garmin) reached 27% in places. I had to stand up on the pedals once or twice but I'd have never made it on the Claud Butler.

Value for money it's superb. I had a £700 budget and for that I wanted a step up from the Claud Butler (which was a £300 bike) in terms of groupset (I wanted at least Tiagra so I could change gears from the drops), I wanted dropped bars as I like the variety of positions and to get out of the wind on occasions. I wanted to be able to fit mudguards and a rack. I wanted a triple at the front and much lower gears at the back. I'm no superfit light youngster so I need all the help I can get on the hills! I wanted to be able to tie my fishing gear to the cross bar and head off on the canal. I wanted it to be good for the commute through city streets and alleyways, and I wanted it to be comfy.

It's all of these! And for the £700 budget I got the bike brand new (in the autumn sales once the 2010 models had come out), I bought a set of mudguards, a set of lights, a set of conti gatorskins and a spare cassette (I already had a spare wheelset so now I have two sets of wheels - one with road tyres and one with the original cross tyres). Great value, I think.

Downsides? The brakes. Everyone mentions the judder. But I've only managed to create the judder once and that was when braking really hard on a downhill to try and replicate this issue that everyone mentions. But I've never had it since. Nevertheless the brakes aren't as good as those on the old bike. But with a bit on anticpation and sensible riding they're fine. I haven't been able to fit the rack yet as (a) the mudguards use the holes and ( the rack mounts don't line-up with the braze-on on the rear-stays - but neither are show-stoppers. A little bit of meal work jiggery-pokery and improvisation now that the weather is getting warmer should see that fixed.

So overall, for what I want a bike to do and to weigh, for what minimum equipment I wanted, for the fixing I required, and for the budget, I couldn't find anything comparable.

Of course... I still read the adverts and imagine what the next one will be once my budget moves up to £1000...

Del

 

[Troy McLure]

Thank you both for your recommendation of the tricross, it does sound like a good bike.

Regarding the 28mm tyres I take it I'd need to buy some new wheels? Do they add a significant amount of speed to 32mm slicks?

 

[ACS]

I run a Tricross Sport 09 mainly on the road. Took off the 32's CX and replaced with 28 road tyres. I thought the CX's where a bit sticky on the road but over forest trails, bridal paths they where very good. The wheels are at the lower end of the range but sufficently sturdy for the journey you describe.

If you purchase the Tricross I would suggest that you use the wheel / tyre set up and see how it goes. You can always upgrade at a later date. Also I have changed the brakes for mini V's to get rid of the fork judder. This was done under warranty by Specialized.

 

[Norm]

Regarding the 28mm tyres I take it I'd need to buy some new wheels? Do they add a significant amount of speed to 32mm slicks?

You wouldn't need new wheels to run it on 28mm tyres. As for the speed difference to slicks, the standard tyres are pretty slick in the middle anyway. You can get some decent after-market tyres with little / no tread in the middle but chunks on the edges, which will work well on or off tarmac. Just be careful cornering too hard.

If you purchase the Tricross I would suggest that you use the wheel / tyre set up and see how it goes. You can always upgrade at a later date.

+1 I've found the wheels and tyres good so far, a compromise on and off the road but much better than an MTB tyre on tarmac and still giving pretty good confidence in the squelchy stuff. But you'll only get a feel for that after you've ridden the routes that you'll be riding.

 

[Dave5N]

What size do you need? I have a 'cross bike reluctantly for sale.

 

[khumbu8000]

Troy McL
I really hope you haven't gone and bought one yet. I've had a Giant TCX2 for 2 weeks now and am loving it. I'm even considering of selling my Specialized Allez road bike as the Giant feels so fast on the road anyway. I run 32 tyres on it and it feels swift on the road. I was nervous as it has alu alloy forks and not carbon but I have been off-roading everyday since and my wrists dont ache as the position is great. The gearing is medium but I can get up most hills alright. Essentially its just loads of fumn with no brake judder.

The rear is okay unless caked in mud, when it is average when going down a steep slope, but the front is different and really powerful. Superb!!!

It has all the rack mounts etc but feels really racey yet comfy. I am very very happy with it.

 

[scotbiker]

The crosslight is only £810 on fatbirds with the alloy fork.

There is also the Kona Jake the Snake which normally costs £1000 but if you have an account with Wiggle (or know someone who does) then they are doing 15% off this weekend, so it would only cost £872, if you can afford the extra.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Kona_Jake_the_Snake_2010/5360047423/

Both have mounts for full mudguards.

If you fancy a hub geared bike then cotic do a roadrat build with one, but it's not drop bar unfortunately. £849
http://www.cotic.co.uk/product/bikes/roadrat/alfine/

 

[Dave5N]

Also, if you don't want my classy ridley, the Wiggle Focuses (Focii???) are great value.

 

[2Loose]

Noone has mentioned the Genesis Vapour yet?

 

[ACS]

What about the Revolution Cross from the Edinburgh Bike Coop. Good VFM.

 

[beancounter]

Can you push your budget a bit? This is miles better than a Tricross.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products...oogle&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=froogle

bc

 

[ashtons99]

Also, if you don't want my classy ridley, the Wiggle Focuses (Focii???) are great value.

what ridley is it you are selling, any details

 

[cnb]

revolution cross

I've got a revolution cross sport from EBC,which i use to commute 26mile round trip. Most of it on an old railway track and its proving to be ideal, no complaints at all.I was looking at the tricross sport but decided that £500 was enough to spend on a bike that i was basically going to use just for getting to work and back..also the revolution is nicely understated, so less of a thief magnet