Help Me Pick My Cyclocross Bike

PH · February 21, 2005, 9:24pm

I am seriously considering a cyclocross bike as an additional training tool. Not wild about mountain bikes but I really like the idea of long rides on gravel/dirt/access roads hence the cyclocross bike. I think I have it narrowed down to a few bikes that range from reasonably affordable to seriously expensive. For purposes of this discussion lets keep it to just frame and fork since I have most of what I need to build the bike.

Airborne Carpe Diem AL (aluminum frame/carbon fork) … $575.00
Redline Conquest Pro (aluminum frame/aluminum fork) … $499.00
Alan X33 Carbon (carbon frame/carbon fork) … $988.88
Airborne Carpe Diem (titanium frame/carbon fork) … $1,199.99
Calfee Luna Cross (carbon frame/carbon fork) … $2,245.00

Thanks,

Pete

GregX · February 21, 2005, 9:26pm

I have a Redline without cantilever studs (this is intentional).

Get whatever you like and is appropriate to your budget. But get something with front and rear disc brake compatibility.

just_jack · February 21, 2005, 9:27pm

Cross bikes get ridden hard and in bad conditions. I’d get a cheaper one, instead of an expensive frame. The Redline is very nice for the $$, proven and has good geometry for a cross bike.

Dudaddy · February 21, 2005, 9:36pm

For the money I am very pleased with my Redline Conquest, probably my favorite of my 5 bikes to ride. Be advised though, they run at least one size too big. My “58cm” actually measures 63cm c-t.http://www.bloomington.in.us/~bikedoc/www.htm

Good prices at the link above

TBinMT · February 21, 2005, 9:53pm

What, no steel? Do they still make the Lemond Propad? Kona and Jamis make good less-expensive frames, too. My Jamis works just fine on gravel and fire roads. I’ve always wanted a Ritchey … Whatever, it’s all good. Cross bikes are worth it if you use 'em.

Hickory · February 21, 2005, 9:53pm

My cross bike (in addition to being raced) is my grocery/errand bike, hauls my kids around, has ridden centuries, and has taken lots of abuse. It’s an el cheapo aluminum. If I was going to drop the kind of coin you’re talking about, I’d definitely go with steel - lots of cool small builders out there. Check out Kirk, Gunnar, Ind Fab, Steelman, etc.

smokencoke · February 21, 2005, 10:08pm

Redlines are nice.
How about an On One El pompino?
Single speed, steel, cross geo., and tuff as nails. what more could you want??

PH · February 21, 2005, 10:28pm

At the risk of looking really stupid, I’ll bite why disc brakes v cantilever brakes?

GregX · February 21, 2005, 10:32pm

Not a stupid question.

For those of us brave enough (or dumb enough?) to ride in the rain on roads, discs (I use avid mechanicals) work exceedingly well in the wet. And off road, they stop the bike without having to plow through an inch of mud on your rims.

PH · February 21, 2005, 10:34pm

Thanks everyone. As to price, I am probably going to stay at the lower end. But man the Calfee is a sweet frame, just way too expensive for what I am going to be using it for. As to the steel questions/suggestions, I just could not find that many when I did my initial searches/research.

PH · February 21, 2005, 10:36pm

Got it, makes perfect sense. Next question, does that mean that I have to buy a set of wheels that have hubs that accept discs? They attach to the hubs, right?

GregX · February 21, 2005, 10:53pm

Yes, but they are not expensive.

And disc-compatible MTB hubs won’t work on cyclocross or road Redlines–the rear hub is 5 mm too wide. Velomax makes the only road, disc-compatible (and rim brake-compatible) wheelset set I know of called the ‘sagitta’. That is what I have. The set is not on their website, but they are still made. Call them direct or a dealer and they can order them. Or so I think.

DavidK · February 22, 2005, 12:01am

How about a Kona Jake the Snake? I really like mine.

I would go cheaper as opposed to pricier when buying a cross bike. As for disc brakes, maybe others ride in gnarlier conditions, but I have not needed them yet and have rideen/raced in mud, snow, wet grass, pavement, etc. I would stick with cantis until disc brakeas are standard issue on road and tri bikes so you can switch wheels around.

The Redline’s I have seenhave looked very nice.

You wil probably love any cross bike you get.

David K

t-t-n · February 22, 2005, 12:06am

sliding nicely into the middle price point, but riding WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY better than the redline or any other alu 'cross bike ( important for a trainer . . . ) would be a gunnar crosshairs.

also, voodoo makes a cheap, nice riding steel 'crosser - ridden to glory with style by the www.drunkcyclist.com cycling team !

greyham · February 22, 2005, 12:14am

Hey man, there’s a few other options regarding the hubs/wheels…

You can pick up a cheap hub like a deore or something (assuming that you’re using shimano) and then hit the local shop to order/give you a 105 axle. Now, i don’t have the shimano spec sheet right here, so this exact combo might work, but the idea is that you simply need to respace a 130mm mtb. hub to 135mm using a road axle. Very easily done. In addition, consult the above manufactures, but quite often cross framesets will be spaced to 132.5 mm’s so that you can use either 135 or 130mm hubs.

In regards to prebuilt wheels, there is another sol’n as well. Mavic speed city’s are pretty nice for cross, but again I wouldn’t ride a prebuilt for your smashing bike.

I’ll throw my hat into the redline ring…in addition to being a killer deal, its also got excellent geometry, which is often the bane of what could otherwise be a nice cross bike. Just watch out for the seriously hardcore stuff like no water bottle bosses, which is useless for anything other than pure racing.

In an unrelated matter, i once tried to ride my cross bike up a tree when i had a mighty large amount of a malted BEvERage in me. It was a large oak tree with big roots that had a lovely radius of curverature, closely matching a 700c wheel. So i got a head of steam, and opted for the drops cause i’m a hammer. I big ringed it right into that bugger, and up i went…

I hit about 45 degree angle, and my front wheel slipped, i came down like Meatloaf on the front end of my jake.

The next morning i figured I’d have a flat GL330 on the front of my bike, but all i’d done was tear the glue off the underside of the tire. Rock on tubulars.

The moral of the story, beer, wet trees, and campy equiped cross bikes don’t mix.

PH · February 22, 2005, 12:29am

Man that story brings back memories of things that happened in college…Good Times!

Todder · February 22, 2005, 12:39am

The only problem with disk brakes on a cross bike is that they are not legal for racing under UCI rules. I believe that the USCF is following this rule beginning in 2005 or 2006. Just something to think about.

PH · February 22, 2005, 1:08am

Todder, thanks. While I can see the value in discs I think I had already made the decision to go with cantilevers just so I could have more wheel options.

speedskater · February 22, 2005, 1:33am

I’ve got a Redline, and use it as a commuter bike… it rocks, but it does run big… I got a 55cm (normal road frame size for me) and it is almost too big. I should of gotten a 53.
It has gotten me to downtown Houston from my suburan house and back many times.

bri

Diesel · February 22, 2005, 1:33am

The Alan frame is very nice…

I would feel bad if I didn’t mention the Felt’s F1X is a silky smooth riding CX bike…and available as a f/f combo.

I’d steer you towards a carbon fork. Of course that a generalization, but I’ve found my CX bike gets MUCH more use than I ever originally thought, thus justifying all the upgrades I made.

2cents