Is a great piece on an excellent category: To that I would add Felt’s F75X at $1699 with Shimano 105 and a decent cyclocross spec. I may even suggest a bending of the price point to mention their $2799 F15X with SRAM Red, among the least expensive SRAM red equipped bikes in the industry.
I loved the inclusion of the Blue cross bike and The $1995 Ridley X-Ride as brands some consumers don’t always consider.
http://www.slowtwitch.com/News/2011_cyclo-cross_bikes_sub_2_500_1837.html
Um, Ridley as a brand people would not consider as a cross bike? What do you think most people associate Ridley with?
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Why would anyone even consider spending near $2500 for a cross bike? They get completely trashed in mud, sand, rain, etc. It seems like be definition you should try to put together some type of beater.
I am a little baffled as to how the Motobecane was left out. Best value out there.
There are quite a few other bikes that fell into that category and the idea was to highlight a few bikes sub $2500. We actually never claimed that these were the only bikes in that category. Scott USA, Trek, Stevens, Jamis and Fuji are also brands that have nice bikes below $2500.
Later this week a selection of cross bikes above $2500 and next year we’ll do actual reviews of a few bikes in the various price categories.
Then in the new year we are covering mountain bikes.
Why on earth would you consider a Belgian brand that’s won five of the last six cyclocross world championships. That’s just foolishness…
Why on earth would you consider a Belgian brand that’s won five of the last six cyclocross world championships.
Three of the last six, if you’re talking about Elites 
Ridley
Stevens
Colnago
Ridley
Ridley
Colnago
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Some cyclists treat the rest of the year as training for CX; if it’s your main discipline why not? In the world of competitive bike racing $2500 is pretty reasonable.
And while Ridley is prehaps THE name for those in the know as far as CX goes I have to assume Tom meant that they’re not Trek, Specialized, Giant (BIG box brands) and therefore if you’re a tri geek unfamiliar with CX it may not be familiar to you.
They get completely trashed in mud, sand, rain, etc.
Where do you train/live?
That’s what our road/tri bikes have to deal with riding on the roads!! 
I’ve found the purchase of a CX bike one of the best purchases over the past few years. My road selection on ling rides has increased as I now ride dirt roads that I didn’t previously think about, the slacker geometry is more comfortable for longer rides and an improvement in handling skills from riding on the dirt can never be replaced.
My only problem was that I bought a frame that was too small, so I’ve had to buy another larger, but it did not deter the fun. If you wanna pay less, you an always buy used, like this one:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=3117632;search_string=;#3117632
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I’ve found the purchase of a CX bike one of the best purchases over the past few years. My road selection on ling rides has increased as I now ride dirt roads that I didn’t previously think about, the slacker geometry is more comfortable for longer rides and an improvement in handling skills from riding on the dirt can never be replaced.
My only problem was that I bought a frame that was too small, so I’ve had to buy another larger, but it did not deter the fun. If you wanna pay less, you an always buy used, like this one:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/...rch_string=;#3117632
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I love that frame, I would buy it if it was smaller.
So I’m picking up a Crux next week instead.
x2
I’ve been on a fantom Cross Ti for 2 or three seasons now and it rocks. Back when I bought it it was only $1700 shipped and came with full Ultegra spec and Ritchey wheels. can’t be beat.
I’m with yoda on this one…I can’t see how high end components would be of much help in a cross race. If that’s what you want to spend your money on then, by all means, go for it. But, unless you are a pro who isn’t paying for the equipment, it seems like a waste of money. I think I paid $1000 for my cross bike, and based on the races I’ve done this fall, i’m damn glad I didn’t pay 1 cent more.
But, I’m sure there are those on slowtwitch who would be more than happy to spend well over $2500 on a cross bike…only to get dusted by a guy on a 15 year old beater. Cross is certainly not about the bike.
The Giant TCX series (TCX0,TCX1 and TCX2) seems like it belongs too? Very good bang for the buck there.
Hey Herbert
Great review on the CX bikes.
How about some discussion on the application of Disc Brakes to the Cross world? Possibly add some insight whether manufacturers will add disc tabs to their frames?
Thanks
DB
How about some discussion on the application of Disc Brakes to the Cross world? Possibly add some insight whether manufacturers will add disc tabs to their frames?
Thanks
DBI’m not Herbert but…
They’ve always been an option to non UCI racers and people using them as a dirt road bike.
They’re not needed at the UCI level but they’ll be there because they’re the latest and greatest next big thing and it will help get new frames out the door to consumers who won’t use them at a UCI event, ever, but will actually be using them as a dirt road bike where the benefits make some sort of sense.
Multiple manufacturers have had disc brake tabbed frames available for multiple years prior to the UCI ruling. Trek(by way of LeMond) and Redline off the top of my head. There may be more or that may be it.
I’m with yoda on this one…I can’t see how high end components would be of much help in a cross race. If that’s what you want to spend your money on then, by all means, go for it. But, unless you are a pro who isn’t paying for the equipment, it seems like a waste of money. I think I paid $1000 for my cross bike, and based on the races I’ve done this fall, i’m damn glad I didn’t pay 1 cent more.
But, I’m sure there are those on slowtwitch who would be more than happy to spend well over $2500 on a cross bike…only to get dusted by a guy on a 15 year old beater. Cross is certainly not about the bike.
I bought an aluminum Crux frameset and built it up with Rival so I don’t feel the need to justify any “high end components” (though I did splurge on Shorty Ultimates for bling) - I’m also glad I don’t have a carbon bike after the spills I took this year. This is such a dead horse but your exact argument can be applied to bikes in any discipline; its almost never about the bike. However, in cx more than most disciplines components (and their resilience in mud) can make a difference in your race outcome. Don’t hate.
A good cross bike makes a difference- especially if you are racing cyclocross. It is like any other type of racing: The right fit and frame geometry (for cross, tight, accurate handling, ease of shouldering the bike, high bottom bracket for jumping barriers, etc.) can save you seconds per lap.
There are really two categories of cross bike users: The “beater” category who does occasional races and mostly uses the bike for a “sport utility” bike and the dedicated 'cross racer who often owns at least two identical bikes and keeps one in the “pit” at cross races where he/she can do a bike swap between very muddy laps while their “crew” hoses the bike off to perform another bike swap the next time around so the racer is always on a clean, light bike without mud caked on.
The $2500+ category is the domain of the dedicated cyclocross racer. I got top three (I think I was second…) in the Masters State Cyclocross Championships quite a few years ago and wrote this on the sport duirng that season:
http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/features/cyclocross.shtml
We raced on Felts, Ridley’s we bought from Stu at Cyclocross World (he was the only guy we could get the Ridley 'Cross bikes from), Colnagos, Cannondales and Redlines- an original in the value-oriented cyclocross line.
It’s like any other kind of racing: The nice equipment can make a difference. Stuff like Cyfac brakes, carbon fiber chainring guards, double sets of brake levers, etc.- it is all the same as Disk wheels and power meters in triathlon.
Here is a link to Stu’s website, Cyclocross World.com. Check out the “Bikes of the Stars” gallery:
The Lynskey ProCross has disc brakes but time will tell how many manufacturers will see that as an option.
http://www.lynskeyperformance.com/a/pages/frames-products/cyclocross/procross.php