[DORO]

Looking for some feedback from some roadies and even some cross racers.
I am thinking about buying a road or cross bike. I want to know if a cross bike can hang w/ the roadies if I ever choose to hop on a group ride.

Will I ever race cross...no

Will I ever race road....no

I am looking for something that I can take for a spin to get rid of those aches I have from trail riding. I was thinking of getting the cross bike just to have a little versatility.

I know nothing about road riding or cross so
Any advise is appreciated.

 

[Heidi]

I would advise cross. I've used mine on group rides and seen other people even race them. You will have to work harder to keep up if they are hammering, but it can be done.

 

[LordOpie]

I was thinking of getting the cross bike just to have a little versatility.

What versatility?

 

[corey_rideDC]

What versatility?

you ever take a road bike on the trails?

 

[LordOpie]

you ever take a road bike on the trails?

I regularly ride my roadie on an unmaintained dirt service road for about two miles.

While I appreciate the strengths of a cx bike, I do think people baby their road bikes too much.

maybe the right bike for Doro is a touring bike? Won't know until he elaborates on uses.

 

[Westy]

I regularly ride my roadie on an unmaintained dirt service road for about two miles.

While I appreciate the strengths of a cx bike, I do think people baby their road bikes too much.

maybe the right bike for Doro is a touring bike? Won't know until he elaborates on uses.

I've done 25 mile section of dirt roads on my roadie. It was on my old roadie that rode very harsh and it beat the living crap out of me. I'm not sure that a CX bike would ride any different over harsh terrain than a nice riding road bike though.

I have a friend that will carry his road bike the 10feet from the road to his car on my gravel driveway.

 

[corey_rideDC]

35mm tires make a big difference. i raced XC on my cx bike this year. i can't imagine bombing down loose, rutted rooty trails on lil road slicks and superlight wheels.

 

[Wumpus]

I like my cross bike because I can put wider tires than roadie frames and brakes usually allow. I do ride some rough dirt roads and the local trails on it too. I agree with LO that a touring bike that is fitted with wider brakes might be the ticket.

 

[LordOpie]

I have a friend that will carry his road bike the 10feet from the road to his car on my gravel driveway.

That's friggin' funny. I would be tempted to trip him or something.

 

[Mr. Hankey]

I road my Steel Frame Schwinn Traveler '85-'88 maybe on a mild MTB course around a local reservoir. I even crossed a few logs on it. It was easy, it was so light I was bunny hoping the logs. I did this on Bontrager Sport 27" tires.

 

[RMR]

Will you actually take the 'cross bike on trails? If so, then a 'crosser is perfect. Pick up a second set of tires for road rides and you can make it almost a full-on road bike in just a few minutes. The ride will be slightly harsh, the BB is maybe an inch higher (handling suffers a tiny bit), and the steering is slower (only an issue when riding in a tight pack), but we're splitting hairs here.

If I had a 'cross bike, I would never use it. I have a road bike that I use on roads and a cross-country bike that I use on trails or mixed trails and roads, though I try to avoid that. Mixed surface rides have little appeal to me; when that happens, I'd rather have a more secure bike on the dirt and a slower ride on pavement than the opposite. If you're like me, then a dedicated road bike is the best choice.

Some people love their 'cross bikes and some have no use for 'em. I'm the latter.

 

[JRogers]

The question of versatility depends more on your local conditions. I have a cross bike and ride it off road sometimes and put on cross tires when riding on the road in the winter (I did when I lived in Vermont, in any case...lots of sand and salt). When I lived in NJ this past year, the trails are rockier than my area of VT and there are less dirt roads, so I didn't feel like I had much use for a cross bike over a road bike. In VT there were tons of dirt roads and easy trails with some grass sections and such out my door, so the cross bike got used a lot for its intended purpose (well, my intended purpose for it, in any case).

I will also say that the difference between a cross bike and a road bike on the road is not much, so long as you have road tires. Yeah, a slight bit heavier (depends mostly on build, though), a bit less aero and a bit less sharp handling, but for the vast majority of recreational riders, these will not make the difference between hanging on and getting dropped.

 

[loco-gringo]

I spent an hour on my CX bike this evening. My average was much slower than the roadie, but I worked just as hard. I also rode some trails that you would not make out with on a roadie. I also wouldn't ride my 17.5 lb roadie on rough stuff. I do suffer on it on long rides.

 

[LordOpie]

Oh yeah, I am totally agree with you. I like my GMC road bike very much. The GMC Yukon XL is a lightweight road racing style bicycle featuring a 6061 Aluminum frame and aero fork. Alloy frames are not only lighter, but are torsionally stiffer and transfer pedaling energy more efficiently to the rear wheel. The Shimano STI Shifters with their integrated brake levers give you excellent control of shifting and braking. This puts gear changing and braking conveniently in one central location. The Yukon XL also sports a light and strong alloy wheelset and Kenda tires for superior traction and excellent braking response. I bought it for $325 online instead of $400. I think it's very suitable for DORO. If interested, click it to get the detail:
http://www.dealstudio.com/searchdeals.php?deal_id=59906
Hope it helps

Did you just try to pass off your spam as an attempt to offer advice?

not to mention pushing a Wal-Mart quality bike on a cycling forum

 

[DORO]

Hey all,

Thanks for the advice. So to clarify versatility I was mainly talking about the tire width and have the option of throwing on knobbies. I already have dh bike, a fr bike, and xc hardtail. The point of me investing in a cross or road bike is to simple spin my legs every once in awhile when dirt is not an option. I live just outside Boston so winter can be rough and the roads as well. It seems like a few local guys I know rip on cross bikes and just carry two sets of wheels..knobbies/slicks.

From what I understand a cross bike is just a relaxed style geometry of a road bike. I'm not very sensitive to weight so thats not my major concern here.

oh...I dont think I will be purchasing the Yukon

 

[LordOpie]

I'd get a bike that looks like a road bike but comes with fenders. Some call them commuter, some call them touring bikes.

But they typically allow bigger tires and if mixed conditions are a possibility, you'll thank me for the fenders.

Jamis Coda Elite comes with disc brakes which would be awesome in snowy/wet conditions. Steel frame with carbon fork.

in a couple of weeks, Raleigh will release info about their 2008 Sojour. It's a touring bike with disc brakes that can easily rock as a roadie, tourer, -and- commuter.

Some will scoff at the suggestion, but these bikes don't weigh that much more than the lightweight roadies. They don't create that much more air drag.

And if you're just out there spinning your legs, you won't notice the difference... just put it one gear easier, no biggie.

 

[JRogers]

Hey all,

Thanks for the advice. So to clarify versatility I was mainly talking about the tire width and have the option of throwing on knobbies. I already have dh bike, a fr bike, and xc hardtail. The point of me investing in a cross or road bike is to simple spin my legs every once in awhile when dirt is not an option. I live just outside Boston so winter can be rough and the roads as well. It seems like a few local guys I know rip on cross bikes and just carry two sets of wheels..knobbies/slicks.

From what I understand a cross bike is just a relaxed style geometry of a road bike. I'm not very sensitive to weight so thats not my major concern here.

oh...I dont think I will be purchasing the Yukon

Yes, cross bikes have different geometry. Some lengths, etc are different, more relaxed angles and higher bb usually. Geometry, tire clearance and cantilever bosses are the big things that differ. Some cross frames will also be designed for easier shoulder carrying with cable routing patterns and sometimes tube shapes. A few dedicated cross bikes lack things like water bottle bosses, but most frames have them.

Stock cross builds also generally have different gearing that road bikes. The conventional change is maybe a slightly larger cassette and a smaller large chainring. I have friends who just put a bigger ring on and get by fine. Some people also run compact gearing or a triple, which will give a bit more range of gears of trails and such.