CycloCross bikes

Right, I need your advise here.

I've been thinking about a cross bike for general duties and hammering around town as I prefer a fast drop bar bike for commuting and my road bike is out the question as the streets in Edinburgh meant constant truing of the wheels and the mix of cobbles and potholes were murder.

I'm probably going to go with the ride to work scheme so will have a decent budget. My main requirement is a good group set, Tiagra or over, though I realise the price point for 105 or Ultegra is over. I don't want Sora as the shifters are awful. I'd prefer discs but they aren't a deal breaker if it doesn't have them.

I've been looking at the Cannondale CAADX Tiagra, Kona Jake and the Genesis CdF, both the normal one and the Alfine version. Focus do a nice one around £1k but it looks a bit more of a commuter bike with CX tyres. Trek and Specialized are out as they are stingy as hell with their specs. I've also just spotted that Evans are doing the full Croix de Fer for £999.

Does anyone own any of these or know of anyone with experience of them? And any others to put in the mix.

Shop around we got a caadx 105 for £870 from evans cycles , lovely bike. My friend has the older (lighter) CDF nice bike also but quite a lump in weight and I believe the newer ones are heavier, I'd guess over longer distances it would be more comfort than the Caadx though.

Planet X XLS.

Full carbon frame set, Shimano 105 and disks all for £1000.

Thinking I might get one this year. Just can't decide between that and a steel frame like the Croix de Fer and then Campag. :twisted:

The Boardman is worth a look too.

what cheerybomb said.

I bought my CdF on the C2W scheme in 2012, and whilst I do love it (it's still my "go to" bike, everytime) It weighs a ton - 28lbs or thereabouts.

I don't think i'd have changed my mind if I could do it again, but if I was a better rider, it would have been the Planet X.

One of the lads I work with has just ordered the £1800 version with ultegra and the carbon dished wheels. it's a good thing he's a lot taller than me...

I don't own either the cdf or cannondale, but have friends who have each bike. The cannondale owner seems the happier. It's a great frame and fork which can be upgraded to a great lightweight race bike whereas, despite the whole steel is real thing, the cdf owners (and similarly Singular owners I know) have said the bikes feel dead and harsh. For what it's worth I have owned and raced four different cross bikes. One was a steel IF and the others have been aluminium (Ridley, Brodie and Spooky). I much prefer the al bikes. Somehow just nippier.

Take a look at aluminium Ridleys. Brilliant no fuss cross frames. Light and fast. Also have a look at the Guercotti frames/bikes on Planet X. Again brilliant race grade frames. For my money either would be superior in terms of quality and value to the ones you were initially considering.

I'd look also at Paul Milnes Cycles and Elmy Cycles - both are cross specialists and would appear to have what fits the bill.

It's a bit of a minefield out there with cross bikes it seems. Not helped by shops having vast amounts of bikes on their websites but non in the shop for you to actually look at in the flesh. I'm reluctant to spend a lot of money on something I can't even have a test ride on.

The Merida Cyclo Cross 3 is looking pretty good though at £799 with all Tiagra, though it doesn't have a carbon fork which is a minus for me. Also Merlin are doing Sensa bikes which look good but are unknown to me in terms of the brand. They do one that I could upgrade to Mavic wheels and 105 instead of Tiagra and come in at just over £800. Which seems a bargain by anyones standards.

Haven't ridden the ones you mentioned, but last year I brought a CX and did similar research. It seems they are all in the same game of putting generic bars, stems, hubs, rims, spokes, cassette, BB, inner-tubes, tyres, saddle and seat-post at that price point.

My advice would be to select something with a decent frame worth upgrading and try to get value for money on things like the STI shifters, rear mech, brakes, chainset and tyres. Flog the generic stuff and replace sooner than later because it won't last.

I'm starting to ignore the ones I looked at and getting more and more swayed towards a Kinesis Crosslight 5T. It looks like a great bike straight out the box. A guy at a LBS is looking into what kind of build he can do me and keep it below the £1k.

http://www.kinesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/crosslight/five-t

It would have to be the PRO6 in lime green.