Originally Posted by
caloso
I rode the local XC race series last year on my CX bike. Results were mixed: won one, had a DNF, some midpack finishes. I was planning to buy a MTB this spring just as everything shut down but I've put it off till next spring. All my buddies are telling me to get a FS, but I think a HT would be more my style.
Trails must have been pretty buffed at the race you won. For me the main limitation when riding a cross bike on trails is you have very little margin for error in the rough stuff. Rocks or roots that would roll over without thinking about on a mountain bike can easily cause you to flat on a cross or gravel bike. Most cross-country trails are perfectly rideable on a cyclocross bike, you just have to go a lot slower and pick your lines a lot more carefully than you would on a MTB. Smooth and flowy trails are super fun on a cross or gravel bike, because you can really rip em up. Sadly, there aren’t many of those in my neck of the woods.