Dirtbleed

I have a 2018 Crosstrail Elite Size L
29.6 lbs

Jakespaar

Thanks Dirtbleed. I wonder how much lighter a medium would be?

Dirtbleed

No disappointments here. I ride city. Bike was great out of the box.

timgriffin2

With the limestone paths that I've been riding here in Florida on my Crosstrail Sport I've found that the water bottle gets mud splashed onto the mouthpiece. Does anyone use fenders on their Crosstrail for this and have any pics of how they look? Wet sand definitely splashes onto the front sprockets too.

travbikeman

Look at post 805. DougG has some nice fenders.

taz777

Here's a couple of pictures of the front and rear mudguards that I bought a while ago for my CrossTrail. They're clip-on ones and do the job quite nicely.

The front one is attached to the downtube and the rear one clips onto the seatpost.





The front one is an SKS X-Board Downtube Mudguard - Dark Black. Cost was 6.25GBP.

The rear one is an SKS X-Blade Rear 26-27.5" Rear Mudguard - Dark Black. Cost was 12.49GBP.

I've since put a rack and bag on the rear and the rack has an integrated mudguard.

timgriffin2

Thank you

CoastalJ

Howdy folks! Looking at several bikes-- Trek DS2, Roam, Crosstrail. I'm a little concerned about the the Fitness Brain, but I've only experienced it in the LBS lot. I like the lock-out on the other brands, but I'm not sure if that's the deal breaker. Tell me your opinions on this and why the Crosstrail won you over, as compared to the other brands. I'm sorry if the Brain question has been covered-- tried to weed through the thread before posting.

Thanks!

wyd

Just picked up my new Crosstrail today. Can't wait to take it out Sunday for my first ride on the local Rails to Trails with a few friends. I was riding a 2012 Specialized Expedition Sport which was trouble free and a lot of fun but was looking to upgrade to a bike with disc brakes, narrower tires and a little versatile overall. I'm using this new Crosstrail to get out and ride a little more along with using it help in getting in better shape. Working on losing some weight and this is one of the tools I will be using. I have read thru some of the posts but will read thru a lot more since I found this thread. Thanks to In Gear bike shop and Scott for getting me all setup.

taz777

Congratulations and also the best of luck on your weight loss journey. The CrossTrail is marketed as a 'fitness bike' so is ideal for your aims.

Post up some pics if you can - it's be interesting to see how if differs from the 2018 model.

wyd

Thanks. As soon as I get enough posts (need 10 to post pics) I will get a picture of my bike. I did get to take it out with a friend on Sunday on a local Rails to Trails about 25 minutes from my house and we did 15 miles total. To my surprise didn't have any back issues from leaning over a little farther than my Specialized Expedition Sport that I was coming from so that really made me happy. The only changes I think right now will be some handlebars with a 2" to 3" rise in them and I'm pretty sure that will be enough to make the bike even more comfortable for me. I might looking into some clip less pedals that you can either clip in or flip over and ride in normal sneakers. I was looking at some from iSSi. Was checking out the Flip2 or Flip3 ones. Think it would give me the best of both worlds.

travbikeman

I am surprised that Specialized doesn't seem to be putting anything new out for the Crosstrail in the U.S. market. Few years ago, the Crosstrail had many versions from a basic to high level models.

What appears to be selling the best are the Sport and the level below the sport. Too bad, cause the upper level Crosstrails were really nice bikes.

ColonelSanders

I know what you mean.


When my interest in bicycles returned in 2014, Specialized had arguably the best line up of "Dual Sport" bikes of any of the manufacturers.


Even Trek has fallen back a bit in my view in their Dual Sport offerings.


Both I suspect have felt the heat that Giant provides in this segment and possibly from more models in the FX line by Trek, now coming with disc brakes.

DougG

I bought my Crosstrail Comp Disc (highest-end model at the time) in January 2013 when the line was introduced and it continues to serve me well on the type of riding it's intended for. In addition to use mostly on local and statewide paved and unpaved rail-trails, it's gone the length of the Katy Trail in Missouri and ditto the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal Towpath Trail from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. -- twice. I'm on my 3rd road-oriented bike in that same timeframe, but the Crosstrail just keeps going and going. And all it's required mechanically in addition to standard maintenance are normal replacement items: tires, brake pads, chain, etc.

In addition to the seat, my only equipment change was the stem, which I raised a bit (about an inch?) since the standard riding position was just a bit too leaned-over for me, especially given that this isn't a bike that I typically ride "aggressively". I actually put a Forte adjustable stem on that I bought at Performance Bicycle, but am now considering something to raise them even farther (not getting any younger!). I also added a rack for a small trunk bag and have a removable PDW splash guard for riding in known muddy conditions (e.g., the C&O Towpath!).

I am sure that the OP will be happy with his choice. Besides, I haven't seen much out there that I would swap my Crosstrail for. If replaced at all, it will probably be with an e-bike, but that's a whole other discussion...

wyd

Here's my new Crosstrail. Going to get an adjustable stem for it but otherwise at this time don't plan any real changes other than seat to something in the gel kind from Serfas. Really happy with the first ride I did on it and can't wait to get out again once my new stem is installed either today or tomorrow. Really enjoy disc brakes.

wyd

Was wanting to take a little night ride tonight but mother nature is telling me you might not want to do that. The lightning is flashing and the thunder is cracking so no short night ride tonight. I will try again tomorrow night. Want to use my Cygolite Metro and my new Serfas rear light. I have had the Cygolite for about 5 years now but only used it 1 time to try it out and never rode at night so while it's an older light it's basically brand new and with 500 lumens it's plenty bright. Did get my new adjustable stem on my Crosstrail along with my new Cateye Padrone bike computer. I added a new mount for the Cateye that works much better than the stock mount.

travbikeman

Just an FYI, and depending on where in PA you are, these Crosstrails ride great on the Great Allegheny(GAP) and the Pine Creek Rail Trail....also York Heritage Rail Trail....

PA has so many great trails! This region has so many great trails that bikes like these ride great on!

wyd

I'm about 3 hours from Pine Creek Rail Trail. I'm about 5 minutes from Hershey Park. It actually runs by a cabin my aunt and uncle use to have off Route 6 and the trail is about 50 yards thru the woods to the RR that is now the riding trail. I use to fish Pine Creek all the time when I was a kid. My other other aunt and uncle have a place in Germaina that I go to for opening week of trout fishing and in the winter to ice fish on Lyman Lake. Would like to ride it sometime if I get a chance. The scenery is fantastic and I bet in the fall would really be awesome.

travbikeman

It's absolutely beautiful in the fall. I've been trying to get up there at least once a year to go riding that trail. I graduated from Lock Haven University and I have family throughout the central PA area's. Going up there still feels like home.

wyd

So I got to go out for a 15 mile ride today with 2 of my friends. Had a great time up until we made a stop and I had my bike propped up since they don't have kick stands and well it fell over and I got 2 little scratches on it............man did that piss me off. First thing I did when I got home tonight was to order a kick stand for it. Had my bike 2 weeks and has scratches and it bums me out some. For the good from today is my new mount for my Cateye Padrone works great and easily fits on the fat part of my handlebars. I stopped at a shop bike show today and by my surprise they had the Shimano CT5 sneakers I was looking to try on and to my surprise they had the two sizes of them I wanted to try on. I actually ended up liking the smaller size as it just felt so much better overall so picked those up along with some Shimano SH56 cleats that release at more angles than then stock SH51 cleats. I put on my new to me Shimano M324 pedals that I picked up used although they looked like brand new and where 1/2 the price. Put them on my bike and my new sneakers and tried them out and wow they feel great and I can get out of them easily. Total win win for me in this department. It would of been a perfect day if I didn't scratch my bike but great see that my new sneakers, pedals and cleats feel great.

wyd

So Specialized emailed me back about getting some touching up paint and well to say the least it was a not go from them and no paint chip code so I could get a little bit made to fix up those little scratches. They are worried about people stealing their colors, shipping issues and so on. Honestly I'm really disappointed to know you can spend $700 and you can't get a little touch up paint. Next bike I buy I will be checking to see if they are willing to get you touch up paint or not. It's a small thing to some but not actually the customer service I was hoping for. Specialized does get props for emailing me back in day so thank you for at least getting back to me.

hokiefyd 

Unfortunately, this is somewhat common. I have a 2015 Trek Verve with a two-tone black and metallic blue paint scheme, and they could tell me the black was "standard Pantone black" or similar, but they couldn't tell me what the blue was. It would be nice if they would divulge colors to customers -- with them changing nearly every year, I hardly think theft of their intellectual property is a big risk.

wyd

My buddy told me of a place nearby that I can take my bike into they have a setup they can somehow scan the paint and the computer will tell them how much of each color needed to match my color so I think I will be be stopping by the place and checking it out. Your right they do change the colors yearly so find it hard to believe that theft is a huge issue. I know it was my fault but you think I'm asking them to cut off their arm or something like that.

travbikeman

1983, my parents could only afford a 10 speed department store bike for me when I was a kid, a Columbia Blaze (surprised I remember the name so well). But loved the bike even though it was a heavy inexpensive bike. I remember scratching it and mailed the manufacturer asking for touch up paint. They sent me a nice sized can of paint. No questions asked, did not charge me or anything. That is just a department store bike!

I'm very surprised that we cannot even buy touch up paint for bikes from the manufacturers. Even auto manufacturers sell touch up paint, and you know those are very specific paints to the brands.

wyd

Sometimes it's not how much something costs but who it's from knowing how hard they worked to get it for you that makes you really appreciate the item they got for you. Very cool to hear that story and to know that back in the day companies where so much better at customer service but then again you didn't have as many people trying to rip them off as well.

Good thing is I went and bought some carbon fiber looking vinyl wrap for cars and added some of it to my bike. The two small scratches are gone and the carbon fiber looks like it came that way from Specialized so I'm 100% happier now. New kickstand arrives tomorrow so that will stop me having to prop my bike up against stuff all the time.