Winston15

Hey people, I have been reading up on the Cyclocross bikes this year and I decided to look at one as I sometimes ride on light gravel / sand-dirt mix. I found a OK / less than good condition Fuji Cross Pro (2005) at a pawn shop for a very good price. I have drove towards this bike about 4 times and turned back around as I'm not sure I need it. I own a couple of mountain bikes, a light weigh hybrid, a couple of nice road bikes at this very time. The Fuji isn't mint condition. It has some scratches, needs new cables and a few other bad places / pieces that I may replace if I get the bike. I don't expect to ride it very often but it looks like something I would enjoy if the conditions are right. My question is: Do any of you Cyclocross owners find that your not riding your bike as often as you thought? Does using this bike only a couple of times a year really warrant a purchase? Is there ever a time where you are riding a hybrid / mountain bikes that you wish you had your Cyclocross?

base2 

My mountain bike sucks for gravel. Fat tires roll slow.
My race bike doesn't do loose surfaces. Skinny tires ride, harsh & sink in.

If you can fit at least 32-35mm tires wide on your road bike & don't actually ride gravel, then a dedicated bike is redundant. Conversly, if you do ride logging/forest roads & can't fit the tires, then the new (to you) bike might be a smart investment.

It depends on where you ride too. Some roads are better than others.

chas58

I find I’m not giving my road bike or mountain bike any love after getting a bike similar to that Fuji. I would put as big a tire on the cross bike, and go have some fun (I’m not sure that bike can go bigger than 35mm in the rear & more room at the front. I’d trade in (sell) the hybrid unless you have a strong need for that type of bike.

Road bikes are generally restricted to well maintained roads (I can’t go bigger than 28mm on mine), and mountain bikes are great if my cruising speed is <15mph. The fuji is obviously a lot more aero and agile.

86az135i

I've had a 96 Cannondale R900 (road bike, can't fit anything over a 25mm tire) that I've had now for 15 years since I started biking. 6mo ago, I finally decided I wanted another bike, something newer. Now that I've moved to Phoenix, my ride to work and home has some unpaved packed gravel. The road bike could handle it, but it was rough. So I scouted eBay for a while and found a used 2016 Trek Boone. Picked it up for $1000 shipped. Carbon fiber cyclocross bike. Had all the bells and whistles. Carbon fiber everything, hydraulic disc brakes, tubeless ready wheels, sub 20lbs, ultegra drivetrain, 2x chainring. Had to put a couple dollars into it. Biggest change was going to a larger 38mm tire. Tubeless.

So my verdict? I ride my cyclocross Trek Boone a lot. It's only marginally slower then the Cannondale on smooth roads. I'd say less then 1mph when tires are inflated to 65-70psi. But it's more comfortable. On the packed gravel, it's much faster then the Cannondale. Really I feel like the Trek is just a road bike that can handle a little more. Part of the reason I went with the Boone with the Ultegra groupset is to get the 2 chain-rings. I don't think it's required since I'm usually on the mid gears on the 11-28 cassette, but I wanted to make sure to have all the gearing I wanted.

I've also taken it on some smooth double track mountain biking with 500-1000ft climbs. Air it down to 35-40psi with tubeless. So it's versatile. A mountain bike would probably be faster in some areas where I have to slow down to prevent washing out or when the grade is high where I could use more gearing. But I get a lot of looks from the mountain bikers.

I have no regrets, and now the Cannondale doesn't get used often. But I'll always still keep it, love it.