Ghostcode

Hi all,

I was originally having difficulty figuring out if I wanted a hard tail 29er or a cyclocross style bike. I'm now leaning the cyclocross direction... Majority of the biking I plan on doing will be on dirt/gravel paths. I also wanted the option to do some group road riding with a simple wheel/tire change.

I have quite a bit of brand loyalty to Cannondale because I used to race them back in college and they treated me well. I've started to look into the CaadX 105 and even the SuperX 105. I'm curious what the community thinks of them, and maybe highlight anything I'm missing. I'm not dead set on Cannondale, but they are very strong considerations to me.

• I'm currently 6'4" 310 pounds, will either bike have any trouble supporting me? I'm not a gentle rider.
• I noticed a lot of people didn't like the breaks on the CaadX, the SuperX seems like it has several upgrades over the CaadX. Worth $390 price difference?
• I'm going to want the beefiest tires possible for the gravel/dirt. Any recommendations of what to look for?
• Competitor bikes to the CaadX/SuperX worth looking at? I surely will consider.

Thanks,
Ghostcode

NormanF

I'd get a gravel road/adventure bike.

A CX geometry just doesn't seem stable on gravel... my last CX bike slid hard on gravel leaving me with a nearly shattered tibia.

I will never go back to CX geometry again.

Ghostcode

Ugh, I just checked out Cannondales gravel bike. The Slate... Looks amazing but now we're talking $2,980 starting price for a 105 bike?

NormanF

Its top of the line... the similar BD Omni Strada Expert goes for a third of that at $999 is more reasonable.

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/disc-brake-roadbikes/omnistrada-expert-discbrake-bike.htm

rms13

There is hardly anything similar about that bike or any other bike to the Slate. The Slat has a lefty suspension fork and 27.5 wheels and tires and I haven't seen any other gravel bikes with that set up. With that said, I paid about $1300 for my DB Haanjo with ultegra and hydraulic discs and I couldn't see any reason to spend 3x+ for a Slate

Ghostcode

I'm honestly not seeing much difference between all these CX, Adventure, Gravel etc bikes. All seems like marketing to me. I'm most interested in the SuperX 105 right now, wasn't sure if anyone had experience with one they could share.

Gus90

Not sure if you ran across this article but I found it relevant to your question OP. Hope it helps.

https://gearjunkie.com/gravel-advent...nce-road-bikes

NormanF

Its not marketing. The difference is CX bikes are racier and more nimble-handling like classic road bikes while gravel road/adventure bikes borrow from the endurance geometry of modern comfort road bikes. So there is a real difference in handling and ride feel. Its a matter of personal preference.

justin1138

@Ghostcode

I'd snap the SuperX up in a heartbeat, assuming I liked the fit and ride. You're not going to find too many full carbon bikes with hydros for under 2k. I can't comment on how the bike would handle under a rider of your size. Given that it's a CX bike though, I'd say it could stand a fair amount of abuse.

And yes, the differences between all the CX/gravel/adventure/etc bikes can be a bit hazy at times. In my opinion, a CX bike would work just fine for all your stated needs.

Good luck.

Ghostcode

Kinda my thoughts as well, I did check the manual. They said 300lbs rider and 30lbs gear - 330 lbs total is the weight limit. I'm also not planning on getting any heavier so I think I should be okay. Appreciate the insight.

fietsbob

RACE cyclocross is mostly a Sprint between tight corners , interrupted by Dismounts ..

Lower end are essentially Drop bar commuter bikes that take racks and Muguards..

lighter than touring , with a shorter wheelbase.

300 pound rider you may ask the dealer to work an exchange of stock for beefier wheels
more spokes rather than less..