Notices
General Cycling Discussion Have a cycling related question or comment that doesn't fit in one of the other specialty forums? Drop on in and post in here! When possible, please select the forum above that most fits your post!

Road or Cross?

Old 07-19-07, 10:12 AM
  #1  
spencejm
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Columbia, MO
Posts: 126
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Road or Cross?

I've been riding my hybrid on a mix of rails-to-trails paths and paved roads. I'm now looking for a bike with drop bars. I keep going back and forth between a cross bike and a relaxed geometry road bike (think Giant OCR). At my current fitness level I need a triple (trust me) but both of my local shops will configure a new bike however I want. So what do you think? Buy a cross bike and swap to road tires for long paved road rides or a road bike and swap to heavier tires for the trail? I do plan on doing some centuries in the future. To give you an idea of where I'm at, I can do 10 miles on the trail averaging 14 MPH. Ten miles on the road with what most of you would call small dips I can average about 15 - 16 MPH. I have ridden 30 miles on the trail averaging about 12 MPH and that's my longest ride to date. My current bike is an old Trek Multi-Track 720 steel frame.

Thanks for your input.

Joe
spencejm is offline  
Old 07-19-07, 10:20 AM
  #2  
caloso
Senior Member
 
caloso's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 40,865

Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur

Mentioned: 68 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2952 Post(s)
Liked 3,106 Times in 1,417 Posts
What's the surface of the trail like? If it's hard and smooth, you can do it with a road bike without problems. Otherwise, a cross bike might be the thing.
caloso is offline  
Old 07-19-07, 10:34 AM
  #3  
spencejm
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Columbia, MO
Posts: 126
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
The trail surface is usually VERY good. It's normally gravel over hard pack but the gravel is usually swept away by the traffic. You can run into deep gravel at areas that have been repaired but it's usually not bad. I ride mostly on the Katy Trail in Missouri and a few smaller connnecting trails.
spencejm is offline  
Old 07-19-07, 10:36 AM
  #4  
caloso
Senior Member
 
caloso's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Posts: 40,865

Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Canyon Exceed, Specialized Transition, Ellsworth Roots, Ridley Excalibur

Mentioned: 68 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2952 Post(s)
Liked 3,106 Times in 1,417 Posts
In that case, you could get away with either. Pick the one that fits and feels best.
caloso is offline  
Old 07-19-07, 10:49 AM
  #5  
spencejm
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Columbia, MO
Posts: 126
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by caloso
Pick the one that fits and feels best.
ARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!! Why won't anyone make up my mind for me?
spencejm is offline  
Old 07-19-07, 11:17 AM
  #6  
MichaelW
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: England
Posts: 12,948
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 19 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times in 7 Posts
I do a lot of mixed riding on a club-style road bike/light tourer with long drop calipers. It has clearance for 32mm tyres + fenders so can cope with pretty rough surfaces but I find that the calipers are much better than cantilevers on my tourer, they have all the stopping power, lighter action and better modulation.
Make sure the bike has threaded eyelets for rear rack and front fenders , this will be really useful some day.
MichaelW is offline  
Old 07-19-07, 12:09 PM
  #7  
Siu Blue Wind
Homey
 
Siu Blue Wind's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 13,518
Mentioned: 56 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2424 Post(s)
Liked 1,391 Times in 891 Posts
I was stuck in the same dilemma as you. I'm into mtn bikes but wanted something with less resistance, lighter and designed to go faster. The deciding factor was when my nephew told me (he's owns a shop) "Cross bikes don't make good road bikes, nor do they make good mountain bikes." I ended up getting a road bike. You can always put semi slicks on an mtb for those times you want to do a little of both.
Siu Blue Wind is offline  
Old 07-19-07, 02:30 PM
  #8  
Cyclist01012 
Banned.
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,363
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 15 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Ill put my say in for the Cross bike. I find myself riding my xo1 as often if not more then my 5200. I have raced it cross, done fast group rides on the road includeing town line sprints. Week long tours and centurys. A cross bike and 2 sets of wheels its all you really need.
Cyclist01012 is offline  
Old 07-19-07, 03:14 PM
  #9  
markhr
POWERCRANK addict
 
markhr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: North Acton, West London, UK
Posts: 3,783
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
cross

Originally Posted by markhr
The cheapest option is just convert your existing bike but that never stopped anyone from buying a new bike for the sake of it - and don't let it stop you

cyclocross with disc brakes - I am biased

try voodoo, redline, salsa, kona, opus, cannondale, mountaincycle, lemond, norco, etc





__________________
shameless POWERCRANK plug
Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
markhr is offline  
Old 07-19-07, 03:14 PM
  #10  
markhr
POWERCRANK addict
 
markhr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: North Acton, West London, UK
Posts: 3,783
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=322314
__________________
shameless POWERCRANK plug
Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
markhr is offline  
Old 07-19-07, 03:38 PM
  #11  
Nermal
Senior Member
 
Nermal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Farmington, NM
Posts: 2,308

Bikes: Giant Cypress SX

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 79 Post(s)
Liked 10 Times in 6 Posts
You might even consider a touring bike, especially if you have serious hills. They're somewhat similar to a cross, but more gear selections, at least on the bottom end, and typically have a slightly longer top tube.
__________________
Some people are like a Slinky ... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
Nermal is offline  
Old 07-19-07, 03:59 PM
  #12  
markhr
POWERCRANK addict
 
markhr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: North Acton, West London, UK
Posts: 3,783
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Nermal
You might even consider a touring bike, especially if you have serious hills. They're somewhat similar to a cross, but more gear selections, at least on the bottom end, and typically have a slightly longer top tube.
Unless you like laid back, sloow handling, turn to steer bikes avoid touring bikes. They're nice to ride long distance. However, comparing them to cyclocross bikes is like comparing a pickup truck and a motorbike.
__________________
shameless POWERCRANK plug
Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
markhr is offline  
Old 07-19-07, 04:47 PM
  #13  
v1k1ng1001
Gorntastic!
 
v1k1ng1001's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: United States of Mexico
Posts: 3,424
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
siu and milice are both right

it depends on what you envision yourself riding mostly

If you're doing 40%+ r-2-t, then you probably want to get a cyclocross bike and buy a set of tires that will work for you. I'm partial to these avocet cross tires even though they are old-school:





If you're doing mostly road riding, buy a nice road bike. I promise you that, if you do, you'll forget about dirty and dusty trails and fall in love with the smooth roads in your area. Then you can keep your hybrid for the dirt.
__________________
v1k1ng1001 is offline  
Old 07-19-07, 05:13 PM
  #14  
Cyclon
2 Wheel Junkie
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: SoCal
Posts: 352
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Siu Blue Wind
I was stuck in the same dilemma as you. I'm into mtn bikes but wanted something with less resistance, lighter and designed to go faster. The deciding factor was when my nephew told me (he's owns a shop) "Cross bikes don't make good road bikes, nor do they make good mountain bikes." I ended up getting a road bike. You can always put semi slicks on an mtb for those times you want to do a little of both.
I'm coming from the other end of the spectrum. I'm into road bikes. I was kinda set on adding a cyclocross to my collection, but then one of my friends, a MTB'er, says that I should get a MTB instead. Oh the dilema. I had it narrowed down to 2-3 cyclocross models, now mt bikes are in the mix.
Cyclon is offline  
Old 07-19-07, 06:06 PM
  #15  
markhr
POWERCRANK addict
 
markhr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: North Acton, West London, UK
Posts: 3,783
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Cyclon
I'm coming from the other end of the spectrum. I'm into road bikes. I was kinda set on adding a cyclocross to my collection, but then one of my friends, a MTB'er, says that I should get a MTB instead. Oh the dilema. I had it narrowed down to 2-3 cyclocross models, now mt bikes are in the mix.
just test ride the bikes - you (and your wallet) can always walk away.
__________________
shameless POWERCRANK plug
Recommended reading for all cyclists - Cyclecraft - Effective Cycling
Condor Cycles - quite possibly the best bike shop in London
Don't run red lights, wear a helmet, use hand signals, get some cycle lights(front and rear) and, FFS, don't run red lights!
markhr is offline  
Old 07-19-07, 08:33 PM
  #16  
Siu Blue Wind
Homey
 
Siu Blue Wind's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 13,518
Mentioned: 56 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2424 Post(s)
Liked 1,391 Times in 891 Posts
Originally Posted by Cyclon
I'm coming from the other end of the spectrum. I'm into road bikes. I was kinda set on adding a cyclocross to my collection, but then one of my friends, a MTB'er, says that I should get a MTB instead. Oh the dilema. I had it narrowed down to 2-3 cyclocross models, now mt bikes are in the mix.
But once you get a taste of dirt, you may want to be a little more adventurous and go places that a cross bike can't! I'm talking about rocks and roots, perhaps some small drops. Something you might need a nice front suspension on. You will be amazed at what an mtb can do.
Siu Blue Wind is offline  
Old 07-20-07, 05:27 AM
  #17  
KevinF
Keep on climbing
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Marlborough, Massachusetts
Posts: 2,193

Bikes: 2004 Calfee Tetra Pro

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26 Post(s)
Liked 2 Times in 1 Post
Originally Posted by Siu Blue Wind
I was stuck in the same dilemma as you. I'm into mtn bikes but wanted something with less resistance, lighter and designed to go faster. The deciding factor was when my nephew told me (he's owns a shop) "Cross bikes don't make good road bikes, nor do they make good mountain bikes." I ended up getting a road bike. You can always put semi slicks on an mtb for those times you want to do a little of both.
How exactly do cross bikes not make good road bikes? The handling differences between cross bikes and road bikes won't make an iota of difference to the majority of the cycling population. Cross bikes aren't for weight weenies, but again -- that's not most of us.
KevinF is offline  
Old 07-20-07, 09:57 AM
  #18  
ghettocruiser
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Toronto
Posts: 4,063
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I have a road bike and a (slick-tire) mountain bike.

Get the cross bike.
ghettocruiser is offline  
Old 07-20-07, 10:54 AM
  #19  
chephy
Two H's!!! TWO!!!!!
 
chephy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Toronto, ON
Posts: 4,267
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 27 Post(s)
Liked 12 Times in 8 Posts
Originally Posted by spencejm
So what do you think? Buy a cross bike and swap to road tires for long paved road rides or a road bike and swap to heavier tires for the trail?
Most road bikes won't accept very wide tires. I think 28 mm tires is max for most road bikes, and many can't even accept those. It's also a pain to install fenders or racks on road bikes (that's why I bought me a cross bike and not a roadie). I think a cross bike with thinner tires or a touring bike would be a good choice for you.
chephy is offline  
Old 07-20-07, 12:40 PM
  #20  
turtle77
break-beats
 
turtle77's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Pittsburgh
Posts: 143
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I have a Surly Cross Check and it feels not much different than the road bike that it replaced (Specialized Allez comp - hit by a car). Honestly, I feel like, unless you're racing, you don't necessarily need a road bike. I like 'em, but I like my Cross just as much, and I feel like the speed difference is very minimal (and I even have bigger touring wheels on it).

I have also owned mountain bikes and again unless you're doing DEDICATED mountain riding a lot, you'll probably be fine with a cross. BTW, once, while trining for an AIDS ride I did eighty miles on my MTB with slicks one day (just showing that it's possible).

What you get with a cross bike is a lot of flexibility. How you set it up will obviously determine A LOT. Get some drops and a lighter pair of road wheels and you have a perfectly good road bike with slightly relaxed geometry. Get some bigger wheels and a straight bar and go tackle some pretty crazy trails. If you're handy with a wrench, you can do whatever you want, practically whenever you want. I make mine different depending on the seasons.

I hope this helped, rather than confuse more.
turtle77 is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.