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CX Bike - what would you choose?

My old 1992 Kona Fire Mountain has made its final down payment on its Spanish holiday villa and is retiring (well figuratively speaking). I need to get myself a new steed for the next 23 years and have opted for a CX bike as I have a road bike, but need something which can deal with changing surfaces which I can commute on.

I'm looking at the Crux, Crockett and Terra-X, but would be happy to hear others thoughts on what they think. I want something a bit racy (I tried a Tricross and could not see myself or anyone enjoying riding it).

Thoughts please:

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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26 comments

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joebee9870 | 9 years ago
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Genesis cdf build it yourself in bronze. 105 groupset. mavic disc wheels, etc

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jaymack | 9 years ago
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You could try a Qoroz cross-won, bespoke titanium at reasonable price. I've had mine a couple of years and it's fantastic, all the braze ons you need, disk brakes and a super smooth ride...and tough enough to survive the kind of spill that presently has me off of work and in a whole world of pain

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Colin Peyresourde | 9 years ago
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Well I made my decision. Thank you for all the advice. It was interesting to hear the different opinions and also view the bikes you all talked so enthusiastically about.

In the end I went for a Condor Terra-X. Having both a bike fitting and the choice of putting together the bike I need were the main deciding factors.

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Cyclist | 9 years ago
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Colnago World Cup.... Canti or disc. Great prices on the 2013/14 at the mo.

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SideBurn | 9 years ago
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Cannondale caadx; have just bought one  21 Not sure if it is the bike or the disks that I am in love with!

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HalfWheeler | 9 years ago
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Cube Cross Race Disc. Gorgeous colour scheme and amazing value for the money (Shimano 105, 11 speed, Fulcrum wheels for £999).

Mudguard eyelets and front pannier rack boss if you want to convert it into a commute/tourer bike.

They're pretty much sold out though. I think I got the last 53cm in the country a week ago, took me ages to source. If you're a 56cm or bigger you might get lucky...

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Argos74 | 9 years ago
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If money's no object, the On-One Pickenflick. Everything you'd want except mudguard and rack eyelets. Ti frame to last 23 years and leave in your inheritance to lucky great grandchild. Now with added hydraulic brakes.

If I had the money to splash around, I'd walk to Sheffield with the cash, and carry it back through Snake Pass in the snow.

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Mrmiik | 9 years ago
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Focus Mares are worth a look. I've got a Mares AX 1.0. Also the kinesis pro6 is fantastic.

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CapriciousZephyr | 9 years ago
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You don't comment on your budget, but it sounds like the Kinesis Tripster ATR might be a good fit for the type of riding you describe. Being Ti, it should also last those 23 years.

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nigsbrown | 9 years ago
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focus mares CX 2.0  26

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The Finn | 9 years ago
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Bought me a Sensa Fermo SL Expert. I can recommened this bike- good specs (with Ultegra) and frame. Excellent value for the money in my opinion; and nice looking as well. The only negative I have are the brakes. In our Finnish climate, snowy and even icy conditions, I would prefer some other option than the cantis provided with the bike. Anyway, I've been riding in the cold, snow and rain and the bike has been working without any problems. The bike handles well in all situations and weather.

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mtbtomo | 9 years ago
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I've just got a Pinnacle Arkose 4. Not a pure CX bike but you can't get hydraulic discs on many other drop barred bikes for £1250....

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Joselito | 9 years ago
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+1 for the Croix de Fer but the 2015 CdF10, in red.

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twowheeltoys | 9 years ago
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I bought the Lapierre Carbon CX 2015 model and am loving it. Geometry still racy as intended as more of a race bike than cx/commuter. Looks brilliant in it’s FDJ livery and has the option for both cantis and discs. Was not sure about the use of 10 speed 105 groupset when the new 11 speed is available but the gearchanges are brilliant (have owned Ultegra and Dura Ace in past), I put this down to the (different to usual) cable routing and 10 tooth difference on front chainrings.
Sizing might be something to watch though, at 5' 10" I bought the Large (57) as recommended on website (I would be a Medium 52 on road range) and there is not a lot of seatpost showing. More important to me is the reach as I have f.long arms and the Lapierre’s reach is much the same as a 56 CAAD10 and 54 Merida race bike I have owned.

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Kapelmuur | 9 years ago
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It's a pity that so many good bikes are finished in either black or white, so boring.

The priority for my next bike is that it is painted a cheerful, bright colour.

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bobinski | 9 years ago
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Kinesis pro 6 here with 105 11 speed, Handbuilt H&son wheels and B7's with 35 mm tyres. Very racey and nippy even with guards and a hub dynamo and lights. I missed out on the sick green colour but have the retro browney red. It looks quite classy esp with silver rims. Its a really enjoyable ride and only a desire for a "best bike" leaves me looking at the Cannondale Synapse and waiting for the Mason disc road bikes to be revealed.

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ajvb65 | 9 years ago
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I recently bought a Planet X XLS 2nd hand to use as my winter / commute bike & am delighted with it. Really nice to ride & very responsive.

I've had a Tricross & Boardman CX in the past & although they are both nice bikes (esp. the Boardman) there is no comparison to the PX. I enjoy riding the PX whereas the other 2 were a chore.

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badback | 9 years ago
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Got a Boardman CX. Don't rate the BB5 brakes as they are a faff but besides that it's absolutely bob on. Mrs has a Revolution Cross from Edinburgh Bikes and that's ok too.

(I also have had a Tricross for five years and it's now relegated to my touring and winter bike - it's not that bad really !)

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Mombee | 9 years ago
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I've just bought a Cannondale CAADX Disc and it's fantastic. I needed a winter road bike to save my Bianchi from the depths of winter, and the CAADX is ticking all the boxes - winter training rides cover the normal routes, plus muddy back lanes and by-ways, all traffic free.
I went for the Sora version to keep costs down, but a 105 version would shave about 1kg off the overall weight. I was also lucky that the prices (at Westbrook Cycles) dipped slightly around Christmas, so I got for under £700 (not the RRP of £799), which I reckon was a bargain.
The Sora groupset is pretty good for a 9-speed and the Render brakes are impressive. Riding position is good for me, but I prefer a 'race' position over a 'sportif' style… but you do need to get properly sized, as you'll probably need a smaller CX frame than your road bike. I'm still tweaking the set-up, but there are some initial thoughts here… http://mombee.com/gear-reviews-clothing-bikes/bikes/cannondale-caadx-sor...

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jellysticks | 9 years ago
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The Trek Crossrip Ltd is superb - admittedly I got a good deal but it's excellent for commuting, cx and road cruising. It's not the lightest or most aggressive all-out crosser but it's really comfortable, wide (32mm) tyres, 105/Tiagra mix, TRP HyRd brakes (excellent), carbon fork, and sensible touches like:

- notch in the seat collar facing forwards, not backwards to collect dirt.
- rack, guard, and 2x bottle bosses
- mostly internal cabling
- tubeless ready disc wheels
- rear caliper mounted inside chainstay/seatstay angle

Also comes with crosstop brake levers - I wasn't convinced at first but actually very useful, especially commuting through traffic!

Overall I am a big fan, despite my overall preference for a horizonal top tube...

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SamShaw | 9 years ago
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I'd go for something with hydro discs if you can afford it, a couple of mates have TRP HY/RD callipers with cable brake shifters and rate them highly. One of them upgraded from cable discs and reckons the difference is huge.

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dafyddp | 9 years ago
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I've been looking at getting one too. In my view, I want something that's distinctly different from my road bikes, meaning bosses for a rack (so I can do some touring), disc brakes and a steel frame. For my budget (around the £850 - £1200 mark), I'm drawn towards a Croix de Fer.

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Martin Thomas | 9 years ago
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The Rose, Canyon and Boardman CX options are all worth exploring I'd say.

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Ghostie | 9 years ago
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I bought a cheap CX-type bike last year and while it's been fine, I'm already eyeing up something better for the future with the hope/plan of buying one later in the year. After a long preliminary look, I have narrowed options down to Rose Bikes. Seem incredible value, good spec (Ultegra) and appear to be the lightest among the bikes that I have seen at the price(s).

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CXR94Di2 | 9 years ago
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Kona jake the snake is a nice bike, my daughter has one, vivid green. Boardman do a range of cx bikes

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mattm | 9 years ago
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I bought a cannondale caadx 12 months ago and haven't regretted it

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