Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Claud Butler Alto CX9 cyclocross bike

8
£699.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Brilliant fun 'do-it-all' bike with a decent level of kit finish for the money
Weight: 
10,900g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

With its quirky tube profiles and distinguishing paint job the Claud Butler Alto CX9 is as fun as it looks. Whether you're after an entry level cyclo-cross bike or a do it all commuter you're getting a decent package here for your £699. Bring on the mud!

Fun, fun, fun

The biggest surprise for me was how useable the Alto is, on or off road, straight out of the box, semi knobbly tyres and all.

As a commuter I've got plenty of options, A roads, country lanes or canal paths and having the Alto in on test really made think about searching for more as it didn't matter what the surface or terrain was you could take it on without compromising elsewhere.

On road the compact frame is nippy to ride and handles just like a road bike: sharp enough to keep you entertained without being overly twitchy. Even at speeds of over 40mph the handling was very rewarding and never once felt out of control cutting through the corners. This is still with those Kenda Kwick 30mm tyres on too.

Swapping over to a set of 28mm slicks made the Alto ride even better with acceleration and speed that belies its 24lb weight. The gearing offered by the eight speed Claris groupset might only be low at 46/34t (front) and 11/28t (rear) but it's well spaced giving you a decent setup for both climbing and head down efforts on the flat.

Take to the trails and the Alto flatters here too. I'm not an off road novice but to be honest I don't spend much time away from the tarmac. Even in the deepest mud and slippery, tree-rooted bridleways I found I had no trouble keeping the CX9 moving with a bit of bodyweight shifting and power to the pedals. Admittedly the direction was mostly sideways as the tread of the Kendas did become a little overwhelmed when things got too muddy.

It was massively grin inspiring though, and highlighted the Claud Butler as a very useable bike for complete novices who fancy a go on the cyclo-cross scene.

Sensible and robust build kit

The compact frameset is made from 6061 alloy and is easily stiff enough for the job; even on 25% climbs it didn't show any flex around the bottom bracket area. Up front you get a carbon fibre fork which again performs well under steering load and heavy braking efforts from the BB5 mechanical discs.

Apart from the mounts for the discs you also get positions for a rack and full mudguards which all adds to its versatility as a light tourer or all weather commuter.

The welds aren't the smoothest but neither would I expect them to be on a bike of this price or of this ilk. A little bit of agricultural engineering never looks out of place on a machine of this style.

While it's capable as an all rounder you can see the main design intention is for it to be a 'cross machine thanks to its cable routing and top tube profile. You tend to carry your bike a bit in a cyclo-cross race to get over obstacles and the CX9 uses a triangular top tube with a flattened bottom for comfort on your shoulder. The rear mech cable is moved to the top of the tube to stop it digging in too and to keep it out of the mud.

The rear brake and front mech cables run under the down tube with both being fully enclosed to make sure they run smoothly for the duration of a race or on those winter commutes when the roads are strewn in salt and grit.

You get a full Shimano Claris groupset and it's a great bit of kit for the money too offering decent shifting even when it's covered in mud and water. The shifters themselves feel just the same as Sora or even the latest ten speed Tiagra version.

The chainset on a separate bottom bracket with the Octalink spline that was a feature of Shimano's top-end groupsets not very long ago. It's a tight fit and offered plenty of stiffness here.

The rear mech takes on the look of Shimano's more expensive components too. It's easy to set up and stays there too. It'll handle up to a 32-tooth sprocket so you can lower the gearing even further on the Alto if necessary.

The Avid BB5 brakes are a bit on or off for my liking. By that I mean there wasn't much in the way of feel to them, you didn't get much power or feedback from them unless you were hauling on them hard. I missed being able to feather the brakes in traffic like you can with the likes of TRP's Spyre or Hy-Rd setups.

Claud Butler have specced 160mm rotors front and rear so there is certainly plenty of stopping power there should you need it.

You do get additional brake levers on the bars with the Alto to allow stopping and control from any position and they worked well. The power and feeling was the same as it was through the Claris levers so everything felt consistent.

The Exile finishing kit is basic alloy stuff but perfectly capable of everything you ask of it. The bars have a shallow drop and the upright position of the frame allows you to use them even when off road without affecting the handling.

Sturdy wheels and tyres

The wheels are also Exile branded and use 32-hole, disc-specific hubs with sealed bearings. We had a lot of rain over the test period and the hubs were still running smooth and quiet when the bike was finished with so they should stand up to plenty of winter abuse.

The rims are double walled aluminium for strength and considering the abuse they took on and off road they stood up really well indeed. Smashing through potholes with the tyres pumped up hard did little to knock them out of true.

The Kenda tyres are, as I mentioned above decent performers both on and off road though you do have to compromise on pressure to get the best of both worlds. They ran sweetly at 60psi on the road only really giving away 1 mph average to some lighter slicks though on the rougher tracks this would give your wrists a bit of a hammering.

Conclusion

The Alto CX9 is one of those bikes that is just a great laugh to ride whether you use it for CX, some light off road, commuting or just getting out with the family. I personally was always looking for different places to ride just to see if I could find any real weaknesses but there aren't really any. Okay so it's heavy and a dedicated road bike or CX bike in their intended terrain will have the edge but in terms of bang for your buck the Alto is laughing.

It has a very sensible level of kit on offer being well specced for its price point. The Claris groupset is very good indeed and looks good too. The spread of gears don't hamper the bike on the road and the low 34/28 bottom gear makes everything rideable off road.

The geometry of the frame is suited to both terrains and makes for an engaging ride whether tapping along on the flat or taking in the climbs and descents of more hillier regions.

As a one bike does all the Alto is a great buy and coming in £300 below the bike to work scheme it leaves you plenty of spare cash to get some road tyres and even a spare set of wheels.

Verdict

Brilliant fun 'do-it-all' bike with a decent level of kit finish for the money

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Claud Butler Alto CX9

Size tested: 54

About the bike

State the frame and fork material and method of construction. List the components used to build up the bike.

*Frame: 6061 Aluminium Alloy frame

*Fork: Carbon with alloy steerer

*Shifters: Shimano Claris 8spd

*Front mech: Shimano Claris

*Rear mech: Shimano Claris

*Chainset: 46/34T Shimano Claris Octalink

*Brakes: Avid BB5 Mechanical Discs, 160mm Rotors

*Handlebars: Exile alloy

*Stem: Exile Alloy

*Seatpost: Exile Alloy

*Wheelset: Exile 32 spoke, double walled alloy rims

*Cassette: 8spd 11/28t

*Tyres: Kenda Kwick 30c

*Saddle: Exile

Tell us what the bike is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about the bike?

The Alto CX9 is an entry level cyclo cross bike with added versatility built in for mudguards and racks to make it an all rounder for the likes of commuting and light touring. It fills all of these roles well being as engaging to ride on road as it is off.

Frame and fork

Overall rating for frame and fork
 
7/10

Tell us about the build quality and finish of the frame and fork?

A real workhorse of a frame that's built to take a knock or two. An impressive hardwearing paintjob too.

Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork?

The frame uses 6061 alloy tubing while the fork has carbon fibre legs with an alloy steerer tube.

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

Quite upright and short in the top tube which gives it controllable handling off road. There are only three sizes available and Claud Butler don't publish a geometry chart so best to try before you buy.

How was the bike in terms of height and reach? How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size?

A tall front end gives a more relaxed riding position and even though our test model had a 54cm top tube reach was quite short.

Riding the bike

Was the bike comfortable to ride? Tell us how you felt about the ride quality.

The frame is stiff but not overly harsh so comfort is pretty good. With tyres of this volume though their pressure is going to have the most bearing on overall ride quality.

Did the bike feel stiff in the right places? Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too flexible?

Stiffness is pretty good and I certainly didn't feel it was found wanting in the conditions you are likely to ride it in.

How did the bike transfer power? Did it feel efficient?

The heavy wheels and overall weight of the Alto do slow it somewhat but power transfer is pretty good. More responsive off road than on though.

Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel? If so, was it a problem?

Yes and could be a bit of an issue off road.

How would you describe the steering? Was it lively, neutral or unresponsive? Very neutral.

Tell us some more about the handling. How did the bike feel overall? Did it do particular things well or badly?

It's very easy to ride making it perfect for beginners off road or cutting through traffic on the commute.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's comfort? would you recommend any changes?

The tyres govern the comfort to be fair to a larger degree than on a true road bike so playing about with the pressures there keeps things comfort.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's stiffness? would you recommend any changes?

The Claris chainset didn't feel as stiff as the newer thru axle versions but its very minimal.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's efficiency? would you recommend any changes?

The heavy wheels and tyres sap acceleration.

Rate the bike for efficiency of power transfer:
 
7/10
Rate the bike for acceleration:
 
7/10
Rate the bike for sprinting:
 
7/10
Rate the bike for high speed stability:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for cruising speed stability:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for low speed stability:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for flat cornering:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for cornering on descents:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for climbing:
 
7/10

The drivetrain

Rate the drivetrain for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the drivetrain for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the drivetrain for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the drivetrain for value:
 
8/10

Tell us some more about the drivetrain. Anything you particularly did or didn't like? Any components which didn't work well together?

Claris is a very good groupset for the money with shifting that matches the quality of Tiagra. The ratios can be gappy though considering it's only eight-speed.

Wheels and tyres

Rate the wheels and tyres for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the wheels and tyres for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the wheels and tyres for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the wheels and tyres for comfort:
 
7/10
Rate the wheels and tyres for value:
 
8/10

Tell us some more about the wheels and tyres.Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the wheels or tyres? If so, what for?

The Kenda Kwick tyres are great as they don't feel anywhere near as sluggish on the road as I was expecting. They deal with quite large amounts of mud too.

The wheels seemed pretty bulletproof.

Controls

Rate the controls for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the controls for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the controls for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the controls for comfort:
 
8/10
Rate the controls for value:
 
8/10

Tell us some more about the controls. Any particularly good or bad components? How would the controls work for larger or smaller riders?

The Exile components are basic alloy but are all up to the job. I liked the compact shape of the bars.

Your summary

Did you enjoy riding the bike? Yes.

Would you consider buying the bike? Yes.

Would you recommend the bike to a friend? Yes.

Rate the bike overall for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the bike overall for value:
 
8/10

Anything further to say about the bike in conclusion?

The Alto CX9's ride really impressed me considering the overall weight and spec list. It performs with more excitement off road than it does on but being a CX bike that's expected but it's no slouch on the tarmac either.

On the whole if you ride on varying terrains in all sorts of weathers the Alto is a fun all rounder.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: Kinesis T2  My best bike is: Kinesis Aithien

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

 

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

Add new comment

13 comments

Avatar
rusto | 7 years ago
0 likes

I bought one! I wanted a cheap alloy (less corrosion - my other bikes are steel) winter commute/fun bike and these are now £380 from an ebay seller. I built it Friday and did a 100k Audax and some gravel/mud tracks on Saturday in very bad conditions. The bike was fine, super comfortable (fitted 40mm CX tyres - lots of clearance) and nothing broke. It's a bit chunky but quick enough, components are good enough, good brakes and gears - after a wash and service it's even better and I'm happy to nurse the cheaper components along a bit. This review is pretty spot on - of course it's not a serious CX bike but it's a good value tour/commute/gravel/mild CX bike that I don't feel too precious about.

Avatar
Forester | 9 years ago
0 likes

The Genesis CdA 10 is similar but looks better and has better brakes, especially if you switch to Fibrax pads; Genesis aren't promoting it very hard, possibly because it is such good value. No complaints re Claris after 2000 Winter kms and it might still be my go to bike for the Spring Sportives such as the Dorset Coastlet, with a 32 cog on the back.

Avatar
Flying Scot | 9 years ago
0 likes

It can be had for £550 according to google, but the brand is horribly devalued now, which I bet they regret.

Avatar
chokofingrz | 9 years ago
0 likes

On a somewhat random note, why do other peoples' handlebars always look so uncomfortable? In this case, so thin, under-padded and bony-looking. Cycling on that must be like trying to caress Keira Knightley when you could have had Christina Hendricks.

Avatar
Evoermine replied to chokofingrz | 9 years ago
0 likes
chokofingrz wrote:

On a somewhat random note, why do other peoples' handlebars always look so uncomfortable? In this case, so thin, under-padded and bony-looking. Cycling on that must be like trying to caress Keira Knightley when you could have had Christina Hendricks.

I'm gonna have to Google Christina Hendricks now as I've never heard of her.

Avatar
surly_by_name | 9 years ago
0 likes

Its hideously ugly and that top tube looks like it would be miserable to shoulder.

Also - can we come up with another term for bikes like this? It's not a cyclocross bike. It's a bike that - at a stretch - could be used to participate a 'cross race. Although I imagine it would be a pretty unpleasant experience doing so. So "mashing through potholes with the tyres pumped up hard .... " - not really what you want to be doing in a 'cross race. (And "They ran sweetly at 60psi on the road only really giving away 1 mph average to some lighter slicks" - really? A pair of road racing tyres (e.g., Pro4Races) would only be worth an extra mile over an hour?)

The best deal running around right now for a race ready CX bike is the Planet X XLS - the fork is a bit of a boat anchor but you get CX1 and (unlike pretty much every other bike sold as a cyclocross bike) tubs.

Avatar
Lungsofa74yearold | 9 years ago
0 likes

Agree its not great vfm - as joeinpoole says from Evans for same price you can have genesis CDA 10 with better brakes or Arkose 1 with Sora - both as a lot nicer. So to compete they need to knock say $100 off price.

But other key point is how much fun this kind of riding is on this kind of bike - big clearances, disk brakes etc. almost regardless of the bike.

Avatar
SuperG | 9 years ago
0 likes

It's not that bad looking.....grey and orange colour way are ok with me. As 'Evoermine' says 'It'll be discounted soon enough like all bikes'.

You have to go near the top of the Specialized cross range before they look any good. I'd still prefer a Cannondale or Giant cross bike, if you are going to race  1

Avatar
Evoermine | 9 years ago
0 likes

I realise it's easy to criticise brands like Dawes and Claud Butler as they arent 'cool' anymore. But reading that review it sounds like a bloody good bike. Just because it's not a Specialized doesn't mean it's not as good necessarily.

Who pays rrp anyway? It'll be discounted soon enough like all bikes.

Avatar
Joeinpoole | 9 years ago
0 likes

Awful looking bike and very poor value for my money at £699. They've built a cheap, boxy bike that should sell for £450-500 but, having added knobbly tyres and the term 'cyclocross', have supposedly made it a premium product.

On Evans' website there are more than 10 cyclocross bikes that are priced the same or cheaper and all of which I would choose over this Claud Butler offering. Hardly surprising that they are struggling to sell their products if this is the best they can do for £699.

An extra £51 puts you in the saddle of a Specialized Diverge. I can't imagine many folk choosing the Alto over the Diverge.

Avatar
hampstead_bandit | 9 years ago
0 likes

funny that Tandem Group (owner of Claud Butler, Falcon, Boss, Townsend, British Eagle) have made comments in the press that "Britain's Cycling craze is a myth" to explain the poor sales of their brands, as well as blaming Halfords, etc.

Rather than considering their "brands" are, perhaps price uncompetitive, compared to their sharper rivals?

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/sep/19/britain-cycling-craz...

Avatar
joules1975 | 9 years ago
0 likes

So £800 for a frame that looks like it's made out of scaffolding and Shimano Claris ... I know Claud Butler make cheap looking bikes but that's normally cause they are a cheap price.

An extra £100 and you can get a Merida Cyclocross with better frame and Tiagra groupset, a Giant Anyroad comes in at £150 more and I'm sure Specialized do something similar to those at around the £800 mark.

Strikes me that this is falling between stools - not cheap enough given the spec to set it apart from only slightly more expensive alternatives. Either sell it at £600 or less, or improve the frame and spec!

Avatar
Evoermine replied to joules1975 | 9 years ago
0 likes
joules1975 wrote:

So £800 for a frame that looks like it's made out of scaffolding and Shimano Claris ... I know Claud Butler make cheap looking bikes but that's normally cause they are a cheap price.

It's not £800 though is it. It's £699 RRP. Specsavers?

Latest Comments