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CX/Adventure Road Bike Advice

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  • April 13, 2019 at 7:38 pm #29541
    Jamiet361

    Hello all,

    I have around £1000 to spend on a new bike. I’ve been riding around on my £250 hybird for a good few years now, but after having a go on my mates road bike, I’m sold. 

    I love being able to go off-road on my hyrbid, so ideally I’m looking at either a CX or adventure road bike. 

    I’m currently looking at either the Cannondale CAADX Tiagra 2019 or the Boardman CXR 8.9. Totally open to other suggestions however!

    My knowledge of components is…small at best. I’m not sure what the best drivetrains, brakes etc. are at this price point so any advice would be really appriciated. 

    Cheers!

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  • April 16, 2019 at 2:52 pm #939703
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    LastBoyScout

    I was seriously looking at

    I was seriously looking at the Pinnacle range of adventure bikes, but in the end bought a carbon frame CX bike in a clearance sale for not much more.

    Changed the tyres from 32mm knobblies to 28mm slicks and it’s been absolutely fine on the road – done up to 60 miles on it with no issues on comfort.

    No issues, as yet, from the press fit BB, which was my only reservation about it.

    The wheels are, obviously, on the heavy side compared to a pure road bike – I’ll probably get a lighter set at some point.

    The only potential drawback is that it doesn’t have rack mounts, whereas a gravel bike/alu framed CX bike would, but could use some bike packing bags for a bit of light touring.

    April 16, 2019 at 1:14 pm #939701
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    Zermattjohn

    A bike to take a look at is

    A bike to take a look at is the Pinnacle range of gravel/adventure bikes. For the same price as a CAADX you’d get the next level of components (eg, Tiagra rather than Sora) and hydraulic rather than mech discs. They’re Evans own brand so you get a lot more for your money. I got one a few years ago and, other than regretting choosing the model with mechanical TRP Spyre brakes, I love it. it’s a superb bike, I spend more time on it than my £4,000 super-duper carbon bike, it’s just so versatile and fun to ride. You don’t have the ‘brand’ of a big name, but the frame is probably made in the same factory anyway 😉

    April 15, 2019 at 3:04 pm #939699
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    Anonymous

    Have a look at the GT Grade.

    Have a look at the GT Grade. You can get a carbon frame, Tiagra and hydraulic brakes for around £1000

    April 15, 2019 at 11:38 am #939697
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    Zermattjohn

    Whatever you do, don’t budget

    Whatever you do, don’t budget on the brakes. As others here (and in many other forum posts) have said, mechanical TRP Spyre-style disc brakes are ok (at best), but the extra few hundred quid for hydraulic brakes will make your life a lot easier. Off road, in the wet and in the winter, hydraulic disc brakes just make sense. There’s a reason they’re specced on even the cheapest mtbs.

    April 15, 2019 at 11:11 am #939695
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    Drinfinity

    Also look at PlanetX , they

    Also look at PlanetX , they have decent bikes with very high spec for the £

    April 15, 2019 at 10:41 am #939693
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    Anonymous

    If you’re going off road,

    If you’re going off road, definitely get discs.  Quite apart from the better control they give, they’re far more tolerant of your rim being a little wonky after bouncing off too many stones.  TRP Spyre cable disc brakes are adequate but hydraulics are better.  Tiagra gears are adequate but 105 are better; also you might see bikes with SRAM Apex 1x which is lighter and one less thing to adjust/fail.

    I’ve had a Boardman CX bike since 2013 running 25mm slick tyres which I show no mercy and it’s great on all terrains except wet mud; stony paths, leaf-strewn forest floor, grass, road are all fine.  However it has a ‘pressfit’ bottom bracket and both these and the BB30 equivalent (as on the Cannondale) seem to be lucky dip – some people’s will be fine and others will creak and screech and you’ll want to throw them in a river.  I would recommend a bike with a traditional threaded BB for that reason.

    I’ve been seriously considering a new bike and the latest range from Ribble https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-cgr-al/ tick all the boxes for me; otherwise the Pinnacle Arkose from Evans is also worth a look.

    April 14, 2019 at 8:43 am #939691
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    Drinfinity

    You should be able to get

    You should be able to get hydraulic disc brakes at that price point. I agree something which is not a dedicated CX bike would be most versatile. Having said that, I just put some Specialized Roubaix tyres on my cross bike yesterday (Raleigh CX with SRAM Rival disc brakes, SRAM Rival 1x drivetrain , £999 a few years ago) and it was fine on poor road surfaces and dirt tracks for a couple of hour ride.

     

    April 14, 2019 at 4:28 am #939689
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    sjalex

    Hey there, I work on a site

    Hey there, I work on a site (99 Spokes) that helps people compare bikes. We don’t have Boardman bikes (although Chris Boardman is awesome… so we should) but using the Cannondale as a seed bike you can see similar bikes here.

    However, based on your description I might lean more towards an endurance road bike over a cyclocross bike. Endurance bikes tend to have a higher stack/reach ratio and will be more comfortable to ride. Still far more agressive than any hybrid. 

    Here’s a comparision you might be interested in – https://99spokes.com/compare?bikes=cannondale-caadx-tiagra-se-2019,orbea-avant-h30-2019

    Good luck!

     

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