Road Bike v CX Bike
Discussion
I'm so close to buying a Road Bike at the moment, but have a voice in the back of my head saying get a CX bike, it'll be more fun...
What I want to know is how much slower will a CX bike be over a road bike, will distances be covered in the same relative ease as a road bike?
I like the idea if being able to just shoot off down a footpath/track midway through a ride etc.
I was going to buy the Road bike just as a fitness tool to go a bit further on (currently ride MTB's) maybe do a few sportives etc.
I would consider a second set of wheels (for slicks) if / when budget allowed, will look around £1k mark but don't know what's out there.. Is sizing the same as road bikes? My previous road bike was a 56cm which maybe could have done with being slightly bigger...
What I want to know is how much slower will a CX bike be over a road bike, will distances be covered in the same relative ease as a road bike?
I like the idea if being able to just shoot off down a footpath/track midway through a ride etc.
I was going to buy the Road bike just as a fitness tool to go a bit further on (currently ride MTB's) maybe do a few sportives etc.
I would consider a second set of wheels (for slicks) if / when budget allowed, will look around £1k mark but don't know what's out there.. Is sizing the same as road bikes? My previous road bike was a 56cm which maybe could have done with being slightly bigger...
Its difficult to directly compare as there are so many variables
A road bike vs a CX bike with semi slicks/knobblies will be noticeable
A road bike vs a CX with slicks on (same as the road bike) will be minimal.
It also depends on time of year/your fitness/how hard you ride
CX bikes often have different gearing, which can grate on roads
CX bikes often different Geo which would be worth bearing in mind.
If you want best of both, it can be done with 2 x sets of wheels , or even just two sets of tyres.
A road bike vs a CX bike with semi slicks/knobblies will be noticeable
A road bike vs a CX with slicks on (same as the road bike) will be minimal.
It also depends on time of year/your fitness/how hard you ride
CX bikes often have different gearing, which can grate on roads
CX bikes often different Geo which would be worth bearing in mind.
If you want best of both, it can be done with 2 x sets of wheels , or even just two sets of tyres.
Edited by TwistingMyMelon on Monday 23 February 12:46
It also depends on the terrain you are going off road on. Some canal towpaths can be negotiated on a road bike, with care. Some CX bikes are no good off road; a friend of mine did an event last year which on paper was designed for a CX bike (a mix of 60% road, 30% unmade roads and 10% proper off road trails on the South Downs) but the South Downs bit wrecked his tyres. I think he had 3 punctures in about 20 minutes of riding and had to abandon. Perhaps he was unlucky, the tyres may have been biased to road and a set of CX tyres may have been fine, but for me I am happy with a proper road bike and a proper MTB.
My current fleet includes a 29er XC bike which I currently do quit a few miles on but mixed road / off road - it works well which is why my initial thoughts were towards the Road bike...
I've been toying with the idea of making my 29er more "playful" but on the the proviso I'd sell my 26" bike but currently I'm struggling to bring myself to do that...
I've been toying with the idea of making my 29er more "playful" but on the the proviso I'd sell my 26" bike but currently I'm struggling to bring myself to do that...
I have a road bike and a CX bike. My plan was to use the CX as a winter bike so I could save my shiney carbon. Since buying the CX the road bike has been out twice in 2 years. I love the CX bike. I ride it to work on the road and canal path. The thing I notice is I run at 50 to 60 psi and thats a bit slow on the road. Over 16 miles its about a 2 min difference. Ive bought another set of rims for road tyres and thats the main reason for redundant road bike. Best thing about the CX bike is when you have done 20 miles on road spot a track you can disappear up it. Buy a CX, you wont regret it!!!
I've used my CX bike for commuting, grocery getting, group rides, off road training, on road training.
They're wonderful things.
I have set mine up with standard STI shifters and Tektro mini-V brakes, the thing stops fantastically well.
One thing to bear in mind is that (on mine at least) running it with skinny (622/23) road tyres is fairly uncomfortable. The thing is so overbuilt that it is massively stiff (Quantec Aluminium) so you really need a 622/28 tyre to enjoy it on the tarmac.
All in my experience of course.
Finally, if looking at the budget end of the market for a disc-brake equipped CX bike be aware that some of the cheaper calipers are a right ar5e to set up nicely.
They're wonderful things.
I have set mine up with standard STI shifters and Tektro mini-V brakes, the thing stops fantastically well.
One thing to bear in mind is that (on mine at least) running it with skinny (622/23) road tyres is fairly uncomfortable. The thing is so overbuilt that it is massively stiff (Quantec Aluminium) so you really need a 622/28 tyre to enjoy it on the tarmac.
All in my experience of course.
Finally, if looking at the budget end of the market for a disc-brake equipped CX bike be aware that some of the cheaper calipers are a right ar5e to set up nicely.
I bought a CX as a winter road bike.
With a change of tyres to 25c gators (later 28c 4 seasons) it was brilliant.
There were downsides and upsides but I do still love the bike.
- Makes a great all round commuter on slicks.
- High BB and relaxed geomtry that make it useable offroad also work well in urban settings.
- Big tyres deal very well with potholes and give a comfy ride.
- Disc brakes - they work. All the time, all the weather still all the brakes. A BIG plus point.
I bought a second winter bike as the CX was sidelined by a crash and it's since been returned to offroad spec and was raced last season - did quite well all things considered.
Here's the downsides
- Its heavy.
Compared to a same-spec pure road bike, a disc braked CX normally carries another KG or two.
That's about it.
It's not quite as quick as a pure road bike, it's compromises that make it so useable offroad (and the same things that make it a great commuter) add weight.
More heavily built wheels, frame and fork count for a lot of it, as do th3e bigger tyres.
I know a couple of people who coverted their CX bikes into tourers for Audaxing and then back to mud spec for racing.
There's not much to it other than swapping a few gear ratios, wheels and tyres. Take the bottle cages off and the light and mudguard mounts and it's a CX bike again.
For "one bike to do everything" the CX ticks the boxes.
Like all do-it-all setups of any kind it loses out to the specialists. Not as light or quick as a dedicated road bike at the same spec (and I sure wouldnt want to race one on the road or a crit circuit) but still more than quick enough for club rides, touring, commuting etc on the right tyres.
Offroad it's not as capable as an mtb, but it's quicker over a lot of traditional mtb terrain (canal paths, dirt roads, most green lanes and bridleways etc)
With a change of tyres to 25c gators (later 28c 4 seasons) it was brilliant.
There were downsides and upsides but I do still love the bike.
- Makes a great all round commuter on slicks.
- High BB and relaxed geomtry that make it useable offroad also work well in urban settings.
- Big tyres deal very well with potholes and give a comfy ride.
- Disc brakes - they work. All the time, all the weather still all the brakes. A BIG plus point.
I bought a second winter bike as the CX was sidelined by a crash and it's since been returned to offroad spec and was raced last season - did quite well all things considered.
Here's the downsides
- Its heavy.
Compared to a same-spec pure road bike, a disc braked CX normally carries another KG or two.
That's about it.
It's not quite as quick as a pure road bike, it's compromises that make it so useable offroad (and the same things that make it a great commuter) add weight.
More heavily built wheels, frame and fork count for a lot of it, as do th3e bigger tyres.
I know a couple of people who coverted their CX bikes into tourers for Audaxing and then back to mud spec for racing.
There's not much to it other than swapping a few gear ratios, wheels and tyres. Take the bottle cages off and the light and mudguard mounts and it's a CX bike again.
For "one bike to do everything" the CX ticks the boxes.
Like all do-it-all setups of any kind it loses out to the specialists. Not as light or quick as a dedicated road bike at the same spec (and I sure wouldnt want to race one on the road or a crit circuit) but still more than quick enough for club rides, touring, commuting etc on the right tyres.
Offroad it's not as capable as an mtb, but it's quicker over a lot of traditional mtb terrain (canal paths, dirt roads, most green lanes and bridleways etc)
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