Lightweight carbon XC or carbon Cyclocross?
Discussion
Basically Im 99% on a drop bar carbon cyclocross but I have fond memories of a scandium XC mtb.
Watching Leadville 100 and most of my riding on the bike would be similar to XC (60:40 pavement:rough). I could even cross over to my usual mtb rides on singletrack.
Any similar dilemmas? What did you do?
I dont have room for one of each!
Watching Leadville 100 and most of my riding on the bike would be similar to XC (60:40 pavement:rough). I could even cross over to my usual mtb rides on singletrack.
Any similar dilemmas? What did you do?
I dont have room for one of each!
I have an ex-cyclocross bike with wide ratio gears that I love for longer rides like the Dartmoor way, lanes etc.
I have an MTB with decent front forks.
As I'm not racing, or even trying hard to keep up with mates, I could do the Dartmoor Way very happily on the MTB with suitable tyres.
So what if I cover a few less miles? Or take an extra day?
I'd not want to try using the drop bar bike around the woods where the MTB comes into its own, so if I had to have just one bike, it would be some kind of MTB.
It would be different if I had reason to focus on particular rides, or if I was trying to be competitive.
People have to work out their own priorities.
The other thing is, as with boats, it can be good to focus on one aspect for a year or three, then shift to a different flavour.
That may mean selling last year's toy, or leaving it in a shed somewhere.
I have an MTB with decent front forks.
As I'm not racing, or even trying hard to keep up with mates, I could do the Dartmoor Way very happily on the MTB with suitable tyres.
So what if I cover a few less miles? Or take an extra day?
I'd not want to try using the drop bar bike around the woods where the MTB comes into its own, so if I had to have just one bike, it would be some kind of MTB.
It would be different if I had reason to focus on particular rides, or if I was trying to be competitive.
People have to work out their own priorities.
The other thing is, as with boats, it can be good to focus on one aspect for a year or three, then shift to a different flavour.
That may mean selling last year's toy, or leaving it in a shed somewhere.
DaveyBoyWonder said:
I'd go more gravel than pure cyclocross. Best of both worlds..
'Pure cyclocross' means picking up the bike and running when it gets tough.So no wide ratio gears.
Aside from the gears, I don't know how the frame geometry would differ from gravel these days?
My drop bar ex CX bike was a cheap fun project, it took some effort to get wide ratio gears working nicely with the Dura-ace 2x10 shifters.
I can now go fast enough to worry myself on the flat and grunt my way up 1-in-7 hills.
It's a good compromise for covering distance with a few bumpy bits.
Is that 60/40 time or distance. If it's time, probably CX. If it's distance, then by time terms, you'll probably be offroad more than on, and therefore spend more time being bounced about. I raced on a fully rigid mountain bike last year, because reasons. Up to 90 minutes is fine, albeit very tiring. Anything over that was a real battering. I now have an Orbea Oiz, which has 120mm travel at each end and is almost as fast with lockout up the hills, but supremely comfortable everywhere else. I'd go XC mtb.
OutInTheShed said:
'Pure cyclocross' means picking up the bike and running when it gets tough.
So no wide ratio gears.
Aside from the gears, I don't know how the frame geometry would differ from gravel these days?
My drop bar ex CX bike was a cheap fun project, it took some effort to get wide ratio gears working nicely with the Dura-ace 2x10 shifters.
I can now go fast enough to worry myself on the flat and grunt my way up 1-in-7 hills.
It's a good compromise for covering distance with a few bumpy bits.
CX bike will be 33mm tyres, grav bike can be anything 35-50mm. Gravel bike will also be less racy and more comfortable geo. So no wide ratio gears.
Aside from the gears, I don't know how the frame geometry would differ from gravel these days?
My drop bar ex CX bike was a cheap fun project, it took some effort to get wide ratio gears working nicely with the Dura-ace 2x10 shifters.
I can now go fast enough to worry myself on the flat and grunt my way up 1-in-7 hills.
It's a good compromise for covering distance with a few bumpy bits.
I was on Dartmoor today.
Most of the ride would have been faster on the drop bar bike, I was pleased to be on an old mountain bike. One fun little detour would not have been done on the other bike. No doubt people with more skills/fitness/madness would draw different lines, I'm only doing this for fun.
Choose the bike for the ride and/or choose the ride to suit the bike.
Even having chosen the bike, I've then got a choice of tyres on two sets of wheels...
I don't think I'd be splurging on a carbon bike without being clear what I wanted from it.
Most of the ride would have been faster on the drop bar bike, I was pleased to be on an old mountain bike. One fun little detour would not have been done on the other bike. No doubt people with more skills/fitness/madness would draw different lines, I'm only doing this for fun.
Choose the bike for the ride and/or choose the ride to suit the bike.
Even having chosen the bike, I've then got a choice of tyres on two sets of wheels...
I don't think I'd be splurging on a carbon bike without being clear what I wanted from it.
I'd take a realistic look at your routes or plans for riding.
If it's light trail and a lot of road between trails then Gravel Bike. A really good gravel bike can replace a road bike leaving space for an MTB
If the routes are 80% plus off road, technical and the surface is more challenging then a carbon hardtail.
I'm fortunate enough to have an Epic Pro and a Crux Pro (which is a CX derived Gravel bike) Both are fantastic but I never have a doubt about which to take out. When pushed which to take for a week away I take the Crux because it is just so versatile
If it's light trail and a lot of road between trails then Gravel Bike. A really good gravel bike can replace a road bike leaving space for an MTB
If the routes are 80% plus off road, technical and the surface is more challenging then a carbon hardtail.
I'm fortunate enough to have an Epic Pro and a Crux Pro (which is a CX derived Gravel bike) Both are fantastic but I never have a doubt about which to take out. When pushed which to take for a week away I take the Crux because it is just so versatile
Hugo Stiglitz said:
I doubt a CX on steep Calderdale trails would be a good place for one?
First one was when I was in Calderdale, second was in York. Gravel bike would have been decent in Calderdale but the lack of clearance for big tyres/steep angles were just awful on the CX bike... Weirdly the gravel bike feels faster than the CX bikes were on everything - hardpack, tarmac etc.DaveyBoyWonder said:
Hugo Stiglitz said:
I doubt a CX on steep Calderdale trails would be a good place for one?
First one was when I was in Calderdale, second was in York. Gravel bike would have been decent in Calderdale but the lack of clearance for big tyres/steep angles were just awful on the CX bike... Weirdly the gravel bike feels faster than the CX bikes were on everything - hardpack, tarmac etc.Apart from lack of suspension, I find reach to drop bar brakes quite challenging on very steep descents.
Most of the time my gravel bike is on road wheels, the gravel wheels coming out for holidays, forest roads that kind of thing.
When I'm out and about the eBikers are having the most fun (there's one joker above Hebden Bridge with a sound system on his bike) followed by those on conventional MTBs with gravel riders looking very, ahem, 'determined'.
I ride a carbon XC mtb (Canyon Exceed) and ride a lot with my wife on her gravel bike. We'll do 20 mile or so loops around the local heathland and trails
It's no fun trying to keep up with her on tarmac - for reference on our road bikes the tables are turned. The combination of tyres (45mm vs 2.5'') and drop bars gives her probably around a 3-5mph advantage with the same effort.
On fireroads things are about even although I think the gravel bike is the better bike unless things are really sketchy. It's only in the mud and on singletrack that the mtb leaves the gravel bike behind. Most of that is the confidence that wider bars give you
So for the riding we do the gravel bike is by far the best but that's because I build the routes around what we can both ride together. Anything with any amount of tarmac means its streets ahead. For 60% paved I'd be choosing gravel unless you're simply on that surface to get to the good stuff
It's no fun trying to keep up with her on tarmac - for reference on our road bikes the tables are turned. The combination of tyres (45mm vs 2.5'') and drop bars gives her probably around a 3-5mph advantage with the same effort.
On fireroads things are about even although I think the gravel bike is the better bike unless things are really sketchy. It's only in the mud and on singletrack that the mtb leaves the gravel bike behind. Most of that is the confidence that wider bars give you
So for the riding we do the gravel bike is by far the best but that's because I build the routes around what we can both ride together. Anything with any amount of tarmac means its streets ahead. For 60% paved I'd be choosing gravel unless you're simply on that surface to get to the good stuff
gazza285 said:
But people riding down slopes these days need 4ft wide handlebars!I'm quite happy on a vintage mount'n bike with fairly narrow bars, but I'd imagine a bumpy downhill with your hands that close together could be the wrong kind of interesting?
Brake levers positioned like that used to be an option with cable brakes on drop bars, I think my Dad's bike had them many years ago?
oddman said:
gazza285 said:
How do they work then? Is there some sort of Y connection in the brake lineJust curious, I'm not going to sully my Crux with such monstrosities.
I have 2 carbon gravel bikes; one with 45mm tyres and more racey geometry and the other one has 50mm tyres and more relaxed feel to it. However, I recently purchased a carbon full sus xc bike with 120mm travel front and rear. I was also fortunate to pick up a very lightweight set of Fulcrum carbon xc wheels for it, at mucho cheapness, result being it weighs about 10.7kg now, has 3 remote lock out options and for the most part, is as quick as my gravel bikes. Offroad it is so smooth and extremely capable.
The only thing that really slows it a bit on tarmac is the lower gearing. If it had a slightly larger chainring or a double set up, I think that margin would be less.
I have owned a 26" carbon xc bike in the past and after going through endooro bikes/ trail bikes/ progressive hardtails. I feel like I have found the optimum solution for the mtb riding I do, with this new 29er XC carbon full sus bike. As it can pretty much do it all. Since owning it, I have done some epic big rides on it, like 90+ mile days, with every surface imaginable, and it was the perfect tool for the job. On a more recent full on gravel bike day out with it, at no point did I think I had brought the wrong bike. Sure my gravel bikes would have managed it, but it would not have been as much fun or as comfortable.
So, I would highly recommend a modern XC full sus, they have come a long way! No wonder the pro riders can ride the mental courses that they race on!
The only thing that really slows it a bit on tarmac is the lower gearing. If it had a slightly larger chainring or a double set up, I think that margin would be less.
I have owned a 26" carbon xc bike in the past and after going through endooro bikes/ trail bikes/ progressive hardtails. I feel like I have found the optimum solution for the mtb riding I do, with this new 29er XC carbon full sus bike. As it can pretty much do it all. Since owning it, I have done some epic big rides on it, like 90+ mile days, with every surface imaginable, and it was the perfect tool for the job. On a more recent full on gravel bike day out with it, at no point did I think I had brought the wrong bike. Sure my gravel bikes would have managed it, but it would not have been as much fun or as comfortable.
So, I would highly recommend a modern XC full sus, they have come a long way! No wonder the pro riders can ride the mental courses that they race on!
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