Specialized TriCross Sport - any views?
Discussion
First time over here, so please be gentle - I'm starting from scratch here and need some advice.
So I'm just about to bow to peer pressure and the grwoing realisation I need to do more exercise and get a bike. This coincides with work introducing a tax efficient cycle to work scheme with a max value of £1,000 to cover bike, helmet, lights, puncture repair kit, gloves etc, etc.
Use will be predominantly commuting - approx 4 miles through central London each way - and some "leisure" use (Richmond Park here I come!). Although I can also see myself being cajoled into lengthy cycling trips over time by SWMBO who rides a carbon-framed Orbea (sp?) road bike and is as fit as a well-trained ferret.
Last time I had a bike was about 17 years ago when Santa brought me a Raleigh Amazon mountain bike, which has long since been lost. So I need some help.
Any suggestions? A chap at work recommended the Specialized TriCross Sport, which looks to be a very nice thing (albeit I know sod all about them), so any views on this particular brand and bike?
Or any other suggestions? Given the £1k limit, I guess I'm looking at about £800 to spend on a bike, and given that it's tax free and spread over 18 months, I might as well spend the whole lot.
Thanks in advance
Wrighty
So I'm just about to bow to peer pressure and the grwoing realisation I need to do more exercise and get a bike. This coincides with work introducing a tax efficient cycle to work scheme with a max value of £1,000 to cover bike, helmet, lights, puncture repair kit, gloves etc, etc.
Use will be predominantly commuting - approx 4 miles through central London each way - and some "leisure" use (Richmond Park here I come!). Although I can also see myself being cajoled into lengthy cycling trips over time by SWMBO who rides a carbon-framed Orbea (sp?) road bike and is as fit as a well-trained ferret.
Last time I had a bike was about 17 years ago when Santa brought me a Raleigh Amazon mountain bike, which has long since been lost. So I need some help.
Any suggestions? A chap at work recommended the Specialized TriCross Sport, which looks to be a very nice thing (albeit I know sod all about them), so any views on this particular brand and bike?
Or any other suggestions? Given the £1k limit, I guess I'm looking at about £800 to spend on a bike, and given that it's tax free and spread over 18 months, I might as well spend the whole lot.
Thanks in advance
Wrighty
Personally, I would buy a full road bike. I just didn't really see the point of the TriCross when I was buying mine- Take one on a road test, followed by a full road bike and it's quite a noticable difference in how responsive they are.
If you're only likely to commute, and SWMBO has a road bike you're unlikely to do much in the way of other stuff anyway. Road bikes are surprisingly robust!
For the same money-ish (£700 RRP) I bought a Cube Peloton, which has a significantly higher groupset than the equivalent Specialized. Very capable bike too.
If you're only likely to commute, and SWMBO has a road bike you're unlikely to do much in the way of other stuff anyway. Road bikes are surprisingly robust!
For the same money-ish (£700 RRP) I bought a Cube Peloton, which has a significantly higher groupset than the equivalent Specialized. Very capable bike too.
I would tend to agree.
If you are looking for speed and are only going on the roads - a road bike is the way to do it.
If you are commuting on bike paths, dealing with jumping kerbs, riding on towpaths etc. then i would reccomend a hybrid.
Personally, my commuter/winter (Scott s50, full sora, open pro/ultegra wheels) bike takes an absolute beating with minimal maintenance - which is what you want - if you only have one bike though, something a bit nicer that you will look after is in order. Any road bike around 700 notes, with a 105/tiagra groupset, Al frame and a CF fork would be me reccomendation. Fit matters above all else, I have long legs and a short body, so only some bikes fit me properly - try a few out before you buy.
Fit is paramount, then the groupset, then the contact points(Saddle,shoes), then the wheels and finally the frame
If you are looking for speed and are only going on the roads - a road bike is the way to do it.
If you are commuting on bike paths, dealing with jumping kerbs, riding on towpaths etc. then i would reccomend a hybrid.
Personally, my commuter/winter (Scott s50, full sora, open pro/ultegra wheels) bike takes an absolute beating with minimal maintenance - which is what you want - if you only have one bike though, something a bit nicer that you will look after is in order. Any road bike around 700 notes, with a 105/tiagra groupset, Al frame and a CF fork would be me reccomendation. Fit matters above all else, I have long legs and a short body, so only some bikes fit me properly - try a few out before you buy.
Fit is paramount, then the groupset, then the contact points(Saddle,shoes), then the wheels and finally the frame
I'd disagree with those recommending a full-strength road bike if commuting's your main purpose for the bike.
I started with a road bike but swapped for a 'cross bike for my commute. Main benefits for me are ability to take full-length mudguards, comfier ride and stronger wheels. Not quite as fast as a full-blown road bike but if you're serious about commuting in all weathers then the benefits of full-length mudguards are worth their weight in gold. Most road bikes don't have the clearance to fit full-length mudgaurds.
If you do go down the 'cross bike route, the Genesis Vapour or Genesis Croix de Fer are worth a look.
I started with a road bike but swapped for a 'cross bike for my commute. Main benefits for me are ability to take full-length mudguards, comfier ride and stronger wheels. Not quite as fast as a full-blown road bike but if you're serious about commuting in all weathers then the benefits of full-length mudguards are worth their weight in gold. Most road bikes don't have the clearance to fit full-length mudgaurds.
If you do go down the 'cross bike route, the Genesis Vapour or Genesis Croix de Fer are worth a look.
If you want to stretch to £1k (and pay for your extras on top) you can get some excellent full carbon roadbikes such as the Boardman Comp, Planet X and Ribble Carbon Sportive. You get a lot for your money as this is a very competitive pricepoint (partly due to C2W schemes!) and Carbon bikes tend to be excellent at eliminating high frequency vibrations from coarsely chipped tarmac.
I would suggest a bike with 'Sportive' (slightly more upright - like a Cannondale Synapse or Specialized Roubaix) geometry would be a good option.
Fitting good lightweight 25c or 28c tyres would also be good for commuting - increasing cornering grip, comfort and reducing the chance of pinch flats when hitting a pothole.
I would suggest a bike with 'Sportive' (slightly more upright - like a Cannondale Synapse or Specialized Roubaix) geometry would be a good option.
Fitting good lightweight 25c or 28c tyres would also be good for commuting - increasing cornering grip, comfort and reducing the chance of pinch flats when hitting a pothole.
Edited by Roman on Monday 3rd August 16:26
Heck this is complicated! Thanks guys for the responses so far - much appreciated.
I should have said that I did test-ride a Bianchi road bike a few weeks back and felt very wobbly on it and not very confident. I'm sure this might change over time, but I want something I can commute on in confidence - hence me thinking something like the tricross might be good.
And I did have in mind the ability to do tow-paths and so on as well. This will be my only bike, so I want it to be hard-wearing and relatively versatile.
Are bike shops generally pretty good about letting you test-drive?
I should have said that I did test-ride a Bianchi road bike a few weeks back and felt very wobbly on it and not very confident. I'm sure this might change over time, but I want something I can commute on in confidence - hence me thinking something like the tricross might be good.
And I did have in mind the ability to do tow-paths and so on as well. This will be my only bike, so I want it to be hard-wearing and relatively versatile.
Are bike shops generally pretty good about letting you test-drive?
wrighty78 said:
And I did have in mind the ability to do tow-paths and so on as well. This will be my only bike, so I want it to be hard-wearing and relatively versatile.
In that case, a full road bike is pretty much out - something like a specialized roubaix, which is designed for a smoother ride would be able to manage - but (as much as it pains me to say it as the road nazi i am) you might be better with a crosser/hybrid.If im honest, i have never seen the appeal of sub £1000 CF bikes, would rather go for an Al frame CF fork, a decent group set and some nice wheels, but thats just me. Have heard mixed reviews on the PX frames, never tried one.
There should be an Evans Cycles not too far from you in London, they sell a good range of cross bikes: http://www.evanscycles.com/categories/complete-bik... The Scott looks nice, other than that the Focus Mares from Wiggle looks pretty good too.
P.S. re £1k carbon roadbikes; I haven't tried a PX myself either (the frame looks very similar to the Raleigh Avanti) and there are some cheap, heavy, flexy or dead feeling carbon frames I wouldn't buy but the Boardman and Ribble would not be amongst these.
P.S. re £1k carbon roadbikes; I haven't tried a PX myself either (the frame looks very similar to the Raleigh Avanti) and there are some cheap, heavy, flexy or dead feeling carbon frames I wouldn't buy but the Boardman and Ribble would not be amongst these.
Just to weigh in, I've got a TriCross too
I nominally bought it for a commute part of which involves tacking kerbs and I also go down some shallow steps hence I wanted something a bit tougher than a regular road bike which IMHO have become a little too specialised.
My only issues are sometimes the forks vibrate when I apply the front brake and I am too fat and unfit to go up hills...
I nominally bought it for a commute part of which involves tacking kerbs and I also go down some shallow steps hence I wanted something a bit tougher than a regular road bike which IMHO have become a little too specialised.
My only issues are sometimes the forks vibrate when I apply the front brake and I am too fat and unfit to go up hills...
If you're going to be using a road bike all year round, I'd get a frame which is capable of taking full lenght mudguards, you'd be surprised how dirty and wet you can get from standing water on the road after rain showers.
My winter bike is a paganinni alu frame with carbon fork, shimano ultegara group with open pro rims and of course full length mud guards, cost about a grand and have used it for 2 winters and I'll use it for at least another 2.
My winter bike is a paganinni alu frame with carbon fork, shimano ultegara group with open pro rims and of course full length mud guards, cost about a grand and have used it for 2 winters and I'll use it for at least another 2.
Well first of all thank you all for your views - I'm really very grateful.
Have just popped across to Evans and looked at a few. The Tricross certainly seems a sturdier piece of kit compared to the straight road bikes, and even with just a quick wobble up and down the road I felt a lot more confident on it than I did on the Bianchi.
The chap in Evans seemed to think it was a good buy, given what I want it for, and he had plenty of other bikes he could sell me if he thought I'd be better off with something else. Haven't committed yet - thought I'd sleep on it.
I didn't ask about mudguards (thanks for pointing that out!) so I'll give them a call tomorrow and see if they fit.
I think I'm pretty much decided that this is the one for me. As Swerni said, everyone's going to have their own opinion (just like the "what car?" threads), but I'm genuinely very grateful for all your comments.
As for kit, I'll be getting a sturdy lock, a helmet, lights, gloves, something hi-vis and...erm... anything else I need??
Have just popped across to Evans and looked at a few. The Tricross certainly seems a sturdier piece of kit compared to the straight road bikes, and even with just a quick wobble up and down the road I felt a lot more confident on it than I did on the Bianchi.
The chap in Evans seemed to think it was a good buy, given what I want it for, and he had plenty of other bikes he could sell me if he thought I'd be better off with something else. Haven't committed yet - thought I'd sleep on it.
I didn't ask about mudguards (thanks for pointing that out!) so I'll give them a call tomorrow and see if they fit.
I think I'm pretty much decided that this is the one for me. As Swerni said, everyone's going to have their own opinion (just like the "what car?" threads), but I'm genuinely very grateful for all your comments.
As for kit, I'll be getting a sturdy lock, a helmet, lights, gloves, something hi-vis and...erm... anything else I need??
Depends how serious you want to take it. If you are planning to go out for anything over 10 miles, a decent pair of bibs/shorts would be a purchase. 20 quid bibs will be crap compared to 100 quid assos bibs, but they will be a million times better than normal shorts.
Would reccomend two locks - a D and a cable type - makes it much harder to steal as it cant be done with one tool - a jack cant break a cable and bolt cutters cant get the D.
Also get hold of some glasses. I paid 30 quid for some Kuota ones that come with 5 pairs of lenses that i can't reccomend enough. If you work somewhere that issues PPE, saftey glasses do the job fine. I have about 5 pairs of uvex/oakley/bolle ones at home that i have used that do the job pretty well - this may just be a personal thing, but i cant ride without glasses, my eyes either dry up or water like hell.
SPD pedals make a huge difference, but a lot of people don't like using them - needing to carry a spare pair of shoes plus being attached to their bike freaks some people out a bit.
To be honest, you have the basics covered, anything else is an extra that you may or may not want as time goes on.
Would reccomend two locks - a D and a cable type - makes it much harder to steal as it cant be done with one tool - a jack cant break a cable and bolt cutters cant get the D.
Also get hold of some glasses. I paid 30 quid for some Kuota ones that come with 5 pairs of lenses that i can't reccomend enough. If you work somewhere that issues PPE, saftey glasses do the job fine. I have about 5 pairs of uvex/oakley/bolle ones at home that i have used that do the job pretty well - this may just be a personal thing, but i cant ride without glasses, my eyes either dry up or water like hell.
SPD pedals make a huge difference, but a lot of people don't like using them - needing to carry a spare pair of shoes plus being attached to their bike freaks some people out a bit.
To be honest, you have the basics covered, anything else is an extra that you may or may not want as time goes on.
Parsnip said:
Depends how serious you want to take it. If you are planning to go out for anything over 10 miles, a decent pair of bibs/shorts would be a purchase. 20 quid bibs will be crap compared to 100 quid assos bibs, but they will be a million times better than normal shorts.
Ah yes - padded shorts - good idea!Parsnip said:
Would reccomend two locks - a D and a cable type - makes it much harder to steal as it cant be done with one tool - a jack cant break a cable and bolt cutters cant get the D
Bloody hell! Will do.Parsnip said:
Also get hold of some glasses. I paid 30 quid for some Kuota ones that come with 5 pairs of lenses that i can't reccomend enough. If you work somewhere that issues PPE, saftey glasses do the job fine. I have about 5 pairs of uvex/oakley/bolle ones at home that i have used that do the job pretty well - this may just be a personal thing, but i cant ride without glasses, my eyes either dry up or water like hell.
As luck would have it, I'm a speccy-four-eyes anyway, so that one's covered.Parsnip said:
SPD pedals make a huge difference, but a lot of people don't like using them - needing to carry a spare pair of shoes plus being attached to their bike freaks some people out a bit.
I think I'll spend a few weeks getting used to it "as is" first and then think about this as a future mod.Parsnip said:
To be honest, you have the basics covered, anything else is an extra that you may or may not want as time goes on.
Thank you! 
I sell a shedload of tricross sports at work, mainly for c2w people. They do make excellent tough quick commueter bikes, very popular and very good! Guards and panniers are needed for proper cross town commuting, not carbon bikes with steep geometry and 23c tyres. The tricrosss has very stable geometry and this helps beginners out a lot.
@ talksteer - there is a warranty/ recall job on the front brakes, your shop should sort this if you bring it up. Happens on lots of them, nothing to worry about
@ talksteer - there is a warranty/ recall job on the front brakes, your shop should sort this if you bring it up. Happens on lots of them, nothing to worry about
snotrag said:
@ talksteer - there is a warranty/ recall job on the front brakes, your shop should sort this if you bring it up. Happens on lots of them, nothing to worry about
Yep, I'd heard that too. The original front brake causes the forks to vibrate, I guess they change the brakes for something different.a11y_m said:
snotrag said:
@ talksteer - there is a warranty/ recall job on the front brakes, your shop should sort this if you bring it up. Happens on lots of them, nothing to worry about
Yep, I'd heard that too. The original front brake causes the forks to vibrate, I guess they change the brakes for something different.Its to do with the cable routing - hard to explain without you in front of me to make funny shapes at!
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