Boardman cyclo cross for commuting?

[gareth h]

Guys, been using my FS cannondale with slicks for thhe 8 mile commute to work. It's mostly badly surfaced B roads, been thinking about a road bike on the cycle scheme but a bit worried about being shaken to death.
saw this and wondered whether it might be more suitable with it's slightly wider tyres/rims

http://www.boardmanbikes.com/cx/CX_Pro.html

Am I being stupid?

[a11y_m]

Sounds a good idea to me, but then I'm biased: I've been riding a Genesis Vapour CX for 2 years now. Mine's a mix of surfaces including a bit of mild offroad, but it's lots comfier than my previous road bike. Added bonus is that most CX bikes have clearance for full-length mudguards.

The only regret I have is not having discs. I find mini-canti brakes scary in the wet ,but I've been spoiled with discs on MTbs for years. I've got plans to replace my commuter with a Cotic Roadrat with hydraulic discs, if my work gets the bike to work scheme in place like they've been promising...

Cotic Roadrat with gears and hydraulic discs for £909: http://www.cotic.co.uk/product/bikes/roadrat/geare... I've been told this weighs in at around 22-23lbs (from Paul at Cotic). Obviously flatbars and not drops, but adding a set of barends will help, but more importantly it for me it doesn't have toe-overlap (toes overlapping the front wheel) like the majority of road/CX bikes do.

[Rolls]

I use a CX9 on teh commute - perfect IMO!

[okgo]

Do you have a full on road bike as well?

If not don't bother, get a full on road bike, put some slightly wider tyres on it and it will be fine, I ride mine over speedbumps and generally crap roads. But when you're going for a proper ride outside the commute you'll see its worth!

[Beardy10]

Have to say I was going to get a CX bike as a commuter/winter bike. My road bike has Dura Ace and even those brakes with Swiss Stop blocks are not in the same league as disc brakes in the wet. Unfortunately we have decided to move out of London so I think my days of commuting on a bike are coming to an end. Quite gutted about that aspect of the move to be honest.

[okgo]

Brakes are almost irrelevant here though.

The brakes on a good roadbike are only as effective as they tyres traction, pull the anchors and you're locking up with discs OR canti's and then its down to technique and friction

[a11y_m]

okgo said:

Brakes are almost irrelevant here though.

The brakes on a good roadbike are only as effective as they tyres traction, pull the anchors and you're locking up with discs OR canti's and then its down to technique and friction

Good point, although it depends on your commute. I'm also using 35c CX tyres which give a good bit more grip than a 23c roadie tyre. Plus I've found canti brake blocks don't last long after a few trips through the gloopier sections of my own offroad commute sections

I suppose I'm a lazy bugger too and discs are imo less efoort to maintain!

[HundredthIdiot]

I have a Planet-X Uncle John upgraded with Euro-X cantis. I used it for CX racing and commuting.

The braking is acceptable if a little squealy. Before I upgraded to the Euro-Xs the braking was pretty terrible.

The problem is not just the cable pull issues with integrated shifters, but the difficulty of adjustment compared to caliper brakes. It is difficult to get the pads close to the rim without making it impossible to use the quick releases to get the wheel out.

I keep meaning to investigate barrel adjusters - these would would make adjustment much easier.

Braking isn't really an issue in racing, but for commuting it's quite important.

Also, despite my intentions of fitting big fat tyres I'm still commuting on 23s, so the only benefit I get from this setup is needing one less bike.

[h4muf]

I do a 8 and a half mile commute on my brian winter cx.

Absolutely love it!

All on tarmac though,but at the weekends 90% off road with it.

I've been scared to death on it around the peak district! The only trouble is that my voodoo
gets left in the garage now

[mk1fan]

Are you going to ride it off-road too? No? Buy a flat bar road bike with bar ends. 700 x 32C tyres, carbon bars and seat post and it'll be comfy and speedy.

That said, my commuter/tourer is an On One Inbred with rigid forks and 700c sized touring wheels. Got all the mounting points for mudguards and pannier rack plus disc brakes - 160/140mm set-up. The larger wheels ride a lot better than 26-inch wheels with slicks on.

[gareth h]

Won't be riding it off road, do carbon forks / stays take much of the 'sting' out of badly surfaced roads?
I used to have a cannondale which I used for triatholon and that was very stiff and uncomfortable.

[okgo]

Yes Carbon fork does.

however the biggest single change in ride that can be got IMO is slightly wider tyres, I switched from 23c to 25c and its much more pleasant.

[ceebmoj]

So what road bikes do people recommend for the commute?

I have 20 miles each way all on roads, looking at getting a good bit fitter first then the biking in 2 days a weak to stop the gut.

[HundredthIdiot]

ceebmoj said:

So what road bikes do people recommend for the commute?

I have 20 miles each way all on roads, looking at getting a good bit fitter first then the biking in 2 days a weak to stop the gut.

Depends on a few things, like...

- Do you see yourself doing a fair amount of of non-commuting cycling (e.g. weekend riding or racing)?
- Do you want to fit full-length mudguards?
- How secure are the facilities at your workplace?
- What's your budget

A reasonable compromise is a drop bar road bike with long reach caliper brakes, which will give enough clearance for slightly larger tyres and proper mudguards. But many people would consider that too compromised, and end up with a separate cheap commuter bike and fancy carbon fibre race bike for weekends.

There is no right answer.

Edited by HundredthIdiot on Tuesday 11th May 14:27

[ceebmoj]

HundredthIdiot said:

1. Do you see yourself doing a fair amount of of non-commuting cycling (e.g. weekend riding or racing)?
2. Do you want to fit full-length mudguards?
3. How secure are the facilities at your workplace?
4. What's your budget

1. yes looking to get involved in some cycling with a butch of guys at work over the summer. Using the commute as a good way to get some extra miles in during the weak.

2. do I need mud guards?

3. Work is very secure I can bring the bike inside.

4. Was thinking up to around £1000 have seen the Boardman Team Carbon. I have no idea whether its a good bike for what I need but the shiny carbon fibre caught my eye.

also other than the bike is ther any thing else I need?

Edited by ceebmoj on Tuesday 11th May 14:58

[HundredthIdiot]

ceebmoj said:

1. yes looking to get involved in some cycling with a butch of guys at work over the summer. Using the commute as a good way to get some extra miles in during the weak.

2. do I need mud guards?

3. Work is very secure I can bring the bike inside.

4. Was thinking up to around £1000 have seen the Boardman Team Carbon. I have no idea whether its a good bike for what I need but the shiny carbon fibre caught my eye.

also other than the bike is ther any thing else I need?

No one needs mudguards, they just keep you drier when it's wet, obviously. If you're only commuting twice a week for fitness, you can pick the days when it's not raining. Or just HTFU and get a wet arse/feet.

Another factor is whether you have to carry clothes to work, and whether you have shower facilities available. Carrying weight on your back is not pleasant. If you need to carry stuff on the bike you'll ideally need eyelets to mount a rack (although you can get a lightweight rack which fits to the rear wheel skewer).

Once you start attempting to make a race bike practical it does rather suck the fun out of it.

Basically, for your stated purpose I'd just buy something like a Boardman Team Carbon or Planet-X Pro Carbon, take your clothes into work the day before, and use the commute as a fast recreational ride. Whatever you buy, make sure it's the right size.

There is a bunch of stuff you need, mostly related to punctures: pump/CO2, multitool, tyre levers, spare tube(s), patch kit.

If you want to do it properly, clothing: bib shorts, short sleeve cycling jersey (with external rear pockets), lightweight waterproof shell or gilet, arm warmers and knee warmers. Shoes and clipless pedals. And a couple of water bottles & cages.

And a helmet.

[dubbs]

HundredthIdiot said:

ceebmoj said:

1. yes looking to get involved in some cycling with a butch of guys at work over the summer. Using the commute as a good way to get some extra miles in during the weak.

2. do I need mud guards?

3. Work is very secure I can bring the bike inside.

4. Was thinking up to around £1000 have seen the Boardman Team Carbon. I have no idea whether its a good bike for what I need but the shiny carbon fibre caught my eye.

also other than the bike is ther any thing else I need?

No one needs mudguards, they just keep you drier when it's wet, obviously. If you're only commuting twice a week for fitness, you can pick the days when it's not raining. Or just HTFU and get a wet arse/feet.

Another factor is whether you have to carry clothes to work, and whether you have shower facilities available. Carrying weight on your back is not pleasant. If you need to carry stuff on the bike you'll ideally need eyelets to mount a rack (although you can get a lightweight rack which fits to the rear wheel skewer).

Once you start attempting to make a race bike practical it does rather suck the fun out of it.

Basically, for your stated purpose I'd just buy something like a Boardman Team Carbon or Planet-X Pro Carbon, take your clothes into work the day before, and use the commute as a fast recreational ride. Whatever you buy, make sure it's the right size.

There is a bunch of stuff you need, mostly related to punctures: pump/CO2, multitool, tyre levers, spare tube(s), patch kit.

If you want to do it properly, clothing: bib shorts, short sleeve cycling jersey (with external rear pockets), lightweight waterproof shell or gilet, arm warmers and knee warmers. Shoes and clipless pedals. And a couple of water bottles & cages.

And a helmet.

I'd suggest... ditch arm warmers and leg warmers. One set of full length tights to be bought at the end of the year, no need for anything other than standard bib shorts from now until October.

Arm warmers? Same, it's warm enough to not bother, a better solution though s to buy a merino wool base layer as that's keep your whole body warm when required so stretches the season out a bit more (only imho of course, we all have different ways)

Gilet - good call, I've got a Pearl Izumi windproof shell which has arms that unzip when required, VERY useful.

Waterproof - I use a simple Berghaus paclite, it's not tight and streamlined but by the time it's bad enough to need it I don't care!!! This time of year I tend to be fine with most showers as you're body should be wet from sweat anyway if you're doing it properly - the Paclite's advantage is there is room for another layer over a cycling jersey so in the colder months (started cycling Feb this year) you can Base layer, cycling jersey, other top/t shirt, paclite if you want.

Shoes and Clipless pedals, for commutes use SPD with the resin pedal around them, cheap, effective and easy to clip in and out with adjustability for float - resin cage allows it to be used as a normal pedal so, instead of worrying about running sharp metal up your leg and being mown down by a lorry at a set of lights - you know you can still push off if your attempt to clip in fails.

Don't forget socks :-)

Also, I always carry stuff on my back, only need undercrackers and a new shirt plus wallet/keys/phone type stuff as the rest can be left at work (trousers/shoes and the like) - means it's light and you don't have issues with balance or becoming a wide vehicle I use a Deuter Cross Air which keeps the rucksack of your back with a mesh support/ works well.

[ceebmoj]

Thanks for the info.

assuming that I'm un-fit at the moment how long will it take to get doing the 20 miles in a sensible time and what counts as a sensible time?

[HundredthIdiot]

ceebmoj said:

assuming that I'm un-fit at the moment how long will it take to get doing the 20 miles in a sensible time and what counts as a sensible time?

For planning purposes probably about 90 minutes, but time operates differently on a bike. A six hour ride seems to take much less time than a two hour drive.

[ceebmoj]

HundredthIdiot said:

For planning purposes probably about 90 minutes, but time operates differently on a bike. A six hour ride seems to take much less time than a two hour drive.

for a motoring web sight that's practically fighting talk ;-)