# Turn cross bike into road bike



## smoothie7 (May 18, 2011)

My fiance would like to get into road riding and cyclocross racing. She has never done either. I have been road riding this whole past season but due to low funds we couldn't get her a road bike this past year. We went to our first cross race this past weekend and she fell in love with it. What are your thoughts about buying a cross bike and putting road tires on it for general riding? Will she be able to stay with the road riders or are we better off buying her two bikes for two different purposes?


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

Put road tires on a CX bike and ride it. If later on she feels an upgrade is in order you can get her a road bike. My two cents.


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## macming (Oct 31, 2004)

smoothie7 said:


> My fiance would like to get into road riding and cyclocross racing. She has never done either. I have been road riding this whole past season but due to low funds we couldn't get her a road bike this past year. We went to our first cross race this past weekend and she fell in love with it. What are your thoughts about buying a cross bike and putting road tires on it for general riding? Will she be able to stay with the road riders or are we better off buying her two bikes for two different purposes?


I ride my CX bike with slicks in group rides all the time. Until the pace really picks up, I doubt you'll be held back by a CX bike!

For my fast group rides, where the average speed is around 20MPH, and we do cruise at 25mph, that's when a road bike becomes a necessity.


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## annoying crack (Jan 15, 2010)

Get her a cyclocross bike and a cheap second wheelset with road tires/cogset on them so you don't have to switch tires around the whole time.
Is a cyclocross bike efficient with road tires? Well, all the Belgian cyclocross professionals do a lot of their road training on their cyclocross bike with road tires on them so that they keep the same position for the long miles.


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## Cusco (Aug 21, 2011)

annoying crack said:


> Get her a cyclocross bike and a cheap second wheelset with road tires/cogset on them so you don't have to switch tires around the whole time.
> Is a cyclocross bike efficient with road tires? Well, all the Belgian cyclocross professionals do a lot of their road training on their cyclocross bike with road tires on them so that they keep the same position for the long miles.


What he said. I use my cx bike often in the winter for road riding. I have a second wheelset set up for the road. Takes only a couple of minutes to swap out the wheel set. CX bike geometry is similar to road only slightly less aggressive / aero. Unless she plans on racing or going on fast group rides there won't be a problem.

Cheers


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

macming said:


> For my fast group rides, where the average speed is around 20MPH, and we do cruise at 25mph, that's when a road bike becomes a necessity.


It's not the road bike that's a necessity, it's the gearing. Something like 36/48 or 50 is more than enough to race CX and do very fast road rides. I've found my 48t ring to be more than adequate for fast group rides, including sustained speeds in the upper twenties/low 30's.


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## SlowJoeCrow (Mar 16, 2009)

My CX bike works fine as a road bike. I have a second set of wheels with slicks and an 11-28 cassette for a little more gearing range. That gets me up most hills and keeps up with mid level road rides. Any faster I would need a bigger front ring than the current 46. CX bikes are great for winter training because you can get a full coverage fenders on them and the cable routing keeps them cleaner in bad weather.


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## cr45h (Jan 13, 2007)

i've done several centuries on my cross bike with road slicks. in fact i use it as my road bike 100% of the time.


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## COLINx86 (Apr 8, 2009)

I've did an entire season of crit racing this past year on a CX bike, and I don't think it held me back any. Gearing wasn't an issue for me, since I'm only allowed to have 45x12 and my CX bike has 46x11!


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## sparkie (Oct 7, 2006)

I had my best cross season when I broke my road bike and trained only on my cross bike. I used a 42t single ring with a 12-25. I was able to keep up in fast group rides up to about 30mph then it became too spiny. Nevertheless, it was great training. I say go for it!


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## smoothie7 (May 18, 2011)

thanks for all the input guys/gals. I appreciate it.


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## Crack Monkey (Sep 25, 2006)

macming said:


> For my fast group rides, where the average speed is around 20MPH, and we do cruise at 25mph, that's when a road bike becomes a necessity.


Even at those speeds, a cross bike will be fine.

46x11 @ 100rpm on 700x23s is over 30mph. So, unless your group ride is on a mountain, with a long descent, gearing won't be a problem.

Geometry-wise, cross bikes are fine for the road. They steer a bit slower than road race bikes due to increased trail and longer chain-stays, but they'll still handle quicker than an old steel touring bike.


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## MRisme (Mar 22, 2010)

I ordered some cheap Nashbar slicks and tubes to throw on my Nashbar steel CX bike to ride in a metric century I will be doing come November, don't think I should have any problem.


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## macming (Oct 31, 2004)

Crack Monkey said:


> Even at those speeds, a cross bike will be fine.
> 
> 46x11 @ 100rpm on 700x23s is over 30mph. So, unless your group ride is on a mountain, with a long descent, gearing won't be a problem.
> 
> Geometry-wise, cross bikes are fine for the road. They steer a bit slower than road race bikes due to increased trail and longer chain-stays, but they'll still handle quicker than an old steel touring bike.


At 25MPH, I really start the appreciate the however minute aero advantages (carbon wheels), rolling resistence, and stiffness offered by a high end road setup.


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

macming said:


> At 25MPH, I really start the appreciate the however minute aero advantages (carbon wheels), rolling resistence, and stiffness offered by a high end road setup.


Devils advocate here:

Wheels would be identical on the road vs CX bike. Rolling resistance would thus be the same. Stiffness is frame dependent, but usually matters a whole lot more when in a full out sprint (IMO). In a pace line, stiffness isn't THAT important. Plus many CX bikes are plenty stiff. Heck, my MTB with long chainstays is an efficient stiff ride.


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## macming (Oct 31, 2004)

88 rex said:


> Devils advocate here:
> 
> Wheels would be identical on the road vs CX bike. Rolling resistance would thus be the same. Stiffness is frame dependent, but usually matters a whole lot more when in a full out sprint (IMO). In a pace line, stiffness isn't THAT important. Plus many CX bikes are plenty stiff. Heck, my MTB with long chainstays is an efficient stiff ride.


Between my road bike and the CX bike, I have a significantly better wheelset, and the road frameset is a bit more aero. Anyhow, for a fast group ride, the full road setup is the one I choose.


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## EMS Waterford (Oct 14, 2011)

Cross bike with road tires for sure


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## Whambat (Jul 30, 2006)

I'd say the cx bike will be good to go for the road, but consider splurging on good brakes, like avid ultimates, or throw some mini-vs on there. It's amazing to me how many canti's just plain suck, not so bad at cx speeds, but if you have any 40-50 mph dh on the road in your area, it can be sketch. I put some avid ultimates on the rear and a v up front, and it made a huge difference from my froglegs.
Also, if you are doing a one-bike-for-all, check for a cx bike with more road bike geometry (lower BB). I love my Ridley cx and ride it almost exclusively road and cx for half a year, but that super tall BB makes high speed turns feel kinda scary. However, that high BB works awesome for super tight turns in cx races.


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## M5Tucker (Aug 8, 2011)

My Norco CCX2 has become my go-to road bike, it's been a bombproof commuter for thousands of miles with Armadillo tires. It's only real disadvantage is a lack of a good granny gear for serious climbs so you've got to stand on it because it's two rings up front.


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## MRisme (Mar 22, 2010)

ender. said:


> I ordered some cheap Nashbar slicks and tubes to throw on my Nashbar steel CX bike to ride in a metric century I will be doing come November, don't think I should have any problem.


Just wanted to update that with cheap slicks at 90psi I feel like this bike just wants to GO when I am on the road. I also managed to knock a couple minutes off of my paved training loop I ride without even really trying. I am definitely happy with road tires on my CX bike... now I just want a new wheel set! (But I am always wanting new stuff)


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## foofighter275 (Jul 18, 2007)

Whambat said:


> I'd say the cx bike will be good to go for the road, but consider splurging on good brakes, like avid ultimates, or throw some mini-vs on there. It's amazing to me how many canti's just plain suck, not so bad at cx speeds, but if you have any 40-50 mph dh on the road in your area, it can be sketch. I put some avid ultimates on the rear and a v up front, and it made a huge difference from my froglegs.
> Also, if you are doing a one-bike-for-all, check for a cx bike with more road bike geometry (lower BB). I love my Ridley cx and ride it almost exclusively road and cx for half a year, but that super tall BB makes high speed turns feel kinda scary. However, that high BB works awesome for super tight turns in cx races.


amen to that, i'm waiting to get the shorty ultimates to upgrade my brakes.


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## ghettocruiser (Jun 21, 2008)

Done this since my road bike died in 2008.

A bit heavier. The brakes suck. 

That's about it.


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## Ptor (Jan 29, 2004)

ghettocruiser said:


> The brakes suck.


I'm no "brake setup genius", but I've never understood this complaint. Compared to road brakes, the cantis on the cross bike work just fine. Maybe I just setup my road brakes poorly. Anyhow, I've road raced off and on for 30 years and the only limitation for a cross bike is (IMO) pack sprinting -- the slightly longer chain stays seem to decrease my ability to jump and grab the wheel I want. However, without a doubt my cross bike corners more surely both in crits and down mountain passes than any road frame I've ever had -- probably as a consequence of the longer wheel base. Also, the difference in geometric trail for most cross bikes puts it at the same numbers for most road race bikes as soon as you go to the 23c road tire on the cross bike. As mentioned above, two sets of wheels with different tires come in real handy, although I do 99% of my road miles on 32c touring tires (decreased rolling resistance versus high-pressure road tires -- that's a fact!) Unless you're racing cat 3 or above and expect to be sprinting for a place on the podium, a cross bike works wonderfully (again, in my experience) on the road.


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## Superzorg (Oct 25, 2011)

If you're worried about the CX gearing being too low for road usage - consider going with a road compact crankset. I'm riding a 34/50 compact with an 11-28 cassette on my CX bike - it provides a _full_ range of gears for anything I can throw at it on the road. The drawback is that you generally need to be more cognizant of cross chaining as high gears in the little chainring can cause the chain to rub the big ring (YMMV). During cross races, I typically stay in the 34 seldom switching to the big ring except on flats.

As for tires, even with cross tires I could keep up on group rides - but I was definitely working harder. So for speed and in order to cut down on CX rubber costs (knobbies wear off fast on roads ;-) ), I now swap in a spare set of road tires on the road.


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## brainshock (May 18, 2009)

I have a Ridley X-Fire which gets ridden all year 'round. I am a mountain bike racer primarily but LOVE Cx and so the cx bike works for me. 

I use a Reynolds CX specific 46mm tubular wheelset with Vittoria Paves in the summer for road and then whatever tire is working for cx that particular weekend. Stem gets flipped 6deg up, seat back 5mm, down 5mm, rings from 50-36 to 46-36 and a saddle change from a Specialized Romin to a Fizik Gobi. All along through the season, whatever season, it is always transportation. It takes 30 mins max to convert from road to cross, not including the tire change as these always need to be be re-glued.

I will concur with the differences from CX bikes to road - mostly that they tend to sprint/accelerate slower than most road bikes. Carbon frames (cx) are generally torsionally stiff so that is why the road folks can do a crit and feel confident in the corners. Aero will almost always be worse for the Cx frame due to a higher BB and zero emphasis in the frames' design on aero and i really do feel that at 40+km/25+miles per hr. So if you do fall of a wheel (of the rider in front of you), it can be tougher to get back on. Tons of variables here but you get the idea.

I own a bike shop and we sell these types of bikes to the more exploratory (bit of road, bit of Cx) regularly. It works!


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## cataño (Sep 7, 2009)

I'd say that for the OP's situation (wife is a rider new to road and cross riding/racing), most of the concerns about the bike being stiff enough or aero enough or spinning out the gearing are probably not really applicable. 

A sensibly outfitted CX bike is going to perform perfectly well on the road in almost any situation from a weekend team or club ride to a cat 4/5 race scenario. For a new rider, she'll probably appreciate the slightly more forgiving nature of a cross bike when compared to some sort of uber stiff, twitchy fast crit machine.

But yeah, if you live somewhere hilly and she's going to ride with other people in a paceline, then get some mini-v brakes. 

The unfortunate part is that options for entry-to-mid-priced cx bikes are far more limited than they are for road bikes. I'm not sure what your budget is, but if you're working in the ~$1K ballpark for a complete bike and want to buy new then you're not going to have a heap of options.


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## jrm (Jan 12, 2004)

*two sets of wheels*

for the Crosby CX. Mavic OPs with ultegra hubs. One with 28c tservs and the other with 32c cross wolves. This bike has full v brakes which i love for commuting and mixed terrain stuff. The v brakes stop so well that sometimes i wonder if the rims gonna hold up under the force.


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## nayr497 (Nov 9, 2011)

I just picked up a cx bike this past spring. LOVE the ability to ride cx on days I don't feel like road riding.

I'm also thinking about selling off my steel winter road bike and putting that money towards a cx winter bike. Why ride a race bike in cold, wet conditions? CX bikes with road tires seem like the natural choice.

Plus, I can only fit 23 tires on my road bike with full fenders. Don't need race tires for winter training or rolling around town.


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## nayr497 (Nov 9, 2011)

Oh, and what have you guys done when putting on full fenders and having to deal with the lack of a brake bridge? Thanks.


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## ghettocruiser (Jun 21, 2008)

nayr497 said:


> Oh, and what have you guys done when putting on full fenders and having to deal with the lack of a brake bridge? Thanks.


?

Is this a carbon frame?

My CX bike has the bridge, just further up for more clearance.


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## nayr497 (Nov 9, 2011)

Question for ya'll...

I would like to set up my second cx bike as a road/off road bike. Mainly will be used for road riding/around town/winter training etc., but I would like to hit some off road/light trails/crushed stone/gravel paths sometimes with the same bike, should I feel like jumping off the road.

I was hoping to use some Continental Four Season tires in 28 mms. Do you think these will be sufficient tires for this in terms of puncture protection? Or, should I use wider tires? Rims strips? (I've read these can be a bit tough to set up, though seems like you just need to trim them properly; Will the weight be bad for road riding?) Or even try to go tubeless with them?

It'll be the Four Season tires on Mavic CXP33 rims.

Thanks for any feedback!


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## nayr497 (Nov 9, 2011)

ghettocruiser said:


> ?
> 
> Is this a carbon frame?
> 
> My CX bike has the bridge, just further up for more clearance.


I have one cx bike without a brake bridge - al main with carbon front/rear.

But, to solve my problem I picked up a new cx bike...and it has a brake bridge. Problem solved


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## jwood70 (Mar 22, 2011)

My current bike plan is to get a steel cross bike and sell my road bike. I love my road bike, but I like the ability to have one bike do 2 jobs. I know a few people that ride cx bikes with slicks and have no problem with speed. My build will have a road compact on it with my road cassette. I will have a 2nd wheelset with the same gearing (11-28).


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## jrm (Jan 12, 2004)

*Conti 4 seasons*



nayr497 said:


> Question for ya'll...
> 
> I would like to set up my second cx bike as a road/off road bike. Mainly will be used for road riding/around town/winter training etc., but I would like to hit some off road/light trails/crushed stone/gravel paths sometimes with the same bike, should I feel like jumping off the road.
> 
> ...


Are great tires but i find the tread is more agressive and the protection about the same on the cheaper panaracer tservs in 28c. Onm y other wheels i have switch between WTB crosswolfs or a crosswolf and a mich mud 2, all in 32c.


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## ghettocruiser (Jun 21, 2008)

nayr497 said:


> Or even try to go tubeless with them?


Nope, due to the pressures involved, tubeless road set-ups require tubeless-specific tires.


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## clydeone (Aug 9, 2009)

my new setup is a Kona Major Jake which will be my all purpose bike (road/comute/cross race). It currently has a compact crank with a 52-36 i will change that to a 50-36 after winter commuting has destroyed my drivetrain and I intend to run a 11-23 cassette on my "road" wheelset with 28 mm tires (either Conti GP 4 season or clement Strada LGG Tire) and a 12-26 on my cross wheelsest . I am selling both my road (Trek 1500) and cross (Surly x-check)


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## hernan1304 (Nov 6, 2011)

Steel Gunnar Hyper-X with carbon fork as my only bike & love it. My 2c on tires and brakes: Vittoria Randonneur Cross Pro (Kevlar reinforced 700x32) for road use and light off-road, and Avid BB7 disc brakes  punctures & stopping solved!


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## blizzardpapa (Jan 19, 2004)

You can put road tire to make your Cyclocross bike road worthy, but you can't never convert your cyclocross bike to a road bike.


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## clydeone (Aug 9, 2009)

blizzardpapa said:


> You can put road tire to make your Cyclocross bike road worthy, but you can't never convert your cyclocross bike to a road bike.


Isn't this just an argument of how we label things??


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## RichardL (Sep 9, 2008)

My carbon Focus Mares makes a great road training bike! Bought a cheap set of spare wheels, put road tyres and a cassette on them and 2 minutes is all it takes to change from Cross to Road!


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

blizzardpapa said:


> You can put road tire to make your Cyclocross bike road worthy, but you can't never convert your cyclocross bike to a road bike.


CX bike is a road bike.


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

hernan1304 said:


> Steel Gunnar Hyper-X with carbon fork as my only bike & love it. My 2c on tires and brakes: Vittoria Randonneur Cross Pro (Kevlar reinforced 700x32) for road use and light off-road, and Avid BB7 disc brakes  punctures & stopping solved!


Gunnar Hyper-X is on my wishlist! Which fork did you go with? I love my Salsa, but part of me wants to add a made in the USA steel bike to the line-up. My dream would be to have a SS version.


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## nostockbikes (Jul 27, 2010)

The Major Jake is the real deal. Great cross bike or commuter. So functional I have a hard time justifying a century / endurance road bike. Comfort being my main reason.


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## motorbacon (Jun 17, 2010)

88 rex said:


> CX bike is a road bike.


nein. geo is different.


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## clydeone (Aug 9, 2009)

nostockbikes said:


> The Major Jake is the real deal. Great cross bike or commuter. So functional I have a hard time justifying a century / endurance road bike. Comfort being my main reason.


+1 lovin' it so far

the ride tricks me into thinking I'm on my old cross check and when I turn a corner I realize that it turns in much quicker -- I often have to adjust my line because I suddenly realize I'm headed for the curb on the inside corner



motorbacon said:


> nein. geo is different.


I find the differences to be negligible(+2 cm on chainstay, very similar head tube and seat tube angles, very similar BB drop and trail) It feels an awful lot like my old road bike. Given the HUGE variations across manufacturers for Road and Cross bike geometries I believe the only generalization you could make is that wind up with a longer chainstay on a cross bike. Beyond that the only negative I can see to a cross bike as a road bike is the aero factor... and lets face it the aerodynamics of a bike are minor in comparison the body on top of it.


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## 88 rex (Aug 2, 2007)

motorbacon said:


> nein. geo is different.


That's like saying a downhill MTB and a XC MTB are both not MTB's. A cyclocross bike is a specialized road bike. Heck, they are even raced in big time races (Paris-Roubaix) and sometimes crits.


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## rob1208lv (Sep 8, 2007)

What if you have a disc brake cx bike with iron cross 
Wheels then what slicks can you put on your wheels ?


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## blizzardpapa (Jan 19, 2004)

rob1208lv said:


> What if you have a disc brake cx bike with iron cross
> Wheels then what slicks can you put on your wheels ?[/QUOTE
> 
> 25-28mm tires.


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## Dougr (Jun 15, 2006)

I actually bought a cx bike intending to ride it on the road a fair bit and its been fine. On all pavement days I'll but 23's on it. on combo trail/road days I'll put the 32's on it. I'm not a racer just a rec. rider that likes to have the options available. Thinking of doing the GAP trail in PA/MD this fall.


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## Dropped68 (Feb 11, 2011)

. . . my Pinarello is getting jealous of my Kona Major Jake. All those long, 70-100 mile days the Kona and I have been spending together lately.


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## limba (Jan 9, 2004)

You only need a road bike if you want to do road races. Get road tires and bigger chainrings and you're good.


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## Truckee Trash (Sep 18, 2007)

I've got an sworks crux that I ride as my main bike. I swap wheel sets out for road or dirt. I love it. While I sort of wish it had rack and fenders I don't need them for how and where I ride this. Long rides with mixed terrain - usually seeking out the beaten paths. I'm running 27 challenges at the moment which feel great. 33 grifos when I'm on the dirt. The fact that the wheels are MTB rims laced to king MTB hubs gives me quite a bit of confidence when it gets chunky.

Another note is that Ill never go back to rim brakes. The modulation and feel of hydro disc on the road is spot on for my limited road experience and more of a MTB background.


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## blackgriffen_1 (May 18, 2010)

Truckee Trash said:


> Another note is that Ill never go back to rim brakes. The modulation and feel of hydro disc on the road is spot on for my limited road experience and more of a MTB background.


Hydro discs? Not to thread hijack, but do elaborate, as I only see cable-actuated mechanical discs, albeit ones I cannot identify . . .

On topic, however, my Redline Conquest Pro does fast roadie duties with 23c Rubino Pros, all around riding / commuting with 28c Continental Contacts, and silly rough-n-ramble rides with 35c Kenda Krosscyclos, so one bike can certainly do it all. However I have excessively long chainstays, so "grabbing a wheel" or instant sprints are definitely hampered.


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## Truckee Trash (Sep 18, 2007)

They are TRP. Reservoir is by the caliper. I was skeptical at first but with compression less housing they are spot on.


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## blackgriffen_1 (May 18, 2010)

I'd heard TRP was working on such a system, which made so much more sense to me than attempting to create a new hydraulic system from brifter-back (cough, SRAM, cough), especially for backwards compatibility with all current pull-cable systems.

How easy was it to dial in the contact point?

EDIT: A little more than a month old to the press, still shocked I didn't have the inside scoop. :nonod:


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

Have you ever been on a group ride and some dude shows up on a vintage road bike and everyone struggles to keep up with him? I don't believe a cross bike slows you down, this talk about the road bike being more aero is funny.


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## Saddle Up (Jan 30, 2008)

Not my bike, I borrowed the photo from the Surly sub forum. I can't imagine this bike feeling anything but fast.



Waiting for some roadie to chime in, blah blah blah.


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## clydeone (Aug 9, 2009)

Saddle Up said:


> Not my bike, I borrowed the photo from the Surly sub forum. I can't imagine this bike feeling anything but fast.
> 
> 
> 
> Waiting for some roadie to chime in, blah blah blah.


I did many fast road rides with my cross check sometimes even with 32s on it. My only complaint was the flexible BB area and I doubt it held me back any. Engine is FAR more important then the bike. I do prefer the handling of my major jake, but i doubt it is any faster.


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