# Cyclocross VS 29er Mountain Bike



## getagrip (Mar 26, 2008)

A few weeks ago, I finished a very fun to ride Leader bike build. Its a great trail bike, but I don't like it so much as a street bike. For now, assuming my finances are good, my plan is to buy a street bike in January when prices are down.

Since I got back into biking over the last couple of years, I have preferred to ride mountain bikes in the street. Even though they slow you down a little, they tend to be more comfortable than road bikes, and I like the sturdier feel compared to hybrids. In fact, riding a mountain bike in the street is what got me into off road riding!

Anyway, I had been eyeballing the Motobecane Fantom Cross Cyclocross bikes, and was leaning toward buying one in January. Well, I just saw one in person the other night locked up at the university here. Maybe it was the 1970s sparkly orange color that I didn't like, and while you can't judge a book by its cover, the frame just looked like it belonged to bikes that were built a decade or two ago. Am I being ignorant about the Motobecane frame design, or is this pretty minor when it comes to performance?

A few weeks ago, I test rode a Gary Fisher Marlin 29er and really liked it, and I wonder if that would be better than a cyclocross for road rides. I'm not as concerned about speed as i am about enjoying the ride. It would be great to get your opinions about this! :thumbsup:


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## dubthang (Apr 2, 2009)

A cyclocross bike is basically a road bike used on the dirt.

A 29er is a bigger wheeled mtb.

These are very loose descriptions. Try a cx bike compared to a 29er. From the sound of it, I think you'll prefer a 29er.


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

A CX bike feels almost exactly the same as a road bike when you're riding. If you don't even feel comfortable on a hybrid bike I don't see you enjoying a CX bike. I have my DJ bike set up for riding in the street, skateparks, and dirt jumps maybe that could be a considerations for you.

What exactly are you looking to do with your "street bike"? If it's commuting, maybe a CX bike. If you're jumping curbs and riding down stairs then you're more into DJ bike territory. Somewhere in between... well then a 29er might work well. If there was a scale from road riding to extreme pavement riding, in my mind it would look something like this:

Road bike < CX < Hybrid < XC (26" or 29") < DJ < DH

Obvious problems with this scale: CX bikes are probably more durable than hybrids but are much sketchier to ride, DJ bikes tend to be heavy and small framed, XC bikes may not hold up well after lots of curbs and stairs.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

zebrahum said:


> A CX bike feels almost exactly the same as a road bike when you're riding. If you don't even feel comfortable on a hybrid bike I don't see you enjoying a CX bike.


Big +1 to this. I don't even see my 'cross bike as belonging in a different class from my other road bikes. I think people want them to be more different than they are, and also underestimate the versatility of touring and racing bikes.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

also look into some of the so-called "dual sport" bikes. skinny & knobby tires, short travel fork, flat bars, sturdy frame. not a great trail-only or street-only bike, but it will go anywhere with relative ease.


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## ferday (Jan 15, 2004)

the new breed of "monstercross" or "adventure" bikes (vassago fisticuff, singular peregrine, salsa fargo, etc.) can take large tires (sometimes true 29er), and disc brakes, but still maintain more-aggressive-than MTB geometry while offering _proper_ drop-bar performance for true on/off road versatility.

i've ridden my peregrine on road epics and mountain singletrack, and is easily the most all-round bike in my quiver, and far superior in that role to a traditional CX bike. it's a truly do everything machine.

but currently there isn't a super cheap option that i am aware of for this type of ride...


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## hardwarz (Jun 12, 2009)

700C All mountain rims are the exact same as a 29er rim. 29ers can handle 2.1" (53mm) and larger tires. My wife's 700C hybrid (GT Transeo 2.0) runs a 35mm wide 700C tire. Her fork MAY be able to handle a 29x2.1 tire, but I don't think her frame can.

As far as a CX bike... ride them both and then decide.


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## pecsokak (Sep 23, 2010)

like has been said, it all depends on what type of street you are riding and what you want it to do. personally, i wouldn't consider getting a 29er for road riding, its just overkill and falls short for what it is supposed to be doing. 

I ride a fixed gear road bike on the road, but it was geared for a while. it is much faster than my 29ers even when they have slicks on them. I would possibly ride a rigid 26er with slicks, but a 29er is going to be heavier, and kinda awkward for the urban riding that i do. it is nice being able to just plow through stairs and curbs on campus, but it is just so much faster going on a road bike.

if i hadn't gotten a road bike from my dad, and was in the market for a single purpose bike (ie i was only going to be riding it on the street) i probably would have gotten some sort of a hybrid or touring bike.


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## utahnoob (Jun 7, 2011)

I have similar interests and will be following the responses.


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## dubthang (Apr 2, 2009)

SE makes some sweet 29er sized bmx style bikes. That may be an option.

http://www.sebikes.com/graphics/2012_SE_PK%20Fixed%20Gear_Sideb.jpg


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## getagrip (Mar 26, 2008)

mack_turtle had a good suggestion, and I think I may follow his advice by going with a dual sport. I had a Giant Rome dual sport bike earlier this year which I really liked at first, but because it was a bit too big, I didn't like it as much after the "new bike wow factor" wore off (I'm 5'7.5" and it was a 19"). Here are some links to various dual sport bikes for anyone who is looking at alternatives to a hybrid or cyclocross:

Roam 1 (2012) - Bikes | Giant Bicycles | United States

8.3 DS - Trek Bicycle

Amazon.com: Diamondback Trace Pro Dual Sport Bike (2011 Model, 700c Wheels): Sports & Outdoors


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

IMHO, dual sport are just hybrids by another name.


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## Repo (Feb 26, 2009)

I was in a simular situation. The only bike I own is 4" FS I do my road rides and comute as well as the trails. I don't mind it on the road, because I ride by myself and am prepared if a driver puts me in the ditch. I Looked at rigid 29ers and thought that was the answer, but decided on a cross bike. 

The reasons for me were:

I ride with bar ends on the road(similar to hood position)
being able to do group rides and get in better shape
Be more efficient on the road(It's not my favorite place so I want to get the most out of it)
Ride it on the trails with my wife and son
Try a few Cross races( I could do them on my FS as a beginner)

You could do a flat bar cross bike.

I agree on the look. I prefer the MTB look, and the cross bikes do look pretty plain in comparison. I am still waiting on parts to finish my crossbike so I can't give you any ride report yet.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

AndrwSwitch said:


> IMHO, dual sport are just hybrids by another name.


hybrids handle really lousy on anything other than smooth, paved surfaces. a "comfort" hybrid is a granny bike. a "sport" hybrid is a road bike with fatter tires and a flat bar. Dual sports are great for everything from smooth single track, gravel, bike paths, city streets, etc. they are far more versatile than any other kind of hybrid bike.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

I know what a hybrid is. And I'll believe that Fisher's hybrids are better when I ride one and it shows me I'm wrong.


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## getagrip (Mar 26, 2008)

AndrwSwitch said:


> IMHO, dual sport are just hybrids by another name.


I'd say a dual sport is more like a combination between a hybrid and a mountain bike - more rugged than a hybrid, but not quite as tough as a mountain bike.


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## umarth (Dec 5, 2007)

I think the OP might be confusing a Motobecane from the 70's with the more modern reproductions. Motobecane was a French company that went out of business in the 80's and later the Bikesdirect owners bought the trademark, but no designing ideals crossed from one iteration to the other.



ferday said:


> but currently there isn't a super cheap option that i am aware of for this type of ride...


Voodoo Nakisi and Origin8 CX700 come to mind...


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## getagrip (Mar 26, 2008)

umarth said:


> I think the OP might be confusing a Motobecane from the 70's with the more modern reproductions. Motobecane was a French company that went out of business in the 80's and later the Bikesdirect owners bought the trademark, but no designing ideals crossed from one iteration to the other.
> Voodoo Nakisi and Origin8 CX700 come to mind...


That's a good theory, but I was actually making fun of the "orange" paint job on the Motobecane I saw in person. Trust me, I know all about Bikes Direct (in fact I ordered a Windsor MTB frm them) and was considering ordering a Cyclocross bike from them...until I saw the Fantom Cross in person and it kind of turned me off.


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## drmayer (Apr 19, 2007)

I had a dual sport (gary fisher Utopia) that i bought to ride light trails, around town, and commute. It was a nice bike, but for my needs i sold it and went with a CX bike (motobecane fantom cxx). It's much more efficient to ride on the road, and i have 700x35 tires which are cushy enough for light trails. I have an all-out road bike, so i'm used to the position and handling. 

If you're intending on riding roads/MUT - the CX bike will be a better choice if you don't mind drop bars.


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## TrailNut (Apr 6, 2004)

with a real mt. bike you can ride all the roads you want and enjoy the rough off-road rides: roots, rocks, & drop-offs. I


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## KVW (Aug 11, 2011)

Funny that i come across this thread now. I'm in the exact mindset as many of the posters here. However i own a ti motobecane 29er, and a GT tachyon 3.0 hybrid. The delema i constanly faced is, i want to commute and do my errands on a bike but i dont ever feel safe locking up my moto because of the dollar investment. So i have my Gt hybrid for that. However a couple realizations have come about. 1. The kid in me likes to play, ie jumping off curbs, cutting across stairs, lawns, side gravel trails etc. This equates to alot of abuse on the poor hybrid. Not to mention some sketchy moments. 2. Im not that much faster on the hybrid over my mtb!! I kid you not, ive tested this over and over again. On avg, my 29er with 40-45psi, locked out reba, im only about .5 mph slower!

The end result makes me feel like, wtf is the point of my hybrid if it isn't really getting me to places significanfly faster?! Its less fun to ride and of course a lot harsher.

So ive decided to sell off my gt hybrid. I just test road one of these and absolutely loved it (well the one speed version of it as thats all the shop had)!! 2011 TransIt Kenan Commuter Bike - Pro Bike Build Special Price 49.99 with Any of These Bikes

Its relatevely low cost (peice of mind when leaving it locked up), a blast to screw around on, and im positive it will be just fine as a commuter and will fare far better to playful riding (better durability). Seriously this 700c wheel thats so damn popular is annoying. It made it so hard for me to find a mtb 26er style commuter (ridgit fork). I tried thr focus urban 27 btw, it was ok... looks badass but way over priced for what it was and heeaavy! Frame might be stronger though, im guessing thats why it was so heavy, maybe it was a DJ frame but it didnt feel like it. Very long top tube which stretched you out (not good for jumping).


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

The point of the GT hybrid is that you can just leave it locked places, and not stress.

I have an old road bike I use for that. Great thing to have around.


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## KVW (Aug 11, 2011)

AndrwSwitch said:


> The point of the GT hybrid is that you can just leave it locked places, and not stress.
> 
> I have an old road bike I use for that. Great thing to have around.


Oh I know, that's why I'm buying the TransIt Kenan. It's to replace the GT hybrid as my low-cost beater bike that I can leave locked up at places (they are about the same value ~ $500).

What I meant about what's the point of the "hybrid" bike, I was referring to the road bike style setup with it's 700c32 tires. It doesn't *really* get you places much faster! My daily commute is about 16mile round trip. Riding my hybrid over my moto 29er only nets me .5mph faster. It's a joke! Now I understand the GT is a straight bar, so it's not as aero as a true road bike, but just saying,"mtb tires" vs "road tires" .... not much difference in speed at a great cost of dealing with skinny, fragile, no-fun "road tires".


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## s0ckeyeus (Jun 20, 2008)

What about a Cannondale Bad Boy? It kind of sounds like what you're after. Plus, it looks pretty sick.


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## zephxiii (Aug 12, 2011)

TrailNut said:


> with a real mt. bike you can ride all the roads you want and enjoy the rough off-road rides: roots, rocks, & drop-offs. I


yea, I actually ride my MTBs on pavement and through the city all the time. I love it because i can roll over anything, feels like I have complete freedom.

Last weekend i did a 31mile ride over pavement on a FS mountain bike, the FS made the ride fantastically nice and the tires I have on it roll pretty nice on pavement (Hardrock'r).

I do think if you are going to do a fair amount of pavement riding, you will need to find a good balance in tires.


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## TrailNut (Apr 6, 2004)

*Fixie or SS*



zephxiii said:


> yea, I actually ride my MTBs on pavement and through the city all the time. I love it because i can roll over anything, feels like I have complete freedom.
> 
> Last weekend i did a 31mile ride over pavement on a FS mountain bike, the FS made the ride fantastically nice and the tires I have on it roll pretty nice on pavement (Hardrock'r).
> 
> I do think if you are going to do a fair amount of pavement riding, you will need to find a good balance in tires.


If you're doing a fair amount of road riding then get a real MTB first then a $600 Bianchi Pista fixie or a single speed road bike. If you have hills you'll want two real brakes, such as a Bianchi San Jose

Then you can set up the MTB with phat gnar tires for all the off road rides and XC jumps.

My steel MTB has biggest tires and disk brakes that can fit: so fun to ride.


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## zephxiii (Aug 12, 2011)

TrailNut said:


> If you're doing a fair amount of road riding then get a real MTB first then a $600 Bianchi Pista fixie or a single speed road bike. If you have hills you'll want two real brakes, such as a Bianchi San Jose
> 
> Then you can set up the MTB with phat gnar tires for all the off road rides and XC jumps.
> 
> My steel MTB has biggest tires and disk brakes that can fit: so fun to ride.


Ahh but the problem is that I don't want anything like the Pista  I hit trails along my city travels and other terrain not suitable for bikes like that. If anything I'd buy another hardtail and drop some more pavement oriented hybrid tires on them if i wanted something more dedicated to pavement.

I like the endurance that a I buildup by riding my current MTBs long distance.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

In between saying "cross bikes are road bikes, the difference is not as big as you think," I also think they're a really fun bike if you do like to pop into trails during a primarily road ride.

People vastly underestimate the off-road capabilities of a road bike, though. You'd be surprised what finesse and 23mm tires can do. At least, as long as there's no sustained or root-infested climbing, or loose descending. The biggest reason mine doesn't see more off-road use is that my road pedal system totally freaks out. So, it still sees some.


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## zephxiii (Aug 12, 2011)

I dunno I had a road bike before and I hated riding it. I think it really boils down to the handle bars, I hate the curl under bars....it just feels like I can't do anything with the bike other than ride on perfect pavement and pray no one runs me over. I also don't like road bike tires as they just seem limited on traction (especially in the wet) and I'm going to dent the wheel somewhere some how lol. I often get a vision of making a turn at speed and going down because it seems like the smallest little rock will cause me to go down...and yes I have a vivid memory of breaking my right hand this way .

When riding in the urban I tend to ride all over everything; curbs, grass, stairs, sidewalks, jumps, parks, ramps, dirt, gravel...whatever comes my way. I'm not the type that just rides on the street or in bike lanes etc...or follow any rules for that matter lol.

I just love the feeling of freedom on a MTB and also have interest in hybrids.


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## fast540 (May 29, 2011)

goto youtube look up paris roubaix u will find road bikes ridden in adverse conditions,road bikes are not frail eggshells of bikes nor do the lack traction in anyway but if u r un accustomed to skinnys its something to get used to


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## Premo (Feb 1, 2013)

zephxiii said:


> I dunno I had a road bike before and I hated riding it. I think it really boils down to the handle bars, I hate the curl under bars....it just feels like I can't do anything with the bike other than ride on perfect pavement and pray no one runs me over. I also don't like road bike tires as they just seem limited on traction (especially in the wet) and I'm going to dent the wheel somewhere some how lol. I often get a vision of making a turn at speed and going down because it seems like the smallest little rock will cause me to go down...and yes I have a vivid memory of breaking my right hand this way .
> 
> When riding in the urban I tend to ride all over everything; curbs, grass, stairs, sidewalks, jumps, parks, ramps, dirt, gravel...whatever comes my way. I'm not the type that just rides on the street or in bike lanes etc...or follow any rules for that matter lol.
> 
> I just love the feeling of freedom on a MTB and also have interest in hybrids.


Have you considered riding a mtb with 700c cyclocross 32mm tires on it? I have a 29er hard tail with 3 sets of tires, mtb 2.2, geax evolution ll 1.9, and vittoria 32mm. All ride differently. The Mtb 29er is very versatile. More comfortable than either a cyclocross or a Hybrid the way I've set up the bars and grips (with bar ends for varied hand positions), Thudbuster seat post.The vittorias are a lot faster on the pavement than the others. I'm 6 feet, 240 and not fat. The lower end components on Hybirds would not hold up to the way that I ride. Put together something that you will love, and later you'll be glad you did.


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## zephxiii (Aug 12, 2011)

Well I ended up scoring a 2011 Scott Speedster S20 for a pretty good price so I went with that. And that bike's kinda more for attacking distance with speed. 

However for more enjoyable touring I've been thinking of building up a separate wheelset with I'm not sure what tires yet, must be tubeless though.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

You figure out "your" tire pressure yet? It makes a huge difference, and I found I don't even like fatter tires on road bikes.


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## zephxiii (Aug 12, 2011)

I just set it to 100psi for now. 

Oh and I meant building up a separate wheelset for the 29er if that wasn't clear.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

100 psi is a lot. Experiment with it, like on your mountain bike. You should be able to get a drop bar bike to be more comfortable than anything with flat bars.


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## zephxiii (Aug 12, 2011)

I like 100psi. The only thing I'm concerned about is traction. I thought the bike rode pretty well though, no complaints there. It's just the fit i'm trying to dial in. 

It's setup fairly aggressive from the factory and had pain in my hands within seconds of grabbing the hoods. I flipped the stem and that was better but still not quite there. I had a stem laying around that I tried on my 29er that was 10mm longer that I didn't like, it's 20mm shorter than S20's stem so I threw that on and that was better. I may swap some spacers to raise the bars again. However with how cold it has been, I've only been wanting to hit the frozen trails.


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## Kajjal (Dec 14, 2013)

My 23mm tyres on my road bike are set to 105psi which is ideal for me. The balance is between too much grip /punctures at too low a pressure and too much road vibration at too high a pressure. Just down to personal preference.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

What is too much grip? Do you mean rolling resistance? It's counterintuitive, but less pressure is better for that, just like on mountain bikes.


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## GRAVELBIKE (Oct 7, 2006)

I weigh 195 and run my 25mm tires at 90 rear and 80 front. For dirt-road riding I'll drop down to maybe 75-80 in back and 60-65 up front. Plenty of traction, and the ride is comfortable.


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