cheap starter bike cyclocross

[simonpne]

Does any one know of a cheap bike. for grass training ?, Is it a good idea to use a flat bar? thanks simon

[adrien]

Depends what you mean by "cheap".

New or used?

Just grass training? What else do you ride?

Most will recommend drops ass they give you more options in terms of hand positions.

With more info, we can certainly help. Have a look at a Kona Jake ($800). Don't know if that counts as cheap, but for a new, entry-level cross bike, it's pretty good.

[xlntRider79]

the Bianchi San Jose is less than 600. The fact that its a singlespeed makes it a more effective trainer because it doesn't let you "whimp out" by downshifting when you get tired. If your goal is to train for cross, I would stay with the drop bars so you get the advantage of multiple hand positions.

[vpower]

Don't get me wrong, I love the kona jake.

BUT, if you are buying a cheap starter bike, you are assuming that you might be buying a second bike later. For the money, i think it's way better to get the san jose because then if you buy another bike you'll have a singlespeed and a geared bike offering much different ride options.

If you buy a jake and then decide to upgrade later (for the sake of argument lets say to a jake the snake) then you'll have 2 bikes that do the same thing, but you will think of your other bike as "the one that's not as good" instead of "the one that's different"

[adrien]

vpower has a point.

will this be your one and only bike, and will you use it for other things? or a pure CX trainer?

[arshak]

http://www.ibexbikes.com/Bikes/X-RAY-SPT-Details.html

[alreadyblue]

Personally, I think Cross bikes are really great all around bikes. And I think they are more comfortable to ride than Road bikes.

However, if you slap on a set of road wheels on your CX bike, they aren't bad road machines. Certainly fine for training. They are a little beefier and weigh more, but unless your doing serious road racing, it's no big deal.

I'd say get a decent CX bike, and later an extra set of wheels with road tires on them.

[zetatios]

I found an early 90's rigid mountain bike at salvo for 5$, put 70$ into it for good skinny tires and another 25 for a nice seatpost. Works pretty well for cyclocross (i've done a few races), and doubles as a decent mtb/beater commuter bike.

that said.....im goign to buy a cyclocross bike eventually here......

[Deanster04]

Ebay. Been quite a few recently.

[ridethecliche]

Does anyone have any experience with Ibex?
It sounds like a good deal for someone who's pretty experienced with bikes.

[vpower]

shimano sora is pretty cheesy (the shifters especially). I rode a bike with sora for a year and a half and it couldn't really cut it. If you do any kind of serious riding you will notice serious problems with the quality. It will work, but when you buy something with sora, you need to accept that it will probably need to be replaced much sooner than something of higher quality. the x-ray doesn't seem like a bad deal. Replacing it with something better (tiagara is the next logical step, but if you're paying to upgrade, you might as well step up to 105) this will cost you a lot of money, probably more money than you would have spent if you bought something better the first time around. BUT, I totally understand limited finances. THe best way to upgrade this bike would be to put bar end shifters on it. This is the cheapest good option also.

that said, I still say for the money, the bianchi san jose is the best way to go. internet is usually cheaper but a good bike shop will take care of you. bikes have a break-in period, the wheels will go out of true and the cables will stretch in the first hundred miles. Sometimes, the most reputable bike companies have warranty issues and need to have parts replaced.

the internet won't give you 30 day tune up. a lot of good shops will.

I am all about being thrifty. A lot of times, the cheapest option works out to cost more in the long run than the better option.

Also consider shipping (even if a shop has to special order something, they will often cover or split shipping with you) and assembly (I've never ordered a bike from the internet, but I'm sure you need to assemble it to a degree). if you can't do it, you need to take it to a shop. Shops charge for this.

I'm not saying never buy things on the internet, but buy wisely.

I do work in a shop, and I realize that the internet and large chain shops can usually beat smaller, independent shops on price. A lot of times, people buy online with no problems. But I have also seen a lot of people get a lot of good deals on parts or bikes on the internet and then they get upset when they have to go to a shop for any follow up stuff that would have been included had they bought a bike in the shop in the first place.

end of rant.

for the price, the ibex doesn't look bad. it might cost more in the long run.

[LBIkid]

I don't race, so I can't attest to it's durability, but I recently picked up a Motobecane Fantom Cross for $650 on EBay, brand new. Components are higher end than Kona Jake (i.e. Tiagra shifters, front derail., 105 rear) and so far, it seems to work great. I use it as an all-around bike/travelling bike so that I don't have to use my mtn. bike on the road. I haven't seen many new CX bikes cheaper than this. I understand it is essentially the same bike as a Fuji CX bike that retails for a fair bit more.

[Deanster04]

Does any one know of a cheap bike. for grass training ?, Is it a good idea to use a flat bar? thanks simon

Size???