[owendonk]

I'm looking to find a good used bike that is reliable and less than $350. It seems to me that cyclocross bikes fit the bill nicely for my purposes: able to go on pavement, smooth trails, and maybe bumpier trails. Mostly for commuting and recreation rides 20 miles or less. I'm curious, what are the pros and cons of cyclocross bikes versus full-fledged road bikes? What makes a good cyclocross and who makes good ones? Are they like hybrids? Any information at all would be helpful. Are they practical to find? Thank you for your help! I'm definitely liking this forum, great people!

[The BikeForums Team]

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[markhr]

I'm looking to find a good used bike that is reliable and less than $350. It seems to me that cyclocross bikes fit the bill nicely for my purposes: able to go on pavement, smooth trails, and maybe bumpier trails. Mostly for commuting and recreation rides 20 miles or less. I'm curious, what are the pros and cons of cyclocross bikes versus full-fledged road bikes? What makes a good cyclocross and who makes good ones? Are they like hybrids? Any information at all would be helpful. Are they practical to find? Thank you for your help! I'm definitely liking this forum, great people!

hi - a cyclocross bike is closer to a road criterium bike than a hybrid. That is quick handling and a fast feel to the bike which makes them a blast to ride :D. Advantages are the tyre clearance, versatility and better braking if you go for disc brakes, disadvantages might be slight weight trade off over a "traditional" road bike.

Personally I much prefer disc brakes but v-brakes and cantilevers work ok so an option might be getting a frame with disc tabs and later upgrade to discs. Check out CX bikes from the major manufacturers to give an idea of components and frame materials then try and find a bargain with similar specs.

Check out craigs list, e-bay and your local ad-pages for bikes. I'd look for either an older, good quality bike and try to upgrade the components rather than go for a newer bike with lower quality components that are in better condition. Basically, hunting for a good/excellent old frame over a newer average bike (ideally an old record equipped CX bike over a newer tiagra equipped bike :) ).

Anyway, hope that helps and good luck - let us all know what you eventually find