Cyclocross - CX newbie! first bike advice! :)

alright...i've given up on the idea of getting some bike that could excel in both a cx role and a mtb role. i'll just get two separate bikes.

so...for my cx bike...i'm considering getting a motobecane fantom because it seems like the most versatile cx bike incase i want it to serve other purposes. it has front and rear braze-ones and eyelets for racks or fenders. seems like a cx bike that could be converted to be a utility bike...commuter...hit some mild offroad trails, turn in into a tourer, whatever. and it's pretty affordable.

are there any other cx bikes you guys would recommend that's affordable and versatile?

thanks!!!

Surly Crosscheck.

Surly Crosscheck.

i know the surly can take rear racks/fenders...does it have braze-ones/eyelets in the front? is the surly a better cx bike than the motobecane fantom? if so...in what way?

thanks!

i know the surly can take rear racks/fenders...does it have braze-ones/eyelets in the front? is the surly a better cx bike than the motobecane fantom? if so...in what way?

thanks!

I don't own either, but the frames will likely ride very differently in that the CxCk is steel and built as more of an all-rounder while the Phantom seems to be patterned after the more aggressive racier frames. I currently own a Scandium Kona Major Jake (a race frame) and it rides VERY differently from the Lemond Poprad (a more all-rounder frame made of steel).

I would recommend doing some careful thinking about the conditions in which you really want the bike to shine and buy toward that goal. My Kona is an amazing off-road bike, but I spend 95% of my time on the road, and would probably prefer the Lemond.

Also, the surley can more easily be transformed to single speed (if that interests you down the road). And it has huge clearance so you could basically even run a mountain bikish tire if you ever wanted to do so.

Surly's favorable reputation seems to be built on their thoughtful frame design (never leaving a rider saying "I wish my bike could....."). While BD seems to have a reputation for delivering top end components at bottom end prices on decent frames. Both business models are really good for a given type of rider. You have to decide which type you are.

I don't own either, but the frames will likely ride very differently in that the CxCk is steel and built as more of an all-rounder while the Phantom seems to be patterned after the more aggressive racier frames. I currently own a Scandium Kona Major Jake (a race frame) and it rides VERY differently from the Lemond Poprad (a more all-rounder frame made of steel).

I would recommend doing some careful thinking about the conditions in which you really want the bike to shine and buy toward that goal. My Kona is an amazing off-road bike, but I spend 95% of my time on the road, and would probably prefer the Lemond.

i have a dedicated roadbike, 2007 Specialized Roubaix Expert Compact Rival...and a dedicated tri bike, 2007 Cervelo P2C Dura Ace. so my go fast road needs are met. i want my cx bike to be a bike i can cx with...and possibly do other things with...like tour or commute or take it out in winter or whatever...versatility.

i have a dedicated roadbike, 2007 Specialized Roubaix Expert Compact Rival...and a dedicated tri bike, 2007 Cervelo P2C Dura Ace. so my go fast road needs are met. i want my cx bike to be a bike i can cx with...and possibly do other things with...like tour or commute or take it out in winter or whatever...versatility.

I hear that. I also have a couple of dedicated road machines but somehow find myself frustrated by the lack of road performance of the Kona relative to the other machines. I would probably rather give up some off-road performance for better on road performance given that any off roading I will do on it will include significant time on the road to get to the trailheads. If you are going to race cx, that changes everything. Keep in mind, however, that Wendy Simms (Canadian national champion) chose to race a crosscheck at one time in her career; so they can't suck that bad at the races.
http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-88943.html

Because the BD bikes are way inexpensive...one argument is to buy from BD and then get the other frame if you pine for it later. You can't beat BD for pricing on nice componentry to be swapped over to another frame down the road.

i have a dedicated roadbike, 2007 Specialized Roubaix Expert Compact Rival...and a dedicated tri bike, 2007 Cervelo P2C Dura Ace. so my go fast road needs are met. i want my cx bike to be a bike i can cx with...and possibly do other things with...like tour or commute or take it out in winter or whatever...versatility.

I vote cross check.