Cyclocross - CX Bike with Flat Bars

Anyone using a cx bike with flat bars? I'm thinking of going that way

I had the impression that true cx bikes with flat bars don't exist (aside from the user swapping out the bar himself) - the ones that are seen at races are just MTBs. I could be mistaken though.

My Bianchi San Jose is set up with North Road Bars. Go ahead and do it and the hell with what other people think. I love riding upright and being able to see where I am going.

My Bianchi San Jose is set up with North Road Bars. Go ahead and do it and the hell with what other people think. I love riding upright and being able to see where I am going.

Sounds cool. Have a picture?

Have to take one. I had a threadless stem extender installed since the bars were too low for comfort.

I think a lot of the attraction to flat bars comes from riding MTBs and feeling at ease riding flat bars off road. Give the drops a try for a while before making the switch

insert obligatory reference to Thomas Frischnecht here.

I never did a find a comfortable drop bar position. Some people are better off with upswept bars like the North Road or Albatross or trekking bars like the Hitec H-bar or moustache bar.

I remember a photograph of a rider on a custom Land Shark SS CX bike with flat bars. It'll probably fly at your local CX race, but I'm sure the UCI requires drop bars, lest CX turn into weak MTB races.

(Insert comment here about how none or few of us race at the UCI level.)

Doesn't that just make it a hybrid and don't hybrid suck?

I started my Cross Check out with a flat bar, but wanted more hand positions. So I got a set of Ergons w/attached bar ends, but the bar end part was too small for my big mitts. I ended up grabbing a Scott AT-4 bar off Ebay a while back and using that. Its been great. It gives me the flat bar component, the bar end position, and an aero position for zipping down hills.

I will add that I built the bike up with bar end shifters and Pauls Thumbies, in case I ever decided to switch to drop bars or sell the bike. But, so far I have no intention of doing either.

I never did a find a comfortable drop bar position. Some people are better off with upswept bars like the North Road or Albatross or trekking bars like the Hitec H-bar or moustache bar.

I am going to try the 'stache bar thing on my CX bike, I think the nuetral hand positions and sligthly more upright posture may be exactly what I need for the type of riding I do.

There is also the flared drop. The width of a flat bar, and much of the upright posture as well, but a few more hand positions and they feel really great.

Doesn't that just make it a hybrid and don't hybrid suck?

No, it doesn't make it a hybrid. Hybrids don't suck either.

I started my Cross Check out with a flat bar, but wanted more hand positions. So I got a set of Ergons w/attached bar ends, but the bar end part was too small for my big mitts. I ended up grabbing a Scott AT-4 bar off Ebay a while back and using that. Its been great. It gives me the flat bar component, the bar end position, and an aero position for zipping down hills.

I will add that I built the bike up with bar end shifters and Pauls Thumbies, in case I ever decided to switch to drop bars or sell the bike. But, so far I have no intention of doing either.

Can you post a picture of the Scott AT-4 bar installed?

Michael

Keith Bontrager uses a flat bar. Works for him. As for a cross bike with a flat bar, you'll probably have to search for a flat bar hybrid with v-brakes. Hybrid can mean many things. Sometimes it means slow and heavy, and sometimes it means race bike with a flat bar. Just like cross bike no longer means cyclocross racing bike and sometimes means useful road bike.

No, it doesn't make it a hybrid. Hybrids don't suck either.

I forgot to use the ;) at the end. :)

I forgot to use the ;) at the end. :)

Ahhh, now I'm happy :love:

I have a flat bar on my cross check right now, because it's what I had when I built it up... Might go to drops once I get a set of drop levers so I can get extra hand positions. The flat bars are fine though!

I have a Specialized hybrid which I used for commuting and beer case fetching... the sloping top tube makes it a poor candidate for cross racing because you couldn't shoulder it, but other than the flat bars, the geometry is very much like a cross bike.

Seems like many of the people who post in the cross forum are interested in the utility of a cross bike and not necessarily the racing aspect which make hybrids a good bet. i swapped my stock tires out for vittoria xn file tread and it rolls much faster...

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e211/gbae007/23daeb60.jpg

Thanks for all of the good info. I have mtb parts available for the cx bike build, including the flat bars, v brakes, etc. I figured that I'd set it up that way, then switch to drop bars later if I wanted