Cyclocross - Tricross sport triple opinions?

I am looking into purchasing a Specialized tricross sport triple....I am looking for opinions on the model and the type of bike in general. Have never had anything other than mtn bikes.. thanks! oh, and I would like to be able to ride on grevel roads is the reason for the tricross model... thank you.

I ride my TriCross on crushed limestone gravel trails all the time -- it's a great bike for that use. It has enough damping in the frame to still be comfortable. I find the arm positions with drop bars to be much more comfortable long term than the flat bars of a mountain bike because my elbows aren't rotated; switching from flat bars to drop bars took care of a case of tendinitis for me.

You might want to have your bike shop upgrade the tires to the Armadillo Elite version of the Borough CX tires for flat protection. I got flats every few hundred miles before I made the switch, haven't had a flat in 1700 miles or so since.

Nice bike. I had one for a couple months. To make it really shine, get a new wheelset. Those things that are on it are heavy. Like Mike said, change out the tires. I have some of the Armadillo versions of the Borough's also on the stock wheels on my Tricross Comp and they are great tires. I use them for dirt riding as well.

You can find my opinion of the tricross sport on another recent thread. I'll repeat that I love the bike. It's probably my favorite bike that I own as it is very versatile. I use it for commuting, road riding, trail riding, and I've done a couple of short tours with it and I've raced cyclocross with it. The bike can do it all.

What's good about the bike... very versatile as I've mentioned. Shifting has been outstanding with the tiagra shifters, tiagra front derailleur and lx rear derailleur. The tricross, even with the triple, has been the best front shifting bike that I've ever ridden. Even comparing it with double chainrings and shifters/derailleurs up to Ultegra.
I like the handling of the bike, it's very stable. In spite of the weight I plan to race cyclocross on the tricross next season instead of my 18.5# trek xo2 because I like the way the tricross handles better.
The only possible downside to the bike is that it is heavy. The wheels, tires, and cassette that come on the bike are really heavy but they have been durable. If I swap out the wheels with some road wheels and tires it literally drops 3+ pounds off the bike.

More info on the weight... I actually have power data from riding the tricross and trek 5500 carbon road bike on the same stretch of road (bike trail). The particular section of the trail is about a 2%-3% incline and takes me around between 9 and 10 minutes to ride it. For similar power numbers I get similar times on the two bikes even though the tricross is heavier. I used the same wheels and tires on both bikes. So my point is that the tricross with road wheels is just as fast as a road bike for typical riding.

In the past I've also owned a trek 520 touring bike and I prefer the tricross for tours as I like the way it rides better. I rarely ride my mountain bike anymore because I use the tricross.

That's enough for now... as you can tell I really like the tricross.

I love my Tricross Sport. For some reason is just feels like the best bike I have. I use it as a road bike and also for cyclocross races. I ride it on single track as well. A great all around bike and so far holding up perfectly to the abuse I put on it.

I have a Tricross Sport and one problem with it is toe overlap which makes it tricky for me to turn tight, low-speed corners. See if the bike gives you toe overlap in your size.

I am ambivalent about much of the componentry.

I think the stock bottom bracket and/or crankset is junk as after I replaced my crankset and bottom bracket, I noticed right away that the pedals rotate much more freely, really as they should on a bike with a cartridge bottom bracket. The replacement parts are a 46/34/24 Stronglight crankset and a Shimano UN54 bottom bracket.

I think the brake levers don't work that well with the V-brakes. See my thread on "calipers for Tricross?".

The stock wheelset takes a beating but easily loses its lateral truth. That and when I went to tension mine, I found that if I wanted them to be laterally true, I could do so only by having two spokes out of tension range. So if you get this bike, you might want to have the wheels tensioned right away.

That's it for gripes.

I think this category of bike will be a good transition for you to go from an mtb bike to a road-style bike. This bike can take a beating as the frame seems very stiff and durable. The geometry gives you very stable steering and a high handlebar posiiton- something that might feel good to an mtb'er. The center of gravity is high and I've never high my bottom bracket on a bump when riding on dirt trails.

You can easily venture onto dirt roads, esp since you can run wider than 700x32 tires. The oem wheels are very wide to allow a wider tire and the frame & fork clearance is generous. Run 700x42's if you want more floatation or cushioning.

What I like about this bike, though, is that it isn't a racing bike. Rack and fender eyelets everywhere. Stiff ride, but not as stiff as the Bianchi Axis I test rode. This bike is for a recreational rider who wants durability and versatility.

It's a good bike for dirt roads, light touring, commuting, etc while still being reasonably sporty. There are better options for budget race bikes, if that is important for you.

Thank you for all of your opinions..now i have another question...in your opinions...the tricross sport triple or the Roubaix comp or Elite Triple? what are your thoughts? thanks! I would like to get the most bang for my buck and a quality bike.. thanks!

Thank you for all of your opinions..now i have another question...in your opinions...the tricross sport triple or the Roubaix comp or Elite Triple? what are your thoughts? thanks! I would like to get the most bang for my buck and a quality bike.. thanks!

The Tricross Sport and the lower level Roubaixs are radically different bikes.

You've jumped from saying that you want to ride on gravel roads to asking us to consider the Roubaix. I don't get it. The Roubaixs are enticing because they're offered with a triple and they're lightweight but they're road bikes. You don't get the versatility or the durability that you get with a cross bike.

If you want a cross bike and you want a triple, you can just upgrade some parts on the Tricross Sport. Get a Tiagra or 105 triple crankset. Get a blingy but tough wheelset. Upgrade the tires to the Armadillo Elites. It doesn't cost you anything to ask what your dealer would you for those upgrades, esp if you could get a Pave wheelset at a discount because you're already buying a bike from them.

Also, Specialized generally doesn't offer bang for the buck, at least not with the Tricross Sport. If you want bang for the buck, Jamis, Felt and other lesser-known, less-blingy brands are what you should be looking at.

I think you need to slow down and reconsider what you want to do with the bike and consequently, what category of bike you're looking for.

Thank you for your opinion thirdin????????? um well, duh they are totally different bikes. huh, maybe i'll just buy a tri and a road bike...

i think it would be fairly obvious that if i went with the roubiax i would not be riding on trails or gravel roads..

i bought my (sworks, AL frame) tricross for riding the numerous, light traffic dirt roads when I lived in SE michigan for a while. I love that bike. I use it WAY more than i do my road bikes, I live in NEw Mexico 1/2 the year, the roads there are pretty gnarly. lots of dirt ones too. great bike for that kind of riding (any surface). I rarely use my MTB unless the trail gets 'technical', or very steep (the tricross is a compact double)

I need to find a used of these bikes...Cant afford a new one.

i think it would be fairly obvious that if i went with the roubiax i would not be riding on trails or gravel roads..

So let's get this rift. These guys are giving you good advice and all you're saying is that it's obvious if you get a roubaix then you wont be riding trails? Well if you're getting a tricross then it's obvious you will ride trails yet you still mention it in your op.

You should forget the roubaix. It seems like you don't know what you want so just get a cx bike as it'll do pretty much most of what you want.

Thank you for your opinion thirdin????????? um well, duh they are totally different bikes. huh, maybe i'll just buy a tri and a road bike...
Are you always so rude to people who are trying to help you. Thirdin777 replies are fine and might be useful to other people reading this thread.


i think it would be fairly obvious that if i went with the roubiax i would not be riding on trails or gravel roads..
Nah, the confusion is your problem. If you are asking questions on a "Cyclocross" forum, it's reasonable for people to be confused about your odd questions about road bikes (especially, since you were talking about wanting to ride the bike on gravel.)

It's your responsibility to make your questions clear. Other people should not have to guess at what the heck you are talking about!

Hey NJkayaker....uh..well, does talking like that make you feel good about yourself? i hope it does, cuz if thats all you got goin for you..ha...well........good for you....good day.

I've had the Tricross Sport 07 for a year now and generally love the bike for it's versatility but NOT for snowy conditions:eek:. In clumpy, hard and shallow snow of even 15 feet stretches it forces me to dismount and walk rather than risk toppling over. I'm told that the higher bottom bracket and shorter wheel base contribute to it's instability in these conditions. I've ridden in snowy conditions on hybrids and road bikes and have never experienced such severe instability to the same degree.

I'm also weary about the performance of the bike when coming across unexpected sand during a quick descent on the open road. I've not a lot experience with such a situation but recall feeling similar unstableness on one occasion.

Anybody else have any similar experiences with snow or sand patches?

Leo

I've never ridden my tricross in the snow but I've ridden in a lot of sand. I haven't found it to be unstable at all.
You mention a high bottom bracket and short wheelbase but the tricross is just the opposite. It has a bottom bracket drop that is as low as most road bikes and lower than many 'cross bikes. And the tricross' wheelbase is longer then almost all road bikes (except touring) and longer than most 'cross bikes.