Cyclocross - CX bike as your main bike?

I am a mountain biker by nature. I've got my fs 26er and my (no longer rare) ss 29er. My third bike is simply my Redline Conquest that serves me well come cross season, but sees mostly road miles during the off season. It by far gets the most miles of any of my bikes, simply because it is my go to bike for road rides, commuting, coffee runs, etc.

The only reason I ask is because I used to want a ubber-light top o the line road bike, but after 4 years on the conquest I see no need, due that I only race mtb and cx. In fact my 700X23's don't even get used anymore just because of road conditions around here. I dislike the harsher ride, lack of utility when it comes to surface conditions, needing to inflate them before every ride, and their vulnerability.

Anyone else have a change of heart regarding road bikes or skinny tires?

I just cracked my road bike frame, and have no plan to replace it.

The road wheels thrown on the CX bike are all I realistically need.

yeah. keep your slicks somewhere. Then when you decide to do that club ride/century, you can mount them back on. If you switch them out frequently enough.. you might want to opt for another set of wheels.

I think after this season, i'm dumping my road frame and calipers and getting a cx frame and extra wheels.

I am... I'm having a change of heart over bikes period. I'm thinking of selling both my road and cross bike. Only keep the mountain bike. Due to time constraints, riding has been less and less of an occurrence lately. Bad thing is I don't seem to miss it.

I have a beloved TI road bike that was a major milestone gift a few years ago. And nearly everyday, I contemplate selling it in favor of a CX bike that would meet several additional needs (commuting, trails, errands).

I actually commute on it now, but it is a bit impractical for that. I love the bike, but if I knew then what I know now, it would have been a CX bike instead of the roadie.

...Anyone else have a change of heart regarding road bikes or skinny tires?

Yeah...

When I got back into riding eleven years ago, I decided I wanted to do centuries and other organized rides so that I would have training and fitness goals beyond just making my daily 6 mile (r/t) commute. The bike type that seemed most appropriate was an 853 steel road bike. That bike and I rode many thousands of miles together - and I still love it.

After a couple of years I added a hardtail MTB to the stable - mostly for winter commuting and off-road rides with the kids. The two bikes complimented each other well - and I saw no reason for a third... Until cyclocross bikes became popular. I built one up from a frame/fork ----and it is just about the perfect bike.

It is more comfortable for just riding around - and also for centuries. It is just about as fast as the road bike, and it handles winter weather and bad roads almost as well as the MTB. I ride the CX about 90% of the time now. I don't regret purchasing my other bikes; they were part of my cycling education. I feel like I've earned my biking Ph.D - it came in the form of my perfect CX'er.

I'm still trying out 23mm's on my Tricross. It's been a week now. I think next time I change tyres (for offroad) I'll go back to my 32mm slicks afterwards. Yeah, the little bit of speed is nice...but for commuting, a little bit of comfort would be nice too. And less fear of 23mm-wide gaps in the road :)

I'm happy with my steel frame CX bike as an all-around bike. It's an especially good commuter, Century bike, fast solo ride-for-fitness bike, and should also make a good light touring bike. I have been considering an additional bike for very fast group rides.

I'm interested to see how much faster a carbon fiber bike with shallow aero rims might be.

On longer rides, I would not expect much improvement.

Is another bike "needed"? No.

Tricross (2 of them) are my only bikes, and wouldn't have it any other way. The whole point I think is that CX does it all, so no need for targeted equipment that limits one's surface choice.

I don't understand how one can be into CX and other types of cycling to the extent of spending years and energy researching and swapping out parts, comparing tech specs with others, and enjoying the results out on the trail/road, then lose interest in cycling completely. Extremes in anything is never a good thing.

I ride a Tricross exclusively for road riding. I do change the tires often so am looking at a dedicated set of wheels for for the 25 slicks. Otherwise I run it with 28 slicks or 32 cross tires. I thought of buying a road bike but I prefer the versatility of CX. I can certainly keep up with or pass the guys on road bikes though I have to work a little harder.

i can't afford another bike (although i admit i have been looking at the china special carbon road frames on eaby) so the s-works m4 does it all. recently got a used pair of older ksyriums and put some high psi slicks on em. goes pretty good.

I built up a steel frame/fork for 'cross-ish duty. I ended up doing what a lot of people here suggest -- one set of wheels with 'cross tires, one set with street tread. I end up ridign it much more than my previous rando-ish road bike (that I really, really am happy with the ride of) and I take it on the same trails that the MTB guys run. I can thin out the herd a bit and still be in good shape.

BTW - if you've read Bicycle Quarterly, you've probably found that a wider sroad tire of decent construction and lower pressure is actually faster than the 23's at 120 psi. Pasela's (non-TG version) in 28 or 32 work great for most ridding, and I only get the 'cross tires out for the MTB trails or heavens-forbid I may even race.

I ride and race my CX bike on the road. With appropriate gearing, position on the bike, and wheel tire selection I can see no reason to buy a 'road' bike. My CX bike IS a road bike. With benefits.

I'm trying to find the right CX bike to make as my own. I have a pretty heavy mtn bike that I now use with kenda klimax lite tires as my 15 mile a day commuter. But I want something lighter, faster, and that I can use more than just my little commute. Now I'm in the hardest part, trying to find the right bike for under $1000 when I know nothing about them. hehe.

Good news. There aren't many under $1000 to choose from. Should make it much easier.

In May +1 year I purchased a Motobecane Fantom CX from bikesdirect.com The dubious rep of BD notwithstanding I've ridden this bike in all weather,conditions, terrain, etc. Knew nothing about cx bikes at all. Just knew I didn't need a triplecrank and wanted rack mounts. So, when I saw a pic of it I read the specs, called a maniac mechanic friend and he said, "You wont get any snob kudos, but I'll bet it'll last you 10,000 miles, at least." 8000 commuter miles and counting. All I did was add 2 NR TRs a NR Universal taillight, Cateye Opticube Sport, 2 PB SF, Delta Universal rack, Jandd Saddlebags, Paramount wb cage, Topeak Road Morph w/guage and SKS Raceblades. Changed out the stock Kenda cx tires for some 28mm SMPs and it's been a hoss ever since. Paid 499.00US delivered and they've got them on sale right now. Wish I had another 5 bills 'cause I'd get another one just like the one I've got. It's got a 50/36 front. I never use the small cr as I can pull all the hills around here in the big. BTW, the cassette is 26x12.

Thanks for that info Nash, I'll check it out.

ridestockholm, you may wish to check out the Kona Jake. They run a little more at $900 MSRP, but at least if you find a dealer, you can test ride one, plus have dealer support.