Cyclocross - Help with this list of bikes please??

Motobecane Fantom CX pro
giant tcx1
specialized tricross
surly xcheck (heavy)
trek xo1
bianchi axis

So, I'm 6'1, 180lbs. I have only had mtn bikes, and currently using a pretty heavy mtn bike as commuter. The main use of the new bike will be, in this order, commuter, ride for fitness/fun, triathlons for fun. I was going to get the trek fx05, but a friend of mine, serious biker, said not to get it, that a cyclocross would be better, so I'm taking his word. My price range is under $1k. This list is not all inclusive, just what I found, so please if there is a better bike for the price, please let me know.

Being that I ride a mtn bike currently on the road, though I may be wrong, I feel weight is a big issue and want the lightest bike I can get (unless you say weight isnt that big a deal for what I want). I want to go fast. :)

Thanks for your help. I know next to nothing about bikes really, but will learn.
Chris

Kona Jake. Bikesdirect have good CX bikes if you (with friends assistance) are up to the assembly required.

Anyone else? Or does everyone agree Kona Jake for my wants... Light, fast bike.

The main use of the new bike will be, in this order, commuter, ride for fitness/fun, triathlons for fun.
CX bike for triathlons??? You may want to re-think that.

I have a Giant TCX0. Use it for off road riding only. I put some 700x28 Vittoria Randonneur Cross tires on it for some on-road riding and got a real workout. :twitchy: :o

Kona Jake would be a good choice for you.

Specialized TriCross would be a better choice for the tri stuff.

Weight isn't that big a deal for what you want, except maybe the triathlons.

That said, I've got a Kona Jake. I swapped out most of the stock components for Ultegra (just because I'm an upgrade junky -- nothing wrong with the originals), including Ultegra/Open Pro wheels, and like that it weighs right around 23 pounds. It's probably not much over 24 stock. That wouldn't be great for a road bike, but for a commuter it's not bad at all. (My rain by weighs 33 pounds.)

Depends on the level of bikes. I have had a Jake the Snake and Tricross Expert and love the Tricross. I use it for just about everything and have on occaision thrown on some aerobars and 23 slicks. I was spinning out on the compact crank so have changed the chainrings to a set of 50/36. I also run 32 nobbies on it for single track trails. It is a comfortable, tough and light bike. It wouldn't be the best for competetive triathlons though.

The jake would be fine for fun triathlons if you put on 23 mm tires, and flipped the stem to lower the bars. The Alex AT450 rims are 13.5 mm internal width - narrow enough for 23 or 21 mm tires.

Thanks for the replies. I need to look up words like "aerobars", "crank", and "chainrings". :) I'm just getting into tris, or better yet, trying them to see if I like them. I can't justify getting a decent triathlon bike when I have yet to do at least one (first being Aug 24). If I get really into them, then I'll look at getting a real triathlon bike. But I may just like doing them with no real specific training for them, just to enter with friends, in which case, I don't need a triathlon bike, but don't want to use my heavy mtn bike. And honestly, I dont know if what I'm doing is really "commuting". I live about 10 miles away from where I do jiu jitsu and I ride my bike there 3-4x a week, but I do take a lot there, ie: gi, towel, drinks, etc. Who knows, maybe I'll get into a cyclocross race.. heh. I'm just into pretty much everything and will jump into a race at the last minute just to do and I figure the cyclocross would be best where I can do almost anything in, where a mtn bike I really don't want to ride long distances and a road bike I cant take on light trails... I'll check out the jake and tricross.

Thanks a lot for all the info.. I really don't know anything about bikes.

BTW, anything is better than commuting on my 40lb mtn bike.. heh

Top 9 cyclocross bikes for under $1k.

http://thatswhatshesaidaboutyourbike.blogspot.com/2008/09/top-nine-cyclocross-bikes-for-under.html

And honestly, I dont know if what I'm doing is really "commuting". I live about 10 miles away from where I do jiu jitsu and I ride my bike there 3-4x a week, but I do take a lot there, ie: gi, towel, drinks, etc.
So why not bike commute to work. Great way to get in some training miles. :thumb:

Cuz I dont work. :P

I left my career to foillow my wife in military and now am stay at home dad until she gets out in 9 years... then its my turn again.