Cyclocross - Cyclocross Bike Recommendations

I want to purchase a really fine carbon cyclocross bike or frameset. I was hit by a car going 50 to 55 mph from the rear on July 5, and I spent three weeks in the hospital with a broken back, tailbone, and leg. When I return to cycling I am going to do more cycling on limestone paths with less road cycling. My road bike is a Pinarello Prince. I am considering the Pinarello FCX and the Colnago Cross Prestige, however I am open to anything that makes sense. As I go about my recovery I am planning my return to cycling. I do not want to give up cycling. I just want to reduce my exposure to getting hit by a car again because it hurt so much. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Is the auto driver buying? Just wondering.

Yes. She had $50,000 in liability insurance. The medical bills for the first 3 weeks in the hospital are over $100,000. My underinsured motorist coverage will cover the rest, including a new bicycle, lost wages, etc.

The obvious easy bikes to find to test ride are a Kona Jake or Jake The Snake and the Spec Tricross. The Tricross especially should feel very different, so I'd try it. If any store you can visit stocks Salsa, Vin Dessel or Ridley, then based purely on hearsay, I'd say to make the trip.

(Oh - didn't see that the OP specified carbon...)

Are these the only carbon frames available for cyclocross?
Pinarello FCX
Colnago Cross Prestige
Ridley
Specialized

Argon 18 makes one, the Arsenic I believe.
probably not as nice as the pinarello, colnago or ridley, but still worth a look if you can get them in your area.... which after a quick check for dealers in chicago, you can.

http://www.argon18bike.com/main.cfm?l=en&p=01_100&C=3&SC=16&item=Arsenic

It seems to me that scandium is the carbon fiber of cyclocross. Check out the Kona Major Jake, Voodoo Limba, Salsa Chili Con Crosso,.... I'm sure there are others, but those are the ones I know of.

I think Lapierre makes one,
Wilier had a carbon cx bike last year, not sure it they still have it.
It was called the Mortirolo cross.

bianchi (http://www.bianchiusa.com/09-bicycles/09-d2-special/carbon-cross-concept/09-d2-carbon-cross-concept-frame.html) and guerciotti (http://www.guerciotti.com/bici_xcrow.htm) also make car-***** 'cross frames.

Other than the fact that you already have a stable of very nice road bikes, why do you want carbon? I'd be very happy with most of the bikes the previous posters have suggested.

As a fellow roadie Phard...one the things I have learned here is having a full carbon frame isn't as high a priority because tires eclipse frame material in ride quality in particular. If running 23's then CF really comes into play when it comes to ride but with wider tires and lower pressures, today's Al Cx and Mt bike frames have excellent road isolation. If I were you however since the jacka$$ that hit you is buying, I would go with full CF and as high a end a bike as your entitement would permit. I also understand how you now feel about riding in traffic out on the roads. I generally do not because I want to avoid what happened to you. For the money, the Aluminum Specialized Tricross with CF fork and rear seat stays is a whale of a bike...available in a compact. Their more upscale Sworks full CF Cx frameset is sweet for even more cash and should at least be on your list.
Mend up fast...

If you're going to go hard or go home, then might as well get a good builder to set you up with a custom steel cross bike with a sweet carbon fork.

The ride will rock because of the wide tires (frame not really an issue as mentioned above) and the frame will be justttt right.

I'd second the custom argument. Also, Alan has a couple of carbon frames. They are cool because they pretty much originated the carbon frame in cross. A number of Italian brands have carbon frames based on the ORIA made platform. One of the Guerciottis is their top end road bike with a different rear triangle and fork - proper euro cross :)

I'd have thought that titanium would make more sense for a high end non-racing cross bike than carbon. Much more bash resistant.

In the road bike forum, folks promote alu, steel, ti for one reason or another but mostly because of a bias against carbon. This is in spite of the fact that all or most pro teams are riding carbon bikes due to stiffness, weight savings and bling. Cross on the other hand is another animal because durability is crucial. Because of this I would say (like another poster wrote) scandium is king. And if you decide on scandium, you have many frame choices that are built right here in the 'good ole US of A'. Not that it really matters where they are built, but apparently we are good at making alu bikes, Cannondale for example. Ti is another great option for racing or just all around use. It isn't going to be as stiff as a scandium bike though.

oh man, I'd love to take this one home with me.

Ibis...

http://www.ibiscycles.com/road/hakkalugi/

http://www.ibiscycles.com/images/full/hakkalugi_3.jpg

I'd have thought that titanium would make more sense for a high end non-racing cross bike than carbon. Much more bash resistant.

+1

If I had my choice....

Moots - Psyclo X
Independent Fabrication - Ti Planet Cross
Litespeed - CX
Seven - IMX Cross

I just bought one of these... effing crazy I know but WTH

I decarboned it somewhat, putting the wheels, stem and bar on my roadie replacing them with a real nice FSA alloy stem and bar and some mavic helium tubies.

still comes in somewhere around 16#

http://www.cyclingnews.com/reviews/scott-addict-cx-rc

Just talked my boss (i am a mechanic) into picking up a hakkalugi frameset from Ibis. I am very impressed, it looks better in person than it does online. First frame thats given me cross bike envy in a while, and my set up is pretty dialed. He's given me free reign to set it up for him as I see best, I'm excited.

Ive also spent some time with the addict CX, its quite a nice bike, fantastic frame with a solid build. If it was mine id change the brakes and add some interrupter levers.

Also like the Bianchi Concept Race, though havent gotten to spend as much time on it as the Scott.

if your're looking for a great cx ride...you have to check out rock lobster:
http://www.rocklobstercycles.com/cyclo_scandium.php

Pedal Force CX1 is a nice frame as well.

Here is mine:
http://gallery.geekazoids.net/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=14954&g2_serialNumber=1

Who sells the Pedal Force CX1?

Is the frame available?

www.pedalforce.com

I would get

http://www.richardsachs.com/2006_cx_gallery/images/cx%20full%20side.jpg

Are you sure a cross bike is really what you want? I would look for something that is closer to a road bike, but allows a large tire.

I literally built this today - about to put knobbies on it.

Are you sure a cross bike is really what you want? I would look for something that is closer to a road bike, but allows a large tire.

i look forward to mass production carbon randonee bikes. its coming, I know it is!!:rolleyes:

i look forward to mass production carbon randonee bikes. its coming, I know it is!!:rolleyes:

you can get something like a spec roubaix that fits bigger tires, but is much better suited to a wider range of riding than a bike that is designed to race cross

so I guess your wish has been granted

you can get something like a spec roubaix that fits bigger tires, but is much better suited to a wider range of riding than a bike that is designed to race cross

so I guess your wish has been granted


I'm sad to say that I doubt it. Unless your idea of a "bigger tyre" is quite different to mine. A lot of Spec Roubaix's can't even run a 25mm tyre without problems. Admittedly this is a production flaw, but it would have to be a hell of a flaw to reduce effective clearance from an intended 28 or 30mm to less than 25! See eg

http://www.cyclingforums.com/cycling-equipment/466026-calling-owners-2008-specialized-roubaix-pro.html

Obviously a flaw as gross as this is a reason to think very hard before buying a Roubaix or any other carbon Specialized bike, even if it checks out as free of the fault. If frames can be so badly mis-formed that they won't work with the stock tyre and still escape the factory you have to wonder what more subtle faults are being missed.

Pity, because on paper this bike was such a good idea, despite the gimmicky zertz inserts.

Does anyone know what the Trek and Giant equivalents of the Roubaix are, and what tyres they can take? I've been told that Canyon Roubaix bikes are superb, but I think they're not sold in the US - and that they're alu anyway.