Cyclocross - Looking to upgrade from crappy mountain bike..is cyclocross for me?

Hey all, first post!

For the past year I've been riding a 2007 cannondale F7 with armadillo road slicks on it, and it has given me plenty of trouble..I find myself constantly having to get the back rim repaired due to broken spokes, and I'm looking to upgrade.

I'm a pretty big guy at 6'2" and 220~ lbs. The majority of my riding is done all around urban areas on a daily basis (I'm in Brooklyn, NY) and I ride at least an hour a day between commuting to college and friend's houses. However, 2~ times a year my friends and I go on centuries, the last one being uphill for a very large portion of the trip (it was hell, and I hurt my knee pretty bad)

When I went to my local shop, they recommended I check out the Specialized Tricross, though I'm not exactly sure which model this even is.. (I don't see any other sites with a generic Specialized Tricross listed, only specific ones such as the sport, comp, expert, etc)

http://roysbikes.com/product/specialized-tricross-59117-1.htm




TL;DR: I'm a relatively big guy who needs to upgrade from my *** $400 mountain bike to something that will let me ride fast like a champion around Brooklyn/Manhattan sidewalks and streets, and have no problem handling centuries (with a rack and panniers)..should I even be looking at cyclocross bikes? if so, is the Tricross a good model or could someone recommend a bike that would better suit my needs in the $700-1000 range?

Well, the Tricross, first of all, is a great bike. Each model improves on the next, but even the base model Sport is a good bike. None of them fall in with your budget though. For a couple hundred more dollars you can get the Sport model, but there are other options out there for less money.

If you have a Bianchi dealer, check out the Volpe. It's about $800 and it's totally bomb proof. Also, the Fuji Touring is another bike that would suite your needs well. They are under $1000 as well. If I was you, I'd look for a nice touring bike before I would look for a cross bike.

A cross bike would be a great commuter and weekend ride bike.
Unfortunately there aren't many in your price range, unless you find a deal on craigslist or ebay.
A good alternative may be a flat bar road bike. We sell quite a few at the shop I work at. We sell Raleigh Cadent1 (http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/performance-hybrid/cadent-ft1/) and Jamis Coda Sport (http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/street/coda/09_codasport.html) bikes. Both are in your price range and great for fast commuting and fast weekend rides.

>When I went to my local shop, they recommended I check out the Specialized Tricross, though I'm not exactly sure which model this even is.. (I don't see any other sites with a generic Specialized Tricross listed, only specific ones such as the sport, comp, expert, etc)

When people say "Tricross", they usually mean the "Tricross sport triple". However, in 2010 there is a new "Tricross triple" that's a bit cheaper. Look on Specialized.com for the specs - go straight to the horse's mouth. Tricrosses will definitely fit your bill of commuting fast, and handling centuries with rack and panniers - but to be fair, many other bikes would too. You'll have to check whether it will meet your budget though.

Steve

thanks for the responses guys

the 2010 tricross triple is looking really nice right about now, might go ahead and pick that up!

One thing to note: once you start breaking spokes regularly, you're more than likely going to continue breaking spokes (as the other spokes get stressed with each spoke breakage) until the wheel is completely redone. Also, if you're running tire pressures too high, it transfers more of the road-shock into the spokes instead of being absorbed by the tires.

The tri-cross could be a good fit for you, though as a bigger rider, you may still have wheel issues, depending on the quality of the wheels (and that 700c wheels are weaker than 26" wheels of the same quality-spoke count, rim strength, etc.)