Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - No-one rides Cyclocross bikes?

I called the nearest Cannondale dealer and asked if he had a CAADX bike in stock. He stated "No-one rides Cyclocross bikes." I replied "Then why do they make them?" He said "Well no-one rides them around here." After stateing that I wanted a commuter for a big guy He said he had a Raleigh Record Ace that would make an excellent commuter. He quoted $1199 which is a good deal. Said it was a 2010 returned after a week. I think the tires are too narrow (23s) I want 28 min. Any thoughts.

I say shop around. Probably most cyclists or potential cyclists don't know any difference between bikes. They see handlebars with drops they think racing. They see flat handlebars they think mountain.

Also most LBS would be able to order bikes if they are a dealer. You just need to be sure that it is what you are looking for as they would require a down payment or the full amount before they put in the order.

If you are unsure of which bike, then test ride as many as you can. I drove over 3 hours to test ride a bike. I planned on looking around while I was in the area but ultimately decided to purchase the bike because I liked it.

CX does seem to be a regional thing. It's pretty hot here on the west coast. Seems to be big in New England also. Dunno where else in the US.

My Pinarello will take 28s on the back but the fork will not accept them. Hard to tell from a picture on the internet, but it looks like 28s could be a tight squeeze on the Record Ace. I'd wager 25s or 26s would fit.

"No one goes there any more; it's too crowded." -- Yogi Berra

CX frames are great for tall people like myself.
You can put longer cranks on them, and due to the taller BB shell,
still have decent pedal clearance when cornering.

Find a new LBS, or at least a new salesman. CX bikes are pretty good swiss-army knife type bikes. You may want to see if there's a shop somewhat closeish to you that carries Surly, Salsa or Jamis bikes. The Surly crosscheck is a great do it all for larger people. Takes pretty fat tires, and has braze ons for pretty much everything you could ever want. If not Trek makes a I think it's the 520 that's a CX bike.

Find a new LBS, or at least a new salesman. CX bikes are pretty good swiss-army knife type bikes. You may want to see if there's a shop somewhat closeish to you that carries Surly, Salsa or Jamis bikes. The Surly crosscheck is a great do it all for larger people. Takes pretty fat tires, and has braze ons for pretty much everything you could ever want. If not Trek makes a I think it's the 520 that's a CX bike.

The 520 is a touring bike. Longer stays for heel clearance with panniers, triple crank, wide range cassette, 3 sets of bottle mounts, lowrider mounts up front and cables routed under the BB shell.
The XO is Trek's cross bike.

I always knew I was a nobody. I have a Specialized Tri-Cross Sport. Great bike, good value.

That Crack-N-Fail dealer sucks.

Dude I ran into this weekend was riding a cross bike, RockLobster. I looked it up, similar bike is $1500 for the frame only.:eek:

BTW, if I wanted a coss bike, I'd get a cross bike. Don't be talked into something you don't really want.:D

Road tires I believe.
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/022711e.jpg

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l267/gulpxtreme/022711f.jpg

I ride a surly cross check and it is great at many things.. You can use it for road riding, cross, off-road and even touring.. The best of all worlds.. It can handle tires up to 700x45 and will use both 130mm and 135mm spaced wheelsets to give you lots of options..

Primarily I use it for off-road riding at this time, have a great setup - equal to my MTB gearing.. 48x38x24 rings and a 11-34 cassette.. Most crosschecks built up are under $1200..

I'd at least try to find another salesman at that shop. Locally, CX bikes have exploded in popularity and my LBS has sold a lot of the Raleigh RX1.0's. They've also sold a lot of Specialized and Ridley's, but the Raleigh is priced with 105 where the others are spec'd with Tiagra or Tiagra/105 mix.

Dude I ran into this weekend was riding a cross bike, RockLobster. I looked it up, similar bike is $1500 for the frame only.:eek:


Now I have the B52's song stuck in my head....

Now I have the B52's song stuck in my head....

Well get it out, you're runining it!:roflmao2:

My dad loves karaoke so he has a party every once in a while at his house. An inlaw of a relative showed up and did RockLobster. Gawd it was terrible! Song stuck in my head for a month...but the raggedy version this guy did. Terrible! along with the raggedy dance he did! Another terrible! :p

Now I have the B52's song stuck in my head....

Not a fan of the "Rock Lobster".
I'm waiting for the new model: The "Roam".

I believe Mattoon is close to Champaign, no? I would head over there and look for a good bike shop that will listen. The Specialized Tri-Cross bikes are very popular bikes in a lot of places. If I had to live with only one bike (shudder) it would be my cross bike. In the pic below it is on 32s but I ride it on 28s more often.

Not a fan of the "Rock Lobster".
I'm waiting for the new model: The "Roam".

I'll wait for the "Love Shack"!:D

I called the nearest Cannondale dealer and asked if he had a CAADX bike in stock. He stated "No-one rides Cyclocross bikes." I replied "Then why do they make them?" He said "Well no-one rides them around here." After stateing that I wanted a commuter for a big guy He said he had a Raleigh Record Ace that would make an excellent commuter. He quoted $1199 which is a good deal. Said it was a 2010 returned after a week. I think the tires are too narrow (23s) I want 28 min. Any thoughts.

Keep looking...maybe at another shop. After you stated that you want a bike for commuting, he shouldn't have tried to sell you a return that is about as far from a commuting bike as you can get. The Record Ace may be a nice bike but there is no way that it would make for a good commuter. First it has no rack mounts. Rack mounts are nice if you want to actually carry stuff back and forth from work. And the bike is too short for a rack and panniers and even medium sized feet.

Second it has no fender mounts nor could you mount fenders under the fork. It also looks like clearance for a wider tire would be problematic, especially if you wanted to mount fenders. Get the bike for fast rides and centuries but not as a commuter.

I'll wait for the "Love Shack"!:D

Quick give me some 'Top this B52's stuff is driving me nuts....

I love the whole Cross bike concept and I don't even race! I love having something in between a touring rig and a "pure" road bike. I like the longer stays and the higher BB and I especially love the ability to put on a variety of tire sizes. :thumb:

I have been researching Cross style bikes for a few years - since I am very short, my options were quite limited. If you like steel, in addition to the Surly Crosscheck (previously mentioned), Soma makes a very similar "Double-Cross" - they even have a model that can take disc brakes. Salsa has had several - the "Chili Con Crosso" and the newer Vaya. Bianchi made (makes?) a steel Volpe - which is considered "cross" geometry.

I currently own a Bianchi Castro Valley - made for only a couple of years - it has the same geometry as the Volpe, and the San Jose. (The CV is 9 spd, the SJ is SS) Like the others mentioned above, they are all designed as "all around" bikes - can handle small loads (with rack braze-ons, etc.) - can handle different sized tires for "off road" and fenders if necessary. The Bianchi line has a bit more aggressive geometry than the Salsa, Soma and Surly. (basically shorter wheelbase and chainstays) but still considered more "relaxed" than a pure roadie.

If you don't have a preference for steel over aluminum - and you are not an "odd" size (super tall or super short) - most major bike manufacturers now have "cross" bike styles. It's true you won't see them in abundance on the floor of too many LBSs, which can make it difficult to try them out, but they should be able to order them.

My new purchase is a 2010 Salsa Vaya. Very funky geometry, but I need just a few more degrees in seat and head tube angles to accommodate chronic injury. Sadly I will part with the Castro Valley - its a well-made beautiful bike and highly functional for many purposes - but the Vaya just feels so much better for my odd geometry needs :o and I absolutely love it!! :love:

Good luck and let us know what you've been checking out! :D

My new purchase is a 2010 Salsa Vaya. Very funky geometry, but I need just a few more degrees in seat and head tube angles to accommodate chronic injury. Sadly I will part with the Castro Valley - its a well-made beautiful bike and highly functional for many purposes - but the Vaya just feels so much better for my odd geometry needs :o and I absolutely love it!! :love:

:D

I got a Vaya this past fall and I have to second the recommendation. I recently test rode a cross check as well and it was pretty nice too. If you're looking at a commuter, make sure it can take racks, fenders and take some decent sized tires depending on how your roads are. Larger tires make potholes and poor roads less scary. If there's a Surly or Jamis dealer near you, definitely try one out for sizing. I was fitted to a Jamis Aurora Elite before I ordered my Vaya online and the sizing was pretty comparable. I'd suggest trying out both steel and aluminum bikes too to see if you prefer one material before narrowing it down.

One of the great things about CX bikes is for distance, you can just pop off the rack and put on smaller tires for road riding, pop on knobbies or spiked tires for dirt or winter. They can tour but aren't as stiff as pure touring bikes.

cyccommute,ecovelo,lucienrau: thanks for the recommendations :) I'm beginning to think I have a sign on my back that says sucker. The dealers' problem is that we have this forum and I will not make any decisions without running it by here first. I do like window shopping (via internet). I guess I need to look at bicycle purchases the same way I look at vehicle shopping or ag equipment. The opponent will say anything to get your money for what he has.

Guess I'm a nobody too.

I bought my cross bike (Tricross Sport) then ended up selling my road bike because I never rode it. It's a great commuter and will see some touring later this year. Speed wise, with road tires and wheels it's about 95% as fast and I think that's largely because I'm a bit more upright than I was on the road bike. Check out some different shops, maybe someone would be willing to order you in the ride you want.

Oh, and check out that new Specialized Crux!

The two most common cross bikes are the Spec Tricross and Kona Snake series. Email the makers and ask who stocks them locally.

If your a Clydesdale, then you'll benefit from running fast 35mm slicks instead of even 28s - no, they won't slow you down with added rolling resistance.

Guess I'm a nobody too.

I bought my cross bike (Tricross Sport) then ended up selling my road bike because I never rode it. It's a great commuter and will see some touring later this year. Speed wise, with road tires and wheels it's about 95% as fast and I think that's largely because I'm a bit more upright than I was on the road bike. Check out some different shops, maybe someone would be willing to order you in the ride you want.

Oh, and check out that new Specialized Crux!
looks cool but I want attachment points





The two most common cross bikes are the Spec Tricross and Kona Snake series. Email the makers and ask who stocks them locally.

If your a Clydesdale, then you'll benefit from running fast 35mm slicks instead of even 28s - no, they won't slow you down with added rolling resistance.

I agree 100%

I went out for a ride with my pal Shaun last week. He is a pretty chunky lad - 6'1" tall and close to 17 stone (about 230 pounds). He was riding his Giant CX bike with slicks on and he loves it. He did 57 miles with me and decided to add another 62 miles on the way home!

http://www.slimmerandfitter.com/wordpress/wp-content/images3/shaun_cock_hill_oxenhope_moor_wide.jpg

Sadly I will part with the Castro Valley.

Why is it that Bianchi could put a generator hub on that bike, but they don't offer it on the Volpe? Inquiring Minds Want to Know.

If no one rides CX bikes in your area, you get to be the trendsetter. I'm not interested in most road bikes due to the bias towards racing bikes. Cyclocross bikes are perfect for commuting; the roads around here (Orange County CA) aren't always the best.

I think they could be marketed as a performance hybrid. It seems the adult market here is dominated by comfort bikes and suspended front hybrids. The interest is there a least among the people at the Y. I road my Trek 7300 to the Y three times last fall before the weather turned bad. This morning I had people ask me when I was going to start riding it in again. These are people that workout on a regular basis. If fact one of them is my neighbor.

Salespeople are well-known for selling you what they have, not what you want.

Why is it that Bianchi could put a generator hub on that bike, but they don't offer it on the Volpe? Inquiring Minds Want to Know.

Good question!! I was just so excited to find a used 44cm steel bike with cross geometry and braze-ons galore, the generator hub was an added bonus! The Shimano light that came with it was not all that great. I invested in a Busch & Muller light but ended up returning it before I ever tried it out. The Bianchi has 700 wheels and the Vaya 26" - so I couldn't transfer the the gen hub wheel over. Since I just spent some unexpected $$ on the Vaya, I couldn't really afford to get a gen hub wheel built for it as well.

The Castro Valley model was really meant for commuting and light touring - thus all the effort in putting the gen light, fenders, etc. I guess it never really took off. Those who have them absolutely love them - a few covet them since they made so few - but mostly it seems the "concept" didn't take off.

I commute at night and have a great combination of lights using a various assortment of rechargeable batteries - but having the light energy be generated by pedal power, I think is pretty cool! :D

I think you need to find an LBS that is more interested in their clients than sales. I had a similar experience when shopping for a touring bike. One shop owner told me I would have to buy a custom titanium because "nobody makes touring bikes anymore."
http://simplecycle-marc.blogspot.com/2011/01/this-touring-obsession-of-mine.html

Marc

IMHO commuter bikes, much like "hybrid bikes", are a little limiting. Instead of getting the best of both worlds, you get the worst. AGAIN! THIS IS IMHO!! Cyclocross bikes seem to be gaining more and more popularity as commuters because you can do so much more with them. I dont know how a commuter would be off road, but I would assume it the wheels make for a very nice ride. Maybe what your LBS is doing is talking you into getting a commuter so you come back in a year looking for another bike to take off road?

Anyway, the surly LHT is another bike that is similar to the surly CC, but you will have a little more of an upright position. If you think you are going to be more comfortable that way.

I am looking into the CAADX and the salsa vaya as my new do everything bike.

28s are good for commuting

I ride a Soma Doublecross that I built from the bare frame (including speccing out and building the wheels). The frame is designed as a cyclocross frame, but I built it as kind of a retro "all-rounder". I am running 700x35 Panaracer Pasela Tourguard tires and it is a real comfortable bike.

http://michaelnel.smugmug.com/Bicycling/Soma-DoubleCross-Bicycle/soma2011/1252272496_ae5NV-XL.jpg

I have a Bianchi Castro Valley, 61 size -- love it, though I did have to make a bunch of modifications. Cyclocross are the best if (like me) you only have one bike but want to do a little bit of everything.

I ride a Soma Doublecross that I built from the bare frame (including speccing out and building the wheels). The frame is designed as a cyclocross frame, but I built it as kind of a retro "all-rounder". I am running 700x35 Panaracer Pasela Tourguard tires and it is a real comfortable bike.

http://michaelnel.smugmug.com/Bicycling/Soma-DoubleCross-Bicycle/soma2011/1252272496_ae5NV-XL.jpg

That's bew-tee-full! :love:

I ride a Giant TCX - probably fits me the best of all my bikes.

Surly, SOMA, Salsa. Any of their bikes labeled as touring or cross are great. A buddy of mine used to ride a cross-check and pretty much used it as his car. This was until he discovered that motorcycles were "so much better than bicycles." I ride a casseroll that's a really comfortable bike, just the geo is a bit weird (check their sizing, I'm on a 53cm at 5'11.) The SOMA doublecross is sick (I'm talking to you michaeln, that thing is sweet!!!) and will probably swap frames for that sometime in the near future. Plus they can run disks......

I love my cross bike. It is fast enough on the road for me with slicks, and I can go places like this:
http://mtndragon.smugmug.com/photos/1239694746_vuMt4-L.jpg

Motobecane Ti with a Salsa Fargo fork, and an XT rear derailleur for better gearing on the rear cassette.

Cyclocross bikes are hugely popular here in Saskatoon. In fact, cyclocross as a sport is more popular than road racing. I'm guessing that's because the roads are crap and the winter is so long, but your local dealer is dead wrong. In many ways the cyclocross bike has replaced the classic sport tourer.

I love my cross bike. It is fast enough on the road for me with slicks, and I can go places like this:
http://mtndragon.smugmug.com/photos/1239694746_vuMt4-L.jpg

Motobecane Ti with a Salsa Fargo fork, and an XT rear derailleur for better gearing on the rear cassette.

what sort of wheels/tyres are they? i'm looking to put 26" mtb wheels on my romax but the brakes won't work. think i need discs if i want to do it:) looks class though;)

what sort of wheels/tyres are they? i'm looking to put 26" mtb wheels on my romax but the brakes won't work. think i need discs if i want to do it:) looks class though;)
Thanks. These wheels weigh a lot, but I am hoping they are bomb proof. Velocity Chukkar rims with Schwalbe Hurricane tires. I really like the tires, and actually found them on Chain Reaction at a great price. They roll pretty well on the road, and at 40c, I am addicted to the comfort.

I love the Surly CrossCheck... Cross frame, compact double, steel rides smooth...

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5189/5643561323_38da4e3aee.jpg

So far, my Giant TCX2 is my commuter/fitness bike. I got a cross bike because it had a sturdy frame for my 260lbs (stock wheels are crap). I'm going to get a Surly LHT in the near future for my longer rides.

I've replaced the stock saddle with a B17