motto

hi there,
new to the site...in the market for a bike, one that can serve as a commuter and also a touring bike for short trips with light loads. i've been told a cyclocross would be best.
looking for a cyclocross with disc brakes, since i'm living in a rainy-winter area. the cannondale cyclocross 2007 optima disc 2 looks good, but kona also has nice bikes...like the asphalt line (dr. dew, dew deluxe). the kona cyclocross, nor the trek cyclocross have disc brakes though...but the kona sutra touring bike seems like another good option.
any ideas from the crowd on a good cyclocross/touring bike with disc brakes? there's just so much out there...i still want to make it to work in a decent amount of time, but also want to be comfortable for rides a few hours long. any input would be appreciated!
thanks!!
m.

cyclintom

A cyclocross bike isn't appropriate. There are "sport" touring bikes on the market such as the Specialized Sirrus that would be what you're looking for.

BillyBob

I think that a cyclocross bike is very suitable.

I ride a Lemond Poprad on my 50 mi round trip commute to work. The 2007 version only comes with disc brakes.

cyclintom

Well, BillyBob, have you tried a sport touring bike instead of a cyclocross bike?

Commuting and touring have different requirements than cyclocross, most especially these days now that cyclocross bikes are becoming more and more specialized so that they have higher than normal bottom brackets, shorter wheelbases and much lighter tube sets.

tayphoo

What about the Redline Conquest Disk-R? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the geometry has been adjusted to be more "tour friendly" than the standard conquest. Thought I'd throw that out there...

sfcrossrider

I commute to work on my race bike. The only problem I have is leaving the bike parked @ cafes. I've had more than one person take tooooo long of a look for my comfort.

I would think you would save money AND be better off on a cheaper 'sport touring' style bike. I just don't see the need in your touring bike having XT/Dur-ace. Hope you enjoy whatever you get. You could even try a cross race on it.

BillyBob

No, no need to try a sport touring bike because I am very happy with my cyclocross bike for commuting. I agree that a touring bike would also be suitable.

motto

thanks for the input...
was at a cycling shop today. the guys pushed the cyclocross more than the touring bike...for both commuting and daytrips. they sell mainly norco bikes, and a few surely and specialized bikes. which was a switch from the last shop i was at...mostly kona and cannondale. will have to look at some reviews. i know most frames come from vietnam, but i've heard cannondale are made completely in the USA. the cyclocross seems like the best option for combining speed, lightweight, and ability to ride hills more easily. or so they say...
bye for now.
m.

cyclintom

Let me suggest that you avoid any shop that sells Norco. Specialized, Cannondale, Trek, Diamondback, Raleigh all make products that are reliable and much better designed than Norco.

Felicity

I think bike shops are starting to look at CX bikes doing the same thing for selling bikes that hybrids did in the last decade. Hybrids started as MTBs that were sort of stripped down whereas CX bikes are road bikes that have been beefed up. As someone who came from road racing, hybrids were horribly slow and mal proportioned; the CX bike is a delight. It is a total kick to ride in such a familiar body style on dirt roads.

Another possible bike if your offroad is not in the picture is the Trek Portland. They are selling oodles of them given the cost of gas.

motto

hi again,
at another shop today...narrowed it down to 3...all 2007 models.
1. cannondale CX optimo disc 2...disc brakes, and 36/50 compact crank so i'm thinking more feasible for commutes...and hills (?)
2. cannondale t800 touring...nice, comfy, no discs though.
3. trek portland...kind of between a touring and cx...has 3 chain rings and disc brakes...but about $400 more than the other 2.

any votes??

thanks,
m.

invicta

Cyclintom, can you elaborate on your dislike of Norco bikes and what makes you say that they are bottom of the barrel? Not meaning to be offensive... I've ridden norco's for the last 4 years and have never had any problems...Sure,they arent as spec'd out as Cannondales or Specialized but the price point is excellent and the product is right there with it. They must be half decent as they have a succesful continental Trade team ( Symmetrics).

flipped4bikes

I think my 'cross bike works fine for the commute. Speaking of Specialized, I think my Tricross rocks!

RonH

Same here. My cyclocross commuter is GREAT!!!

Buckwad

If you're looking for a commuter/touring bike, give the Trek Portland a shot. 30 speed, fenders, disc brakes, skinnier tires (faster commute), SPD pedals, the whole package. A little spendier than most Cross bikes, but definitely designed for what you want.

cyclintom

I've nothing specifically against Norco save that they're low end components, heavier than normal (these days) construction and most of the bike shops that carry them are low end shops and have low end mechanics setting everything up rather mundanely when not badly.

Look, you can get a bike from Costco that many people will tell you is a good bike as well. But they are low end construction, low end components (most of the time) and most of the time within a couple of weeks after you get delivery you have to be in a regular bike shop getting the wheels trued and tensioned, the shifting adjusted, the cranks pulled and bearings greased etc.

Why not go to a middle or top end bike shop and get a better bike to begin with let alone someone that actually knows how to set the thing up.

cyclintom

Does it occur to anyone that not one of the people who claim that their cyclocross commuters is great said that they used a touring or sport touring bike for the same thing?

There's not a whole lot of difference between bike models. But small differences make a bike better for specific jobs.

Go over on the touring group and ask about a Surly Long Haul Trucker - it's a touring bike and I haven't heard ANY negative comments about it except in a Surly shop today that also sells a lot of very high end bikes - he said that everyone loves the Long Haul Trucker but it COULD be a little lighter. Obviously not a guy that has ridden a fully loaded touring bike with 65 lbs of stuff on it.

My point is that you can love your cyclocross bikes all you want. I have two of them and love them both. But I sure wouldn't commute on them - they steer too fast, sit too low and feel top heavy compared to a sport tourer.

And that isn't knocking cyclocross bikes. It's saying that there are more appropriate bikes for touring than a modern cyclocross bike.

Now my old Atala cyclocross bike (World Champion '84, '86, '87) is build almost exactly like a modern touring bike and works fine.

motto

hi - -
the trek portland is an awesome bike...but it's SUPER expensive. it's a good $500 (CDN) more than the other two cannondale bikes i was looking at...but the components on the portland are better than those on the cyclocross optimo disc 2 or the T800 touring bike. the portland has the discs, fenders, and 3 chain rings...i think. definitely a good touring/commuter cross.

the 2007 cyclocross with discs has about an inch more clearance than previous models...not sure if that'll really matter. it seems like it'd be an ok commuter either way. i'd love to get the portland, but the price is a bit too high, and i like the "handmade" aspect of cannondale frames. none of you have eluded to cannondales...except for the one reply about the T800...anyone object to cannondale for any reason?

m.

xccx

no, but i object to trek. honestly, why would anyone buy a trek? total crap.

BillyBob

Go over and ask the commuting forum about the Surly Crosscheck.

If I needed to ride 100 miles a day with 50 pounds of gear and a trekking triple, I would buy a touring bike. For a fast durable commuter, you can't beat a cyclocross bike.

waynesworld

Well cyclintom, perhaps you should explain your views. You've said that a cyclocross isn't appropriate in this and at least another thread, without cause in at least your initial message.

I don't agree with you, and I try to explain why I feel the way that I feel, rather than just say so.

In the future could you perhaps explain why you feel that way, rather than just say that you feel that way? Then you wait for someone to challenge your opinion to respond.

I feel that a cyclocross bike is a wonderful way to have a road bike frame, drop bars, and wider tires - often with provisions for fenders and racks. Much faster (for me) than my old mountain bike.

If you disagree, fine. I am simply tired of you saying "A cyclocross bike isn't appropriate..." When, in fact, it is.

To the original poster of this thread - I apologize for the conflict/hijacking/whatever. I do, however, feel that a cyclocross bike would work well for you. I have a Kona Jake The Snake, and I like it a lot.

Best of luck to you

motto

thanks.
i do think a cyclocross bike will do me well at this stage...although, i agree in a sense with some previous posts about cyclocross not being "suitable"...they were created for a particular purpose and commuting wasn't really on that list, as far as i understand. but they seem able to do the job, from what i'm told. moreover, it seems to be easier to find a 2007 cyclocross with disc brakes than a touring bike.

as far as surly crosscheck...i've got to look into that. i'm just partial to the handmade frame by cannondale.
cheers,
m.

cup

Try the Lemond Poprad. A really nice non-disk bike is the Specialized Tricross which is supposed to be a multi function bike.

onelibra

I really appreciate all that have contributed to this thread. I'm starting cx and also hoping to start touring and would like a bike that I can commute in a little easier than my MTB. The answer for me, since I can't buy 3 bikes now, is to get a great cross bike for starters, and believe I will be completely happy with that. Obiously, if we all had the means and desire we would all have a perfect bike for all reasons. Now, if there are touring bikes that are great for racing cx, let me know!

TimJ

I was checking out the Jamis touring bike (Aurora) and their cyclocross bike (Nova). The touring bike is under $800, decent components, and with a switch of the crankset (and maybe wheels, I don't know) looks like it'd be a real close approximation of their cyclocross bike. They're both steel, too, which I've been figuring if I was to get one bike for cyclocross, maybe some touring and commuting, steel would be the way to go for durability and repairability.

Fuji has a nice steel touring bike too for pretty cheap, something like $900. They're all really good looking too, the Jamis' and the Fuji.

But then, for cheap cyclocross plus commuting maybe, Ibex has a cyclocross bike for an unbelievable $600 and Nashbar sometimes sells their cyclocross frame for close to $100 and their carbon cross fork for $130 or so- that's frame and fork for $230. Both are aluminum and made in Taiwan or China of course.

That's what my brain has been whirring on. I was lusting after the Bianchi Volpe but the Jamis I think is about the same but $100 or so cheaper- and cooler looking to me. I was also thinking of the crosscheck but built up the Jamis is again about the same but, again, much cooler looking. My fever dream is the Jamis tourer and then the supa-cheap Ibex just to abuse at races, assuming I race someday.