Originally Posted by
mcours2006
My n+1 bike is going to be a cx. Here's why:
I am not happy riding anything but a drop bar. Riding my upright Bianchi hybrid made me feel miserable this past week. But I had no choice. The weather wouldn't allow for anything but wide 35mm studded tires. I was completely vulnerable to the 20-35km/h wind. If it don't get you in the morning it'll get you in the afternoon. I felt scrunched up riding in this position. Completely miserable.
I need a lightweight cx bike with these same studded tires. So the search begins. Unfortunately there isn't a whole lot in the used market at the moment.
Who among you ride a CX bike on your commute? And what are your opinions on this idea?
This describes exactly why I got rid of my hybrid and replaced it with my 2006 Trek Portland. (The Portland was essentially a CX front end spliced to a light touring rear end.) The hybrid was heavy, slow, handled like an oil tanker, opened me up to the wind like a sail, and every bump went straight up my spine.
All I own now are drop bar bikes. I'm a happy man.
One thing you'll notice when riding the studs on a CX bike is that in conditions like heavy snow, brown sugar snow, and icy ruts, you'll need to consciously shift your weight back off the bars. The drop bar position shifts your weight forward, but in these conditions it causes the bike to sideslip.