Originally Posted by jpearl
... CX bikes were race bikes for race situations...
... Lately we hear from a lot of people inquiring about CX bikes, but only or mostly for needs other than CX ... While there is nothing wrong with this, I am wondering if this new market segment is altering and compromising how large manufacturers design thier CX bikes...
i don't race my MTB or any of my road bikes. all of them are essentially just for fun.
i think what you are seeing is akin to the growth of the MTB market. first, there was the balloon-tyre clunker. that spawned the first "true" mountain bikes - and racing. from racing and exploding consumer interest came DH bikes, trials bikes, free ride bikes, full-rigid, full-suspension, hardtail, XC bikes, dirt jump bikes, urban bikes, 24" wheel, 26" wheel, 29" wheel, you name it. some are single speed, some are single chainring, and some have
way too many gears. i don't think that the new market compromised designs at all. they changed, yes. but mostly for the better and more choice.
i don't think the entry-level CX race bike is going to go away as long as there is demand for it. there are just going to be a lot more options that aren't traditional race bikes.