Originally Posted by
dervish
i am a fairly experienced cycler and the world of cyclocross has caught my eye. I have been lookin around this subforum and have been seeing a few brands come up a few times (ie bianchi velope, kona jake, giant txc, tricross, van dessel, etc) and i have been wondering what would be a good beginner bike for someone who wants to do some fast paced riding in. also, if u are from around the bay area: what is the cyclocross scene like? i know zero people that do it so i really know next to nothing about the sport as a whole.
Redline Conquest, Jamis Nova, Surly Cross-Check
and major manufacturers have nice cross bikes, trek, cannondale, specialized, fuji, etc.
I would look for mud clearance, comfortable shouldering, fender/rack eyelets if that's of interest, and gearing appropriate to what you want to do (stay away from standard road racing gearing for off-road use)
welcome to CX- it's awesome!