Best cyclo-cross for £750 for mainly commuting?
05-28-08, 04:42 AM
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Best cyclo-cross for £750 for mainly commuting?
Hi,
I've been looking to get a Cyclo-cross bike for my daily London commute, as well as being able to go on the occasional trail. The speed on the road and having curved handlebars, as well as the adaptability of being able to occasionally off road and being able to traverse curbs and potholes is what made me choose a cyclo-cross bike.
My budget is £750 ($1,500). This is through my work's cycle-to-work scheme, so it is a fixed maximum. If I had a grand I would be looking to get the Felt F1X (but obviously doesn't fit the budget), for £700 ($1,400) the Specialized Tricross Sport looks good. What other good cyclo-cross bikes exist for around £750 ($1,500)? Lightness and speed on the road is preferable to being really rugged for trails.
Daniel
I've been looking to get a Cyclo-cross bike for my daily London commute, as well as being able to go on the occasional trail. The speed on the road and having curved handlebars, as well as the adaptability of being able to occasionally off road and being able to traverse curbs and potholes is what made me choose a cyclo-cross bike.
My budget is £750 ($1,500). This is through my work's cycle-to-work scheme, so it is a fixed maximum. If I had a grand I would be looking to get the Felt F1X (but obviously doesn't fit the budget), for £700 ($1,400) the Specialized Tricross Sport looks good. What other good cyclo-cross bikes exist for around £750 ($1,500)? Lightness and speed on the road is preferable to being really rugged for trails.
Daniel
05-29-08, 11:46 AM
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Here are a couple of models:
Gunnar Crosshairs
Kelly Knobby X
Salsa Casseroll (no canti though)
Surly Cross-check
Gunnar Crosshairs
Kelly Knobby X
Salsa Casseroll (no canti though)
Surly Cross-check
05-30-08, 07:04 AM
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Are Kona's available over there?
Jake the snake runs about $1500 CDN and the Major Jake is about $2K. I commute and race on my Jake the Snake - does the trick nicely.
Jake the snake runs about $1500 CDN and the Major Jake is about $2K. I commute and race on my Jake the Snake - does the trick nicely.
06-02-08, 06:05 AM
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Kona is available in UK but is considerably more expensive than in N. America. The Kona Jake, a step down from a Jake the Snake, is £650. When I was looking into getting a cyclocross bike, I discovered that pretty much all entry-level models in the UK are priced at around the £700 mark. This includes the Specialised Tricross (available in single speed), Kona Jake (the cheapest of the bunch) and Focus Mares (Cycling Plus 9/10). I also looked into bikes by On One, Planet X and Paul Milnes. In the end, I got a second-hand Ridley, as it was a good deal. The Crossbow is £999, though, so might be out of your price range. Good luck.
06-09-08, 03:00 AM
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Thanks for all your replies, I've decided to go for the Focus Mares Cross which I can get for £630, it is light (9.6kg), and comes with good components (Shimano 105). I will upgrade the brakes from mini-Vs to the Tektro CR520s. Should hopefully result in a decent bike, and good value for money.
06-09-08, 02:41 PM
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Do consider touring bikes too. The Dawes Galaxy is an excellent bike. Also, make sure you can fit mudguards. Commuting in Britain without them is extremely unpleasant! (I lasted 2 weeks in Sheffield before caving in and fitting them. Best purchase ever!)
Last edited by acorn_user; 06-11-08 at 07:23 AM. Reason: typo
