Disadvantages of a cross bike for the commute
 

So I've been riding my CAADX for 3-4 years now for a 30 mile commute. I see a lot of folks recommending cross bikes for the commute for wider tires and eyelets. However if I were buying a commuter bike today, it would be a road bike with a sloping top tube. Here's why:

- Like most/all cross bikes the top tube is not sloping and has the cables running across the top (and my cables do not have full housing). I find this annoying hopping on and off for the endless red lights/stop signs I encounter. Sloping top tube with internal cabling would be better.
- The frame is beefy, it doesn't have the thin chain and seat stays that I find actually more comfortable on my road bike.
- Does not have 27mm seat post, less comfortable.
- Bottom bracket is higher, just not quite "one with the bike" sense for me as I get with my road bike (others may differ here).
- Portland Design has fenders that work for bikes with small clearances and no eyelets - I didn't see these around a few years ago.
- For a long distance commute, the fat tires are noticeably more energy sapping than say 28mm that fit most endurance road bikes. I ended up swapping my 37mm for 28mm and like the 28mm a lot more.

Anyway, just my thoughts for anyone considering a cross bike for a commuter. If you want a cross bike as a commuter, be sure you can live with the above, especially if you are riding longer distances.

A lot of your issues are specific to your particular bike and not generalizable to cross bikes in general. Lots of road bikes don't have 27.2mm seat posts; lots of cross bikes do. There are cross bikes with lower bottom brackets. You don't need to ride 37mm tires on a cross bike. Plenty of cross bikes are smoother riding than yours. Etc. Nothing wrong with the road bike, my commuting bikes are a road bike and cross bike. But this has very little to do with cross vs. road bikes. It's your particular bike you have a problem with.

To me, the ideal commuter is a touring bike. To others, it would be a SS/FG. One of my friends loves his Giant TCX (cross bike). It's all about what works...FOR YOU. I don't understand the problem with a non sloping top tube and cables running across the top and how they would affect a rider in any way? I'm not saying you may not have a point, but I don't see it.

I would say the vast majority of cross bikes at the lower price end of things look like this. And I haven't seen any cross bikes with sloping top tubes or thin stays. Maybe they exist in the carbon world, but for your run-of-the-mill alum, they tend to look like I described.

I like more clearance when I hop off the bike without having to buy a smaller frame. And the cable can catch threads.

With a road bike that just fits 25 mm tires, fenders are not going to be full coverage under the fork and seat stay. Ride what works best for you. What does the seat post have to do with comfort? My commute is 18 mies one way and my cross check is one of the perfect tools for me, with full fenders, racks and 35 mm tires. Some of my commutes involve 6-10 miles of dirt. Then I use a Karate Monkey with 29x2.3 tires. The right tool for the right job. YRMV. Some commuters prefer comfort over speed. N+1.

Gotcha. We have differing riding/stopping styles. I tend to not get off my saddle, just lean to one side and put a foot down.

And I would say that you're wrong. There's a lot of variety in cyclocross bikes. What you are correct about is that most cyclocross bikes have level top tubes, but this has never been a problem for me. And no one else I know has complained about it. I don't see why it's such a big deal for you, but it's safe to say it's not a common complaint about cross bikes. Maybe yours is just too big.

As bmthom.gis said, I don't understand what problem you have with a level top tube and top mounted cables... unless the bike is too big for you, these should be unnoticed when riding.

And cross bikes having level top tubes helps if you want to actually do cyclocross. I would postulate that in order for a bike to be a cx bike, it can't have sloping top tubes. If it does, it is something else. That's a bit off topic and being pedantic.

- Like most/all cross bikes the top tube is not sloping and has the cables running across the top (and my cables do not have full housing). I find this annoying hopping on and off for the endless red lights/stop signs I encounter. Sloping top tube with internal cabling would be better.

Agreed. I don't like exposed cables on top of the top tube either... no matter what kind of bike.



- Does not have 27mm seat post, less comfortable.

You must be joking.

- Bottom bracket is higher, just not quite "one with the bike" sense for me as I get with my road bike (others may differ here).

Yeah, high BBs do give kind of a squirmy feeling when riding no handed for example ... I like not scraping pedals on my FG commuter though so I abide.

Can't tell if trolling or not. Do you completely dismount your bike at every stop? You don't have to do that, you know.

I commute on several bikes, including sport touring, cyclocross and touring. My Ritchey Breakaway Cross has a moderately sloping top tube, cables under the top tube, and a 27.2 seat post. It rides as nice as just about any true road bike. I also owned a Gunnar Crosshairs with very similar geometry and specs that road as smooth as any road bike. My Gunnar was an older model with nearly level top tube but the new Crosshairs have sloping top tubes.

My Ritchey Cross currently has 32 mm tires (Paselas) that slow it down a bit, but it would ride nearly as fast and smooth as any of my road bikes with 25 mm tires. My Gunnar Crosshairs had 25 mm tires and rode every bit as nice as any road bike that I have owned in terms of comfort, handling and smoothness.

In short, all cross bikes are not the same and it's not accurate to generalize among various makes and models.

+ 1.

The Usual ... Theft Magnet. ..

I prefer having the cables go across the TT. Nothing to get in the way when hanging it up,nothing to get fouled if you have to lock to one of those stupid school racks. The cables don't get spray from the front tire,they just get rained on. I've never rubbed them,and my last cross bike was a touch big.

Perfectly fine if you don't like something,but many of us don't have any issues.

I think you just have the wrong cross bike for commuting. My Redline has S-bend rear stays for compliance and a 27.2 seatpost with a carbon wrap to reduce buzz. I also have Planet Bike strap on fenders that cover 34C knobbies with no trouble. Finally, my current 32C road tires feel faster than the 25C tires they replaced, which has some science behind it since larger section tires have less rolling resistance and ride smoother. This is why the pro roadies have switched to 25C tires from 22 or 23C.