Bike Forums - New Commuting/touring bike HELP

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Quote:

Originally Posted by M_S (Post 5987273)

Some of the raised bottom bracket height is due to the larger tires. With 28s instead of 32s it's lowered a little bit, and many euro-style cross bikes have geometries that are extremely close to road bikes.

That said, why buy a cyclocross bike if you want to tour? It makes no sense to me. Touring bikes will ahve all the eyelets and attachment points you need, most cyclocross bikes will not, especially on the fork. Mine, for example, doesn't have eyelets on the chainstays, and the fork hole is where one might mount the top attachment point of a fender is used up by a cantilever brake cable hanger.

The Tricross series does have eyelets, but that is sort of the exception. Besides, if they have cyclocross geometry, they won't handle under load as well as a touring bike will.

The reason is to have a bike that does everything well. If I want to go on a group ride and get in the paceline the 'cross bike is closer to the geometry of a racing bike. If I want to hit some singletrack or some dirt ridin' the 'cross bike can handle it. If I want to do some touring a 'cross bike can handle that.

And, FWIW, the Crosscheck has all the eyelets and braze-ons you need for racks and fenders. I've got fenders AND a rack on mine, all on eyelets and braze ons, and have LX V-Brakes, too.

It's the friggin' Swiss Army Knife of bikes, man! it does everything, and though not the best at everything it does everything well! You'd have to kill me before I would part with it. My road bike, OTOH, well are you in the market?

Quote:

Originally Posted by climbhoser (Post 5986891)

I think the assessment about 'cross bikes is, well, kinda wrong. ...

Fair enough. I'm just going by my personal shopping experiences. The post about the numbers is probably most right. I guess I'd like to start with something that doesn't require as much tinkering, and different bikes fit different purposes. I'll withdraw my assesment about 'cross bikes, and just say the OP should consider fit and position, without reference to type of bike. Better? ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by DogBoy (Post 5988076)

No problem...I'm not the truth police or anything ;)

I think 'cross bikes have been typecast is all. I think Surly has done the best job breaking that mold by taking what is a tried and true geometry (cyclocross) but adding commuter and touring features. For a long, long time commuters and tourers have sought out cyclocross geometry to achieve the best of all worlds. Surly has finally added the little bits we know and love, like eyelets and rack braze-ons. The off the shelf Crosscheck even has bar-end shifters-a long time commuter/tourer favorite. Not only that it can be ridding easily with an internally geared hub or as a FG/SS or, dare we say it, a rear derailleur.

It really is, as I mentioned, the Swiss Army Bike.