cooleric1234

I currently commute on my road bike, but I'd like a beater bike for winter and to use thicker tires/tubes on the rest of the year. Due to my budget I've limited it to two choices: The Dawes Lightning Cross and the Motobecane Fantom CX. I've bought from bikesdirect.com before and I'm aware of the issues, let's not make it about bikesdirect.com

Here are the Pro's for the Dawes (in order of importance):

1. Wheels - The real show-stopper for the Moto - I hear Alex R500's are atrocious, and the DA28's get decent reviews for strength, which is all that matters to me for commuting.
2. Price - I wasn't planning on this purchase, just got a little extra budget of $300, but either way I'll be "paying it off" so to speak for a few months.
3. Handlebar diameter - I know my light mounts fit 26.0 handlebar diameter, not sure about the 31.8 mm.
4. Looks - This one just looks nicer, especially the fork.
5. Size - I kind of fall between sizes for the Moto, not for the Dawes.

Here are the pros for the Moto

1. Clearance - I want to run 35 mm wide studded tires for occasional ice in winter - the clearance on the Dawes looks tight, especially if I want fenders (less important though, I don't ride in snow and I'll be running narrower tires in summer so fenders will fit then)
2. 9 speed - I can use my road wheels on the bike over winter and swap between studded tires and narrow tires. Eventually I will just buy two sets for the commuter bike though, so my "narrow" tires can be 28 mm wide. Sora derailleur on Dawes is actually nine-speed, I'll just need a new cassette and shifters (planning on buying bar-end shifters for either bike anyway).
3. Components - One level higher than the Dawes. Shifters are not important (see above), but maybe the derailleurs will make a difference?

I'm a big guy and after looking online can't find any decent Craig's List deals. Plus I'd just rather buy new. So really the big issues are the clearance on the Dawes and the wheels on the Moto. Any suggestions?

rumrunn6

I remember looking at these myself but never bought one cuz I wanted to test drive a bike in person 1st. I remember liking both oif them. They're both nice bikes and I wouldn't call them beater bikes! :-)

nahh

for my tastes, the Moto looks soo much nicer. and the clearance gives you a lot of flexibility. I've actually seen people race cross on the Moto, and it's a good bike.

why would you run bar-end shifters on a bike that came with brifters? they're so much accessible than bar-ends, esp. in crappy conditions when you don't want to move your hands too much.

but I think two wheelsets for your commuter makes a ton of sense. I'd run one with 28s slicks and another (in the winter) with studded 38s.

DX-MAN

Looking at specs, the Moto wins. But size is always -- ALWAYS -- the critical thing, the bike HAS to fit you.

"Close" really is 'no cigar' with bike fit.

The 31.8 question is irrelevant, since the bar isn't 31.8 the whole length; you may have to make a bit of space on one side, cutting back some bar tape -- BTW, remember the Moto has the extra 'cross levers on the bar, too.

Overall, the Dawes looks like a better buy.

cooleric1234

Thanks for the input. The Dawes has cross top levers too. That's why I worry about the handlebar diameter, if it were just cutting tape back that's one thing but I would possibly need more housing to move the cross levers over.

cooleric1234

Actually, it's specifically for crappy conditions. I can wear big, thick mittens and shift easier on bar-ends than with brifters. At least that's one area where the thumb paddle of Sora shifters is better than the brake lever paddle of Tiagra and above, the thumb is always available even in cold weather.

You see people racing on this specific Moto? Heard anything about the wheels? Reviews here aren't too favorable.

nahh

Yeah, it's considered a good beginner CX bike, the stock Bikesdirect version. Racing tends to trash any bike, regardless of supposed quality. CX racers are used to having to true wheels, overhaul hubs, or pull a derailler out of your spokes

and I like Sora shifters a lot because of the thumb lever.