What On Earth Did I Buy?
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What On Earth Did I Buy?
Hi all first post to the forum,
I wanted to get back into biking so I went to my local bike shop and asked for a cross bike. After about 20 min in the store I bought a Fuji Cross 1.3 equipped with mostly Sram Rival components (not familiar with this brand, I have had Shimano and Campagnolo in the past). I guess I am a bit of an idiot because I had always thought that my last bike, a Klein Adept, that I bought new in the early 90s was a cross bike. I have been told now that the Adept I had was a hybrid bike and not a cross bike. ...*sigh* I couldn't even remember that the Klein had straight handlebars and not drop handle bars like the Fuji.
So what is a cross bike and will it be suitable for light trails and riding around San Francisco? From the looks of it I don't see why not, but I wonder if I would be better off getting a hybrid.
I am also not really familiar with the brand Fuji, but based on the price I suspect the quality is not of the same level as my old Klein. Also, the other thing that I realized was that the cabling is on the top of the tube instead of inside the tubing...is that normal?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
~ELM
I wanted to get back into biking so I went to my local bike shop and asked for a cross bike. After about 20 min in the store I bought a Fuji Cross 1.3 equipped with mostly Sram Rival components (not familiar with this brand, I have had Shimano and Campagnolo in the past). I guess I am a bit of an idiot because I had always thought that my last bike, a Klein Adept, that I bought new in the early 90s was a cross bike. I have been told now that the Adept I had was a hybrid bike and not a cross bike. ...*sigh* I couldn't even remember that the Klein had straight handlebars and not drop handle bars like the Fuji.
So what is a cross bike and will it be suitable for light trails and riding around San Francisco? From the looks of it I don't see why not, but I wonder if I would be better off getting a hybrid.
I am also not really familiar with the brand Fuji, but based on the price I suspect the quality is not of the same level as my old Klein. Also, the other thing that I realized was that the cabling is on the top of the tube instead of inside the tubing...is that normal?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
~ELM
#2
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Cheers ELM, welcome to Bike Forums.
Your bike is useless. If you only pay the modest shipping costs to Finland, I can properly recycle it to save you the trouble. Just send it to me.
J/K. Sounds like you got a good bike for your intended use. Don't worry about marketing semantics, ride it to the ground. Personally, I prefer cables outside of tubing for easier maintenance, but maybe it's simply what I'm used to. Functionally they're both fine.
--J
Your bike is useless. If you only pay the modest shipping costs to Finland, I can properly recycle it to save you the trouble. Just send it to me.
J/K. Sounds like you got a good bike for your intended use. Don't worry about marketing semantics, ride it to the ground. Personally, I prefer cables outside of tubing for easier maintenance, but maybe it's simply what I'm used to. Functionally they're both fine.
--J
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To err is human. To moo is bovine.
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#3
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Welcome to Bike Forums.
A cross bike is essentially a road bike with a slightly longer wheelbase, wider tires for off road riding (do a search for cyclocross racing videos), and a more durable frame for rough riding.
If the tires seem too wide you can install narrower ones (remember the rim width will only accommodate certain sizes.
I had a cyclocross (known as CX) bike that I used for commuting around Atlanta a few years ago.
It should work just fine for your purposes. Read this --> https://sheldonbrown.com/tyre-sizing.html
If the tires seem too wide you can install narrower ones (remember the rim width will only accommodate certain sizes.
I had a cyclocross (known as CX) bike that I used for commuting around Atlanta a few years ago.
It should work just fine for your purposes. Read this --> https://sheldonbrown.com/tyre-sizing.html
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The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. - Psalm 103:8
I am a cyclist. I am not the fastest or the fittest. But I will get to where I'm going with a smile on my face.
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Hi ELM, glad you chose to join us here at BF. That is a nice CX bike, they are really gaining popularity now. You can ride roads and trails fairly comfortably and there is room for larger, or smaller, tyres depending on where and what you are doing. The disk brakes are a plus, too. The SRAM components are good stuff, I have the Rival level on my Cannondale and have enjoyed them greatly with no problems at all. The top tube cabling is normal for a CX bike now, too. Enjoy the ride.
Bill
Bill
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I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977
I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
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Thank you all for your responses. I watched a couple videos of Cyclocross racing which was interesting. Sounds like I did alright . I road about 10 miles on the bike today and I like the weird SRAM shifters. The bike has relatively chunky tires but it also seems quite fast to me.
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The SRAM double tap shifting is no problem, it became second nature to me after just a couple of rides. The Fuji CX bike is a fine machine, you might want to check out some road tread tyres for it if your riding is more towards the roads, if not just keep the pressure right for the conditions you are ridng on. Best of luck with your riding.
Bill
Bill
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Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977
I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977
I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13