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looking for a super versatile bike for road/varied surfaces, and long distances.

13K views 43 replies 15 participants last post by  Tricker Joe 
#1 ·
not sure if this is the most appropriate forum to post in but im looking for a road/cross type bike. something that i can really haul and ride fast on across town or on longer distance road rides, and swap out the tires and ride a mix of paved, fire road, and mellow mtn bike trails if needed. id also like to be able to throw some racks on it to carry gear for multi day trips/camping.

im very new to anything non squishy mountain bike related, so far a friend told me to check out the traitor crusade which looks pretty sweet, but i really have no idea what to look for and what i need in a bike to do what i want it to do.

it would be nice if the bike could be built fairly lightweight, both to save weight when i load it up, and because a lot of the medium-longer rides ill be doing will be on some steep up and down mountain roads, so id like it to have a little of that tiny tire carbon race road bike feel, or at least not get blown away by those guys.

ive also got a singlespeed road bike on 45c tires, set up more for around town bashing and fun, so thats my go to bike when im 40 minutes from one side of town to the other or spending time in the city. i may use this new bike for a little of that but that kind of riding isnt a concern with this bike.
 
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#2 ·
Sounds like a cyclocross would be your best fit for the jack-of-all-but-master-of-none sort of application. One that always stands out is the Surly Cross Check. Not exactly light but extremely versatile when it comes to tire choice (huge clearance) and the ability to load it up.
 
#3 ·
yeah i looked at the crosscheck, seems almost too "master of nothing" for me. ive been looking at tons of cross frames and there seem to be two pretty different styles, at least from what ive seen. the super race oriented race ready bikes, designed purely around performing in a racing environment, and then bikes like the crosscheck that are pretty much aimed at being as versatile as possible while still being a cross bike.

the race bikes are designed around something ill probably never do, race a cross bike, so they have a lot of features and design characteristics that would be pointless for me, and lack features i need. and the all arounder cross-check type bikes are a little too comfort/cruiser oriented and in general seem too heavy.

so im looking for something in-between, something really versatile, but made to be able to race, and ride aggressively, responsive, not soft when you really want to charge and pedal hard etc..

so far ive found these..
Genesis vapour and croix-de-fer
http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/cross/vapour/vapour-disc
Croix De Fer | Genesis Bikes

Traitor crusade
http://www.traitorcycles.com/2013/Bikes_Crusade.cfm?Token={ts_2013-06-03_22:51:35}-5175b8aab9afcb6a-59227DC8-D620-7604-F444F2FB087CD6DC

Cotic x
the Product of COTIC cycles : X steel cyclocross

on-one planet x
Planet X XLS SRAM Force Carbon Cyclocross Bike

Boardman cx pro
Boardman Bikes : CX : PRO

Cielo cross racer disc
Cross Racer Disc ? Cielo Cycles

Spot mod disc (id run it geared)
Spot Brand Bicycles » Product Page » Mod Disc SS

civilian vive le roi
Vive Le Roi - Civilian - Civilian

so far the traitor crusade just looks like my kind of bike, not really sure why, i think i heard traitor is run by the guys who own transition bikes? i love everything transition makes so maybe thats why..

the spot would be probably the highest end id go, but also looks pretty ideal for me.
 
#5 ·
I love my Vive Le Roi and I pretty much use it for what you outlined...but there are no braze ons for racks. There are ways around that, however.

Reason I say jack of all but master of none is there will be compromises with this sort of do everything bike. Gearing to make it tolerable offroad is not optimal on road. Tire size as well can be a little bit of an issue for some offroad adventures depending on the types of trails (many cx bikes don't have clearance for anything greater than a 35-40). Don't get me wrong I really like the idea of these sorts of bikes, just don't be surprised if you find it lacking on certain aspects. That is kind of why I suggested the CrossCheck. You can put some pretty fat mtn tires in that to make it a great offroad machine then swap on some skinny slicks for road duty as well as just running tires okay for both. Gearing would still be a factor but you can overcome that somewhat.

Another good one is the Origin8 CX frame. TONS of braze ons, disc or v-brake, HUGE tire clearance, etc. Lots of possibilities with that frame.
 
#7 ·
I love my Vive Le Roi and I pretty much use it for what you outlined...but there are no braze ons for racks. There are ways around that, however.

Reason I say jack of all but master of none is there will be compromises with this sort of do everything bike. Gearing to make it tolerable offroad is not optimal on road. Tire size as well can be a little bit of an issue for some offroad adventures depending on the types of trails (many cx bikes don't have clearance for anything greater than a 35-40). Don't get me wrong I really like the idea of these sorts of bikes, just don't be surprised if you find it lacking on certain aspects. That is kind of why I suggested the CrossCheck. You can put some pretty fat mtn tires in that to make it a great offroad machine then swap on some skinny slicks for road duty as well as just running tires okay for both. Gearing would still be a factor but you can overcome that somewhat.

Another good one is the Origin8 CX frame. TONS of braze ons, disc or v-brake, HUGE tire clearance, etc. Lots of possibilities with that frame.
yeah im not too concerned with the ability to fit really big tires, i guess it'd be nice to have the option, but ive got two mountain bikes already, im not looking to do any real kind of aggressive trail riding with this, i just want the ability to ride on more mellow singletrack, and just be able to make it through anything rocky or technical, id imagine im mostly going to use it on service/access roads and mellow hiking/biking trails.

and i dont NEED racks, it would be nice to have the ability to install one, but i bet i could fit everything id need in a backpack or just one small rack.

im more concerned about its road performance. i want this to be good for those 20-100 mile road rides, a super common ride for me would be 15 miles to a local lake, be able to get around the flat singletrack around there, then ride back. another ride id imagine doing a lot is a 40 mile ride one way to a small town with lots of trails, lakes, hiking etc to either camp around or just go out and back in a day.
so to put it simply i want a bike that will be good on the road, wont be soft/heavy/sluggish for those long road rides, but will be able to at least get around on varied conditions when i encounter them. im looking for something that puts road performance a little over dirt performance.

heres another couple i came across

CYCLOCROSS | Rock Lobster Cycles

this one looks interesting!
All Roads

Cyclocross Limited Edition: Cross is Boss

Stoemper Bikes - Ronny - Handmade Aluminum Cyclocross Frames and Bikes

Milwaukee CX Frame Builder - OX Platinum - Disc - In Stock! : • Milwaukee Bicycle Co. • Ben's Cycle

I dont think id spend over 3000 unless i found the PERFECT bike. there seem to be a ton of great steel options that are priced very well. i think my top couple options so far are the traitor crusade, the civilian vive le roi, and the milwaukee cx.
 
#8 ·
Probably biased, but my vote goes to the Vive Le Roi. The newer ones that I think are still being preordered have 135 spacing in the rear which makes it much easier to swap wheels since disc brake mtn wheels are the same spacing. Mine is 130 in the rear but I crammed a 135 back there without an issue. I really can't say anything bad about the bike. It does well on the road and on gravel. I take it on rooty single track every once in a while and, suprisingly, it feels pretty good despite the lack of volumous tires I am accustomed to offroad. The worst part about the bike is the wheelset but at the price point something had to give considering what the rest of the bike has to offer component wise.

My usual loop is 50 miles with about 20% of that being gravel or sand. Overall does great but I do have issues sustaining road speeds over 17mph. Gearing is fine but the huge volume tires I run on it seem to be hurting me...or maybe I just need to muster more HTFU.
 
#9 ·
Probably biased, but my vote goes to the Vive Le Roi. The newer ones that I think are still being preordered have 135 spacing in the rear which makes it much easier to swap wheels since disc brake mtn wheels are the same spacing. Mine is 130 in the rear but I crammed a 135 back there without an issue. I really can't say anything bad about the bike. It does well on the road and on gravel. I take it on rooty single track every once in a while and, suprisingly, it feels pretty good despite the lack of volumous tires I am accustomed to offroad. The worst part about the bike is the wheelset but at the price point something had to give considering what the rest of the bike has to offer component wise.

My usual loop is 50 miles with about 20% of that being gravel or sand. Overall does great but I do have issues sustaining road speeds over 17mph. Gearing is fine but the huge volume tires I run on it seem to be hurting me...or maybe I just need to muster more HTFU.
yeah the more i look at the Vive Le Roi the more I like it. its pretty equal between that and the crusade, but id have to wait till late august for the crusade which is a big turn off. the milwaukee cx seems awesome too but i just havent heard much about it yet and its a little too oldschool looking for me.

all three of these frames seem to be more oriented toward all around riding than some of the really specific, hardcore race bikes out there. seems like there are a lot of little quirks and things that a CX race bike needs in its geo/design that are super specific to a CX race environment that i'll never need in my bike.

how much does the Vive Le Roi frame weigh by itself?
 
#10 ·
Not sure. I think in stock spec my 61cm complete bike was in the upper 20s...possibly close to 30. Granted it has a steel frame but the wheelset is extremely heavy....I seem to recall someone weighing them and they were in the 2200-2300 range.

Civilian is going to start selling frame/fork combos with the next generation so they may have some accurate specs for you on the frame weight.
 
#12 ·
Not sure. I think in stock spec my 61cm complete bike was in the upper 20s...possibly close to 30. Granted it has a steel frame but the wheelset is extremely heavy....I seem to recall someone weighing them and they were in the 2200-2300 range.

Civilian is going to start selling frame/fork combos with the next generation so they may have some accurate specs for you on the frame weight.
ouch thats pretty heavy, my 150mm hardtail mtn bike built pretty burly is around 26-27lbs and i beat the crap out of it. that much weight in a cross bike seems unnecessary. but like you said, if the wheels are that heavy, a new set would drop a lot. maybe ill have to see about just getting the frame only and doing my own build.

i really want to keep it fairly light, im hoping high teens to low 20's.

maybe ill have to look into some more aluminum frames.
 
#13 ·
I recommend that you stay with the steel frames. The aluminium will just make into a bone shaker of a bike. I have studied the list that you have above, and this is only my personal view, but if you go the frame and build up your bike route, that Spot and Milwuakee are the pick of the bunch if you purchase the frame only, IMO.

Eric
 
#16 ·
I might try and demo an aluminum cross bike and see how i like it. i could definitely see the benefit for rough surface stuff, but i dont feel like ill get too beat up on long rides with aluminum, i do pretty good at ignoring anything uncomfortable or sore. my friend who switched from a steel to aluminum singlespeed road bike swears that his aluminum bike is much better/faster. could just be other factors too.

but im leaning towards steel anyway purely because of price, the more i think about it, i dont want to dump a lot of money into this initially. i think a medium priced frame like the vive le roi or the crusade would be perfect for me to start with, and if i feel like i could use something lighter/stiffer in a year, then ill drop money on a light/expensive frame when i KNOW what i want.
 
#15 ·
I really like my 29er with road gears and drops. Once I put on the correct gears (I put on a road crank and 36 / 54 rings) I can hang with the roadies. I also can put on the 2.3s and ride the single track. It is heavy - but so am I and with the 11 - 34 in the back - I can ride up anything. Right now I have 32mm cx tires on it and it rides really well.

I also run a salsa enabler fork - so really anything goes.

Vassago Geometry just is plain good.
 
#17 ·
I really like my 29er with road gears and drops. Once I put on the correct gears (I put on a road crank and 36 / 54 rings) I can hang with the roadies. I also can put on the 2.3s and ride the single track. It is heavy - but so am I and with the 11 - 34 in the back - I can ride up anything. Right now I have 32mm cx tires on it and it rides really well.

I also run a salsa enabler fork - so really anything goes.

Vassago Geometry just is plain good.
that would be too much of an overlap in bikes for me, ive got a freeridey 26" hardtail but built pretty light that actually pedals super well with the fork locked out and the right tires. and i dont think id want to do super long all day road rides on a 29er, just makes more sense to get something road oriented when that probably what the bike will see 80% of the time.

if i ever got a 29er mtn bike id have to get something with a big fork and tires that i could charge and abuse, a rigid mtn bike wouldn't fit me well.
 
#20 ·
I was in your same situation a couple months ago, and ended up going with the Surly Cross Check. Steel frame, lots of room for fenders and racks, wide enough stays for up to 1.9" tires, and pretty affordable at $450 for the frame and fork. I build mine up in pretty much "commute mode", but I'll be doing some bikepacking and have already done a few trail rides on it. VERY nice ride, on or off road. I'm going to look into building some beefy wheels to mount up some wider tires on for dedicated dirt trips, and have the existing set for skinnies.

Build thread: http://forums.mtbr.com/surly/surly-cross-check-build-questions-855025.html



 
#21 ·
very nice!

I really really like the cross check, seems like the kind of bike you can just get on and go wherever you feel and it will handle it..it seems like something I will have to own eventually, but it seems a little too all around for what im looking for. the title of the thread might be misleading now that i think about it.

I dont need to fit huge tires, 35c is plenty for what im looking for, i want this to be a stiff, responsive, somewhat aggressive and slightly more road oriented bike. i dont need to carry lots of stuff, the longest trips ill do is a day or two, and I dont need it to be a super comfortable do everything go anywhere bike. more like a fast road bike, with the versatility to go offroad if i have to.
 
#22 ·
#24 ·
yeah ive been checking out that frame a bit too looks really nice. its a little pricey for the frame, 1300 i believe. thats about the very most id spend. only thing i dont like, is that id always be mad i dont have the ti version...

im really thinking i want to stick with a sub $1000 dollar frame(ill go a little over if its really nice) which probably means steel. i think id rather put my money towards a good wheelset and components rather than a expensive frame material (thats not necessarily better) and have to skimp on components. it will give me a good idea of what i like and dont like in a road/cross bike, and what to look for if i decide to upgrade to a real nice steel or ti frame in the future.

plus from everything ive heard the civilian vive le roi is a damn good bike for the money, i think thats at the top of my list right now. comes out in early july so i dont have to wait too long either.

ill consider the salsa and the spot if i hear anything super convincing about either, but at the moment they dont really appeal any more to me besides being a little lighter.
 
G
#27 ·
I was kind of in the same boat...I have been looking for another frame (steel) to build up for a do a little of everything bike...I ride my race cross bike a lot and though I dig it...there are limits to it...tire size..no where to mount racks..I have been researching frames and reading threads and talked to the owner of a local bike shop we have here...I have another cross bike (aluminum) that I just never took to so I figured I would get a new frame and swap everything over to a steel frame that I can. I will sell that frame and try and recoup some coin on it if I can.

I wanted to keep it in a certain budget range so that played a factor into my choice as well...I ended up ordering a Surly Cross Check today...several reasons I went with the Surly...the bike shop can get them..the ability to run it with a variety of tire sizes...not sure if I will ever do single speed..but nice to have that option..not concerned about having the ability to run disc brakes...have not found the cantis on my other bikes to be a issue..so I will keep using cantis..

Not to concerned about the weight issue..not building it to race..just to ride and have some fun..will be using it for gravel roads mostly and some light cx stuff and whatever else happens to come along.

So I guess I will wait and see how the bike turns out and get a few rides on it and see if I made the right decision..
 
#28 ·
I was kind of in the same boat...I have been looking for another frame (steel) to build up for a do a little of everything bike...I ride my race cross bike a lot and though I dig it...there are limits to it...tire size..no where to mount racks..I have been researching frames and reading threads and talked to the owner of a local bike shop we have here...I have another cross bike (aluminum) that I just never took to so I figured I would get a new frame and swap everything over to a steel frame that I can. I will sell that frame and try and recoup some coin on it if I can.

I wanted to keep it in a certain budget range so that played a factor into my choice as well...I ended up ordering a Surly Cross Check today...several reasons I went with the Surly...the bike shop can get them..the ability to run it with a variety of tire sizes...not sure if I will ever do single speed..but nice to have that option..not concerned about having the ability to run disc brakes...have not found the cantis on my other bikes to be a issue..so I will keep using cantis..

Not to concerned about the weight issue..not building it to race..just to ride and have some fun..will be using it for gravel roads mostly and some light cx stuff and whatever else happens to come along.

So I guess I will wait and see how the bike turns out and get a few rides on it and see if I made the right decision..
a couple shops around here carry them so maybe ill have to demo one for a day, they keep getting more and more appealing to me, still think vive le roi and crusade are at the top of my list, just seem to be a little more aggressive/speed oriented bikes where the cross check seems a little cruiser oriented to me. i think demoing one will give me a good idea of what i do and dont want in a bike, being so new to road bikes i cant say im completely sure what i want.
 
#30 ·
anyone have any advice for components? I'd like to keep the components, excluding the wheels, at around 1000$, could go a little more than that but not much, i dont want this to turn into a 4000 bike. im thinking it'll be around 700-1000 for the frame, around 1000 for components, and maybe 400-700 for the wheelset.

as far as gearing, this is something i havent really looked at at all, should i run a 1x10? 2x10? what should i look for in the cassette ratio's? any advice there would be great.
 
#32 ·
bumping this again..

ive been thinking a bit about what exactly ill be riding, and i really dont see myself riding anything that would really require BIG tires, like i bet i could get away with a max of like 28-30c. and i doubt id need lots of mud clearance. since i wont be RACING cross, and i doubt id need the mud clearance as i really dont plan on and dont want to be riding through anything muddy, and if i did i could tough it out and walk or whatever.

so im just thinking i could maybe get away with a road bike that can fit a little bit bigger tires, if i could find a road bike thats disc compatable that would be awesome too.

i dont want to be held back by whatever "limitations" a cross bike would create on the road. would a cross bike with little 23c tires be pretty comparable to a road bike with the same tires?
any thoughts?
 
G
#33 ·
Several things come to mind...most road bikes you will be limited to 700x25 to 700 x28c(maybe)...that said I have run 700x23 on my Cannondale Super X and it rips...other than the more relaxed geometry I can pretty much cruise along like I do on my Tarmac..but on my Tarmac I am limited to what size of tire I run...where as on cross bike I can pretty much run what ever size I need to for the intended purpose...as far as disc road bikes I am sure they will be coming along but I will skip that whole debate...the brakes on my road bike are more than adequate...and I have pretty much come to the conclusion except for racing road which I no longer do...I will pretty much stick to my cross bikes for road duty...just slap on some slicks and go with it...if anything I would think the road bike would be more limiting...pretty much it is going to be used on the road..limited tire size choices..by the right cross bike and it will also be a capable roadie
 
#35 ·
Going to be tough to find all that on a road bike, especially the disc brake part. Perhaps there are some disc brake cx frames with more roadish friendly geo out there?

The only thing I feel that holds me back on the road with my cx are the huge tires I currently have on there. I'm ordering some 700x28 Panaracer RIBMO tires this week to test that theory.
 
#39 ·
This Specialized Secteur road bike is alumium, but it's got disc brakes and can handle larger tires: Specialized Bicycle Components

Here's a steel Specialized Tricross (their non-race cross bike): Specialized Bicycle Components

I wouldn't go for a 1x if you want to ride on and off road. When I ride my cross bike in the woods, I'm always in my 36; on the road, I'm often in my 46.

If you don't need rack mounts, I wouldn't discount a race-inspired cross bike before demo-ing one. You might find that you really like it, or you might find that you don't.
 
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