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mntlion
04-29-2004, 03:36 PM
road bike JONG question: What is the difference between a cycle X bike and a road bike other than the nobbies?

Is the geometry all that different than a road bike?

both have road parts it looks like?

I'm not planning to ride either, just after seeing a post for one for sale in gear swap I was wondering

Viva
04-29-2004, 04:02 PM
Cross bikes generally are a bit different; typically a bit slower handling, a bit higher BB, a bit shorter top tube, and a bit more standover clearance than on a well-fitted road frame.

CantDog
04-29-2004, 04:50 PM
my cross bike has a more upright geometry. As far as components go, canti brakes, and a mix of mountain and road parts. I've got xtr rear derr, but most of the rest of the components are road.

Mine also has disc hubs, which you dont find too often on road bikes. :D

Also the gearing is a lot different, more of a mountain bike gearing. I wind up spinning out real fast on downhills when I'm with guys on road bikes.

Innominatus
04-29-2004, 08:13 PM
Yeah, what CantDog and Viva said.

Cyclocross bikes also usually have the cables routed along the topside of the top tube so it's less painful to shoulder the bike on runups. Many people like to switch the rear brake lever to left side also, so you can brake the rear while dismounting (left hand on the brake, right hand on the top tube as you swing your leg around).

There aren't really any strict criteria anymore, as people race anything from old roady Colnagos with 28c knobbies scraping the brakes to XC mountain bikes with the bar-ends removed (due to mass-start rules).

But yeah, purty much think road race bike with beefier tubing, an extra degree or so of slack in the headtube geometry, higher BB, and cantis or disk brakes for mud and 35c tire clearance.

Very versatile bikes, you can do singletrack on 'em, rinse them off, put on a road wheelset, and you've got something that can still hang with the roadies on those Sunday rides.