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Croix de Fer advice.....

(20 posts)
  • Started 8 years ago by Stickman
  • Latest reply from jdanielp

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  1. Stickman
    Member

    So......

    I've been riding regularly for three years now, and I think I now finally know what kind of bike I need/want.

    My first purchase of an MTB barely gets used, and I could easily hire one for my infrequent trips to Glentress. I like my road bike, but it's probably not the right bike for my commute on Edinburgh roads and my longer rides are for pleasure, not speed. Narrowing it down, I think a cyclocross/"adventure road" bike is what I'm after.

    I've just had a test ride on a 2015 Croix de Fer 20. It's reallly nice. Really really nice. I had a few questions that you nice people could help with:

    - Mudguards: any recommendations? How easy are they to fit? What size tyres would be able to fit under them?

    - Racks: looks like a standard non-disc specific rack will fit. Is this right?

    - Any other comments/niggles/delights that I should be aware of?

    The other bike I'm considering (and will also test ride) is the Specialized Diverge. Probably more sporty than the Croix, but still fits the requirements.

    I can get an extremely good discount on both bikes through my work, so not constrained by waiting for sales.

    The other complication is that the new 2016 bikes are launched shortly and the Croix looks to be available in a very nice green colour....

    Posted 8 years ago #

  2. gembo
    Member

    Oooooh the forum loves a bit of this.

    I commute on the specializd tricross which is pretend cyclocross. I changed tyres from Marathon plus to gators kin to do the sabotaged etape.

    My marathon plus were 30mm and the gatorskins 25mm, they look a bit daft under the sky mudguards but rolled well and resisted the tack attack.

    No discs so standard rack.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  3. Beano
    Member

    @Stickman - when I looked for my first bike a year ago I was close to buying the CdF but ended up going for the Pinnacle Arkose 3 cyclocross bike (think it was cheaper and I got seduced by the 105 componentry).

    I run 28mm Marathon Plus under SKS narrow mudguards. the mudguards are great but the fit is very very tight under 28mm tyres - it works but their aint a lot of room! I also have 28mm Gatorskins which fitted very nicely under the SKS narrow and thought they looked better.

    having just had some test rides on 'sportier' bikes for my 2nd bike purchase :-) I realised just how much the cross bike was a good buy. It allows you to get up a bit of speed if you want but definitely feels more relaxed (after jumping off the test road bike and heading home on the cross bike).

    Posted 8 years ago #

  4. Stickman
    Member

    gembo: I think the Diverge is the replacement for the Tricross which doesn't seem to be available anymore

    Beano: yes, I was looking at the Arkose as well, but I can't get the discount on them. The Four looks really nice with the hydraulic brakes, but the Three had been on the list as well.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  5. Beano
    Member

    The only other thing I would say about the cross bikes, if they have the additional brake levers, is that they don't leave a lot of room at the front. With the additional brakes and a bell I just had room to mount my light and managed to get a small Garmin mounted to the 'stem' (might be using the wrong terminology here) so all in all a bit busy up the front.

    for the record...I don't think I've ever used those extra brake levers in a year of cycling! :-)

    Posted 8 years ago #

  6. kaputnik
    Moderator

    if they have the additional brake levers

    Cross-top levers. I have them on my touring bike and rarely use them either, but they have their occasional uses. I tried adding them to another bike but they messed with the cable routing and caused it to kink with use so removed them.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  7. Uberuce
    Member

    I love my 2013 Croix to bits. I went for SKS Commuter mudguards, if memory serves, purely because they came in black and therefore fitted to dark grey/black of that year's paint.

    Mine were tiresome to fit on the rear because the disc brake wasn't mounted in the sensible place, but they are now for the 2015 model. I imagine that means they'll be no worse to fit than SKS mudguards' high baseline of PITA.

    Not tried to put a rack on mine, so I know naathing of such things.

    With a Brooks on it, mine has taken me up to 200 miles in a day with remarkably little discomfort. It's very forgiving to the tired rider, except that the gearing really should be a triple.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  8. gembo
    Member

    Tricross was a triple and I like a wee granny. Brakes were famously spongy but after the third version they worked out that they should copy Dawes Galaxy. I had to pay to do this but dem is da breaks.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  9. Snowy
    Member

    It has been noted previously that using stock Tricross canti's for any length of time leads you to develop psychic powers.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  10. paddyirish
    Member

    This morning I was leaving the Commie pool, a cyclist (anyone on here?) commented to me that there were 3 CDFs locked up in a row. He had the RH one, I the LH, and there was a black one in the middle. They are everywhere, and with good reason- still love mine.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  11. steveo
    Member

    It was embarasing at POP, there were at least 3 of the metalic orange 2015 CDF one of which I was riding. I've never befored owned a bike where there are two in the same city let alone the same bike racks.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  12. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    I noticed the CdF plague just last night on the way home. There is a definite sub-species of Edinburgh commuter now. Understandably so, they look like really nice bikes.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  13. urchaidh
    Member

    Joined the throng myself recently and, once you start looking, there are indeed a lot of them about. Possibly the SAAB of the bike world.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  14. amir
    Member

    Not the Audi then?

    Posted 6 years ago #

  15. urchaidh
    Member

    I'd say Audi used to be demographically similar to SAAB, slightly less corduroy maybe, but then somehow moved more into traditional BMW territory.

    Posted 6 years ago #

  16. urchaidh
    Member

    Booking service...
    bike shop person: and what kind of bike is it?
    urchaidh: Croix de Fer
    bike shop person: Of course it is.

    Posted 5 years ago #

  17. chdot
    Admin

    OK...

    So now you need to organise a CCE CdeF owners’ meetup and discover what stereotypes you share!

    Posted 5 years ago #

  18. steveo
    Member

    bike shop person: Of course it is.

    Actual lol!

    Posted 5 years ago #

  19. jonty
    Member

    brilliant!

    Posted 5 years ago #

  20. jdanielp
    Member

    Just to chime in and say that girlfriend of jdanielp rode her ubiquitous Croix de Fer on our cycle to the Pentlands yesterday and managed to tackle most of what I did on my Tarn 10 with 27.5+ tyres. I would've bailed out of far more of the loose gravel and rocks on a comparable bike, but I don't really get on with dropped handlebars in any case...

    Posted 5 years ago #

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