# Cannondale Super X Cycle Cross Bike Questions



## Rob T (May 9, 2007)

Hello. I am looking for a good 2nd bike I can use as commuter and for road rides (would switch over to 23c or 25c tires) when the weather is not so great. Also for all around town use. 

I also have interest in trying cycle cross next season. Does anyone have experience using a cycle cross bike as road bike (harder effort training rides - 30 to 60 miles, etc) and in particular the Cannondale Super X Cycle Cross bike? 

The one I am looking at is carbon fiber with group set I like and for a very fair deal. Any thoughts / opinions would be appreciated especially with regards to road rides. 

Thanks.


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## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

I had a SuperSix, loved it... but last summer I got a SuperX Hi-Mod frame and built it up. Then I sold the SuperSix and I use the SuperX as a road bike as well as cross bike. I much prefer the little less known dirt roads we have so it made sense to me. But mine is built up mostly as a nasty/dirt/gravel road bike, I have an older CAAD9 CX frame that I will build just for CX racing with a single chainring, wider-profile canti brakes...

As for performance compared to a true road bike, the SuperX is a little bit heavier but not that much (although it's pretty much at the UCI legal weight limit anyway). A SuperX carbon frame still is as light, maybe even lighter than many road frames are.

To me, the difference that matters is the geometry. A cross bike has a higher BB than a road bike so you feel a little bit more on the bike compared to in the bike but not by all that much. They're also designed to be quicker for sharp slower turns, so even though it's not a problem, a SuperSix will be a bit more calmer, more stable at very high speeds (long road descents at over 75km/h for exemple) but again, it's still fine. If you're doing short rides like most commutes and 30 to 60 miles, I don't think the cross bike will limit you. I have done a few road races on cross bikes and it performed well, legs were more an issue than the bike. I have also ridden for a week in the Pyrénées including climbing the Tourmalet on a cross bike and it was great!

Also note that cross bikes come speced with cross gearing, I think Cannondales have 36/46 chainrings. If you use it as a road bike, you'll probably want to put bigger chainrings, especially the big one. I would at least change it to a 50t. Mine has a compact road chainring set.

Also brakes. That might depends where you ride but a lot of cantilever brakes (especially the low/wide profile models), while fine for cross racing where they're just used to control your speed when entering corners, they really dont have the power of road brakes. It could be fine but if you need to stop quickly on fast hills or in emergency stops in traffic, they can be scary, especially if you are used to much more powerful brakes on a road bike or mountain bike. The top end SuperX has discs so power will be much better there but another option is using mini-v-brakes. I have some TRP CX8.4 on mine and the power and feel is very similar to road brakes.

But, it all depends how much you ride and where and how. But I think a cross bike can make a very good road bike, very polyvalent.

As for commuting, we all have different idea of what commuting is. I wouldn't use such a nice bike for commuting as I would be too scared to lock it in the city... Plus for me, a perfect commuter is a trouble free, no maintenance, cheap bike I don't care to beat up. I use a fixed gear bike for commuting, it's basically maintenance-free (only needs air in the tires and a chain lube once in a while) but I use it even in the winter so no brake pads to melt in a single week, no cable to seize, no derailleurs to freeze, no fancy parts to rust from the rain/snow/calcium...


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## Rob T (May 9, 2007)

Thanks for all the insight. One more question. Someone mentioned to me yesterday at LBS to "size down" when buying cross bike. So if I am 56 go with 54. Understanding all the variables with fit is this good general rule?

Thanks again.


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## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

If you stay with Cannondale, yes the one size down is true for most... But Cannondale have their geometries sorted that way (the horizontal toptube length of a 54 SuperSix/CAAD10 is closer to the toptube length of a 52 SuperX for exemple), if you have another brand of bike, it may not be true. So if your current road bike (if it properly fits of course) is not a Cannondale, you might want to compare the horizontal toptube length with the SuperX for sizing, getting that measure as close as possible, maybe a tiny bit shorter for the CX bike. Horizontal toptube length is the most critical measure of a bike.


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