# Looking for the right Cyclocross commuter



## dutchgenius (May 29, 2012)

After endless searching for a road bike with disc brakes (and preferably internal cable routing) that can take commuting in Seattle all winter, I am looking for the right cyclocross bike. My budget is somewhat flexible, but ideally I would like to stay under $2000.00 with some money to spare of pedals, fenders, and road tires. (hoping to offset the cost some by selling my 2006 Roubaix Pro).

Here are the bikes in that range that I am looking at (and can easily obtain quickly/locally):

Charge Filter Apex
Norco Threshold A1
Focus Mares AX 2.0 Disc
Specialized TriCross Comp Disc Compact
Specialized Crux Elite Disc Apex
Felt F65X
also checking out BikesDirect.com but having difficulty finding the right component mix.

Ideally I would prefer to have SRAM drivetrain, as I am currently using Rival and prefer the weight savings and repairability, but 105 is certainly not out of the question. Having a lightweight bike is not a huge priority, although it is certainly appreciated. My current frame is carbon, but seems to flex a little (too much at times) under heavy load. Just wondering how other materials will make a huge difference (never ridden steel before).

I need the bike sooner rather than later, so a build or component swap is kind of out of the question. My ride is a lot of hills and rain, so the disc brakes are a must have.

Opinions on the bikes I am looking at or something comparable would be appreciated. Cheers


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## c-lo (Sep 30, 2008)

dutchgenius said:


> After endless searching for a road bike with disc brakes (and preferably internal cable routing) that can take commuting in Seattle all winter, I am looking for the right cyclocross bike. My budget is somewhat flexible, but ideally I would like to stay under $2000.00 with some money to spare of pedals, fenders, and road tires. (hoping to offset the cost some by selling my 2006 Roubaix Pro).
> 
> Here are the bikes in that range that I am looking at (and can easily obtain quickly/locally):
> 
> ...


for what you plan on using it for maybe the tricross. check out what salsa has to offer too


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

the crux doesn't have rear fender/rack mounts.


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## dutchgenius (May 29, 2012)

tednugent said:


> the crux doesn't have rear fender/rack mounts.


I wasn't planning to mount a rack (I carry my gear in a bag), but thanks for the tip on the fenders.


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## Birddog (Sep 9, 2004)

Check out the Soma DoubleCross disc compatible.


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## MShaw (Jun 7, 2003)

Gunnar Crosshairs. Bottle cages. Rack mounts. etc. 

Mine's a great all-rounder

M


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## Kram (Jan 28, 2004)

MShaw said:


> Gunnar Crosshairs. Bottle cages. Rack mounts. etc.
> 
> M


^^This^^


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## dutchgenius (May 29, 2012)

MShaw said:


> Gunnar Crosshairs. Bottle cages. Rack mounts. etc.
> 
> Mine's a great all-rounder
> 
> M


maybe I am missing something here, but it doesn't look like it has disc brakes or internal cable routing... plus it looks pretty pricey (frame alone is ~$900).


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## MShaw (Jun 7, 2003)

dutchgenius said:


> maybe I am missing something here, but it doesn't look like it has disc brakes or internal cable routing... plus it looks pretty pricey (frame alone is ~$900).


Internal routing = heavy, more drag, harder to keep up with maint.-wise

The Hyper-X is the disc brake version. IME not needed unless you really ride in the nasties a lot. Mini-Vs do the job in 95% of the riding conditions you'll encounter. ...AND you don't need special disc-only wheels. 

AFA pricey? I've been riding my Crosshairs since 04. Cost/time makes it a bargain. 

M


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## Birddog (Sep 9, 2004)

SOMA Frames | SOMA Fabrications


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## dutchgenius (May 29, 2012)

MShaw said:


> Internal routing = heavy, more drag, harder to keep up with maint.-wise
> 
> The Hyper-X is the disc brake version. IME not needed unless you really ride in the nasties a lot. Mini-Vs do the job in 95% of the riding conditions you'll encounter. ...AND you don't need special disc-only wheels.
> 
> ...


riding winters in Seattle downhill is the very definition of the nasties. I went with a Norco Threshold A1 Disc. External cabling in Seattle means you are replacing cables every month.


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## mark916 (Nov 6, 2012)

I second the Soma Double Cross DC. It seems to have a lot of versatility, a nice ride, and is affordable. I guess the disadvantage is you do have to build it up with your own components as I haven't seen any with build kits.


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## mark916 (Nov 6, 2012)

My bad. Just caught that you don't have time for a build out.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

fenders, racks and a fork rack bag
having stuff on your back gets old and you always have a sweaty back
fenders make massive difference in the wet, you wind up way drier, no wheel spray


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## ecub (Sep 2, 2011)

I went through a similar decision, but between a Tricross and F65X. If I remember correctly, the F65X does not have fender mounts. I decided on the Tricross Comp disc. It does have fender mounts as well as rack mounts. Of course, you can probably use those clip on fenders on the F65X, but they usually don't fully cover compared to real fenders.


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## dutchgenius (May 29, 2012)

atpjunkie said:


> fenders, racks and a fork rack bag
> having stuff on your back gets old and you always have a sweaty back
> fenders make massive difference in the wet, you wind up way drier, no wheel spray


we have a locker room at work with showers so sweat is not a big deal... especially in seattle. at least as far as a rack goes - i prefer to have the weight on me when i am up out of the seat, rather than impacting the bikes geometry.

but I am definitely going with fenders, tired of cleaning the underside of my current bike every ride.


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## dutchgenius (May 29, 2012)

ecub said:


> I went through a similar decision, but between a Tricross and F65X. If I remember correctly, the F65X does not have fender mounts. I decided on the Tricross Comp disc. It does have fender mounts as well as rack mounts. Of course, you can probably use those clip on fenders on the F65X, but they usually don't fully cover compared to real fenders.


I checked out both of those bikes (sadly my local Felt dealer stopped carrying them) and was close to buying the Tricross with SRAM, but it was $300 more than the Norco with an all aluminum fork and Avid brakes. The Norco has a carbon fork and comes with hayes which I have read good things about (and enjoyed previously on my mountain bike).

For the money, the Norco just seemed like a bargain. Specialized (which I currently ride) just seems to be a tad bit overpriced... most likely due to its success over the past 20 years and brand reputation.


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## lewisl (Nov 15, 2012)

Redline.


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## AndreyT (Dec 1, 2011)

MShaw said:


> Internal routing = heavy, more drag, harder to keep up with maint.-wise


You got it backwards.

Internal routing = same weight, less drag.

Internal routing is more difficult to tear completely apart and rebuild. As for routine maintenance, internal routing is much much much easier (if only for the fact that it is virtually maintenance-free).


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## AndreyT (Dec 1, 2011)

dutchgenius said:


> Opinions on the bikes I am looking at or something comparable would be appreciated.


I ride '12 Specialized TriCross Elite Disc Apex Compact as my everyday commuter. Works perfectly well.

(I had chain suck problem on it once or twice, never happened again. I also replaced BB5 brakes with BB7 on it just out of the desire to upgrade something. BB5 worked fine though.)


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## assosguy (Nov 16, 2012)

Bianchi Zurigo


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## jroden (Jun 15, 2004)

in your climate a bb30 bottom bracket may be an achillies heel. Give some thought to the crankset choice and seals, this bottom bracket is a bit of a nightmare for cross, I have the felt carbon and just drilled a drain hole in my nice bike.

The internal headsets kind of stink too in the wet.


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## Oceansoul619 (Nov 19, 2012)

*Same situation*

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I'm in the same situation. Looking at a cyclocross bike as my commuter. Also hoping to do some decent road riding (30+ miles) on the weekends and I want to be able to at least somewhat keep up with friends on roadbikes. My budget has been around $1k with $1.5k being the most I wanted to spend. However, I found a bike shop that made a pricing error (they will honor it) and will sell me the 2011 Trek Cronus CX Ultimate for $2k! Seems like a crazy deal. Considering this is my first REAL bike, am i crazy to want to spend $2k on a bike when I probably don't really need carbon or SRAM Force or Avid Shorty Ultimates? It's all really nice, I just don't know that I need all that for my first bike.

Any other suggestions? Disc brakes not necessary.

Thanks so much in advance.


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## tednugent (Apr 26, 2010)

Oceansoul619 said:


> Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I'm in the same situation. Looking at a cyclocross bike as my commuter. Also hoping to do some decent road riding (30+ miles) on the weekends and I want to be able to at least somewhat keep up with friends on roadbikes. My budget has been around $1k with $1.5k being the most I wanted to spend. However, I found a bike shop that made a pricing error (they will honor it) and will sell me the 2011 Trek Cronus CX Ultimate for $2k! Seems like a crazy deal. Considering this is my first REAL bike, am i crazy to want to spend $2k on a bike when I probably don't really need carbon or SRAM Force or Avid Shorty Ultimates? It's all really nice, I just don't know that I need all that for my first bike.
> 
> Any other suggestions? Disc brakes not necessary.
> 
> Thanks so much in advance.


For a new bike? IMO, the minimum I would go with is Tiagra 4600 (10-speed).

My Cannondale CAADX-Tiagra fits that price range. The Schwalbe Sammy Slick is capable of road riding. It probably won't be as fast as a real road tire though.


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## c-lo (Sep 30, 2008)

but you did hijack I'd start your own thread so we don't get the two mixed up when trying to help out. 

to answer your question. if you have the $$ do it. it's nice stuff. 




Oceansoul619 said:


> Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I'm in the same situation. Looking at a cyclocross bike as my commuter. Also hoping to do some decent road riding (30+ miles) on the weekends and I want to be able to at least somewhat keep up with friends on roadbikes. My budget has been around $1k with $1.5k being the most I wanted to spend. However, I found a bike shop that made a pricing error (they will honor it) and will sell me the 2011 Trek Cronus CX Ultimate for $2k! Seems like a crazy deal. Considering this is my first REAL bike, am i crazy to want to spend $2k on a bike when I probably don't really need carbon or SRAM Force or Avid Shorty Ultimates? It's all really nice, I just don't know that I need all that for my first bike.
> 
> Any other suggestions? Disc brakes not necessary.
> 
> Thanks so much in advance.


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## Oceansoul619 (Nov 19, 2012)

c-lo said:


> but you did hijack I'd start your own thread so we don't get the two mixed up when trying to help out.
> 
> to answer your question. if you have the $$ do it. it's nice stuff.


Sorry, tried to start new thread but wouldn't let me since I haven't posted at least 5 times yet. :sad:

Yeah, I've been trying to look at this like upgrade insurance. Forking over the extra dough will keep me from getting the upgrade bug in a couple years, right? It's just funny how I initially started with a $1k budget and how quickly that ballooned.


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## c-lo (Sep 30, 2008)

Oceansoul619 said:


> Sorry, tried to start new thread but wouldn't let me since I haven't posted at least 5 times yet. :sad:
> 
> Yeah, I've been trying to look at this like upgrade insurance. Forking over the extra dough will keep me from getting the upgrade bug in a couple years, right? It's just funny how I initially started with a $1k budget and how quickly that ballooned.


oh yeah...forgot about that!  yeah...I just dropped $1500 on a new bike. I love it to death......and now I want another.


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## Oceansoul619 (Nov 19, 2012)

c-lo said:


> oh yeah...forgot about that!  yeah...I just dropped $1500 on a new bike. I love it to death......and now I want another.


Haha, that's what I'm afraid of. Can I ask why you want to upgrade already? Also, do you know anything about the Cronus CX Ultimate? I've looked at a handful of reviews, but there isn't very much out there on it. Any experience with it?


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## c-lo (Sep 30, 2008)

I own 6 bikes. 4 are mine: 2 cx bikes, 1 hard tail and 1 full susp. the other two are my sons. one i built up from spare parts and the other is my old full susp. 

It's an addiction. I purchased a Bianchi. my second choice was the trek ion. i went with the Bianchi because i didn't want to be another guy on a Trek. 

I don't HAVE to upgrade. my addiction wants me to get another. so to satisfy it I'm thinking about stripping down my pit bike, repainting it and adding disc wheels to it...it comes with disc brake tabs. that should take care of me for a little while.


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## Oceansoul619 (Nov 19, 2012)

c-lo said:


> I own 6 bikes. 4 are mine: 2 cx bikes, 1 hard tail and 1 full susp. the other two are my sons. one i built up from spare parts and the other is my old full susp.
> 
> It's an addiction. I purchased a Bianchi. my second choice was the trek ion. i went with the Bianchi because i didn't want to be another guy on a Trek.
> 
> I don't HAVE to upgrade. my addiction wants me to get another. so to satisfy it I'm thinking about stripping down my pit bike, repainting it and adding disc wheels to it...it comes with disc brake tabs. that should take care of me for a little while.


Ah, gotcha. I know what you mean about owning a Trek bike. It just feels like this deal is too hard to pass up. Considering the CAADX 105 I was looking at is $1,500....this seems like a no brainer. 

However, things are further complicated when I look at something like the Raleigh RX 1.0 which my local shop is willing to sell for $1,250. It's alum frame, carbon fork, 105 gruppo. The $750 difference becomes much harder to justify.


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## CAD10 (Jul 15, 2012)

Oceansoul619 said:


> Ah, gotcha. I know what you mean about owning a Trek bike. It just feels like this deal is too hard to pass up. Considering the CAADX 105 I was looking at is $1,500....this seems like a no brainer.
> 
> However, things are further complicated when I look at something like the Raleigh RX 1.0 which my local shop is willing to sell for $1,250. It's alum frame, carbon fork, 105 gruppo. The $750 difference becomes much harder to justify.


Excellent choice( CAADX)....I absolutely love mine. I actually have last years bike with the RIVAL. It is leaps and bounds a better bike than the Raleigh or the Trek. I have ridden all three and the C Dale just feels better. Not really sure how to describe it. If I am correct it is also a good bit lighter than both of the others as well


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## Oceansoul619 (Nov 19, 2012)

CAD10 said:


> Excellent choice( CAADX)....I absolutely love mine. I actually have last years bike with the RIVAL. It is leaps and bounds a better bike than the Raleigh or the Trek. I have ridden all three and the C Dale just feels better. Not really sure how to describe it. If I am correct it is also a good bit lighter than both of the others as well


Even better than the Trek Cronus CX Ultimate? That's what started this dilemma in the first place. It's only $500 more than the CAADX at my local shop (the Cronus was a special order that wasn't bought mixed with a pricing mistake)...a $500 upgrade to all carbon, SRAM Force, and Avid Ultimates makes this a tough decision. And to think my heart almost stopped when I first thought about spending $1500 on a bike! 

That being said, I definitely prefer the CAADX to its comparable bike in either the Trek or Raleigh lineup. But, this Cronux CX is a game changer...totally different level.


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## toronto_biker (May 9, 2013)

dutchgenius said:


> I went with a Norco Threshold A1 Disc.


Would love to hear how you are liking the A1 after a year. I'm considering an A1 or A2 as a year-round commuter.

Is it possible to put front fenders on the A1? In pictures of the bike, I can't see any eyelets. There seems to be lots of possibility for mounting racks and fenders on the back, but not in the front.


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