CX bike VS MTB

[RolandsuperX]

What I noticed is that offroad firetrails and dry/loose pack, the CX bike is quicker. Downhill technical offroad the MTB is very clearly superior..

Agree 100% .... Also prefer the more stretched out riding position of a cross bike compared with the upright position of a modern MTB...

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Gravel fine, deep sand get off and walk or (as I did the other morning) expect to keep laying on your side as the front tyre just kept tucking under, which I suspect is due to the weight distribution.

Not necessarily, there was a cross-race that I used to do (Brigshaw School, Kippax, near Leeds) where we went through the long-jump sand-pit every lap.
Push a big gear, sit well back & let the front wheel wander a bit

Watch how the continental riders do it, on the courses that incorporate a LOT of sand

 

[oldroadman]

Not necessarily, there was a cross-race that I used to do (Brigshaw School, Kippax, near Leeds) where we went through the long-jump sand-pit every lap.
Push a big gear, sit well back & let the front wheel wander a bit

Watch how the continental riders do it, on the courses that incorporate a LOT of sand

Spot on. This is how pave is ridden at speed as well. Start gripping the bars and trying to "react/correct" and down you go...

 

[Ootini]

I'm not very experienced but I figured I'd put my £0.02 in.

I do a fair bit of commuting on my CX bike and it's fine, I'm running Challenge Grifo tyres at 65 psi and don't get too much rolling resistance. I also do quite a bit of off road, muddy track stuff with a colleague who brings his Scott mountain bike. Basically down hill he can ride much faster than me. Without suspension my CX bike feels like it's trying to smash my back teeth out so I have to keep speeds reasonable (this could just be down to technique). Up hill the gearing on my CX bike, double, means I have to push harder than he does with his triple but I don't mind it so much, means I get a better work out.
I may be wrong but I kinda see my CX bike as a jack of all trades, it's pretty good on the roads but will never match a true road racer, and it's pretty good on the rough stuff, but will never match a true mountain bike. However, for what I want it's perfect and I rarely get limited by terrain.

 

[SquareDaff]

Road wise I lose about 1-1.5mph on my CX over my carbon road setup. The CX will easily handle canal paths/loose rock/mud etc. I would probably switch to a full on MB for more technical stuff - but that's down to the limits of my skill rather than the limits of the bike! I suspect there are compromises (like there are on the road) but nothing you couldn't overcome.

 

[Brightski]

Years ago when I rode Cross I used to take a cross bike and an MTB instead of 2 cross bikes, for me I always felt safer on the MTB, still love cross bikes now

 

[jdtate101]

Just revisiting this tread. Did my first really muddy race of this CX season last weekend and I noted one thing. When the mud was so sticky that no-one could ride, the CX'ers all got off and shouldered the bikes and ran, whilst the MTB'ers couldn't due to the weight and lack of frame space, so had to plough the front wheel through the fudge. Thus they ended up being a lot slower overall. They did have more grip on some of the slimy uphill bits, but the increased weight meant speeds were about even, or slightly in the favour of the CX machines.

 

[deanosabby]

I use a Boardman CX team 2011 model for commutes and for going round the mtb trails in Beecraigs and find it a great all rounder.
I have schwalbe marathon plus for on the road (28) and knobblys for off road (35). The only other change in setup is to TRP Hy/Rd hybrid brakes.

As has been said it is a jack of all trades to a point and can take mudguards and a pannier rack which I have fitted to mine.
I tried a few years ago to rig up my Old Orbea Aqua to do this kind of thing and it was not a great sucess which made me buy the CX.
I have an Orbea Orca Bronze which I use solely for road use.

 

[Julia9054]

Took my Specialized Diverge (marketed as an adventure bike rather than a true cx bike) up to Dalby Forest a couple of weeks ago to see how it handled blue trails. Fell off a few times on hairpins due to toe overlap with my front wheel. In retrospect, taking the mudguards off would have been a good idea.
I mainly use it for commuting but it is great for rides with a mix of terrain - a go anywhere bike!

 

[ColinJ]

Have a look at this video

View: http://vimeo.com/27292534#

All recorded round here, and why I want a CX bike!

 

[mustang1]

Old thread but wth. Last weekend I went mtbing and there is NO way the CX bike could have handled what the MTB went through. On some sections the CX might have been able to keep up for a few minutes but really, for real off road stuff in steeply undulating and extremely muddy situations with roots, rocks and such, MTB all the way. There was a a particularly nasty (for me) section where I just had to mainly let go of the brakes and let the MTB tires and suspension do their thing while I cursed all the way down. CX bike would not have a chance there. The geo of the two bikes are so vastly different that there isn't much use comparing them IMO.

On hard packed trails the CX bike is substantially faster down hill, up hill, and everything in between.

I've come to the conclusion that you want a new bike, you've decided what you want no you want to justify it. So there's your justification!

 

[dan_bo]

All recorded round here, and why I want a CX bike!

Do it Col. Had a lot of fun recently on the PBW and other stuff recently. Berms and whoops on Clayton Vale last night for starters......

 

[jowwy]

i did a cx sportive last weekend that was billed as cross mountain - either use cx bike or mountain bike - there was a few who did it on cx bikes as well as me on a cx flat bar set-up.

it was very tough on the hands, wrists and lower back especially on the rockier single trail and downhill sections. the 29er boys lapped it up. so i'm now rebuilding my 29er ready for the next one in january

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Just revisiting this tread. Did my first really muddy race of this CX season last weekend and I noted one thing. When the mud was so sticky that no-one could ride, the CX'ers all got off and shouldered the bikes and ran, whilst the MTB'ers couldn't due to the weight and lack of frame space, so had to plough the front wheel through the fudge. Thus they ended up being a lot slower overall.

T'was always my big issue, before I has cross-bikes


These were my thoughts, on CX v MTB' for a race that I do ('Harriers v Cyclists' @ Bingley)
It was wrote before discs were common-place on CX bikes

http://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/show...ers-V-Cyclists&p=441137&viewfull=1#post441137