Globalti
Legendary Member
I have been using my Tricross disc as an all-purpose bike:
Winter bike: fitted with 23mm tyres and mudguards, heavier than the roadie but fantastically stable especially when blasting across patches of compact snow on country lanes. Almost as fast as the roadie, just takes longer to get up to speed. Very comfortable "armchair" position over long distances like 70 miles to Windermere. Disc brakes are excellent in wet muddy conditions but over-heavy and over-powerful for pure road use.
Off road: on 32 mm slicks or cross tyres; faster than a mountain bike up hills and on the flat, blasts through mud with great straight-line stability but dismal on downhills.
General messing around, family rides bike: comfortable and stable at low speeds and doesn't mind nipping along bridleways and towpaths.
Light tourer: fitted with a rack and panniers, very stable, no heel-strike, great load carrier.
My only improvement would be a carbon fork but that said, this bike has destroyed my prejudice against aluminium as a frame and fork material. It could do with losing some weight as well. The triple chainset is excellent, all Tiagra, and works impeccably despite it not receiving the same level of maintenance as the roadie - basically just a hose-down after rides on salty roads.
I don't think I would want to do a cyclocross race on it; it's too heavy for that but as an all-purpose bike it is excellent.
Winter bike: fitted with 23mm tyres and mudguards, heavier than the roadie but fantastically stable especially when blasting across patches of compact snow on country lanes. Almost as fast as the roadie, just takes longer to get up to speed. Very comfortable "armchair" position over long distances like 70 miles to Windermere. Disc brakes are excellent in wet muddy conditions but over-heavy and over-powerful for pure road use.
Off road: on 32 mm slicks or cross tyres; faster than a mountain bike up hills and on the flat, blasts through mud with great straight-line stability but dismal on downhills.
General messing around, family rides bike: comfortable and stable at low speeds and doesn't mind nipping along bridleways and towpaths.
Light tourer: fitted with a rack and panniers, very stable, no heel-strike, great load carrier.
My only improvement would be a carbon fork but that said, this bike has destroyed my prejudice against aluminium as a frame and fork material. It could do with losing some weight as well. The triple chainset is excellent, all Tiagra, and works impeccably despite it not receiving the same level of maintenance as the roadie - basically just a hose-down after rides on salty roads.
I don't think I would want to do a cyclocross race on it; it's too heavy for that but as an all-purpose bike it is excellent.
