Cross bike for touring/spins?

poochiem

CX advice please.

I'm looking for a new bike at the mo. I commute in the city between 20-40k per day but also have an eye on a few weeks touring on the continent this summer. I go for weekend spins of 60-100k when possible. Touring I use saddlebag and bar bags for a fairly ultralight setup on aluminium road bike.

Chatting to the LBS chap he swayed me towards a CAADX 105 with disc brakes. I found that the road bike limited my options when confronted with some farm roads, tracks and canalpaths last year and I believe this might be the case again in Brittany and down the Atlantic coast, especially if wild camping.

I'm wondering if any of you have thoughts on that model. Would the 46/36 crankset break my heart/knees on the hills and have me spinning out on the flat? (I've a 50/39/30 right now). Any other thoughts appreciated.

outfox

I've a 46-36 on a CX bike. On steep hills, I struggle with it. And I find I spin out on descents, although not on flats. I don't think I'd like to go touring with it, especially if loaded. However, the bigger tyres are superb for rougher roads (I use 35 mm knobblies). If push came to shove, and I had to bring it touring, I'd probably change the chainrings to a 50-34 or 50-36, depending on the cassette.

ford2600

poochiem wrote: »

CX advice please.

I'm looking for a new bike at the mo. I commute in the city between 20-40k per day but also have an eye on a few weeks touring on the continent this summer. I go for weekend spins of 60-100k when possible. Touring I use saddlebag and bar bags for a fairly ultralight setup on aluminium road bike.

Chatting to the LBS chap he swayed me towards a CAADX 105 with disc brakes. I found that the road bike limited my options when confronted with some farm roads, tracks and canalpaths last year and I believe this might be the case again in Brittany and down the Atlantic coast, especially if wild camping.

I'm wondering if any of you have thoughts on that model. Would the 46/36 crankset break my heart/knees on the hills and have me spinning out on the flat? (I've a 50/39/30 right now). Any other thoughts appreciated.

I'm planning a 1500km or so tour across Northern Spain/Southern France on an aluminium bike with about3/4kgs of luggage; very much credit card touring! 50-34 with a 28-12 on back

For what your doing the gearing shouldn't be a problem with a wide range casssette on back. 36/32 will climb most hills(weight dependent and hill length/gradient dependant) and 46/12-11 will have you fairly fast before spinning out!

http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/road/road-disc/equilibrium-disc-ltd

For a do it all bike would this work?

Although you won't regret buying a cannondale(although I've heard @nak on here-who is usually on the money- say that their finish isn't what it was)

slowmoving

I have a Giant tcx slr2 with a 36/46 crankset and 11-27 cassette. I've used it to commute to work, go on club long training spins (both with heavy but indestructible marathon plus tyres), I've used it to cycle the Camino off road, cycled across the north of England, do a couple of the Tour stages, night cycles through the woods, trip in the Pyrnees and did a couple of cyclocross races. The gearing is fine for touring with full rear panniers, for me anyway and the disk brakes (trp spyre mechanical on mine) are good for the rough rides, completely unneeded for general use though. As a do it all bike it's great. I do have a few other bikes but will always keep a cyclocross bike in the quivver. Hope this helps.

poochiem

Thanks for the info guys. Another thing that worried me is the BB30 on Cannondale - there used to be lots of talk about excessive creaking with those. Is that a thing of the past?

Lumen

poochiem wrote: »

Thanks for the info guys. Another thing that worried me is the BB30 on Cannondale - there used to be lots of talk about excessive creaking with those. Is that a thing of the past?

Creaking is caused by poor manufacturing tolerances in the shell, but Cannondale invented BB30 so should know how to make them right.

The cranks on my Synapse (whilst only three or so months old) are the smoothest feeling of any bike I've owned in the last few years, of which one other had press-fit bearings.

On the other hand... https://www.google.ie/search?q=cannondale+bb30+creaking

Just a little Samba

Lumen wrote: »

Creaking is caused by poor manufacturing tolerances in the shell, but Cannondale invented BB30 so should know how to make them right.

The cranks on my Synapse (whilst only three or so months old) are the smoothest feeling of any bike I've owned in the last few years, of which one other had press-fit bearings.

On the other hand... https://www.google.ie/search?q=cannondale+bb30+creaking

I tour on a cross bike with a 50-40-30 triple with an 11-32 cassette and 32mm tires and I find it perfect for the type of surfaces you're talking about.

poochiem

Lumen wrote: »

Creaking is caused by poor manufacturing tolerances in the shell, but Cannondale invented BB30 so should know how to make them right.

The cranks on my Synapse (whilst only three or so months old) are the smoothest feeling of any bike I've owned in the last few years, of which one other had press-fit bearings.

On the other hand... https://www.google.ie/search?q=cannondale+bb30+creaking

Any kind of creaks or knocks drive me bananas - I'll ask the LBS, they seem genuine bunch.

Just a little Samba wrote: »

I tour on a cross bike with a 50-40-30 triple with an 11-32 cassette and 32mm tires and I find it perfect for the type of surfaces you're talking about.

Yeah I was thinking a 50-34 judging by various advice here. I'm guessing it would be possible to get the LBS to change that out for little cost at time of purchase? Perhaps the 46/36 with a cassette like you mention rather than the standard 12-28.

Thanks again for all the advice.