Cyclocross Bikes

[hughwill69]

Just asking in this quiet time for LeJoggers (and JogLers)- Has anyone else used a cyclocross bike for the journey?

I finally managed the journey (albeit a bit at a time- see https://hughwill69.wordpress.com) in 2019 on a 2015 Boardman
CRX 9.8 cyclocross carbon framed bike. Apart from demolishing a back wheel (inadequate to take my not inconsiderable weight
and the luggage needed for overnight stops) on the Birmingham to Edinburgh section, the bike held up with
no problems and was pretty comfortable (Brookes saddle of course). The frame was excellent having eyes in all the right places
and being designed for disc brakes. It allowed me to take a route which mixed road and cycle paths without problem.

Has anyone else used a cyclocross bike for the journey? It does seem to me to have most of the benefits with little
downside.

[pq]

My touring bike is an old titanium CX bike and it's excellent for the job. Traditional CX gearing is inadequate for touring and I replaced the cantilevers with mid length Vs for better braking. You do need to be careful the frame has all the mounts you need - very traditional race bikes don't.

I didn't do LEJOG on mine, although I did ride from Bodmin to Mallaig years ago and lots of other touring before and since.

[philvantwo]

James might post a recommendation on here, usually a boardman?

[nickyboy]

Two of the four of us doing LEJOG this year are planning to do so on CX bikes rather than normal road bikes. They find the more relaxed geometry of the CX more comfortable for longer rides. We are bikepacking so the question of eyelets etc doesn't come into it. All about comfort

[Jamesh]

James might post a recommendation on here, usually a boardman?

My CX bike is a scott btw!

And as my wife says to me you need to spend less time on those forums!

Cheers James

[hughwill69]

Traditional CX gearing is inadequate for touring

Very true, but as I bought the Boardman as a frame I was able to put some serious Great Granny gears
on it (now rocking up at 34/40). At my age I have no shame.

[Jamesh]

Traditional CX gearing is inadequate for touring

Very true, but as I bought the Boardman as a frame I was able to put some serious Great Granny gears
on it (now rocking up at 34/40). At my age I have no shame.

I have a 34/36 on my Cannondale supersix!!

Cheers James

[philvantwo]

34/36?

[pq]

I recently gave up on the compact double on my CX - lowest gear is now 26/32. I have a 24 in a drawer somewhere which I'll get round to fitting at some point. My legs aren't getting any younger but I live near the Pyrenees....

[rareposter]

There's a long running thread here:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=143698

on "gravel" bikes which includes mentions of CX. I think the number of pure CX bikes you can buy now that have no bottle mounts and are solely designed for riding round a muddy field for an hour are very small indeed - most companies have long since realised that CX is a very broad church from the pure race machine at one end to "do-it-all" road/off-road bike at the other and the gravel/CX distinction is very blurred indeed.

I've never done LEJOG on mine but it's done plenty of tours, double century all-day rides, an Everesting, the Three Peaks CX race and it also gets used as a winter road bike. It's a bit slower on-road than a regular road bike but it's also far more versatile. It has 2 bottle cage mounts and the frame will happily take bikepacking bags - it's not specifically designed with them in mind but they'll almost all fit. Top tip - use clear vinyl tape to protect the frame from bag straps otherwise the paint will fade or mark.

Mine is set up with a 34/48 double chainset but most 1x groupsets will give a similar range of gears now.

[LuckyLuke]

quote="hughwill69"]Just asking in this quiet time for LeJoggers (and JogLers)- Has anyone else used a cyclocross bike for the journey?

Has anyone else used a cyclocross bike for the journey? It does seem to me to have most of the benefits with little
downside.[/quote]

Hi, I’d say it depends on the Cyclocross bike.
I have a Surly Cross Check on which I’ve done the French Manche to Med, Lon Las Cymru and a couple of Coast to Coasts on. It’s great for loaded touring. Solid cro mo frame and fork. Handled well loaded. Loads of braze ons. Takes a front rack. Fits 700 x 38mm tyres with mudguards. Longish chain stays. I actually preferred it to a Long Haul Trucker.

I once had a proper Cyclocross racing frame, built up as a road bike. Lightweight 531c frame. Racing geometry. 130 OLN. No braze ons, not even bottle cage bosses. 700 x 32 tyre width max. It was perfect for Sunday blasts but not suited to a LEJOG.

Ironically the less like a true Cyclocross bike, the better for touring...

Best wishes

Luke

[ossie]

Has anyone else used a cyclocross bike for the journey? It does seem to me to have most of the benefits with little
downside.

I've toured throughout Europe on a CX including Spain back to the UK...2008 Specialized Tricross, its a Tiagra road triple but I reduced the granny down to give me more gear inches. It even has carbon forks but has taken four panniers on numerous trips. I've stuck some dedicated hand built touring wheels on it (to cope with the weight) , adjustable stem, SKS guards, load including tent is about 16kg. No issues, fast comfortable and can cope with most things. I use 28mm tyres.

[markjohnobrien]

Has anyone else used a cyclocross bike for the journey? It does seem to me to have most of the benefits with little
downside.

I've toured throughout Europe on a CX including Spain back to the UK...2008 Specialized Tricross, its a Tiagra road triple but I reduced the granny down to give me more gear inches. It even has carbon forks but has taken four panniers on numerous trips. I've stuck some dedicated hand built touring wheels on it (to cope with the weight) , adjustable stem, SKS guards, load including tent is about 16kg. No issues, fast comfortable and can cope with most things. I use 28mm tyres.

IMG-20190901-WA0004.jpg

Interesting, that for many years on some bikes I used 28mm tyres and mudguards while heavily loaded due to volume restrictions on the frame(s). Never an issue.

While I now prefer larger tyres for comfort, 32mm - 40mm - that’s just personal choice and no reason why 28mm cannot be used well.