Cycling UK Forum

Hi there

I am unsure as to whether cyclocross bicycles can be taken on touring trips? Do they have the equipment necessary to do this?

Any advice and/or anyones experiences with cyclocross bicycles would be appreciated.
Thanks

some have a good number of braze ons, other don't even have bottle cage ones. P clips can be used on the rear of some if no eyes but if it's got a carbon fork then P clips may not work at the front.

The gearing tends to be a double rather than triple and thus a little higher than you'd normally have on a tourer.

All should have good tyre clearance and good brakes.

Many of the newer race oriented ones may well be quite stiff and not as comfy as a proper tourer.

TTs wil tend to be a smidge shorter than roadrace bikes (giving you a better tour pos) and BBs a little higher.

I'd suggest looking at something like a Surley Cross Check: loads braze-ons, steel, will take either 130 or 135 mm rear hub. There are a number of what you might call "hybrid cXers", like the Cross Check, appearing at the moment that ought to be able to handle touring and off roading.

Remember that in the good old days, people used to use old tourers as cXers.

Planet X Uncle John would make a very good tourer. Has all the braze-ons for racks, mudgaurds and bottles, it's reasonably light with a carbon fork with eyelets for a mudguard.

I was always led to believe that traditional cyclox bikes had a higher bottom bracket to allow for obstacle clearance. If that's correct, it wouldn't make as good a tourer, as say a galaxy with all the luggage, for long descents, as it positions the centre of gravity higher up. Someone else can confirm or correct this. Meanwhile, here's one on the web :

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... s-07-19046