[RCUK]

Folks..

Looking to order a bike this weekend - and have narrowed it down to these 2.

Both £650 as the tricross is last yrs model and is discounted by £100.

Reading reviews has confused me - so going to see both on saturday, but thought i would ask opinions here in the meantime.

Ta!

[DTB]

Well the Tricross is a cyclo-cross bike and the Secteur is a road bike. One is built for going through fields, the other is built for crossing tarmac with minimum effort at the highest speed. If you're only going to be using it on the road go for the Secteur road bike. If you're going to be doing cyclo-cross go for the Tricross. It's as simple as that.

[RCUK]

I thought tricross was designed as a sort of jack of all trades - so happy on road and off?

[DTB]

Well, a cyclocross bike is a very different beast to a road bike. Yes, you can ride one on the road in the same way you can ride a mtb or a hybrid. But a cyclocross is designed to cope with the stresses of being ridden over fields and paths. If you think about a sliding scale from mtb to hybrid to cyclocross to road bike, they are each designed for different environments. A cyclocross is built with strength in mind - stronger (and wider) wheels and tyres in particular. There will be metal where on the road bike there may be carbon, etc.

So yes, you could ride the tricross on the road happily. But the Secteur is designed specifically for the road. The riding position is different, the tyres are narrower and slicker, components are designed with weight in mind rather than strength. It depends what you want from the bike. You might find the tricross is more comfortable because it will have a slightly more upright position. But if you want max speed with min effort the road bike will do that for you. And it depends how seriously you want to ride.

Personally, and this is only my opinion of course, you should buy a model of bike which has been designed specifically for the environment you intent using it. A cyclocross bike has not been designed specifically for use on the road, it has been designed specifically for cyclocross. If you're going to be a roadie, buy a road bike. And remember to read and abide by 'the rules'!

[DTB]

In case you were thinking I meant Highway Code rules for cyclists, I wasn't.

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

[RCUK]

cheers very much for that! much appreicated.

I signed up to a 52mile cycle ride having not ridden a bike for about 15 yrs... so this is all new ground for me and i want to make sure i buy a bike ill be able to use a bit.

My thinking is that the cyclocross would let me go off-road a bit, whereas a road bike wont, so given i have no clue what my cycling plans are going to be it was a good compromise.

Thats the issue i think, i cant forsee what ill be doing going forward - tho the road ride (and its a ride not race!) is all flat roads round london (leukemia bike ride on sept 15th).

EDIT: Reading 'the rules' .... really good read No lycra here...

[mowflow]

I remember your last thread on bikes. I think I may have planted the cyclocross seed.

Knowing that you are getting the bike for this ride and remembering that you mentioned being able to take the bike on the odd canal path or whatever I think the cyclocross is the best option.

A mountain bike will be usable everywhere but will be absolutely dire on a 52 mile road ride.

A hybrid will be worse off road than the mountain bike and worse than a cyclocross and road bike on the road. jack of all trades master of none. i often view them as crap road bikes for people that consider themselves mountain bikers and don't want to be seen on something with drop bars.

The cylocross will be pretty capable on the road but will also be able to do a bit of light off road stuff.

The road bike will be road only. You can never take it off road and if you do you will die a horrible death.

[CraigUK]

I do lots of cycling and have several bikes. I used my cross bike on road for around 2000 miles last winter and it was perfectly Ok as a compromise. When out on a chain gang and when the pace gets tough it is hard work though.

If you are planning to ride solely on the road then get a road bike. If you have plenty of off road tracks near by and want to do a bit of both then a cross bike is a great all rounder.

[RCUK]

We do have a fair few off road tracks around - i might never use them, but i like the thought that i can if i want to.

I guess my main question it - inroad i presume the cyclocross is pretty competent? Im more looking to ride my bike then race it.

[CraigUK]

More than competent on road, obviously not quite as good as a road bike but definitely a million miles ahead of a MTB or hybrid. One caveat, if you get one then keep the nobbly tyres for off road and put slicks on for road riding.

[gangzoom]

The Tricross looks good, whilst its true the geometry of the bikes make a difference in all honesty I think you will struggle to tell the difference between the two bikes, especially if you haven't ridden a bike for 15years, its your lungs and legs that will be your limiting factor not the bike

London is basically flat so you shouldn't have to worry about hills, both bikes have drop bars and decent gearing so your be fine on either.....but if you want to go on poorly surfaced tracks the Tricross will defiantly be better, yesterday I ended up on a rubbish track on my road bike, had to walk DOWN a 17% hill because the bike just couldn't handle the rough surface!!

As some one once said (whilst on lots of drugs) 'It's not about the bike', Bradly Wiggins on a £50 Halfords special still be able to smash it round up hills faster than I could ever manage even if you gave me a £9k pro team machine

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by DTB

In case you were thinking I meant Highway Code rules for cyclists, I wasn't.

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

Love these rules

Especially this one...

"RULE #25
// The bikes on top of your car should be worth more than the car."

A few more years of depreciation on the car and a few more upgrades on the bike than I might actually be there...a new DuraAce Di2 groupset and sub 1Kg frame should do the trick

[RCUK]

Well.. bought the tricross yesterday

Now i need to start riding the thing now. Very different to my old raleigh striker tho .... and the seating position where my toes are barely touching the ground is taking some getting used to ...

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by RCUK

Well.. bought the tricross yesterday

Now i need to start riding the thing now. Very different to my old raleigh striker tho .... and the seating position where my toes are barely touching the ground is taking some getting used to ...

Hope your making the most of the weather at the moment to get some rides in.

If you really want to scare your self get some "clip in" shoes/pedals, the first time you go out in them guarantees at least 1 falling over at 1mph in front all the traffic as you stop and forget your feet are clipped in to pedal....the best one for me was when I fell sideways into a group of pedestrians...there was lots of laughing all round at the idiot in lycra on a fancy bike but couldn't keep it upright

[RCUK]

Bloody bike is soooo wobbly.

Taking my time learnign to ride this thing..... at the moment it looks like im riding it for some sort of dare with all the wobbling going on!