Message #19128

[meput]

Cross bikes when stock are not as fast as road, are extremely hard to ride on singletrack especially for newbies. the canti levers brakes SUCK (thanks goodness for disc brakes finally making the market shift)they are made for cross racing but also make great gravel road bikes, and commuters.

BW is referring to a cyclo-cross bike which is the original "off road" bike. Cyclocross racing is real big in Belgium and is gaining traction here in the US. It is basically a road bike with fork clearance for 32 - 35 mm tires, cantilever brakes to shed mud, drop handlebars.

A "cross" bike is a no-where bike between a road bike and a mtn bike. It has flat / shaped-flat handle bars, a front suspension fork, 28 -32 mm tires with non aggressive tread pattern, up right cruiser geometry usually with a cushion saddle. Use is for rail trails, gravel roads and commuters that may encounter pot holes under puddles when commuting in the rain.