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I like long walks on the beach, beer, dirt and cyclocross. I'm looking for a dirt cheap entry into the world of cyclocross and was wondering if you guys had any suggestions of brands to search for? I'm a short stack at 5"2', my roadie is a 48 so unfortunately I think the size might make it hard for me to find a used bike. Anyhow, I'm super excited to take a break from ringing the cowbell and be on the other end. :)
Cheers!
I remembered this thread from a while ago, which may have some useful info for you.
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=23169
Sweet thanks! That gave me some models to search for. :) I'm hoping to find a seller at the Cross Crusade in Portland! I figure that's a good place to start looking for a cross bike!
Now I'm off to do a trainer ride... Whoo hoo. ;)
On the entry level you might try:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/road_bikes.htm
or
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes..._400001_400306
Waterfront Bicycles rents CX bikes here in Portland. That might be a way to get started until you can find the right bike.
Come on out, it's great fun!
A cheap but heavy-ish entry is the Volpe -- I believe the 52 cm was about 26 lb as spec'ed last year, with top bar handbrakes and a rear Deore derailleur ($1049); (there was also another build w/out top brakes and a 105 derailleur for $1099 - would also be fine for cx, but the largest cog a 105 can take a 27 I believe). Bianchi toptubes are a bit on the short side for men's/unisex bikes, so all of their 'cross line is worth looking at since there are no big manufacturers of women's cross bikes. The local bike coop here has one 44cm Volpe left in their year-end "at cost" sale for $734.99 - I think it is the 'cross spec but don't remember for sure (at least they list the original price as $1049). They probably can't sell to you directly, but if you are dying for this particular bike it might work out for me to walk in and use your credit card to buy / ship... dunno. It is blue, not olive green. :)
There are a lot of 'cross bikes on Craigslist here right now, and I got a Bianchi steel lugged celeste cx frame off of eBay... love my Castro Valley / Volpe frame, but wanted something lighter for off-road / non-commuting!
If you happen to have a long torso, or go with a smaller bike, at the opposite end of the top-tube spectrum is a Surly Cross Check - smallest bike is a 42 cm. Swobo just came out with a single-speed cx bike for $999 if that is more your style. I've also seen tons of the Specialized cross bikes at all levels for sale at steep discounts this year -- maybe they overproduced? They are nice bikes, I rode their top-of-the-line, but it was a size too big for me. :( And really too expensive to justify even at about 40% off.