| Do you want a bike that is faster than a mountain | | | | relaxed than a road bike so they are stable on |
| bike on road but tougher than a road bike? You | | | | slippery trails. This carries over to winter riding where |
| might need a cyclocross bike and not even know it. | | | | that stability and the room to run studded tires make |
| Cyclocross is an off road sport that runs in the fall. | | | | these great four season bikes. |
| The courses are on grass, mud and dirt roads with | | | | Cyclocross bikes are available made from all of the |
| sections with barriers that the riders must dismount | | | | popular frame materials including steel, aluminum, |
| and run over. The laps tend to be short making for a | | | | titanium and carbon fiber. Depending on what you |
| spectator friendly type of racing. Cyclocross started | | | | would like to use the bike for you can get very |
| in Europe as an off season sport for road racers but | | | | streamlined models specifically for racing or more |
| has grown into it's own specialty. The bikes that | | | | utilitarian designs that have rack and fender mounts. |
| have grown out of this sport have to be fast and | | | | The cyclocross bike is a jack of all trades. Put a road |
| light but tough with lots of traction due to the | | | | racing tire on and you can go on club group rides. Put |
| conditions. Even if you don't race cyclocross, this | | | | on your racks and wider tires to turn it into a |
| type of bike may be the best option for all round | | | | commuting or touring bike. I build a lot of cyclocross |
| riding. | | | | bikes for people that never get raced. They use |
| Cyclocross bikes look a lot like a road race bike until | | | | them as an all round machine that is at home on both |
| you look closely. While they have the drop handlebars | | | | roads and dirt trails. Faster than a mountain bike but |
| of a road bike, they run mountain bike cantilever or | | | | you can take it places a road bike could never go. |
| disc brakes. This means more stopping power is | | | | Most bike companies offer cyclocross options but for |
| messy conditions and more clearance so fatter tires | | | | racing I recommend the Kuota Kross, a full carbon |
| fit in the frame. This increased clearance also allows | | | | speed machine and for all round use you can't beat |
| for the running of fenders for wet weather training | | | | the Surly Cross Check. |
| and commuting. The frame geometry is a little more | | | | |