[Closed] CX Bikes With 15mm Front Bolt-Through Axle

Stupid, is this a bike to go between cross bikes and xc bikes? I suppose if racing it's not a drama cus chances are have 2 bikes so the extra time changing a wheel if punctured isn't a problem.

Twists my nipples all these cross bikes with disc brakes and now this. And monster cross? What on earth is that? Get a mountain bike!

When in a cross race, bar the peaks, does one need extra stiffness around that area? For trail riding you say? Get a mountain bike!

'braking precision'?

Seems perfectly sensible to me.

Seeing as CX bikes are essentially a XC bike with funny handlebars and a stiff fork, now giant can use their XC bike's wheel stock on the CX models too.

Although 'steering stiffness' and 'braking precisions' sounds like the kind of utter guff that could only be produced by a marketing department.

Maybe Email Planet X and see if they have anything like that available or in the pipeline?

#innocentface

Seems sensible now disks are becoming commonplace in CX.

Maybe Email Planet X and see if they have anything like that available or in the pipeline?

❓

Good idea imo

Never used a CX bike with discs, do they make the fork twist a bit?

Stupid, is this a bike to go between cross bikes and xc bikes? I suppose if racing it's not a drama cus chances are have 2 bikes so the extra time changing a wheel if punctured isn't a problem.

A 15mm through axle will make the sum total of sweet FA in the time taken to change a wheel.

Cyclocross bikes with discs are disgusting, it's like a downhill bike with v-brakes

I should add I am neither for, or against, just a shame I wouldn't be able to use my Kinesis crosslight wheels if I got the TCX.

£995 for a 105/disc equipped bike seems a very good price, though.

Cyclocross bikes with discs are disgusting, it's like a downhill bike with v-brakes

[img] [/img]

£995 for a 105/disc equipped bike seems a very good price, though.

It does indeed.

Doesn't look like there are any mudguard eyelets though?

No mudguards allowed in CX.

You must be wanting some other subcategory of cycling, if you want mudguards.

When in a cross race, bar the peaks, does one need extra stiffness around that area? For trail riding you say? Get a mountain bike!

Tend to agree with this. (edit: that applies to discs too.)

Doesn't look like there are any mudguard eyelets though?

It's a bike for racing, why would you want to fit mudguards?

Edit: manufacturers definitely seem to be targeting one of 3 categories with their "cyclocross" bikes. Those used for actual CX racing, those used for commuting (basically softer road bikes with fatter rubber, lower gearing and possibly discs) and those for a general messing about on a mix of road and trail rides.

It's a bike for racing, why would you want to fit mudguards?

Use your imagination chump.

Those used for actual CX racing, those used for commuting (basically softer road bikes with fatter rubber, lower gearing and possibly discs) and those for a general messing about on a mix of road and trail rides.

It's a bike for racing, why would you want to fit mudguards?
Use your imagination chump.

Wasn't being entirely serious with that comment 😉

The TCX is meant to be an out and out CX race bike, as has been said mudguards have no place in CX racing so why fit eyelets? Similarly I wouldn't expect to find eyelets on a road bike intended for racing.

Aye, but that's 2 categories to me. Race, or non-race jack of all.

Yes, quite a few bikes straddle some of those categories, but I think if they do they are compromised in some way.

£995 for a 105/disc equipped bike seems a very good price, though.
It does indeed.
Doesn't look like there are any mudguard eyelets though?

There is a hole front to back through the fork crown.

Must have a keener eye than me as I can't spot it in the photos.

the through axle makes sense as reduces tendency for brake to twist the wheel out of the fork

think a while back someone posted a link to why the road rat had the disc calliper forward of the wheel as a way of dealing with this - suspect will be the norm on road bikes as think smaller rotors increase the leverage rather than decrease

I like the look of that tbh.

Never used a CX bike with discs, do they make the fork twist a bit?

too late to edit

suspect will be the norm on road bikes as think smaller rotors increase the leverage rather than decrease

meant to say through axle may well be the norm not the forward calliper

[quote=antigee ]
think a while back someone posted a link to why the road rat had the disc calliper forward of the wheel as a way of dealing with this
And here was me thinking it was all marketing.

Must have a keener eye than me as I can't spot it in the photos.

[img] [/img]

£995 for a 105/disc equipped bike seems a very good price, though.

Does the fact it's a carbon frame and carbon bladed fork (alloy steerer) come into it, or are you just after a £999 bike?

Maybe Email Planet X and see if they have anything like that available or in the pipeline?

I'm not sure I really see the point. But I'd quite like a set myself 🙂

That Giant TCX SLR 2 does look a cracking weekend CX/weekday commuter for the money - mudguards should fit (there are eyelets front and back) although no bridge on the seat stays so I'm not sure how it will mount up there, but Giant also claim 'hidden' rack mounts too so i guess there's some sort of bolt on mount. Also, the cheaper model doesn't look like it has a 15mm axle although the website mentions it does. I've sent Giant some questions, will update if I get a response.

Ok, so is the new TCX an out and out cross race bike, and not a:

non-race jack of all.

?

(there are eyelets front and back)

Where on the front?

Here is a close up of the back wheel, which seems to show the rear ones (click to make biggerer).

[url= http://i.imgur.com/qxklJwd.jp g" target="_blank">http://i.imgur.com/qxklJwd.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

Hmm, it mentions "hidden rack mounts" on the frame, doesnt say anything about the fork though.

There'll probably be some cheap Genesis CX bikes going soon, since they're released the 2014 models. Could be an option if you want guards.

Giant have confirmed to me that the TCX SLR 2 has rack and mudguard mounts front and rear (adaptor supplied for the seat stays to add a bridge/mount). It is standard QR on the fork though. The higher end models that are 15mm TA on the front (and more than twice the price) use the same frame so the rear mounts are the same, but the forks don't seem to have mounts for mudguards (but to be honest I don't think anyone buying one of that spec will be using it for commuting!).

Hope that helps.

Not sure if it's really relavent as I'd not expect to find myself 5ft off the ground (and sideways, and heading for the ground at the wrong angle)too often on a CX bike, but on a particularly bad (crash) landing I managed to rip the QR axle out of the dropouts on my 29er.

And that was without bending the crest rims!

It's one of my main reasons for looking at suspension forks for the el-mariachi, to get a through-axle (rigid TA forks are slmost as much as the suspension ones!).

I suppose it's a race bike, they'll have decided a 15mm axle is lighter than the extra reinforcement it'd need with a QR to cope with a disk brake?

This bike has now moved to the top of my "if I got a new bike even though I really shouldn't" list.

scotroutes - Member

And here was me thinking it was all marketing.

not all 99% maybe think this is the 1% that actually fixes a problem

Giant have confirmed to me that the TCX SLR 2 has rack and mudguard mounts front and rear (adaptor supplied for the seat stays to add a bridge/mount). It is standard QR on the fork though. The higher end models that are 15mm TA on the front (and more than twice the price) use the same frame so the rear mounts are the same, but the forks don't seem to have mounts for mudguards (but to be honest I don't think anyone buying one of that spec will be using it for commuting!).

So they are contradicting this, then?

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/go/?c=UK&axid=4015092

[img] [/img]

but on a particularly bad (crash) landing I managed to rip the QR axle out of the dropouts on my 29er.

So, the QR releasing quite possibly saved the crash bending the fork/frame compared to an unyielding thru axle?

I really like the idea myself but I'll hold off getting one until the rear goes 12mm bolt through.

Fraid so. You can tell on the full size images that it's a QR.

Fair enough.

Anyway. Giant UK seemed to have just added the new [url= http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/2014.giant.tcx.slr.2/14989/66573/ ]2014 TCX SLRs, plus others,[/url] to their website.

Edit:

@bacondoublechee

While you're talking to Giant, ask them when shops will have stock and how they have done their internal cabling 😉

If you think about, more and more 29er bikes out there, most are running discs and 15mm through axle, so it makes that part instantly transferable. Never needed to release a front wheel in a hurry in a cross race, unless you have a spare set of wheels in the pits, it's a bit of a pointless argument, as if you are running a spare might as well run a bike as there are so many other things that can/could go wrong. It makes more sense to buy a pair of reasonable medium bikes, rather than just one top end bike. For those that know me, I only came to this thought too late, but it is nice to have a top end bike to play on, so far one puncture and a snapped pedal, neither would have been affected by a through axle.

Sorry Brant, thought you were talking about the Giant.

Edit...

Giant UK seemed to have just added the new 2014 TCX SLRs, plus others, to their website.

Ooh that TCX Advance 1 is a right fancy tickler 🙂

Double edit...

No canti's on any of the Giant 2014 CX bikes either. Telling?

No canti's on any of the Giant 2014 CX bikes either. Telling?

Yup. Beginning of the end, and all that. Only thing Giant do in relation to cantis is:

Those of you lamenting the passing of rim brakes on Giant's cyclocross lineup can find solace in the fact that the company will still offer the TCX Advanced SL with canti posts – but it's last year's model and will only be available as a bare frameset.

- [url= http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/giant-tcx-advanced-and-tcx-slr-cyclocross-bikes-revamped-37797/ ]bikeradar.com[/url]

There are going to be some disappointed dealers. 3, 2 big ones and 1 a Giant main store are 100% certain that the SLR 2 has a 15mm axle. If it hasn't that's one less on my list to buy. Not that anything else has but it was its main selling point to me. I reckon lots will go that way.

I got my info from Giant UK's product manager, so assuming he is right. Plus bacondoublechee also heard direct from Giant. I did try and ask Giant Rutland, my local Giant store, but I can only assume they do not have the internet yet, as they never reply to emails/twitter.

[url= http://i.imgur.com/rZ0LMuA.jp g" target="_blank">http://i.imgur.com/rZ0LMuA.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

Very tempting.....are these in the bike shops yet?

Very tempting.....are these in the bike shops yet?

End Sept/Early Oct is the current estimate.

I noticed a few online shops are now saying Dec/Jan for that model. Think i'll give it a miss!

Oh dear... 🙄

I noticed a few online shops are now saying Dec/Jan for that model. Think i'll give it a miss!

I am still hearing End of Se[b]p[/b] for the small SLR 2, so might [b]w[/b]ait t[b]i[/b]ll then, if it [b]s[/b]tarts to get silly with d[b]a[/b]tes being pushed back [b]t[/b]hen I [b]w[/b]ill just le[b]a[/b]ve it, and probably ge[b]t[/b] a P-X XLS or something.

It's the same every year, the manufacturers know the cross season starts on September 1st, but they seem incapable of releasing the cross models in july, so people have time to get them before the start of the season.

Small was the only one that hasn't fallen back on ETA!

Small was the only one that hasn't fallen back on ETA!

The benefits of being a shortarse 😀

Do like the look of the TCX but found the handling weird on a test ride. Not sure what it is, maybe the high BB. Would probably get use to it but it did put me off earlier in the year.

Believe Giant changed the geo of the TCX a couple of years ago and it wasn't that well received. Looks like they've kept it the same this year.

@MrBlobby

Do you mean they changed the geo, people moaned, then they changed it back and that is how the current one is?

They changed the geo and have not changed it back. Looks like the new ones are the same as last years if the published charts are to be believed.

Thought it handled a bit weird on a test ride and did some digging. Quite a few people moaning on forums about it.

Still worth taking one for a spin though as I guess it depends what you are use to and plenty of people do like them.

Well, I've sent a email over to Giant to find out the BB drop, as they don't list it on the website.

As for trying one out, hopefully 2-3 weeks....*ahem*

So, the QR releasing quite possibly saved the crash bending the fork/frame compared to an unyielding thru axle?

not really, the crash lifted the non lever end of the QR over the lawyer tab but didn't pull it off completly, so I rode the next 10 miles with the QR not installed correctly despite it still looking right and feeling tight while giving the bike a once over aqfter the crash. Only became obvious when it poped out compleltey on a thankfully inocuous bit of trail!

could someone explain the significance / consequences of using QR vs 15mm in the context of the TCX SLR.

Or any frame with Whisky Parts forks which seem to have been around for about a year...

No mudguard eyes though but Ruckus can add those!

Quite liking the QR15 single handed ease of use!