You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Just casting an eye towards next season, still haven't decided whether just to stick some carbon forks and nice wheels on the MTB, bringing it down to 10.5kg ish with CX tyres on, or just go bike-to-work and get a CX bike between £1000 and £1500.
Problem is, my experiences with SRAM discs have put me right off them (usual complaint of mine, just dreadful squeeling and feel in the wet, fine in the dry).
Seeing a couple of Cannondales, the Topstone and CAADX, with 105, and also the Giant TCX SL2 with Giant's own brakes and I assume some sort of cable-hydro box somewhere.
Focus look good also but £1500 only gets you Tiagra.
Should I be expecting lighter than 10.5kg for this sort of money? Barely seems any point if I could just pimp up the MTB for £500-£600...
new arkose with 105 & praxis for £1300
Excellent shout, I think I'd dismissed the Pinnacle initially because of the weight, then realised that they all weighed that! Great spec.
Need to re-weigh the MTB though, am sure it was coming in at 11.5kg with CX tyres, swap the Rebas for some 750g carbon forks and that's 900g saved for £250...
I bought the 2018 Arkose 3 a couple of months back - it was in the sale for 1000 quid. I could not be more pleased with it.
Since then I've seen what look like great bargains over at Planet X, but they seem to favour SRAM, so maybe not for you.
Off the peg CX bike is the simplest option but the problem for CX racing is the wheels - the most important part of a new bike is the lowest spec, for some backwards reason. I'd decide on either a set of carbon tubs or Alu tubeless, first and foremost, then get the rest of the bike. I ride Caadxs and they are rock solid, but prob TCXs, cruxs, crossbows etc are just as good - prob get a 105 version secondhand for decent money.
Shimano discs on my caad12 are good but they do squeal in the wet. I find if you get them hot with a few big stops the squealing isn’t then so bad. Still got power when squealing so I don’t believe they have any leaks. In the dry they are just powerful and silent. I haven’t tried sram road brakes - only guides and Codes and they are great in the wet. Can squeal too though sometimes.