[ridelikeagurl]

I've been cycling for 20 years - started out on a mtb, switched to road and triathlons, and am now looking for a comfortable ride that will switch between longish road rides and hitting the off road trails with my teenagers on their mountain bikes. The road bike I have now is set up for racing, and is much too steep to be comfortable on long rides. I'm considering a crosser, but I want one that's not necessarily designed to be raced. In other words, I don't want the steep geometry that's typical in a racing bike. I won't be doing any technical riding on trails, just off the road cow pastures, mulch trails, and other types of off road surfaces.

Looking to stay under $1300. Any suggestions?

 

[mhebert88]

I have a cannondale synapse that is a bit more upright for longer rides. There are similar models from other companies...like a specialized roubaix. You could find a tiagra model that is a couple years old for that price I'd guess.

 

[Industry_Hack]

The only one I ever rode was a Motobecane from BikesDirect.com, and it was a pretty sweet ride, in my opinion. Not that I have anything to compare it to, though. Oh, it was about half of your budget too. I just checked, and you can get SRAM 20 speed for that, or a 105/Tiagra group with Avid discs. Not bad for a casual ride.

 

[ridelikeagurl]

I looked at the Motobecane. I actually have one from the early 70s that was my first road bike. Rode my first century on it. I also looked at the steel crosser that Nashbar makes.

 

[Industry_Hack]

It's not the same Motobecane, but they're still nice bikes.

 

[Fern]

I've also been contemplating a cyclocross bike as N+1. Have you considered a Surly Cross-Check? It's a versatile, comfortable steel-framed bike that accommodates a variety of tire sizes, fenders, rear rack and/or fenders. The cost is around $1100.

I've also heard good things about the Motobecane Fantom CX, though I haven't ridden one yet. I believe it's less than $800.

 

[ridelikeagurl]

The Cross Check is one that I'm looking at too. I definitely want a steel frame, which makes the MB Fantom look like a good choice. I don't know much about SRAM components, but I'm thinking that APEX is on the same level as Shimano 105?

 

[Fern]

Actually, no... I believe Shimano 105 is a few tiers above SRAM's Apex-according to my quick check on Wikipedia. You can find all the different makes' component levels by doing a Google search for something like "(brand name) component levels".

I'm a big fan of steel frames, myself. If you like the MB Fantom, you could always upgrade the components as they wear out. Or build a Cross-check from scratch. Finding something gently used is another option. I haven't been that fortunate yet. There have been several of each of these two models offered locally, but not in my size.

 

[Garilia]

Speaking of cro/moly steel and SRAM Apex for $800:

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/fantom_cxx.htm