Affordable cross bikes go head-to-head

It’s autumn so it’s time to hit the woods — do it in style on these low-cost crossers

What

Cyclo-cross courses can contain grass, tracks, sand and obstacles such as low barriers, steps and steep banks, so cross bikes need to be lightweight and manoeuvrable — both to ride and to carry — as well as tough and reliable.

As for the geometry, a cross bike’s is very similar to that of a road bike, just a degree or so slacker at seat and head tubes, and the same drop handlebars are used.

However, look closer and cyclo-cross bikes have become very specialised. There’s frame and fork clearance for mud-clogged 33mm tyres, often more if they’re designed with versatility beyond cross racing in mind; higher bottom brackets for tussock avoidance and to help bunny-hoppers; horizontal top tubes for comfortable shouldering; and close-ratio gears.

At this price point you’re looking at an aluminium frame specced with anything up to a Shimano Ultegra groupset.

Why

For cyclo-cross racing you obviously need a bike that complies with the rules and regs of the sport. But cyclo-cross bikes are also becoming popular as the move away from traffic-choked roads gathers pace. People are using them for a variety of off-road exploits and the beauty of them is that they can be set up more or less the same as your road bike.

However, have a careful think before buying a cyclo-cross bike, because they’re not the same as gravel or adventure bikes: the aggressive geometry can make them harsh for long-distance riding (cyclo-cross races are only an hour plus a lap); for more technical trail riding they are not as fast as a mountain bike and if most of your riding is on the road then ask yourself whether a road bike wouldn’t be better.

How

We’ve done a bit of everything on these bikes, including the cyclo-cross racing they’re designed for alongside steeper and more technical stuff off-road, as well as tarmac bashing.

We accept that you can’t mark a cyclo-cross bike down for being too good at cyclo-cross, but we have tried to give you a sense of what these bikes are like on the other terrains that we know they will be expected to handle.

“We’ve done techy off-road stuff and tarmac bashing”