A Must For Every Cyclist’s Quiver: The Cyclocross Bike

Whether or not you plan on participating in the crazy sport of cyclocross, a cross bike is something that every cyclist can enjoy and get plenty of use from. Cross bikes are fast on the road and open up more possibilities for routes, conditions, and terrain that can be ridden.

The regular road ride can be spiced up with a quick jaunt onto some crushed gravel paths in the forest preserves. Taking a cross bike onto mountain bike trails that have become mastered adds a completely different challenge. Also, riding trails is a lot more fun on a cross bike than on a mountain bike. Riding mellower trails on a cross bike can be way more than fun than on a true mountain bike.

Many cross bikes also have features that make them commuter friendly, as well. Rack and fender mounts are found on just about any aluminum-framed cross bike, making it the perfect wet weather, winter, and light tour rig. Having a dedicated fender bike keeps the road rig ready for the nice days, keeps your feet from getting wet in rainy/snowy weather, increasing ride comfort, and the bike’s drivetrain is more protected from the grit and grime of the wet streets.

There are many more options like this to be found on the hand-made bikes from Seven Cycles, Firefly Bicycles, Parlee Cycles, and Serotta. Here’s a good example of what we’re talking about.

Many of us at Get a Grip Cycles ride cross bikes to train and race in the Chicago Cross Cup series. Others use them for the other reasons listed above.

Here is an example of some of the trail-worthiness of a cross bike: