If you have got the taste for racing cross or general off-roading, then we would recommend the Canyon Inflite for being robust,

For the latest Canyon Inflite AL SLX 5.0 race, it became what it originally should have been; a dedicated cross racing machine. It followed suit from its more expensive carbon siblings that were launched a year earlier and raced by the likes of Mathieu van der Poel, who was world cyclocross champion in 2015 and 2019.

Canyon is known for thinking slightly outside of the box when it comes to its off-road machines - I’m thinking of the double handlebar Grail here - and without looking too hard at the Inflite AL you can see what is slightly different to your traditional horizontal top tube cross bikes.

>>> Get off road: a guide to cyclo cross

The kink at the end of the top tube on the Inflite is there for a number of reasons. Firstly, Canyon claims that having more exposed seatpost allows for a little more flex at the rear end for stability and comfort, and secondly that it needed to maximise space under the top tube to allow for shouldering the bike. Voila, Canyon introduces the kink in the top tube.

So you should in theory be getting an extra 15 per cent compliance at the rear over a standard horizontal frame and 37mm more shouldering room over a sloping frame – a nice idea.

I raced the Canyon Inflite AL SLX 5.0 at a couple of local cross races and enjoyed my time with it. I’m amazed at its composure, especially when I’m on the ragged edge of skill and fitness!

Of course the tyres can determine much of the feeling and the pressure you run on the day but ultimately the frame didn’t feel heavy at its very competitive weight of 8.52kg for a complete bike costing £1499!

The tyres I used were the Schwalbe X-One’s 33mm, which are tubeless ready and that is how I raced them in those dry races, using around 30psi for the conditions.

As far as the claims of rear end compliance go, it's hard to determine whether it works to help with control or offering up any more compliance at the rear, but at least I had plenty of room to shoulder the bike.

As anyone who has raced or cycled off-road knows, you'll hit bumps and holes pretty hard and once you've gone into the red like I was from the get go on race day, it isn't the most pleasant of experiences. Although, the Canyon Inflite AL SLX 5.0 race does its best to perform and having those frame technologies in place makes for easier use throughout any ride.

SRAM Apex supplies the running gear and is the most common off-road groupset on the market for the lower end of the scale bikes. It works very well as a one-by system and I think the gearing is most suiting to the application of this bike. Hydraulic brakes are a must here too and that is just what you get.

I think the Canyon Inflite AL SLX 5.0 race is great value and will be a solid purchase for a seasoned racer or a newbie to cyclocross.

The problem with us cyclists is that there's always another discipline to dabble in, the constant N+1 rule that sees us constantly yearning for another bike to play out on. Obviously there are somewhat limitations to appeasing this need, mostly in the form wallet size and also stable space, but the Vitus Energie VR Cyclocross bike will only hamper stable space!

>>> Best cyclocross bikes for 2019

So when the Vitus Energy VR Cyclocross bike landed promising to be a enjoyable ride weather you race it, adventure or simply take the trail less traveled all for just under £1200, we simply had to hop on board.

Construction

This is the second generation Vitus Energy VR Cyclocross bike, having already had a couple of seasons of ragging round the woods and fields, the design team have built on feedback from the original model and really engineer in everyone's wish lists.

The alloy frame and full carbon fork has been constructed predominantly with cyclocross racing in mind, but with a nod to customers wanting to also turn the bike in to more of a gravel/ adventure machine too.

>>> Gravel bikes buyer's guide: best bikes for your adventures in 2019

According to Vitus, building enjoyment and speed into the frame design was a two fold. With tubing profiles on the top tube and down tube designed to be stiff to counter side to side movement, but compliant up and down, allowing not only for comfort, but conversely the rider to take the fastest line, no matter what the obstacle, without getting rattled to pieces.

It's clear the design team of the Vitus Energie VR Cyclocross bike are cross riders and adventure makers, having thought long and hard about what would make the ultimate cross bike/ gravel bike for them.

So they've worked closely with the mountain bike designers and engineers at Vitus to develop and improve the handling of the Energy VR, especially on the descents and out of berms and corners.

This cooperative design gives the Energy VR a slighter longer top tube, by about 10 to 20mm, and a shorter stem, which combined with a slacker head tube angle of 71.3 degrees, over a more traditional 72degrees, like the Trek Boone, Vitus say this results in the bike being responsive, but without being overly twitchy.

The SRAM Rival 1 set up has also come from the Vitus team's cross experience, with the single chain ring arrangement not only keeps things simple and lightweight during a race, it also creates space for really decent mud clearance, allowing the bike to take up to 45c tyres for 700 wheels and even 29x2.1, or 50c if your running 650b wheels and your really wanting to head out on the trails, as well as the ability to run mudguards, thanks to the integrated mudguard and pannier mounts.

The Vitus Energie VR Cyclocross bike has also been constructed with carrying in mind, so a rounded underside to the top tube has been included in order to prevent sharp angles digging in when the bike is on your back.

The Ride

I rode the Vitus Energie VR Cyclocross bike in it's most natural state, in that I hit the road with the bike straight out the box. I had a rough idea in mind where I was planning on riding, not only off the beaten track, but also, as it turns out, off my OS map too.

It was a mix of road, bridal way, trail and quite frankly unmarked routes that I end up discovering on the bike, all pretty much on my doorstep in the Peak District, but until the arrival of the Energy VR, inaccessible.

The early section of roads to get out to the bridal ways gave me a good inclination as to the Vitus Energie VR Cyclocross bike's handling. It was, in a word, rapid. The bike was punchy and highly responsive to swinging in and out of corners and pulling away from junctions.

But it was on the the off-road sections that the Vitus Energie VR Cyclocross bike really shone. It did feel fast and with gear shifting simplified to one side, I was able to purely focus my attention on picking lines through the muddy rocky trail.

It was noticeably harder not having a smaller ring to spin in, but it did feel like the effort was rewarded by speed and I was able to clear more of the natural rock garden than I thought I would.

I now realise, looking back through the ride data, that I wasn't hanging about, and the effort was rewarded with no less than seven consecutive top 10's in the Strava segment results, and one QOM - not bad for an out the box ride.

With results unknown, I was initially cross with myself for not being able to ride some of the steeper sections of the route, and realised that if I had thought a bit more about where the ride was going to take me, I would have dialled the ride more for the terrain and gone down a size or two at the front from the standard 40t that it comes with.

This oversight, however, did give me the ability to shoulder the bike on some of the steepest sections and thanks to it's reasonably lightweight 9.03kg it was a breeze to run up the steepest climbs.

And steep it was, the only other tyre tracks seemed to be heading in the opposite direction and were all no doubt from burly full suss'er mountain bikes taking advantage of the natural trail features.

It wasn't until I took a brake from hike-a-bike to realise just how far up I'd got. Looking to my right, I recognised a distant road instantly as the infamous Brickworks, a cat4 climb that they sent the Tour of Britain up a couple of years ago. Behind me was a vista that took in just about the whole of the North West, with everything from the giant telescope at Jodrell Bank, Welsh mountain ranges, the banks of the River Mersey and even across to Winter Hill, north west of Manchester City Centre.

Needless to say I'd taken the steep way up, and to my legs horror, was still climbing. The trail flattened out and the SRAM Rival 1 groupset clicked down effortlessly, despite the serious amount of Peak District mud, peat and sheep poo now adhered to it.

With the nobbly 35c WTB Cross Boss tyres also now nicely coated in green and brown stuff, I was rather apprehensive about the immediate road descent off the top, but I needn't have been. Apart from taking some precautions with muddy tyres on tarmac, I was surprised as to how much positive feedback the bike gave me, leaving me in no doubt that I was fully in control at all times, allowing me to lean in to the corners more than I would have done usually.

With my performance confidence boosted the Vitus Energie VR Cyclocross bike is the gift that just keeps on giving. It's fantastic fun to ride and I don't doubt for a moment it's ability to make you grin from ear to ear on either the race track or stick on some mudguards and panniers and head off for an over night bike packing weekender.

Value

Without hesitation, the pipe dream of the N+1 gravel or cross bike became a much closer in the form of the Vitus Energie VR Cyclocross bike.

Not only is it's versatility and capabilities as limited as the rider above it, but it's outstanding value for the £1199.99.

Cannondale makes two cyclocross bike ranges, the CAADX and the SuperX. The carbon SuperX is designed for cyclocross racing and for 2018 comes only with single ring groupsets.

The alloy CAADX is more of an all-rounder, with two ring Shimano groupsets and features like a removable bridge so that you can fit a rear mudguard if you’re more interested in a ruggedised commuting bike or mixed terrain riding. Cannondale says it would make a great first cyclocross bike too, if you want to dip your toe in the water without too much of a commitment.

Buy now: CAADX at Hargrove Cycles for £879

Frame

The alloy frame borrows from the CAAD12 road bike, incorporating features such as Cannondale’s SAVE micro-suspension system, in which the chainstays and seatstays are shaped to help absorb bumps. The fork has an alloy steerer coupled to carbon blades, which'll help keep the price down here but differs from the CAAD12's full carbon fork.

Cannondale has considered the needs of cyclocross racers, with a broad flattened underside to the top tube for more comfortable carrying. It’s also included a couple of sets of bottle bosses, if you want to use the bike for more than just an hour’s racing.

You get flat mount disc brakes and bolts for that removable mudguard bridge. The brake hoses run internally, but the shifter cables run bare down the underside of the down tube and under the bottom bracket shell. It’s a potential source of contamination and degradation of shifting quality, particularly the front mech cable, which accumulates muck easily.

Unlike most disc brake frames, which have switched to thru-axles, the CAADX uses quick release wheels. But the fork dropouts are angled forward, to help keep the wheel in place over rough terrain.

Thru-axles should add some extra rigidity to the frame-wheel connection and also increase the accuracy of the disc rotor placement, so there’s less chance of rubbing. In practice, I didn’t find either of these a huge problem, but they’re potential disbenefits of the CAADX design. This is something similarly found with the CAAD12 and SuperSix Evo disc.

Specification

The Ultegra spec is the top of the four bike CAADX range and benefits from hydraulic shifting. There are two 105 specs and a Tiagra bike below it, all of which use mechanical disc brakes.

Ultegra’s hydraulic braking is effective and reliable. It’s resistant to mud, due to the fully enclosed hose runs. The shifter levers are compact and comfortable too.

The Cannondale rims run on Formula quick release hubs. They’re tubeless ready, allowing you to drop the pressure to improve grip on the cyclocross course, without the risk of pinch flats. But you’ll need to swap out the Rapid Rob wired tyres if you want to make use of this.

The drivetrain is mainly Ultegra, although there’s a Cannondale Si chainset, which has the classic cyclocross 46/36 ratios. The cassette is Shimano 105, with 11-32 ratios for plenty of lower range, although you can still spin out quite easily when riding on tarmac.

Cannondale has mined its own brand components, fitting C3 alloy bars, stem and seatpost. There’s also a Cannondale Stage saddle, which is soft enough to provide some cushioning over bumpy ground, without being too yielding for effective pedalling.

Riding the CAADX

The CAADX shares its geometry with the carbon SuperX. It’s a wise choice by Cannondale, as both the CAADX and the SuperX ride really well off road. Cannondale has relaxed the fork angle and increased its rake for off-road stability, while retaining the agility to deal with technical trails. This makes for a fun ride on sketchy surfaces and ability to negotiate obstacles at slower speeds, while still providing a lot of confidence when descending fast.

>>> The best gravel bikes

The chainstay length is the same as the SuperX too, which also helps handling. But you don’t get the SuperX’s asymmetric offset drivetrain, so clearance is less on the CAADX.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDTONIILjdg

Along with the front mech cable routing and unprotected under-bottom bracket runs, this means that there’s more of a tendency to accumulate muck and debris. I didn’t have any more shifting problems than I’d expect with enclosed runs, although the cables tend to collect leaves and mud under the bottom bracket. You need to be prepared for extra cleaning to keep everything working well.

>>> Cyclocross bike buyer's guide

At 10kg, the CAADX is a bit on the heavy side for racing and extended carrying, despite the shaped top tube. Depending on your carrying style, you may find that the cables get in the way when lifting the bike too.

Rapid Rob tyres are an all-round design. Their closely spaced central knobs mean that they roll fast enough on roads. They’ll cope with muddy conditions with a firm base okay. But on typical wet and muddy UK winter bridlepaths, they slip around a lot and the tread is prone to clogging. Along with the inability to run tubeless, it’s another reason to budget for a swap-out.

Value

Buy now: CAADX at Hargrove Cycles for £879

For a bike kitted out with a relatively pricey Ultegra hydraulic groupset, the CAADX is good value. But Cannondale has made some compromises elsewhere in the spec to achieve this. Although you can set up tubeless, you’ll need to replace the budget tyres if you want the benefits of a tubeless set-up.

There are also sneaky swap-outs in the drivetrain, like the 105 cassette, although with the high wear on cyclocross consumables, a cheaper cassette isn’t really likely to notice and you’ll need to replace it quite quickly anyway.

Boardman sells quite a few cyclocross bikes alongside the Boardman CX Comp. Its Elite CXR series, sold via independent cycle retailers, uses a carbon frameset with a range of different specifications.

In its Performance series, sold in Halfords, there are two different specs based on the same alloy frameset, with the Boardman CX Comp we’re testing being the entry level machine. The £1000 CX Team gets an upgrade to a SRAM Rival 1 groupset and a carbon fork.

Frame

The Boardman CX Comp’s frame is made of triple butted alloy. Welding is very neat, with little evidence of the welds between the head tube, tapered top tube and broad down tube.

Boardman’s cabling runs externally along the underside of the down tube and under the bottom bracket. It’s a set-up that allows easy maintenance and lubrication, although it is potentially subject to contamination if you use the bike on muddy surfaces. This could degrade shifting, although I didn’t find this an issue while testing.

There’s a square tapered cartridge bottom bracket from FSA and the seat tube takes a 31.6mm alloy seatpost.

The Boardman CX Comp has alloy fork blades, with a steel steerer – this doesn't really compliment the frame as a more typical carbon offering is much lighter. The bearings are a straight 1 1/8 inch top and bottom, again unusual, with the majority of machines now using a tapered fork, which gives a stiffer junction to the fork and improved tracking through corners.

>>> Guide to racing cyclocross

Boardman also provides fittings for mudguards and mounts, hinting at the CX Comp’s other potential use as a rugged commuter, priced well within the Cycle to Work limit.

Specification

The groupset on the Boardman CX Comp is Shimano Sora nine speed, with an FSA Velo 50/34 compact chainset paired with an 11-30 cassette – again a more commuter-focussed spec. The shifters are the older style Sora with gear indicator windows built in and shifter cables running externally rather than under the bar tape.

>>> What's the best bike for commuting?

Brakes are Tektro Lyra cable operated discs with 160mm rotors front and rear. As well as the Sora brake levers, there are a pair of bar top levers, giving you the option to brake from the bar tops as well as from the hoods or the drops and a useful, more upright position when riding in traffic as well as offering a bit more confidence for less experienced riders. But they do add more resistance into the braking system, so braking from the top of the hoods, in particular, significantly harder.

Boardman fits its own brand alloy bars, with the bar width increasing from 40cm on the size small, to 42cm on the medium and 44cm on the large and XL, all with the same shallow 12cm drop and 7.5cm reach.

Wheels use Mavic XM 319 MTB rims on unbranded quick release hubs. They are fitted with 37mm Schwalbe Tyrago tyres with a fishbone tread pattern. These roll well on the road and have good grip off road too, even on muddy surfaces.

Riding the Boardman CX Comp

The Boardman CX Comp provides a comfortable ride on road, with the wide tyres and well padded saddle soaking up a lot of imperfections. But the alloy fork isn’t as comfortable as carbon and the bike is slightly ponderous, particularly up hill, due to the high overall weight.

>>> Cycling Weekly Adventure Cross Series sportives

There’s enough grip to ride damp and muddy terrain with confidence and the brakes are effective enough, although not up to the standard of the hydraulic systems which are now more normal on cyclocross and endurance machines. The bar top levers add a bit of resistance, meaning that you need extra hand pressure at the levers, which can get a bit tiring.

And you can feel the CX Comp’s weight when you have to dismount and carry over obstacles. Coupled to the rounded section to the bottom of its top tube, this quickly becomes uncomfortable.

Value

The Boardman CX Comp offers good value for a mixed terrain machine at the entry level. It’s got a well thought out spec – if slightly old fashioned now – which should be robust enough for the rigours of off road riding and relatively cheap to replace when something wears out or breaks.

Fit mudguards and a rack and it’s a bike that will serve commuting duties well too, while the bar top brake levers make riding in stop/start traffic that much easier.

With its oversize carbon frame, deluxe Swiss engineering and a groupset originally designed specifically for the discipline, the BMC Crossmachines is BMC’s top-end cyclo-cross bike, pitched at racers who want the very best from its machine.

It looks great too with its smart red graphics, masterly shaped tubes and uncompromising finish. But for something you’ll ultimately grind through the mud and abuse in the jet wash, does it live up to its £3.5k price tag?

Frame

Down tubes on dropped-barred bikes don’t get much chunkier than that on the BMC Crossmachine, tapering slightly from almost the full width of the bottom bracket to what remains a decidedly robust looking head tube. Flexi, then, this ‘premium carbon’ frame is not, with the seat and top tubes also reinforced with bold shapings - including an extra strut at the juncture of the two.

While this makes for a very solid build, the frame offers some compliance in its slim lowered seat stays, craftily sculptured chainstays and cheeky little rake at the foot of the bladed fork – which again sprawls into a very robust build near the head tube.

This is BMC’s ACE technology in action – a process they claim finds the optimum design through computer evaluation of thousands of different configurations of frame geometry, tube shape and carbon lay-up. Perhaps a side-effect, but the polygon profile of the tubes with their smooth angles adds to the immaculate finish of the frame.

Specification

SRAM’s Force One is an evolution of its CX1 groupset, which was specifically designed for cyclo-cross but was so well received it was tweaked and rebranded for broader usage. At its heart is commitment to a single chain ring and the de-cluttering effect this has the drivetrain.

The range of gears offered by the 11-32 cassette largely proved adequate on the race circuit, but personally I missed the option you have with a double chainset to whack things up an octave when you crest a hill or escape a technical tangle of tape and want to get on with laying down some power. Of course, an approximately equivalent gear is still there but several clicks along the sprocket.

Just out riding the BMC Crossmachine, where hills might be steeper or more sustained than on a typical cross course, I did also find myself looking for gears lower than what are on offer in this set-up’s range. When I had to dismount or really labour over a steep rise, it had me ruing the compromised size of a single chain ring. A tweak for my style of riding can sort this ultimately.

>>> Are single ring groupsets the future?

However in muddier conditions, doing away with double rings and a front mech makes for a lot less componentry to get clogged up. Yet, usually it’s the rear mech that will fail first in such conditions.

>>> Six best cyclocross bikes 2017

I rode the BMC Crossmachine in races towards the back end of the cross season when conditions had turned mucky. Only once did the SRAM rear mech with its industrial sized jockey wheels present any issue, threatening not to change up as I was coming to the end of a particularly foul day around Fowlmead (it was resolved with a kick).

That was a considerably better performance than the Ultegra mech on which I was racing before. That jammed, ripped off the hanger and tangled itself in the rear wheel at the very first sign of the season’s mud.

While that previous bike (the £2.5k Focus Mares) supported its hydraulic disc brakes with sturdy thru-axles, I was a little disappointed that the BMC only offers quick release. This meant the brakes could be a little noisier and not quite as free-running, although I never felt their stopping performance was compromised. Good for quick pit changes though, which again points to the bike’s thoroughbred racing intentions.

>>> New BMC Teammachine: first ride (video)

Of SRAM’s hydraulic levers, I like the extra position their little turret offers but was not so keen on the way my little finger could get trapped in the hollow behind the left brake lever (where a front mech changer might otherwise be). Nor did I enjoy the couple of incidences where, due to the lever’s ergonomics, I accidentally changed up on bumpy ground when my knuckle bumped against the right hand gear paddle.

Ride

Due to the relatively long top tube lengths on its models, I sized down from my usual 56cm to 54cm (seat tube) on this BMC Crossmachine. The fit felt fine, but due to either the geometry or the weight distribution, it always felt a little back-heavy when manoeuvring over obstacles.

In all other aspects, the performance was top notch: easy to get up to speed, a dependable descender, happy climber and as good around tight/slippery/rooty corners as my own technical limitations permitted.

>>> Cycling Weekly Adventure Cross Series

The DT Swiss wheelset and Continental CycloXKing tyres proved a reliable, if somewhat unremarkable combination. Although built to accommodate up to 35mm width, I did think BMC could have offered a little more mud clearance around the forks and stays – there were racing instances where these clogged to capacity and required a quick clearout with a stick.

Hamburg-based bike brand Stevens is little known in the UK. It didn’t have a UK distributor for a few years before being picked up by East London-based Hub Velo at the end of last year.

But it’s a brand with a larger presence on the Continent, in particular on the cyclo-cross scene, with its Super Prestige model ridden by Dutch national champion Matthieu van der Poel and women’s world champion Sanne Cant.

>>> Pro bike: Mathieu van der Poel's Stevens Super Prestige

Stevens offers the Super Prestige in the top-spec Ultegra Di2 model priced at £3,200, which we have tested, and an Ultegra mechanical variant priced at £2,499. There’s also a canti version for the diehard; most cyclo-cross professionals have switched fully to discs this season.

>>> Is it the end for cantilever brakes?

Stevens’s frame is high-modulus carbon-fibre with a chunky down tube, wide bottom bracket shell and tapered seat tube and seatstays to add some compliance. The full-carbon fork is also chunky and sits in a relatively slack 72° head tube.

There’s loads of clearance around the high fork crown and the bridgeless seatstays, although at the chainstays it’s relatively tight and I did find some clogging on muddier courses.

Along with its flat-mount hydraulic disc brakes, Stevens provides the thru-axles which are now more-or-less standard on disc-brake bikes. They’re 12mm front and rear, with 142mm spacing at the rear. Thru-axles help with rigidity of the wheel-to-frame connection and also with disc rotor alignment to prevent rub. We never found rubbing to be an issue.

>>> Disc brakes: everything you need to know

Stevens decks the bike out with its own-brand Oxygen Scorpio finishing kit. This includes an alloy stem and a bar with quite a deep drop. There’s also an Oxygen Scorpio-branded carbon seatpost and an Oxygen Triton white saddle.

Needless to say, along with the white bar tape, the saddle quickly shows the effects of splattered mud. The 33mm Challenge Grifo Pro open tubular tyres look pristine in white too, but again they’re unlikely to stay that way for long. The matt camo green paintwork with its white detailing does look smart, and the Super Prestige Disc is certainly a pretty-looking bike. It’s also available in white/red.

>>> A road bike thru-axle standard: are we there yet?

Stevens specs a quality DT Swiss R24 Spline disc wheelset. Despite the Challenge tyres fitted to the test bike, it’s tubeless ready and it should stand up to some abuse too.

I was impressed with Ultegra Di2’s performance off-road. Having electronic shifting takes away the fuzziness that can develop once a cable-actuated derailleur becomes clogged with dirt. Even when dirt-covered, gear changes were precise and the ability to shift under load along with self-trimming of the front mech helps you keep moving over more tricky terrain.

>>> Are electronic groupsets necessary?

The light touch of the shift levers is nice too. I didn’t find I was making any mis-shifts despite the closeness of the up and down shifters, although it does take more care than with a manual system particularly when wearing winter gloves. The hoods are slightly wider than on Shimano’s mechanical hydraulic levers too, adding a bit more comfort over bumpy terrain. They also have a textured top surface which helps with grip.

Watch: Shimano Ultegra groupset review

Braking is effective with good modulation and a light touch, as you’d expect from a hydraulic system.

The Super Prestige Disc provides a nice ride off-road. Through tricky terrain it’s edgy enough to allow good navigation without feeling like a handful. It feels comfortable, although with a 101cm wheelbase there’s not quite the stability you find on some bikes with longer wheelbases and there was a little toe overlap.

It’s relatively comfortable to shoulder too, although the underside of the top tube has a couple of curved edges that dig in a bit more than some other brands’ frames.

>>> Should you change to tubeless tyres?

It’s also not the lightest cyclo-cross bike out there, coming in at 8.63kg with the stock wheelset. With a cassette going down to 28 teeth, it’s also quite high geared for steeper uphills.

For a top-flight cyclocross bike, the Super Prestige Di2 Disc is reasonably good value, particularly as it comes with expensive electronic shifting. But beware of the cost of replacement if you do wreck the rear mech in a race – at full RRP it’s £220!

Santa Cruz is a brand with a huge reputation in mountain biking, with its machines ridden by multiple downhill world champion Steve Peat and by Danny MacAskill in many of his mind- blowing trick riding edits.

But hidden away among all those big-tyred bikes is its high-pedigree cyclocross offering: the Santa Cruz Stigmata. And it’s not a bike to be overlooked by cyclo-cross aficionados. Besides its bright orange paint job (for 2017, it's turned bright yellow; there’s a black version too), the frame was used by Paul Oldham when he won the Three Peaks cyclo-cross race in 2015.

>>> 15 stunning images of the 2015 Three Peaks cyclocross race

Watch: Cycling Weekly's cyclocross bike buyer's guide

The frame

The Stigmata’s frame is all angles and boxy sections: its seat tube in particular is almost square in section. It’s a classy look, with the tapered top tube and dropped seatstays offsetting the bulk of the down tube. Along with the low weight, this also makes the Stigmata comfortable to carry.

The Stigmata is Santa Cruz’s first bike with a PF30 bottom bracket. This does limit how far apart the chainstays can be placed though, and they have indents to add a bit of tyre clearance. The bridgeless seatstays and the chunky fork offer bags of space however, and mud build-up was never a problem, although I did experience some scuffing to the lacquer on the chainstays.

>>> Helen Wyman's power data show how hard cyclo-cross really is

All cables travel internally and there are front and rear thru-axles as well as two bottle cage bosses if you want to use the bike for longer off- road excursions.

The Stigmata comes in a CC variant as well as the C tested here. The CC uses a higher-modulus carbon-fibre to shave around 280g off the frame weight and is also available as a frameset-only for £2,099.

Specification

The Stigmata C comes with SRAM Rival 46/36t double- ring shifting and hydraulic brakes. The front mech is bolted on and handily includes a SRAM chain catcher. At the back there’s a SRAM 11-32t cassette with a long-cage derailleur to handle the wide range.

>>> Gravel and adventure road bike buyer's guide

DT Swiss 370 hubs are laced to WTB asymmetric rims with high-volume, tubeless-ready WTB Cross Boss 35mm tyres. Finishing kit is Zipp Service Course alloy, with a WTB Silverado Pro saddle. This is quite narrow but has a fair amount of high-density padding and a non-slip surface.

Ride

You’d expect Santa Cruz to understand off-road geometry and the Stigmata does not disappoint — its handling is immensely competent on a variety of surfaces. I rode fast along unfinished, potholed farm tracks as well as through mud, puddles and ruts, including the length of the South Downs Way.

It took it all in its stride and gave the confidence to tackle tricky terrain, thanks in no small part to its relatively low weight and taut frame. As well as the frame’s slack fork geometry, the rim/tyre combination plays a large part in the bike’s great handling.

I was able to run the WTB tyres tubeless at 30psi or less without bottoming out on the rims, which gave great grip in mud and grass and rollover on rocky tracks. The close tread is prone to clogging, although this soon clears once on firmer ground and never seemed to result in much loss of grip. On the road 45psi was my go-to pressure and I was happy to ride several hours on tarmac in comfort and at a good pace.

The Rival groupset shifted smoothly once set up properly, but there was significant chainslap over bumps and the chain was prone to drop when carrying the bike, despite the chain catcher. Santa Cruz specs SRAM 1 on its Stigmata CC, which should address these issues.

>>> Cycling Weekly Adventure Cross series

In conclusion

The Stigmata was one of the first cyclo-cross bikes to adopt thru-axles and slack fork geometry from moutain bikes and both handling and stability on uneven surfaces are exceptional.

PF30 bottom brackets have a reputation for being temperamental but I never experienced any creaking or problems. Less satisfactory was the tendency to lose the chain, with it often ending up wedged between the steel frame protector plate and the chainset — for racers, this could be more than frustrating.

Otherwise the Stigmata’s components are top notch: SRAM’s hydraulic brakes work well; the Zipp components are top quality; the WTB saddle is comfortable and the wheels and tyres are excellent. Overall, the Stigmata is a great option for mixed terrain riding and is comfortable enough for extended off-road rides. My only caveat for competition use is the drivetrain, which might need a chain retention device to keep it running in a racing situation.

Scott relaunched the Addict CX last year, claiming that the 1280g combined weight of the frame and fork made it the lightest cyclocross frameset on the market. It’s racked up some results too, with Hope Factory Racing riding the Addict frame this year.

The CX10 is the top spec Addict with an all-carbon components list – and a price tag to match.

Frame

The Addict CX frameset is designed with plenty of clearance fore and aft, including behind the bottom bracket, where sideways space can be tight on some frames due to the constraints of the shell width. But the wide PF86 bottom bracket means this isn’t an issue and provides wide bearing placement for pedalling efficiency. The chainstays also have sloped top edges to encourage any mud which does settle on them to roll off.

The frame has flattened sections to the top tube and the front of the head tube to make carrying more comfortable. Cables are routed internally and there’s a port for a dropper post, while a chain guard attached to the front mech hanger helps to reduce the risk of chain drop.

>>> How to get into cyclocross by Ian Field

Specification

Scott has decked out the Addict CX10 almost exclusively in carbon. So there are carbon bars and stem, a 27.2mm carbon seatpost and Scott’s Fabric-like Syncros saddle.

Watch: buyer's guide to cyclocross bikes

Wheels too are carbon and come from Syncros, with a 12x100mm thru-axle at front and 12x142mm at the rear. They have a quite deep 38mm section, are tubeless ready and come with Schwalbe X-One 33mm Tubeless Easy tyres. Scott quotes a weight of 1500g for the wheelset and they come with DT Swiss spokes and star ratchet freehub. Although essentially a road wheel, they work fine for cross.

>>> Helen Wyman's power data shows how hard cyclocross racing is

But with a narrow 16mm internal rim section, when setting up the tyres tubeless I found that I had to tape the valve stem to get a seal, as there was not quite enough space between the tyre beads to seat the valve. Once this was sorted, the tyres sealed using just a track pump: they’re a tight fit on the Syncros rims, making them a struggle to get off and on.

The gearing and brakes are SRAM Force 1 with a 42 tooth chainring and 11-36 cassette offering a wide enough gear range for steep banks and longer off-road excursions. The Force hydraulic disc brakes are also very effective.

Ride

I was at first a little nervous about taking such a delicate-feeling machine off-road. But my confidence has grown as I’ve ridden the Addict CX over increasingly technical terrain. With a low overall weight and carbon wheels, it spins up fast and is easy to manoeuvre over and around obstacles. It’s less fragile than it appears.

Setting up tubeless paid dividends too, as an early spate of punctures was not repeated. The tyres are effective off-road, although there’s a tendency to clog in muddier conditions.

SRAM’s Force 1 groupset is its top single ring offering. With carbon crank arms it looks smart and the combination of the wide-narrow teeth on the chainring and the clutched rear derailleur meant that chain slap or chain loss were never an issue. Scott’s plastic chain catcher did rub the chain in the lowest gear though and there’s limited scope to adjust it.

>>> Is it the end for cantilever brakes?

In summary

The Addict CX feels like an out-and-out race bike: there’s enough compliance built into the frame and carbon components to soften the ride somewhat, but it’s still more jolting over bumpy terrain than some of its rivals. However, the gently sloping top tube does help smooth the ride, as it allows plenty of extension of the skinny carbon seatpost.

>>> I took part in the world's hardest race and survived (just)

Handling and agility are spot-on for racing, with a fast, direct feel and that light weight is evident on steeper climbs and when shouldering over obstacles while the SRAM Force 1 mechanicals provide assured shifting and stopping.

But the light weight and high spec come with a price tag to match and all but the cyclocross fanatic or sponsored rider are likely to think twice about spending close to £5000 on a machine to be ridden through mud.

Forego the carbon add-ons and single ring groupset and you could get two of the next-down Addict CX20 for the same price – and give your pit crew something to do during races cleaning the second bike.

For more detail visit the Scott website.

In his last few seasons before retiring from cyclocross racing, Sven Nys was riding Trek’s Boone and he’s taken the bike to the Telenet-Fidea Lions team where he’s now owner-manager. The Boone is available in a range of builds and we’ve tested the Shimano 105 variant. There’s also a cantilever braked version still available if you prefer rim brakes.

Buy now: Trek Boone 5 Disc 2017 Cyclocross Bike at Evans Cycles for £2,200

Read more: Sven Nys's Trek Boone

Frame

Trek has borrowed from its road bike range in designing the Boone’s frame, incorporating its IsoSpeed decoupler into the top seat tube junction. It says that this doubles the frame’s compliance. It’s paired with an IsoSpeed fork, designed for improved front end compliance.

>>> Is it the end for cantilever brakes?

The Boone has a front thru-axle, although the rear hub is quick release. There are indents in the chainstays to provide a bit more side-to-side space around the tyres, but they still come quite close to the tyres. The bridgeless seatstays provide bags of clearance though.

>>> Disc brakes: everything you need to know

The front mech cable is well integrated, as it runs through a grove under the bottom bracket and is enclosed right up to the derailleur so that it’s less prone to contamination. There are integrated mounting bolts for mudguards with removable hidden eyelets too.

Specification

Trek specs Shimano 105 shifting on the Boone 5 with a cyclocross specific 46/36 FSA Energy chainset which runs on a wide BB80 bottom bracket. It has gone for the higher spec and prettier RS685 hydraulic shifters though. The brakes work really well, although the RS685 levers are actually less comfortable than the RS505 variant off road as they are narrower and so provide less impact absorption.

The Boone 5 comes with tubeless ready wheels from Trek’s in-house Bontrager brand, fitted with Bontrager CX3 Team Issue 32mm tyres. Bontrager also supplies the Boone’s finishing kit: saddle, carbon seatpost, bars and stem.

Watch: Guide to cyclocross bikes

Ride

The Boone has an edgy feel, which requires concentration and rider input to keep it going in the right direction. It feels engaging in the dry conditions in which it was tested but but might be a bit of a handful when it’s wetter. The Bontrager tyres are less grippy than some alternatives.

>>> Nys: "He has something very special: like a young Peter Sagan"

I’ve ridden Trek’s road-going Domane and been rather underwhelmed by its IsoSpeed decoupler, but on the Boone its ability to deal with the larger bumps encountered off road is ideal and makes fast progress a lot easier. Riding over ruts and lumps make full use of its considerable in-built travel, so that effort goes into forward motion rather than teeth jolting.

Cannondale has totally redesigned the SuperX for 2017, with the new frame incorporating technology from its road and mountain bikes. So there’s a slack head tube designed to be more stable off road. The bottom bracket is shifted 6mm to the right, mimicking Cannondale’s mountain bikes in a system which Cannondale calls Asymetric Integration or Ai. This allows the chainstays to be symmetrical and gives very large clearance around the rear wheel. It also means that the rear wheel is dished symmetrically, so evening out spoke tension.

Buy now: Cannondale SuperX Carbon 105 2017 Cyclocross Bike at Evans Cycles for £2,599.99

Cannondale has included design features from its Synapse endurance road bike too, including SpeedSave flex zones in the rear triangle, a 25.2mm seatpost and a recessed seatpost clamp to increase the free seatpost length. These are features all designed to improve ride comfort at the rear. The SuperX also uses the Synapse’s BB30a bottom bracket for wider bearing placement than a conventional BB30.

Specification

The SuperX comes with Shimano 105 shifting, with hydraulic brakes using Shimano’s chunky R505 hydraulic levers. It has a Cannondale chainset with FSA rings with the classic 46/36 cyclocross ratios.

Rims are Maddux tubeless ready on Formula hubs, shod with Schwalbe X-One 33mm tyres. Some wheel manufacturers sell symmetrically dished wheels, but you need to be careful that aftermarket wheelsets can be realigned to fit the frame. Cannondale gives guidance on-line on available symmetric rear wheels and which can be redished or need new nipples or spokes.

>>> Guide to riding cyclocross

Ride

Cannondale says that the SuperX’s redesign helps to handle modern faster, more technical cyclocross courses. The bike certainly handles well when riding at speed off-road, without sacrificing manoeuvrability. Although not mud tyres, the Schwalbes handle stickier stuff well. They don’t lose too much traction and soon clear once on firmer ground.

>>> Should you change to tubeless tyres?

They may not be pretty, but the 105 hydraulic shifters work well and being a tad wider support the hands well when tackling bumpy ground. Cables are fully enclosed, with the rear mech cable taking the classic cyclocross top tube route and emerging towards the bottom of the seat stay, so there’s little exposed cabling to clog up.

>>> Icons of cycling: the Three Peaks cyclocross race

The front mech cable feeds through a cable guide behind the almost shelfless bottom bracket. It’s tidy enough but will accumulate debris from muddy grass, potentially affecting shifting. But the bike looks to be designed around single ring groupsets and it’s a pity that Cannondale only offers one, pricy, SRAM 1 option.

>>> Cycling Weekly Adventure Cross sportive series

Value

Once things get wintry, clearance is key and on this score Cannondale’s new SuperX excels. It’s got good fore and aft clearance behind the seat tube coupled to much more lateral space than most crossers. This also adds a bit of versatility as you could easily fit wider gravel tyres for excursions on unpaved tracks.

Watch: Guide to cyclocross bikes

Buy now: Cannondale SuperX Carbon 105 2017 Cyclocross Bike at Evans Cycles for £2,599.99

Cannondale has clearly put its investment into the SuperX’s frame and the finishing kit rather reflects this, being a notch below that which you would expect on a road bike at this price. But it’s money well spent, resulting in a bike with a modern design and huge clearance to tackle the demands of cyclocross.

Frame

Specialized builds its CruX carbon frameset from the same FACT 10r carbon fibre as its mid-range road bikes. Although its range-topping S-Works CruX uses lighter FACT 11r carbon, Spesh says that the increased frame weight from the FACT 10r carbon is minimal.

The frame has the front and rear thru-axles which are now usually found on disc braked bikes, along with a BB30 bottom bracket. Internal cable routing is standard in modern cross bikes and the CruX has this too.

Specification

SRAM’s single ring drivetrains have gained a big following off road for their simpler mechanicals, wide range and good chain retention.

The CruX comes speced with a SRAM Force groupset with a 40 tooth chainset and 11-32 cassette. Although this does not give the range of the two ring competition, it’s enough for most cyclocross courses. With its mid-cage rear mech, you can only go up to 11-36 though.

The bike has DT Swiss R470 tubeless ready wheels, with Specialized’s Terra Pro tubeless-ready 33mm tyres. Spesh adds its CG-R carbon seatpost, which has a series of bends to add flex below the Phenom Expert saddle.

Ride

With a frame based on the Tarmac, it’s no surprise that the Crux is an excellent ride. Power transfer and stiffness at both front and rear is great, and the Crux works well for really intense efforts to haul yourself up short, steep banks. However if you don’t make it up, then the flattened top tube and low weight make it easy to shoulder too.

Watch: Cycling Weekly's guide to cyclocross bikes

Handling is also really well balanced. If you are looking to ride bridlepaths or even to put slicks on and take to the road, the Crux is stable, while it remains agile enough to tackle technical sections of single track in a race scenario.

Value

You’re paying quite a bit for the SRAM Force 1 mechanicals on the CruX Expert. Drop down to SRAM’s next level down Rival 1 single ring groupset and a non-wavy alloy seatpost and the CruX Elite X1 comes in at £2300.

Frame

Focus has a real cyclocross pedigree, having been founded back in 1992 by three times world cyclocross champion Mike Kluge. Its Mares is a bike with a full carbon frame with internal cable routing. It’s got a flattened top tube which is comfortable for extended shouldering and a tapered head tube.

The bike that we’ve tested is the 2016 model, but the 2017 has moved from a 15mm to a 12mm front thru-axle and Focus has redesigned the fork with internal brake hose routing and flat mount brakes.

Specification

The Focus comes with Ultegra shifting and Shimano’s neater looking RS685 hydraulic shifters. There’s some shock absorption built into the frame and more at the seatpost, where Focus fits its carbon CPX design with a Y-shaped split head. There’s also a carbon stem and Fizik Cyrano bars and Aliante saddle.

>>> Shimano Ultegra groupset review (video)

The thru-axle wheels are DT Swiss tubeless ready R24 Splines, shod with rather smart-looking (but not tubeless-ready) tan sidewalled Schwalbe Rocket Ron tyres. Focus uses its own RAT axles on the Mares. They are designed for very fast removal: the system has been timed at 12 seconds for a wheel change in an MTB race.

>>> New Focus Paralane endurance road bike launched

Ride

The Mares has proved a steady ship in its race outings. It corners predictably and the light but sturdy frame means it is both easy to lift over the hurdles and to lay down the power on the straights. The flip side is it’s not the most cushioned of rides, even with the CPX seatpost.

Watch: Guide to cyclocross bikes

The robustness of the build also plays out through its components. Those chunky levers offer a reassuring grip, a chain guard has prevented de-shipment and the thru-axles make the disc brake performance all the more solid.

>>> Pro bike: Domenico Pozzovivo's Focus Izalco Max (video)

While Schwalbe’s Rocket Rons are a good fast race tyre on dry, grassy early-season courses, one of them did blow out on a rocky dirt track during into an off-road touring trip.

Raleigh’s cyclocross bike range comprises three carbon and five aluminium framed models, including three women’s-specific bikes. The RX Team is the top of the range. It’s a unisex bike, although the next-down all-carbon RX Race comes in a disc-equipped men’s version at £2200 and a canti-braked women’s version at £1850. The entry-level RX Elite priced at £800 and the £1500 RX Pro also come in men’s and women’s versions.

At £3500 the RX Team is a pricy item aimed at the dedicated cyclocross racer. This is shown in its spec too: it comes with cyclocross-specific tubular wheels and SRAM’s Force 1 single ring groupset. At 8kg on the button, it’s light for a disc equipped cyclocross bike too.

Frame

The frame is made from what Raleigh dubs its speed blend direct connect carbon fibre. It comes with a tapered head tube and BB30 bottom bracket shell. The cyclocross-specific fork is all-carbon too and there are disc brake mounts front and rear.

The cables to the rear brake and derailleur are internally routed, while the front brake cable is zip-tied to the fork. Raleigh has started to incorporate thru axles on its disc braked bikes this year and the RX Team has a 15mm thru axle at the front and 142mm by 12mm diameter thru axle at the rear.

>>> The mad world of under-6 cyclocross (video)

Specification

The RX Team comes fitted with a SRAM Force 1x groupset, which is SRAM’s top-of-the-tree single chainring set-up. The chainring has 42 teeth and there’s an 11-28 tooth cassette. In practice, I found this quite a narrow range for more mixed terrain, although a fitter racer would probably be happy with this on a flattish course.

Anyone looking at a bike at this price is unlikely to baulk at changing the cassette and chainring to match conditions. But since the RX Team comes with a medium cage version of the SRAM Force derailleur, the monster 42 tooth version of SRAM’s cassettes is out of bounds – and unlikely to be needed.

>>> SRAM's 1x road groupsets launched

Wheels are Cole’s T38 cyclocross-specific tubulars and have ceramic bearings. With a claimed weight of 1490 grams, they come with carbon rims (which have braking surfaces despite their disc-specific hubs) with a 35mm depth and a 24.5mm width to support wider cyclocross tyres. They’ve got an interesting spoke design, with a large ball at the hub end which can rotate in the hub flange, designed to allow increased spoke tension and help distribute forces more evenly.

>>> Adventure road and gravel bike buyer's guide

The wheels carry Schwalbe’s Racing Ralph Evo 33mm tubs – a high performance design with quite low profile central lugs but larger ones on the sides, which should roll well in less muddy conditions and corner well too.

>>> Will thru-axles supplant the quick release?

Cole's wheels have an unusual hub/spoke design and run on thru axles

Ride

The RX Team is a thoroughbred cyclocross race bike. Its light weight and nimble handling mean that you can negotiate obstacles with confidence. It’s easy to shoulder too: the top tube is wide and ovalised for comfort but also shallow, meaning that the overall circumference is quite small and it’s easy to get a good grip when manhandling.

>>> Wheel buyer's guide

Overall the bike feels quite firm if you ride it on tarmac with higher tyre pressures, so there’s good transfer of power in racing conditions. The tyres are compliant and happy to be run at lower pressures, although I found the tread pattern a bit lacking in grip in muddy conditions: I could induce some wheel slip when trying to accelerate through mud. They’re really better suited to drier courses.

The wheels are light enough to be reactive, without flex and support the tyres well. There was some bottoming out on the rims running at 35psi, but nothing alarming. The gearing is a bit high for mixed conditions though. Brakes are very effective and operate with a light touch, although I did end up with contamination and rubbing on the discs after a bit too much ploughing through the mud.

>>> How to get into cyclocross

In conclusion

Raleigh may not be a brand which you immediately associate with cyclocross racing, but it’s putting resource into developing the sport at the grassroots, supporting a number of junior riders.

Its RX Team deserves consideration if you’re looking to race and value the advantages that disc braking and SRAM’s 1 shifting provide, namely assured stopping regardless of conditions, minimal chain slap and little chance of losing a chain in a race. SRAM’s double tap shifting may be an acquired case, but there’s no doubt that its single ring set-up provides benefits in the rough stuff.

The removal of the second chainring and front shifter also saves quite a bit of weight and at 8kg, the RX Team is competitive and easy to accelerate and carry. It’s got nice handling on uneven ground too: it’s only the absence of a more aggressive tread that slightly lets the bike down in damp conditions.

Belgium is the home of cyclocross and Ridley is the pre-eminent Belgian cyclocross bike manufacturer with its top-flight bikes raced by many professionals. The X-Bow 10 disc has the highest spec of its alloy X-Bow range, with a Shimano 105 22-speed drivechain and TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes. There are another three cyclocross ranges above it with 13 bikes (of which five are sold in the UK), showing just how much depth there is in Ridley’s stable.

There are three X-Bows: the Tiagra-equipped X-Bow 20 comes in canti and disc versions, while the X-Bow 10 which we have for test is speced with 105 and mechanical disc brakes.

The frame

Ridley’s frame is made of 7005 aluminium alloy. With a wheelbase of just over 100cm and a 72 degree headtube angle, it’s designed for a stable ride – important off road where ability to hold a line and steer through loose conditions is vital. The frame is predominantly black with blue accents but subtly incorporates the Belgian flag in its design.

The three rear cables are routed across the top of the top tube. This is a classic cyclocross design which keeps them away from mud and obstacles to make shifting as efficient as possible and keeps them out of the way when shouldering the bike. The bottom bracket is a conventional threaded design and the frame has post mounts for the brakes and is equipped with mudguard eyelets. The forks have carbon blades, again with mudguard eyelets, and a tapered alloy steerer.

There are mudguard mounts front and rear and rack mount bosses at the top of the seat stays. The frame comes equipped with two sets of bottle bosses: not a given on cross bikes.

>>> How to get into cyclocross

Ridley quotes a frame weight for a size medium of 1710 grams, with a fork weight of around 730 grams, so the X-Bow is no lightweight.

Components

The X-Bow has a 22-speed Shimano 105 drivechain with 105 shifters, front and rear mechs and cassette. It’s fitted with an FSA Gossamer chainset with 46/36 chainrings – classic cyclocross ratios. The bottom bracket runs on megaexo bearings and there’s a KMC chain.

The X-Bow uses TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes. Unlike many mechanical disc brakes, this design presses the pads against the rotor from both sides, making set-up potentially a bit easier. The brake discs are 160mm at the front and 140mm at the rear, as there’s more stopping power needed at the front than the back. Other components – bars, stem, seatpost, saddle – come from Ridley’s in-house 4ZA brand.

Wheelset

Wheels are Fulcrum Racing Sport, which have unbutted spokes and a total weight of around 1900 grams. They are likely to be robust and Fulcrum wheels are well built and easy to service.

The wheels are laced with 18 spokes in the front wheel. These are crossed on the disc side but radial on the other to better handle the braking forces generated by the disc. The rear wheel has 24 spokes arranged in Fulcrum’s 2:1 pattern. Tyres are Challenge Grifo Plus 32mm – another classic cyclocross choice with a tread pattern which grips well in mixed off-road conditions.

>>> On-board footage from an under-6's cyclocross race (video)

Riding

Heading out onto bridlepaths, Ridley’s cyclocross heritage is immediately apparent. The X-Bow feels super-planted and encourages fast and confident riding over rutted and uneven surfaces. The stable ride means that it’s easy to control and I never felt any sideslip even when paths were damp after rain. Ridley has really got its cyclocross geometry completely dialled. Shouldering the bike also felt comfortable. Although the top tube is not too wide it somehow seems to be shaped just right not to dig in.

>>> Guide to riding cyclocross

Part of the Ridley’s off-road competence is probably down to the Challenge tyres. There’s a reason why they are a cyclocross classic – they really cling on well and feel very grippy over rocks and damp ground. The wheels also belie their weight, spin well and feel very solid despite their relatively low spoke count.

The X-Bow stops well too. The TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes provide solid braking on steep descents, although they require a bit of finger power to use.

On-road you can make steady progress, with the bike feeling lively and responsive enough and that controlled off-road set-up translating to a non-twitchy ride. By cyclocross standards, there’s also quite a lot of top end speed from the 46/11 top ratio. In contrast the 36/28 lowest ratio is quite high and I found myself dismounting often for obstacles and ascents.

Watch: cyclocross bike buyer's guide

Ridley has definitely planned for mud with huge amounts of clearance both front and rear. There’s a bridge between the chainstays just behind the bottom bracket though, which could potentially promote clogging in more muddy conditions. This could also interfere with front shifting, which uses a nylon pulley to route the gear wire running down from the top tube through 180 degrees to operate the conventional front derailleur.

Value

The X-Bow 10 Disc is a quality ride at a decent price. It's well specced with sensible component choices. It's a good all-rounder great for commotion or just for off-road exploring.

On the other hand, if you aim to get into competitive cyclocross racing, you are likely to soon want to get a lighter more race-focussed machine. This probably means a new bike as the X-Bow is not the best option for component upgrades.

There may be cyclocross bikes out there with sexier names than the Merlin X2.0, but given the great ride on offer, you could certainly make worse choices if you’re after a bike that will more than hold it’s own while racing, commuting, or just larking about in the local woods.

>>>Buyer's guide to cyclocross bikes

As you’d expect from a bike of this price there’s no fancy carbon frame, although you do get a carbon fork which does a great job reducing buzz while zipping over gravel tracks. The aluminium frame results in a slight weight penalty, with the Merlin X2.0 hitting the Cycling Weekly scales at 10.45kg. This was an issue on short, punchy climbs, especially when accelerating up them from a near standstill, but not really noticeable for the rest of the time.

The frame and fork offer plenty of clearance at both front and rear giving you the option to fit some chunkier tyres should conditions require it. Merlin have also realised that the X2.0 is also going to be deployed as a winter commuter, so there are a full complement of mounts to allow you to fit mudguards and even rear panniers. In contrast with the similarly-priced Giant TCX SLR-1, the cable routing is external – a slight disappointment in terms of looks, but something that certainly aids maintenance.

The race-ready credentials of the Merlin X2.0 are confirmed with the inclusion of a cyclocross-specific 46/36t chainset courtesy of FSA, whilst the shifters, derailleurs and 11-28t rear cassette all came courtesy of the latest 11-speed Shimano 105. As expected from 105, shifting was quick and precise, performing well even in the worse of conditions and comfortably sending the chain skipping down the cassette when we found ourselves over-geared on climbs.

Disc brakes have now become an almost mandatory inclusion on entry-level cyclocross nowadays, and the Merlin X2.0 is no different. Merlin have chosen to equip Avid BB7 Road Discs with 160/140mm rotors as opposed to Shimano discs. These mechanical discs performed superbly in all conditions, particularly outperforming cantilevers in the wet. Stopping power and modulation were both superb and we were at ease controlling speed on fast descents. The only thing stopping us fully testing the brakes' potential was the choice of handlebars, with the 4ZA bars dropping away steeply, making it slightly tricky to get a proper grip on the brake levers if you have small hands.

The Fulcrum Racing Sport Disc wheels are sturdy if unspectacular, and took all the abuse we threw at them. However we weren’t convinced by the 32mm Challenge Grifo Pro tyres. At high pressure they’re a good choice for zipping along filthy lanes and dry and grassy bridleways, however they struggle a little in the mud – not ideal for your typical British cross race. That said we were impressed by how quickly they cleared, even during rides in thick clay-ey mud.

We may have been impressed by the Merlin X2.0’s credentials as an entry-level cross machine that will certainly be capable of getting you off the tarmac and into the woods and even the odd race should you be feeling competitive. However, if you’re just after a super-sturdy commuting steed, Merlin also offer a commuter build which comes with slicker Continental tyres and pre-fitted mudguards.

Visit the Merlin website for more details.

Ritchey's legendary Swiss Cross frameset has been around for many, many years. The cantilever equipped frameset, often seen in fire engine red, now has a sister model, this all black Swiss Cross Disc.

We got our hands on a frameset recently from Ritchey's UK distributor, Paligap, and we've taken our time putting together a nice build. We present it here for your viewing pleasure, before we take it away and completely cover it in mud.

The paint and decals are all nicely finished

The material is Ritchey’s own - a triple-butted Logic II CrMo steel that is expertly welded, and beautifully finished in a deep black. The price for the frameset and carbon fork: £975. We’ve specced SRAM’s new CX1 groupset, with hydraulic disc brakes. 140mm front rotor and a 160mm rear.

For rolling duties, Zipp provided their 202 disc clincher wheels and we wrapped them with Specialized’s excellent Terra mud tyres. The finishing kit was all provided by Paligap too.  It includes  a Ritchey WCS bar/stem combination, with an interesting Vector Rail Evo saddle/seat post system.

Everything on the bike is here at CW for review, and we’ll report back in the New Year with full feedback of the Ritchey frameset; the WCS Vector Evo saddle and seatpost system; the CX1 groupset and Zipp 202 Disc wheels.

For now, admire the following photographs...

The Giant TCX SLR-1 cyclocross bike is the manufacturer's top-of-the-range, race-orientated aluminium framed model. Built from Giant’s Aluxx SLR-grade aluminium, it features internal cable routing, asymmetric chainstays and double bottle bosses. The bottom bracket area is oversized and the BB is press-fit to allow the widest down tube possible. Giant has done a good job of keeping clearances to the maximum, with lots of space at these crucial areas.

The tapered carbon composite fork incorporates a 15mm thru-axle, which is a contentious choice, since it means extra care and time must be taken to change a wheel, compared to a conventional quick-release system.

>>> Giant Bikes: which model is right for you?

The drivetrain consists mainly of 11-speed Shimano 105, with a Shimano Ultegra rear mech and a Shimano CX 50 46-36 chainset being the exceptions. Changing gear is light, precise and a joy to use, encouraging you to really make the most of every available gear.

TRP Spyre mechanical disc brakes are confidence-inspiring, though they lack the modulation of a hydraulic system. They provide plenty of stopping power when you need it. Double-sided adjustment will help to keep the wheels spinning freely.

The wheels and the finishing kit are from Giant, and although it may lack some brand kudos, the parts do their respective jobs well enough. Schwalbe Super Swan tyres are designed for muddy and wet conditions, clearing out and dispensing muck well, but at the expense of speed on harder surfaces.

As you’d expect for something so racy, this is a bike that can be pushed hard. It handles beautifully; it’s so easy to move the bike around under you that slow technical manoeuvring is a breeze. Short steep climbs pose no problem either; finding the balance to keep the front down and the rear sticking comes intuitively, with lots of feedback. The TCX turns well too; with its low bottom bracket and minimal flex, you can be really aggressive with your cornering.

There’s no doubt that the thru-axle keeps the front end very stiff and is a great platform for hard braking, giving a great point-and-shoot feeling to the bike. When the back wheel does eventually step out, when cornering hard, it does so in an unassuming rather than alarming way; the TCX seemingly shrugs it off and encourages you to get back on the power. Meanwhile, Giant’s D-Fuse seatpost and saddle help take the edge off the sharp bumps. The D-shaped post is a no-nonsense simple idea that works really well.

With the same geometry as its world-class carbon bikes, Giant has pulled out the stops, producing a great, low-price racing bike.

Available from: Giant UK - 0115 977 5900

Raleigh has been building bikes for 125 years, so it has learnt a thing or two about what works and what doesn’t. The Raleigh RX Pro cyclocross bike is one of a handful of cyclo-cross bikes that the firm has placed right in the middle of the range, offering CX fans great quality at a reasonable price. This model stands out from the crowd with an eye-catching paint job, and we didn’t tire of the compliments it received from fellow riders.

The alloy frame is not the lightest you can find on the market for the same price but it’s definitely not heavy, at a shade under 10kg for a large-sized model. The frameset comes with a full carbon fork, ready to take the impact of most terrain. The fork comes with a thru-axle, which adds to the stiffness, but creates a problem if you’re looking for fast front wheel changes, for instance during races, as it’s not the quickest system we’ve used.

Despite having definite racing potential, the Raleigh was really built as a ‘do-it-all’ machine. Eyelets allow the fitment of mudguards, making it a perfect commuter.

A slight problem we found while riding was how close the cables run along the top tube of the bike, causing slight rub. The cables do have rubber protectors but they didn’t fully protect the paintwork, and we’d worry about that matt finish degrading.

Components

This Raleigh comes with a SRAM Rival 22 groupset, SRAM’s newest road system, sitting under SRAM Force and above Apex in the range. The levers gave a very responsive gear change, while the gearing, with its cross-specific 46/36 chainset and 28t bottom sprocket, is quite high, giving a more competitive feel. This is great for racing, but when the RX Pro is ridden over longer distances, we’d have liked a few extra gears to climb the bigger hills.

A real treat on this model is the hydraulic disc braking system. It’s very sensitive and very reliable, giving you full confidence whether slowing down for a sharp corner or for an emergency stop. No matter the conditions, you’ll need to apply little force to the levers for a good result.

The RX Pro is a mid-range bike able to accomplish a lot, for a reasonable price, giving the rider the comfort and speed needed. It’s a stiff, solid but still light enough bike, with a distinctive paintjob — which all add up to a winning combination from Raleigh. It might not be the perfect ‘first time’ or beginners’ cyclo-cross bike because of the gearing and riding position, but it is certainly suitable for a wide range of riders looking for a versatile and exciting bike.

Available from: www.raleigh.co.uk 

The Ridley X-Night 30 Disc cyclocross bike is a machine that just shouts out ‘race me!’, and a small ‘UCI approved’ sticker on the seat tube gives a big clue to the design, geometry and function of this machine. To me, Ridley is the epitome of European cyclo-cross; it embraces new technologies accordingly. That said, the brand has been rather an acquired taste. Many of its frames have felt taller than its rivals’, so I was interested to hear that the bottom bracket height has been lowered slightly, bringing the geometry in line with current trends — including a shorter top tube. In this case, it’s very short, causing a slight toe overlap.

The X-Night looks fast; the sleek full carbon frame with its internal cabling is sculpted to provide comfort through the rear stays. It is stiff and very responsive too. The components are a mixture of Shimano Ultegra, Ridley’s own brand 4ZA and Avid mechanical disc brakes.

Our initial bombing about in the woods was great fun for the photographer. Cycling off-road, the X-Night can be thrown in and out of corners with ease. What immediately struck me was the lightness and balance of the bike. I’d assumed that a bicycle with disc brakes would be pretty weighty, owing to the extra material used to cope with the additional stresses.

A longish ride along the North Downs proved me wrong as the X-Night took longer climbs with ease and at times felt very similar to riding a road bike. Handling wise, it did at first feel a little short for my liking — a case of becoming accustomed to the responsiveness, perhaps.

Competitive by nature

The X-Night is for racing; a single bottle cage mount hints at other uses but it is most at home tearing around woodland or parkland for an hour of hard graft. When I rode a couple of league races, everything at once gelled. The Ultegra 11-speed slickly changed when needed and was perfectly comfortable over rough ground.

The Avid brakes were very impressive, not so much because of the braking power, which was plentiful when needed, but because of the ease of use. I could ride comfortably on the hoods, gently modulating the levers, with a consistency of braking beyond that of the cantilevers I’m used to.

If I were looking to buy an X-Night, I would pay careful consideration to Ridley’s size charts, but I’d be confident that, once used to the geometry and ride characteristics, I would have an extremely fast machine.

Available from Madison.co.uk 

The BH RX Team Ultegra is the all-out racer of the three bikes on test, a full-on full-carbon machine built for speed on mud, gravel and tarmac, and weighing just 7.6kg.

We’ve had a couple of BH road bikes on test at CA, and we’ve been impressed by their build quality and in particular their component specification. The RX Team doesn’t disappoint in this respect. It comes with Shimano Ultegra shifters, cassette, chain and rear and front (cross-specific) derailleurs. The Rotor 3DF crankset has cross-specific 46/36 chainrings, and it has surprisingly good wheels for an off-the-shelf bike — Mavic Ksyrium Equipe shod with Michelin’s excellent Mud 2 clinchers.

The saddle is a Prologo Kappa, while some of the other finishing kit is a little more ordinary: FSA alloy bars, stem and seatpost. The brakes, however, are a cut above — TRP Alu cantilevers. BH put a lot of technology and thought into producing their carbon frames, using different grades of carbon and forming the frame under pressure in order to vary the strength and thickness across the structure. In this way, the frame is kept light while ensuring strength and rigidity where it’s most needed.

The RX Team has a classy, contemporary frame. BH has kept the bottom bracket high, resisting all-out road-style geometry. The oversized tubes have internal cable routing, which can accommodate mechanical and electronic shifting systems. This may be fiddly to maintain and replace but, for the most part, it is ideal for cyclo-cross, leaving none of the metal cable exposed to the mud.

The wider BB386 bottom bracket shell gives extra power-transfer and allows the chainstays to be set wider for extra clearance for wider tyres, coping with mud build-up. The cross-specific fork also has plentiful clearance, useful for allowing cantilever brakes to release enough for quick wheel changes. It has fixings for disc brakes and removable cantilever fittings.

When we tested the BH G6 carbon road bike in the summer, we were impressed by its acceleration and sharp handling. The RX Team also excels in these respects while being solid and well behaved on both mud and tarmac. The frame is undeniably stiff, but its design — in particular, the way the seatstays wishbone into a single entity at the junction with the seat tube — maintains control, keeping the power channelled into the ground. Such was the quality of the RX’s ride that cornering and in particular climbing felt more like riding a road bike — on the road!

I would have preferred a more angled stem so that I had the option of a flatter position on the 74-degree head tube. While the TRP calipers are mechanically excellent and don’t flex, the pads never really bedded into a perfect relationship with the Mavic rims. These are, I admit, very small, easily fixed gripes. I loved riding this bike on cross courses.

It’s a nice bike on the road too. The lack of rack and mudguard fittings means the RX lacks the versatility of the other bikes; it can’t really be called a winter trainer but it’s a quick, light, sharp-handling bike, ideal for riding on our ever-deteriorating roads.

This must be the fourth or fifth Raleigh I’ve ridden over the last few years, most in tests for Cycling Active. As something of a self-professed expert in the recent history of Raleigh bikes, I have to say I like the way things are going. Last month, I was impressed with Raleigh’s all new Strada 6 hybrid, and now Raleigh is heading off-road.

For 2014, Raleigh has drawn up a to-do list, with a couple of major boxes to tick. First is to reintroduce a time trial bike to the range, something that it hasn’t had for a few years. The second is this, the RX range of cyclo-cross bikes, Raleigh’s first collection dedicated solely to cyclo-cross.

It has done a great job with the looks. Co-tester Dan said that his Cube looked great out of the box, but personally I don’t think it can compete with the Raleigh. The RX’s graphics are definitely a step in the right direction. I’ve seen enough red-and-black bikes to last a lifetime. Along with the bang-up-to-date finish, the Raleigh has a solid spec sheet. There’s a lightweight alloy frame, and an even lighter carbon fork. SRAM Apex takes care of the shifting, while Avid BB7 brakes make for fast stopping. A cyclo-cross-specific chainset, which is the common feature among all our test bikes, served me well for the rolling terrain I had planned.

The chunky wheels are Raleigh’s own, and they’re fitted with Schwalbe’s fast and very capable Racing Ralph tyres. They’re a good choice, certainly very capable off-road but also not too knobbly for tarmac duties. They proved themselves to be at their most comfortable on muddy terrain, switching between dry and wet conditions.

What we have here is arguably the best looking cross bike on the market, courtesy of mainstream-but-still-cool US brand Cannondale. Eschewing the shades-of-black finish that is so popular on CX machines of late, the CAADX Tiagra’s glossy dark blue with dashes of red sets it apart from the masses, while the bold Cannondale branding on down and seat tubes is confident and stylish.

With the sidewall detailing of the Schwalbe Sammy Slick tyres matched nicely to that of the semi-deep black rims, the whole bike hangs together superbly in one stylish objet d’irt, if you will.

There are actually four iterations of the CAADX for this year — the Tiagra is the second on the ladder, with 105 and Ultegra 11-speed versions also available at a (not a whole lot) higher price. A non-disc Sora version starts the range off.

Frameset

Cannondale does make carbon frames, but underneath the CAADX’s pretty paint is a fine example of what the brand is famous for — an oversized aluminium tubeset. Two sets of bottle mounts (not always a given on CX bikes) plus rack and mudguard eyes take care of the practical stuff, at least at the back — there are no mudguard eyes on the fork. You could still fit a clip-on model of course.

As you would expect, the fork is carbon, although it has an aluminium steerer, which is probably no bad thing if you’re subjecting the head stack to off-road hits on a regular basis.

Components

The clue’s in the name: Shimano Tiagra. It’s not the most refined of groupsets, but we all know Shimano rarely makes a dud, and the case is no different here. The bike arrived well set up and the shifting throughout the 20 speeds was accurate, if a little clunky next to the Ultegra 11-speed I’ve used a lot lately.

Credit should go to Cannondale for speccing a 46/36 cross chainset; the 50t on a standard compact can feel too big off-road, and while the ‘36’ might not be quite as low as the usual ‘34’, it makes for a nice spread of gears and paired with the ‘28’ at the back it’s sufficient for most eventualities.

The disc brakes are from US manufacturer Promax, and do a reasonable job with plenty of power, although they are slightly spongy, as lower-end cable disc brakes usually are. Finishing kit is all Cannondale in-house. Dale has plenty of experience producing this stuff, so while it’s not particularly sexy, it works fine.

Wheels

Maddux rims and Formula hubs is a Taiwanese pairing that is there to hit a price point and get the job done. Not unlike much of the componentry here they’re not fancy or refined, and not particularly light, but for the time we used them they rolled well, stayed in true and didn’t suffer any loose spokes.

The Schwalbe Sammy Slicks are a nice touch — a quality tyre with a tread that will roll well on the tarmac while also coping fine with hardpack paths and dry, non-technical trails. If you want to go mud-plugging, something a bit more knobbly would be advised! These are wire-bead tyres, and once worn out swapping over for something similar with a Kevlar bead would save you a good chunk of rotating weight and make the bike feel more sprightly.

Riding

At sub-10 kilos this is a light bike in its class, and that was immediately apparent in the ride. Acceleration and handling was closer to those of a road bike compared with other CX machines I’ve ridden lately, no doubt helped by the un-knobbliness of the tyres.

The cockpit layout felt well proportioned, and teamed with an uncommonly plush seat and plenty of padding on the bars, I felt confident that a full day in the saddle would present no problems in terms of comfort. It proved a more than capable urban commuter, even with stock tyres, and readily kept pace with the rush hour peloton.

Off-road was where the Dale really shone though, and its well-balanced handling and neutral riding position allowed me to take on the sandy trails of the North Downs with confidence. Equally, its sprightliness meant that hucking out of awkward moments often proved less problematic than on some other machines.

Finding a bike that’s a happy medium for all types of riding is the cyclist’s Holy Grail. That optimum combination of speed and stability on a machine which doesn’t leave us wanting in terms of pace on the tarmac yet still offers the opportunity for the occasional off-road shindig.

Fortunately, the market for such a beast has been exposed and subsequently pounced upon. With branding blurb proclaiming ‘do-it-all’ this, or ‘all-weather’ that, or ‘it’ll-even-do-the-washing-up-if-you-ask-it-nicely’ the other, every bicycle manufacturer worth its salt has got in on the act, and who are we to dissuade them? Here we look at the latest addition to the Pinnacle Arkose cross series and find out whether or not it had its Ronseal moment when put to the test.

Frameset

The Arkose Three boasts a double-butted aluminium alloy frame, making it light enough for lengthy and lumpy road outings while retaining its spirit in the woodland arena. It is evident the frame has been fastidiously fussed over, with the joints a work of perfection and the tasteful shades and graphics lending it an element of style.

It’s sleek, and the oval tapered top tube, and indeed the entirety of the frame, is rust-resistant, making the Arkose a low-maintenance ride. Having rigged the frame with both pannier and mudguard mounts, Pinnacle has maximised the versatility of the Arkose Three by offering very efficient touring and commuting potential — coupled with the carbon fork you couldn’t ask for a smoother ride to work.

Components

The Shimano 105 transmission is a benchmark and once again put in an impeccable performance. Shifting was effortless from both the hoods and drops, and the transition crisp and clean. The FSA chainset and Tiagra front mech demonstrate Pinnacle’s desire to keep the price point south of a grand but neither hinder the Arkose Three’s MO. The gear range was more than accommodating throughout the test; keen tarmac ascents were completed red-faced though unabashed, and we weren’t left wanting amid rugged off-road recons.

The bar-top brake levers were a nice touch and added an extra string to the commuting bow, while the Avid BB7-SLs were some of the best cable disc brakes we’ve used — sharp and reliable with an uncommonly light touch. Shallow-drop bars allowed for eyeballs-out efforts, although the broad 44cm width, on the large model, took some getting used to.

Wheels

The Alex Black Dragon 32H rims are clad with Kenda Small Block 8 35c tyres. As a package they look smart. The rims are semi-deep-dish with dressy artwork, and the plump tyres easily yielded to the blacktop while confidently confronting the trails. The wheels aren’t the lightest and are probably most at home on the commute, but it’s marginal — the Arkose’s overall weight of 10.7kg could see it perform well under most circumstances.

Riding

In terms of commuting, the Arkose performed faultlessly. With many of South London’s cycling lanes now akin to a busy night in San Andreas, it comfortably negotiated the cracks and bumps with the shock-proof dual-density grips soaking up the tremors.

Once out of the city and onto the friendlier suburban concrete, it was receptive and held the wheel of its all-carbon counterparts with relative ease. Indeed, pace and brawn cohabit in the Arkose in perfect harmony, and as a result of this it took to the rough stuff like a duck to water. We did, however, suffer a puncture which we suspect was due to our carelessness; after all, the Arkose likes broken glass as much as the next bike.

But things have moved on. These days owning a cyclocross bike no longer has to involve turning out in the dead of winter to see how much mud you can eat without vomiting. (It should be noted of course, that simplistic comedy vehicles aside, cyclocross is a friendly, accessible way to start bike racing and is loads of fun).

No, you can do all sorts of the ‘usual’ things on a cyclocross bike. Commuting is a favourite, while exploring off-road paths, winter riding and even sportives all feature on the agenda.

Even the name has been changed to protect the innocent, with ‘cyclocross’ having morphed into the far more hip and less lexically challenging ‘CX’.

Which brings this piece, kicking and screaming, to the bicycle in question, Boardman’s CX Team. It’s a fully UCI-legal cyclocross race bike, Boardman says. But the bumf is also careful to point out that it’s “equally at home on the daily commute, super-hilly sportive and light touring as it is blasting around off-road trails.”

At 10.4 kilos, you wouldn’t find me riding a super-hilly sportive on this bike unless a) it was less than 20 miles long and b) there was some sort of five-figure sum involved, but the commuting, the touring, the off-road blasting and, yes, even the cyclo-cross racing, you can sign me up for.

In fairness 10.4kg (22.9lb) isn’t terribly heavy. For a CX bike at this price it’s about the going rate. Dig out another 900 smackers and buy a fancy CX racer and you’ll get it down by a couple of kilos, but that would be missing the point. In any case, a simple and relatively cheap tyre upgrade when the time comes should see off half a kilo or so by itself.

Boardman bikes: the range explained 

Let’s backpedal slightly from the CX Team’s average weight, to initial appearances. These are anything but average, and there were certainly plenty of approving murmurs when the bike was first unboxed at CA Towers. That polished metal shine with its striking graphics makes for one handsome machine.

Tastefully attired

The frame is hung with quality components, including a 10-speed SRAM Apex groupset and Avid cable-operated disc brakes (as opposed to hydraulic, which generally only come on flat-bar bikes) on Mavic rims. It’s a worthy ensemble, full of names you can trust.

Finishing kit (that’s bar, stem, saddle and seatpost) is all Boardman’s in-house E4P brand. It might lack a certain cachet, but it’s all tried and tested stuff. In fact the wet-look white stem looks kind of nifty, if arguably slightly out of place among the predominantly black componentry.

But let’s not trifle over stem colours when there’s still the small matter of how the bike rides to be addressed. My maiden voyage on the CX Team was a fairly predictable affair, which, in many ways, is exactly what you want as a bicycle owner. On the road it wound up to speed quickly enough, and the Schwalbe Rapid Rob tyres, with their small knobbles, hum along on the tarmac nicely.

Find a 'cross bike that suits you

All-season appeal

The dependable Avid BB5 brakes also did their job well. They’re amply powerful, although the rather spongy lever feel does betray their budget provenance. The bar-top levers are a nice extra, especially useful in traffic.

SRAM’s Apex drivetrain (infused in this case with a touch of Microshift in the form of the front mech), is relatively lightweight and features a nice, positive upshift. The levers are comfortable too. It’d be nice if the downshift (small to larger sprockets) wasn’t quite so laboured though. It’s a SRAM trait, though it’s less apparent as you scale the groupset ladder.

Our test bike was a size small, which felt fine everywhere except in the cockpit, where I felt more like Brian Blessed in a Formula One car. Narrower bars may be all the rage these days, thanks to their superior aerodynamics, but the 40cm wide bars were just too much of a squeeze for me. This is one of the drawbacks of falling just between two bike sizes — the medium comes with 42cm bars and would have been spot-on. Shops are often happy enough to swap such things around when you buy the bike though.

Off-road the bike feels right at home on hardpack cyclepaths, towpaths and even dry singletrack. A more aggressive tyre tread would instil a bit more confidence in the dry, and would be nigh-on essential in the wet. The brakes however are more than adequate in all weathers and situations and you can ride through the wettest muck and still be confident that they’ll stop you afterwards.

As Chris Boardman himself has said, cross bikes can almost replace mountain bikes for many people — and they can do so much else besides.

If you’re in the market for a great looking bike that you can commute, blast some trails at lunch and even race on at the weekend, you could do a lot worse than starting here. After all, how bad can mud really taste?

Words Dan Baines | Photos Dan Gould

Carbon-fibre has only recently been seen as a viable material for large, mass production ’cross bikes. Previously, there just wasn’t the demand. However, with consumers wanting something that was versatile, fast, tough and ‘go-anywhere’, it was only a matter of time.

There’s more to a carbon frame than it just being made from a light, exotic material. If it’s laid up correctly in the mould, it can offer a riding experience that puts its metal cousins to shame. What manufacturers try to achieve in a frame are two essentials: firstly, the ride characteristics have to be good. That means the frame has to be comfortable to ride, while at the same time being stiff enough in the right areas so as not to waste any of your precious pedal power.

The challenge of being the chassis of an all-terrain bike is even greater for a rigid frame; riding off-road can be a jarring and tiring experience. By knowing where to apply the right amount of carbon-fibre, understanding how that will affect the stiffness or compliance is the tricky part. The guys at Eastway have this aspect cracked, and they should be proud of the fact that this frame is spot-on.

On many other rigid bikes, riding fast across a hard grass field is usually enough to have you fighting the rolling resistance of the turf while simultaneously bouncing you around all over the place, making it hard to keep the back wheel on the ground. The CX1.0 took it all in its stride.

The other important factor is the handling, which, being an off-road-capable bike, is especially important. Fast riding benefits from a bike’s liveliness. However, the need for speed has to be matched by sound balance, allowing the rider to adjust their position on feel to find traction.

I wasn’t disappointed; regardless of speed or terrain, the CX1.0 never failed to inspire confidence.

Precise shifting

The groupset is SRAM Rival throughout, and that’s what you expect to see on a carbon cyclo-cross bike of this price. The gear-changing has a lovely precise click action and functions really well, although the SRAM Double-Tap system can take a bit of getting used to, and isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It has to be noted that, as this is primarily an off-road bike, it has a slightly lower top gear than more road-orientated bikes.

In reality, you only really notice this when going downhill or when you’re really winding the bike up to top speed on the road. The saddle, seatpost, bars and stem are all Eastway-branded and do the job, although it would’ve been really nice to see a bit of branded kit used, even if it’s just for the kudos.

Stopping power

Disc brakes have become a familiar sight on this type of bike, and that’s grown out of necessity; discs replace the simple, but often ineffectual cantilever design. Using a disc at the centre of the wheel has many advantages, but the main one is great stopping power, especially in harsh conditions. Honed to thrive in cold, wet and muddy conditions, this bike has consistently strong braking.

Although cable-operated disc brakes can be a little ‘grabby’, the Eastway’s Avid BB7 is a simple system that’s low-maintenance. A common complaint on disc-braked bikes is pad-rub, which can be annoying, but with the BB7 dual-pad adjustment, this is easily eliminated.

Keep on rollin’

The wheels are Eastway-branded and do the trick nicely; there’s no reason to believe they won’t last, and over the few weeks we

tested them, they showed no signs of going out of true. The aero rims offer a good level of strength and work well with the stiff frame, giving a sense of direc

t input from your pedal power. The result is good acceleration on the flat, despite these wheels being a little on the heavy side. On long climbs, their weight is not

iceable, but on short, steep, full-on lumps, their strength allows you to get full power down.

Speccing a cross bike’s tyres is an almost impossible task, as no single tyre will cope ideally in all conditions. However, the Kenda Slant Six is a good compromise.

While it’s fast on hard surfaces and great in the dry, with the right pressure it also offers a decent level of grip in wet mud, though the tread is prone to getting bunged-up. If the bike is mainly to be used on concrete or hard-pack surfaces, a fat road tyre would be preferable and would enable the bike to hold its own with most road bikes at a similar price.

Hugely versatile

Two thousand pounds is a lot of money to spend on a bike, but what you get for all that money is a pure racing machine through and through. However, this shouldn’t put off any interested non-racers, as the hugely versatile CX1.0 has a lot to give. If you can live with the racy riding position, there’s a lot of fun to be had.

Specification

Eastway CX1.0 £1,999

Frameset Eastway Carbon Monocoque Disc CX with full carbon tapered disc fork

Gears SRAM Rival

Chainset SRAM Rival 46/38

Brakes Avid BB7 cable discs

Wheels Eastway E32 Disc

Tyres Kenda K1080 700C *35C

Handlebar Eastway Race

Stem Eastway Race

Saddle Eastway Sport

Seatpost Eastway Race 31.6

Weight 9.1kg

www.eastwaybikes.com

Alternative

Fuji Altamira CX 1.5 £1,849

A carbon-fibre-framed bike with a world-class pedigree and similar spec to the Eastway that’s £150 cheaper, although the disc brakes are the slightly inferior Avid BB5.

Sensa is a relatively new brand here in the UK, but being established in Holland over 20 years ago they sure know a thing or two about putting together race-ready bikes. There are two different cyclo cross frames on offer from Sensa, the Fermo and the Fermo SL, each with various build options, making it easy to get the perfect cross bike for your needs. For us it was the former that got a cross season shake down.

First thing first - the Fermo’s specific cyclo cross geometry leaves you in no doubt Sensa know how a cross bikes should feel and handle. The short reach allowed full control on technical sections, yet still enabled us to stay comfortable on longer off road rides. The two crucial elements of cyclo-cross, have been thoroughly thought out in the frame design so there’s plenty of space for shouldering the bike as well as clearance around wheels for muddier days.

On the bike, the Alloy frame was stiff and responsive giving excellent power transfer. The standard Fermo build comes equipped with Sensa’s own line of components and wheels, ‘Supra’. The Supra Comp Line bars had a refreshingly old school feel to them, consistently curved throughout the bend and drops, which is a personal preference, but one we liked so gave great control when descending on the drops.

Unfortunately, although cyclocross cantilever brakes are known for not being the sharpest, the Radius ones left a lot to be desired. We had a few not quite stopping in time near misses when trying to scrub of speed. They’re fine for cruising around, but more serious riders may wish to consider an upgrade in this department.

Similarly if you want a full season of winter riding off road on this bike a tyre change is a must for proper muddy days - the factory standard Schwable CX tyres just didn’t offer us enough grip these conditions.

With the rest of the groupset consisting of Shimano Ultegra, the very reasonable price tag, just under £1040, made us think there must be a downside. Other than the brakes, the only possible issue could be the weight.

As part of Trek's Gary Fisher collection the CX Pro is the ?cheaper build option in the Cronus stable, which is its top cross range. With two bikes in both the entry level and the mid-range, Trek's cyclo-cross family is one of the largest in the market.

With Shimano 105 groupset, Avid Shorty 6 cantilever brakes and Bontrager finishing kit all being reliable but not top of the range, it shows that the majority of the £2,000 price tag has gone into the well-developed carbon frame.

Featuring internal ?cable routing, brake and cable adjusters at the front end, a front brake hanger that prevents brake judder, it's the taking care of these finer details that sets the Cronus apart from its counterparts.

The Cronus has the biggest bottom bracket on the market - Trek's own BB90 standard. Paired with the enormous tubing, this gives a super-stiff ride, allowing a clean transfer of power from the pedals to the ground, even in the toughest of conditions.

However, the downfall of this chunky tubing came when I went to shoulder the bike. Running with a cross bike on your shoulder is never a comfortable experience but the thickness of the down tube gave already fatigued arms something extra to scream about.

That said, the flattened top tube sat perfectly on tired shoulders and made for an easy pick-up as I hurdled ?the barriers.

The geometry of the Cronus allows for an upright ride, giving great control and stability, though it lacks the whippiness some cross riders may like, especially on those twisty courses.

The Trek's ability to take bottle cages and mudguards means it's great to turn into a year-round bike for on or off-road, longer rides, and isn't just for those diehard cross racers.

Altogether, the Cronus CX Pro offers an awesome frame kitted out with functional spec which gives an all-round solid ride for either racing or just bombing round your local trails.

The Cronus CX Pro is one of two new cyclo cross carbon offerings from Trek, based on its now well-established and lightweight 500 Series OCLV carbon - the same platform it uses in its Madone 5 Series road bikes. The Pro plays second fiddle to the Ultimate, but at £2,200 it's far from entry-level and there are plenty of features justifying the price tag.

Trek's super-wide BB90 is at the heart of a very solid-feeling construction that's substantiated further by its E2 tapered head tube. The geometry has been given the necessary tweaks, including a cross-specific Race X-Lite fork, to tease this frameset away from feeling overly ‘road-esque' on the rough stuff, and it's a resounding success.

Arguably, a disproportionate amount of the overall cost is in the frame and forks, but the SRAM Rival kit, Avid brakes plus Bontrager's Race wheelset and finishing kit serve to prevent a sky-high price while still delivering functionality and reliability in abundance.

For my money, Trek has got the CX Pro spot-on. It proved its worth both in and out of competition, on and off-road, while I was getting myself acquainted with it. A very noteworthy feature, illustrative of Trek's more versatile design brief, is the removable mudguard eyes that discreetly thread into the frame, instantly increasing its potential usefulness.

15th February 2011   Words: Luke Edwardes-Evans   Photos: Roo Fowler

A handcrafted steel frame from the USA with wheels built in the UK and your choice of finishing kit — the traditional way of assembling a bike has lots going for it.

Handmade in the USA. If there is one thing to get a discerning cyclist’s attention, those words on the chainstay do it every time. You can keep your fancy Italian brands — these days it’s the stars and stripes flag next to the frame builder’s name that conjures up romantic notions of a cottage industry that refuses to die.

You may not have heard of Gunnar — they’re handmade by Waterford Precision Cycles in Wisconsin — but they typify the appeal of the modern steel frame. We tested their Crosshairs frame, which is built using TIG welded True Temper OX Platinum tubes, favoured among custom builders for its strength due to heat treatment and air hardening.

Double-butting keeps the weight down and Waterford makes a point of also using OX, rather than cheaper chromoly tubes, for the chainstays and seatstays forming the rear triangle. Nice touches include stainless steel dropouts that don’t rust and a semi-sloping crown on the pleasingly curved fork.

If you think the Crosshairs looks suited to cyclo-cross, you would be right. We did a cross race around a slippery, hilly course and it flattered the rider with its poise and balance. Look closer, however, and the dual bottle cage mounts, rack and mudguard eyes enable the owner to set the bike up for pretty much anything on or off-road.

Over here

A Gunnar frame sits between a bespoke custom build and a factory-made chromoly steel frame. There is a wide range of stock sizes (50-60cm in 2cm increments plus special order sizes) and four colours to choose from. For less than a grand, a Gunnar gains you entry to the exclusive world of custom steel.

Southampton-based Rock.n.Road Cycles are one of only three UK outlets that bring Gunnar frames into the UK. RnR can build up any of the six Gunnar frame types, which range from fast road to MTB, and the mix of components is up to you, the shop and your wallet.

A big plus is the opportunity to spec the bike with hand-built wheels by Rock.n.Road’s ace wheelbuilder Andy Belfrage. Andy’s all-black 32-spoke Mavic Open Pro rims on Miche Primato road hubs add massively to the Crosshair’s appeal. His signature touch is to add an eye-catching anodised gold spoke in each wheel. It’s a classy and very individual touch — just what custom bikes are all about.

On the trail-road

Once you’ve changed the frankly crap Tektro brake blocks for something that actually stops the bike, the Crosshairs is an absolute blast to ride. Fork-mounted cantilevers are fitted because they allow fitting of 35c tyres and mudguards and they won’t clog with mud.

A top carbon frame might weigh two pounds less than the Crosshairs, but steel matches carbon for ride quality and sheer toughness. Ride into the side of a big solid object — like a car, for instance — and all you are likely to do is bend the front wheel rim.

Your wretched tester did just that and was somewhat relieved that the rim was the only casualty. There was no damage to the frame or the forks and, because the wheels were hand-built, a new rim and the cost of a rebuild was all that was required to put things right.

Who knows how a carbon frame would have held up to a front-end shunt? Even the smallest crack in the frame would spell an expensive write-off. If you are looking for reasons to buy steel, you’ve got a big one right there.

Angle of dangle

Credit goes to Gunnar for getting the frame geometry just so, erring on stability with a laid back seat (72.5º) and neutral head (73.5º) tube angles (54cm frame). The fork rake is 4.5cm, promoting comfort at the front end and making it a pleasure to swoop through corners with minimal input.

Gunnar has refrained from raising the bottom bracket height to increase ground clearance. On this all-rounder, it’s a sound decision and actually a bonus off-road as it aids stability by lowering the centre of gravity.

Our test bike ran with Shimano’s 105 10-speed groupset with a compact chainset in matte black. It does an exemplary job and quality Ritchey Pro bars, stem, headset, seatpost and saddle complement the stealthy look.

What a tasty package: a custom US-made frame with handbuilt UK wheels, Japan’s benchmark groupset and a quality finishing kit. Owning this bike would be deeply satisfying. It’s a soulful rig that stands alone against the identikit racer brigade.

ALTERNATIVE

if you don’t want a custom frame: Kona Jake the Snake £1,250

Here’s another US-designed bike but it’s not a custom build like the Gunnar, nor is it steel. It has an aluminium frame and carbon fork with Shimano 105 and Ultegra mix components.

If you want to race cross or just like hooning around the woods, the Kona will save you a chunk, but it’s not as versatile (no mudguard or rack eyes) or exclusive as the Crosshairs.

www.rocknroadcycles.co.uk
konaworld.com

This article first appeared in the February 2011 issue of Cycling Active magazine.

11th November 2010   Words: Jamie Darlow Photos: Chris Catchpole

Longing to escape tarmac for a while but don’t want to sacrifice the sprightly ride of a road bike? KHS’s CX200 is a quality cyclo-cross machine that won’t break the bank.

At work these days I now sit hunched over the screen, staring at computer mapping programs, trying to work ever more complex commutes to the office. Sometimes those routes involve intricately linking sections of bridleway, sometimes sections of national trail; always though, they involve getting hopelessly lost on the ride, but having enormous fun.

Riding a cyclo-cross bike has brought about a significant change in me, where my work life is now about the journey rather than the destination, and a cross bike has opened doors to trails like no other form of transport. I’m hooked — swapping juggernauts on the A23 for horses and riders on the North Downs Way. What’s not to like?

Bang for your buck

KHS’s CX200 is easy to like. For starters, at £900 it’s probably the best value cross bike you can buy — scan your eyes down the spec sheet, pausing briefly at the cromoly steel fork and Shimano 105 rear derailleur and you’ll see what I mean. It’s also surprisingly lightweight — at 10.7kg it beats the pants off a mountain bike.

KHS can build its bikes cheaply because it doesn’t use dealers, meaning if you want one you just fill out the online form, cutting out the middle man. That does come with some drawbacks, however — you can’t pop into a bike shop and sit on one to decide before you buy and you have to work out the sizing yourself. Once ordered, you can send it back for £20 though. So assuming you know what you want from a bike, the KHS is top value.

Off-road riding

While the frame is double-butted aluminium alloy to keep the weight down, KHS has specced a cromoly steel fork on the front end, and the hardened steel works well to take some of the buzz out of the trail. At the grand price point it’s more usual to have a carbon fork doing this trail-calming job but I liked the added security and durability of steel — it’s less likely to scratch up too. There are also drillings for a rack or guards meaning you could tour with the bike or use it as a winter commuter.

Remember how I said the weight beats the pants off a mountain bike? The ride scared the pants off me, too, at first anyway — the head angle is steep for an all-rounder, at 71°, making the bike feel lively.

This takes a bit of getting used to when you’ve been riding mountain bikes all your life, but it starts to make sense after a while — snappy steering works when you’re carving out turns off-road, plus it’s nothing you can’t handle if you’re riding bridleways and basic trails and finally when you pull back onto the road it feels like a regular road bike. I don’t think I’ll be taking it down any serious mountain bike runs though.

Braking power is laid on by Tektro Oryx alloy cantis and they do a pretty good job. Just don’t expect the bike to have as much stopping power as a disc brake-equipped mountain bike or road bike with tarmac under its wheels — the combination of loose terrain, skinny tyres and lightweight brakes means you need to go carefully on steep descents.

Getting on the drops was the safest way to rattle down really fast descents, but make sure you switch from the hoods before the descent begins, as it’s tough to do when the bike’s bucking like a maniac.

That’s all par for the course, though; the whole point of a cross bike is it’s light and fast. The Kenda tyres are also a pretty decent choice for slippy, off-road riding, as they’re plenty grippy enough with a wide footprint and larger lugs than you usually find on a cross bike. The durometer (tyre hardness measuring machine) reads 60tpi, though, so they roll well.

And boy is it quick. My usual road ride to work takes one hour 40, but off road I can cover the same distance in a little over two hours — why the hell have I been doing all those commutes, dawdling about on the road ride?

There are some very nice touches to the KHS that make it feel like it’s really been designed to ride off road. Rather than routing all the cabling on the down tube, right in the way of the flying crud, the rear mech and back brake cables run along the side of the top tube and down the seatpost — other manufacturers tend to run it down the crud route or cable internally, the latter making replacing cables sometimes tricky and the frame itself more expensive.

Hit the road

Back on the tarmac, the bike feels very comfortable and relaxed, but this is mostly due to the extra give in the off-road tyres as the bike itself is stiff and responsive. Those tyres make the bike a comfortable ride over potholes and wet drain covers that seem to multiply in winter, meaning the KHS will be my commuter choice if we have a big freeze again this winter.