{"id":7635,"date":"2025-01-31T14:42:19","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T13:42:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/?p=7635"},"modified":"2025-02-18T14:45:01","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T13:45:01","slug":"built-for-the-mud-top-brands-specializing-in-cyclo-cross-bikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2025\/01\/31\/built-for-the-mud-top-brands-specializing-in-cyclo-cross-bikes\/","title":{"rendered":"Built for the Mud: Top Brands Specializing in Cyclo-Cross Bikes"},"content":{"rendered":"

To say that road racing and cyclocross are both cycling sports is like saying that apples and oranges are both fruits. Yes, both involve riding a bike as fast as possible without falling off it, but that\u2019s about where the similarities end. The distances are different and require different strengths and forms of endurance and, most important, the terrains are different and require different bike-handling skills and different bikes, different tires and other equipment.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What a difference the mud makes<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Briefly put, a cyclocross bike is a hybrid of a mountain bike and a road bike. It has a similar frame but with more tire clearance to accommodate heftier tires for off-road terrains. Road bikes have a more speed-oriented design, lighter and more aerodynamic frames and narrower tires and wheels.<\/p>\n

Since CX bikes have wider tires and are often ridden in heavy mud and\/or sand, rim brakes would be inappropriate because everything gets caked with mud and other dirt. But disc brakes offer great braking power and regulation in both wet and dry conditions and allow the use of wider tires. In addition, CX tires come in a wide variety of tread patterns because they have to deal with a wide variety of terrains.<\/p>\n

Another difference is in the pedals. Cyclocross bikes use SPD (Shimano Pedaling Dynamics)\u00a0pedals, which are double-sided and have lots of holes to allow mud and debris to fall off \u00a0as you ride. SPD pedals also accept cycling shoes with tread, which is an absolute necessity because you\u2019re often off the bike, running up steps or through deep mud, with the bike on your shoulder. Many other companies also produce SPD pedals, but since Shimano designed them first the name has stuck.<\/p>\n

So, moving from road to cyclocross requires an entirely new cycling system. This article will introduce some of the products available to enable you to make that transition as seamless as possible. Starting with the bike, of course.<\/p>\n

\"Thibau<\/a>
What a difference the mud makes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cyclocross bikes for beginners<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For an entry-level two-wheeler you\u2019ll want a machine that\u2019s rugged, equipped with most of the bells and whistles the pros use and won\u2019t cost you an arm and a leg, just in case you eventually decide that off-road cycling is not your cup of tea. But keep in mind that you can easily convert a CX bike into a road or gravel machine by simply changing the tires to road or gravel tires. Below are three of the best entry-level cyclocross bikes on the market:<\/p>\n

If you want to keep all your options open and timidly test the rough cyclocross waters, the Surly Straggler 650B<\/a> is the bike for you. It\u2019s a road bike built for cross-over exploration on a wide variety of terrains. It’s great for rough roads and for riding cyclocross with no pretense of racing. It\u2019s also a light-duty touring bike and an all-weather commuter bike. It\u2019s only $1,699 (\u20ac1,630) and available all over the world. Check this site<\/a> for a dealer near you.<\/p>\n

The Boardman<\/a> CXR 8.9 is a purpose-built cyclocross bike with an aluminum CXR frame and a full carbon fork to reduce weight and improve handling. Finally, if you\u2019ve got the money and are pretty sure you\u2019re a \u2018cross rider, try the Giant TCX Advanced Pro 2.<\/a> It\u2019s a great bike for the price \u2013 \u20ac2,599 from the manufacturer \u2013 with a vibration-damping carbon frame that makes even the roughest courses feel fast and safe.<\/p>\n

\"Boardman<\/a>
The Boardman CXR 8.9<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The necessary accessories<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In terms of pedals, SPD pedals have become popular with commuting and recreational riders too. And the Shimano<\/a> PD-M520 pedals are not only considered among the best pedals ever made, but they\u2019re also surprisingly inexpensive.<\/p>\n

And what about shoes? The best cyclocross shoes will have built-up areas along the sole, made from softer, grippier rubber that can handle thick mud and rugged terrain. They will also generally use SPD cleats, which are\u00a0recessed into the shoe for better mud clearance. Many also enable you to add spikes or studs for greater protection from the elements and more traction in mud and sand.<\/p>\n

To start out, why not use the Specialized<\/a> Recon 1.0 Cycling Shoes? The company says the nylon soles offer a decent degree of stiffness on the bike and off. Their deep rubber lugs are coated in a proprietary compound to provide traction on all terrains.<\/p>\n

The CX experts<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Once you\u2019re well into the sport and have decided that, yeah, this is a very cool way to race, you will want to become acquainted with companies that have made cyclocross the focus of their business. So here are a few of the experts, starting with the one that is used by the best CX rider in the world and, according to many, the best ever, Mathieu van der Poel.<\/a> If you\u2019ve seen him race, his white Canyon Inflite CF SLX<\/a>\u00a0must have caught your eye, like the hero\u2019s white horse in a Western.<\/p>\n

The German company produces and\/or distributes bicycles, cycling equipment and accessories for every cycling discipline, but van der Poel\u2019s association with the brand makes Canyon an automatic go-to retailer of products for off-road cyclists. It helps that his off-road skills are so good that he can go through an entire race on a single bike if the course is not muddy.<\/p>\n

Specialized<\/a> [see also above] produces and markets its products under that brand<\/a>\u00a0name as well as the premium and professional oriented S-works. Like Canyon, it sells products for every cycling discipline. In off-road, its Crux is very popular with the pros. For example, the great Peter Sagan used the super-lightweight $12,000 S-Works Crux<\/a> to ride in the 100-mile version of the 2022 Unbound gravel race.<\/p>\n

The lesser-known but highly respected Belgian company Ridley<\/a> sponsors a successful cyclocross team, which it first launched for this 2024-25 season and it produces a very successful cyclocross bike, the X-Night<\/a>. The Ridley Racing Team includes the Spanish champion Felipe Orts Lloret and Joris Nieuwenhuis, who was runner-up in the 2023-24 World Championships. For a bike manufacturer to put its name on a team riding off-road, where many unfortunate things can happen, shows it has a lot of confidence in its products.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To say that road racing and cyclocross are both cycling sports is like saying that apples and oranges are both […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":190,"featured_media":7738,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"global-categories":[],"class_list":["post-7635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-the-latest"],"yoast_head":"\nBuilt for the Mud: Top Brands Specializing in Cyclo-Cross Bikes - \u0160koda We Love Cycling - United Kingdom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2025\/01\/31\/built-for-the-mud-top-brands-specializing-in-cyclo-cross-bikes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Built for the Mud: Top Brands Specializing in Cyclo-Cross Bikes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"To say that road racing and cyclocross are both cycling sports is like saying that apples and oranges are both […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/uk\/2025\/01\/31\/built-for-the-mud-top-brands-specializing-in-cyclo-cross-bikes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u0160koda We Love Cycling - 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