I've been bitten by the disc bug and have been wondering if I could get rid of the road bike and cyclocross bike and have one great frame, disc specific, with multiple sets of wheels? One super set for road and a tougher set for off road?

I don't race on the road, but do enjoy the gran fondo style rides and attempt as many as possible. I also enjoy fast gravel tracks on my CX bike. If I was going to race it would be a fun CX style event.

On a side note I have a great mountain bike and enjoy marathon type events..

What I am asking is;

Can I run the same frame for Gran Fondo's and gravel riding as well as the odd Cx race?
Currently both bikes run full SRAM, both have Hollowgram cranks and Mavic wheels.

The criteria for the new frame would that it is disc specific and have a BB30 so I can keep my Hollowgram cranks...

I'm 6ft tall, weight 200lbs, and have no real affinity to any one frame material...
Have considered a custom Ti frame with Enve fork but open to suggestions...

Would also be looking at two custom built wheelsets...

Thanks for your suggestions
Simon

Absolutely. Just keep two sets of wheels.

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Perhaps, but you have to ask yourself whether you like to drive station wagons, even with "sport" wheels/tires, as much as you like to drive sports sedans. If yes, then go for it. When I first got a cyclocross bike, I thought, hey great, maybe I can use this as a road bike by putting on road wheels/tires and it will be just as good as a road bike - I quickly became disabused of that notion.

I was just asked a similar question by a riding buddy.... Car wise I guess I'm looking at a bike that is like a super charged range rover sport - does that make any sense??

A super charged range rover sport is not really a sports car. If all you've ever driven are station wagons and SUVs, then you won't be missing anything, but if you're used to driving sports cars, you may not be satisfied when on road.

WW conversations... :

Q1: how much does a bike matter?
A: Well, 5% at most! Maybe 1%. It's all in the legs. Pros will kick everybody's butt on a shopping cart.

...
...

Q2: can I use a CX bike for CX, gran fondo road riding?
A: What?! Are you kidding? How could you possibly use a Range Rover as a sports car?

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I have been humiliated many times by a local mtn bike pro who showed up at local criteriums on a mtn bike with baldy tires.

The bike does make a little difference. But it is "a little".

Depends how much of a cross bike the frame you base it on is. The more crossy it is the more ponderous the handling is likely to be. Higher bb, slacker head tube angle and the like will, in my experience make for a great offroader but less inspiring road experience.

My cross bike is great off road but, even on my short commute it's hard work, compared to my two race bikes. The way round it may be to get something that has road geometry but clearance for cross tyres, perhaps custom would be the way to go.

I just want to clear up a few points.....

I am not a racer, I like to ride hard and fast but have no misconceptions about my ability. I will not be using this for racing or crits etc.
The riding will consist if long group rides, Gran Fondos, some fast gravel trails and the odd fun class CX race.

There have been some great examples on this site of the very type of bike I am thinking of - viewtopic.php?p=917558#p917558 is probably one of my favorite examples..

Taking the racing factor away, would having something similar to the build above really reduce my enjoyment of a Gran Fondo type ride? Would it make me not enjoy the ride?

Again, I plan on having two or more sets of wheels, and the one for the Gran Fondo style rides would be something special....

Thanks again and any suggestions on alternative frames or quality wheelsets combinations?

Thanks again

Ps the Range Rover analogy was more in reference to the combination of a car that is comfortable and utilitarian, but also packs punch - the friend in question owns one, it is over 500bhp and much like the comment about the mountain bike pro who turned up and embarrassed roadies at a crit, this car humiliates wanna be sports car owners... True it'll never be a Porsche 911' but it's certainly not a soccer mums station wagon

Cheers

You can ride a tricycle, if you want to! The question is, do you want a competitive bike?

There is more that just rider 'fit' at stake. The design of a 'cross bike has different geometry than a road bike including, but not limited to, bottom bracket height. I don't know about you, but repeated descents at 85kmph on a 'cross bike would not be my idea of a good time. I don't think I would be to pleased about coming-up behind that guy, either...

While I don't have the 'Sport', when I first got my Supercharged Range, I scared the sh*t out of myself doing a 4-wheel burnout by accident. At full-throttle it is pretty squirrely, so the analogy is probably pretty apt.

+5000 for being dropped by people on cross bikes, who ride them year round.

if u aren't racing (even if u are). why not just get a cross bike. seems cool enough.

if boom and all of europcar practically are racing them for roubaix, cross bikes seemmmmmm ok enough.

I've generally found that downsizing the number of Bikes I have doesn't work...

I usually end up building something to fill the void in the end anyway!

This is what I have found.

Enjoy either way.

sorry for the OT, but...

With flat bars ? What kind of organisation would let a rider with a MTB take part in criterium ..... ?

Louis

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I seem to fill that void on a yearly basis.

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