I have been doing lots of reading and research over at mountainbikereview.com and have been pointed in the direction of Cyclocross bikes by some of the nice folks over there. I am looking for a bike for fitness first, and 50/50 street/light trail riding second; hence, people recommended a Cyclocross bike.

However, after doing some research, I haven't really found anything cheaper than $600-700 for a Cyclocross bike. Am I missing something? Can someone on a budget enjoy these bikes? :confused:

Thanks!

its sort of a niche market, and many of the entry level bikes cost around 800-1200. higher end bikes are even more. because it is a relatively small market, the same options as road bikes dont exist for cross bikes. (i.e. the sub 500 entry bike)

off the top of my head i cant think of any, sorry.

if you don't need a new bike and the benefits that come with buying from a shop, 4-500 will get you a pretty nice used cx bike if you're patient. likely a better bike used for $450 than the 700 new bike would be.

Moscow

Thank you for your post.

I have always thought of Cyclo Cross bikes as for focused speciality riders.
But it does seem they are becoming more of a general use 2nd bike for many.
In a way, like Track bikes. We have made an effort to drive quality track bikes down
to $299; why not cyclo cross at $400 or $450 brand new.

I think you are on to something and will work on it for next year. [that means about 6 to 9 months we will have a sub $500 cyclo cross bike]

Till then try IBEX - they have great entry one

You can get a single speed Bianchi for $500. San Remo is the model I think. Nice bike for the price.

I totally agree with Blackhat. I bought a 1998 Kona Jake the Snake on ebay in 2002, raced it, rode it around and commuted on it some for 3 years. Bought it for $410, sold it for . . . $400. I also agree that a cross bike is the perfect do-it-all bike - I'll never be without one.

Moscow

Thank you for your post.

I have always thought of Cyclo Cross bikes as for focused speciality riders.
But it does seem they are becoming more of a general use 2nd bike for many.
In a way, like Track bikes. We have made an effort to drive quality track bikes down
to $299; why not cyclo cross at $400 or $450 brand new.

I think you are on to something and will work on it for next year. [that means about 6 to 9 months we will have a sub $500 cyclo cross bike]

Till then try IBEX - they have great entry one

This is quite simple... track bikes have no gears, no brakes, it's just a frame, 2 wheels, a crank, a chain, saddle/seat post, and handlebars (fork too). Gears and brakes cost $$.

Moscow, if you live in a flat area, look into SS such as the Bianchi San Jose, Trek Portland, or Van Dessel Counrty Road Bob. I use my CRB for commuting, tooling around town (in Portland, OR with hills) and also for cross racing.

I got a brand new '06 Redline Conquest for $600 out the door.

Shop shop and shop some more. If you have Craigs List in your area, set up a RSS Reader and feed for Cross bikes (or jsut check it often). A few weeks back in the Seattle list a very nice Redline sold in 10mins for $350. I still wished I'd seen that bike sooner

I have been doing lots of reading and research over at mountainbikereview.com and have been pointed in the direction of Cyclocross bikes by some of the nice folks over there. I am looking for a bike for fitness first, and 50/50 street/light trail riding second; hence, people recommended a Cyclocross bike.

However, after doing some research, I haven't really found anything cheaper than $600-700 for a Cyclocross bike. Am I missing something? Can someone on a budget enjoy these bikes? :confused:

Thanks!

yes
the bike you want is called a hybrid
and if you are fast you will do just fine at the races on whatever bike you bring

Thank you all for your answers.

I live in San Francisco - not exactly flat, haha, so I think I need gears.

Bikesdirect - I'm sure there are people like me out there that simply don't have $1000 to throw around for a bike, for whatever reason(s). And I'm pretty sure that some choose a bike that isn't best suited for their needs because of that. I don't want to be one of those people, but if there simply isn't a bike out there for the amount of money I can spend, then I guess I'm screwed. :) Glad you're making plans for a sub $500 CX bike. :)

magic - yes, Craigslist is what I've been scouring for a few days, but haven't found much. What's an RSS reader, and how do I set it up?

I don't really want a Hybrid bike - I don't like the looks very much (picky me, I guess). :)

Check the classifieds here or e-bay. If you're patient you should be able to find a used cross bike in your price range. Agree; hybrids scream "dork".:p