Best cyclocross bike under £1000 and other CX chat

After 4 months of hassling Giant, I finally have my TCX SLR 2! It will be used mainly for my 30mile daily commute all year round, with a few weekenders chucked in. First impressions are that it is awesome, especially coming from my Super-Franken-Sirrus. Mostly 105 and Spyres for under a grand is quite impressive and they don't seem to have obviously skimped elsewhere.

One of my main worries was the D-fuse seatpost, but apparently this is moving to the Defy range next year as well, so there may be more choice available in the future.

The "tank slap" you get from the internal cables surprised me, although I guess that's just something that happens with internals. Pulling them back out the front a bit seems to have quietened them down though.

The guy in the shop tried to give me the seatpost rack adapter without any spacers, and told me to just piggy-back it on the current one. My brain said that would be stupid, so made him find the original one in the packaging, lo and behold, there were two little spacers in there.

Anyway, will report back when I've put more than 20 miles into it, though seems like a winner at the moment!

Mostly 105 and Spyres for under a grand is quite impressive and they don't seem to have obviously skimped elsewhere.

Excellent stuff, double check if the housing is compressionless, lots of companies now going to introduced it to their road/cx bicycles in the next year (hopefully).

Its the standard Jagwire CGX-SL for brakes and LEX-SL for gears, whatever that means.

Standard cable housing (not compressionless).

If you feel braking power is a little lacking, (spongy), that'd be your first port of call.

Any recommendations for good value compressionless?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-performance-brake-cable-set/

They are good value, but as I need it to be internally routed all the way to discs, I don't think 2m is going to be enough. Are there any longer kits or am I just going to have to buy two?

This stuff says it is "incompressible" and just contains the outers, which is all I need seeing as the rest of it is all brand new.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/transfil-kble-shimano-outer-brake-casing/

Will it be comparable?

They are good value, but as I need it to be internally routed all the way to discs, I don't think 2m is going to be enough.

It should be, since brake cable is usually 1.8 metres long for the rear.

Measure your bike perhaps?

But I need rear + front. So probably nearer 3m. I'm tempted just to stump up for Yokozunas seeing as they get such good reviews and the £45 kit come with brakes + gear.

See your point, notice it's just 1x 2 metres, I reckon it's worth measuring the housing length on your bike first to see if it's possible.

Managed a full housing with the road Yokozunas despite not being CX specific (on 54cm frame, Shimano/SRAM), can't remember what length housing it have.

Any deals out there - sub 800£ and disc.
Ideally with rack mount and available in sizes that would fit me at 5,64ft.

@dan recommends the pinnacle arkose 2

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Oh yes, @dan highly recommend them base on his extensive research into the perfect winter bicycle.

Fucking Dan, ahead of the pack, @WillMelling would be very proud.

What are you jabbering on about now edscoble?

Is @edscoble attempting to call out someone claiming expertise in something based on minimal research?

I think my irony meter just exploded.

You may have been running it at too high a pressure Andy, that's a common mistake which I enjoy banging on about at every opportunity.

Much chuckle

Couldnt stop singing its praises...

andyp

Is @edscoble attempting to call out someone claiming expertise in something based on minimal research?

I think my irony meter just exploded.

#repandyp

I'm looking at getting one of the new Giant TCX SLRs based on good stuff I've read here and elsewhere. But also very tempted by Genesis Fugio frameset built to similar spec (ie 105/spyres).

But I can't find much info on the genesis - anyone here have any experience/advice/random thoughts on which I should go for?

The giant would be a 'head' choice and the Gen a 'heart' choice.

Exactly right. And tricky to make a call because obvs can't test ride the genesis to compare for myself how much of a compromise it might be in terms of weight/feel.

Which is why I'm hoping someone with experience of the fugio can shed some light.

Cheers.

There was someone racing in the London League on a Fugio. Not sure who / and if they are on here. @andyp might know.

I race on a steel bike - 853. It adds another 300g over an equivalent alu frame. It would be wishful thinking of mine to believe that the 300g makes any real difference to my placing. Especially in muddy courses where you are picking up mud in the order of kilograms.

In fact, if you wanted to turn it into a head choice, find out which has the larger clearance for gloop and go for that.