Soldato
- Joined
- 7 Jul 2009
- Posts
- 16,234
- Location
- Newcastle/Aberdeen
What do you mean by competitive? Are you intending to race on the bike? Or just keep up on group rides?
The key differences between race, endurance and cyclocross road frames lies with the geometry. Race will have you further down, more aero and as a result, faster. Cyclocross bikes put you in more of an upright position so you have more control, and it's easier to quickly mount/dismount as you need to. Now the differences aren't so great that you're going to be completely unable to ride at the same speeds, but they will have an effect so it's important to think about what the bike will be primarily used for. That and try to find somewhere you could try out a few of the bikes you have in mind so you can see the differences for yourself.
The key differences between race, endurance and cyclocross road frames lies with the geometry. Race will have you further down, more aero and as a result, faster. Cyclocross bikes put you in more of an upright position so you have more control, and it's easier to quickly mount/dismount as you need to. Now the differences aren't so great that you're going to be completely unable to ride at the same speeds, but they will have an effect so it's important to think about what the bike will be primarily used for. That and try to find somewhere you could try out a few of the bikes you have in mind so you can see the differences for yourself.