Cannondale Quick Cx 3 2019 Hybrid Bike Review

Kiss — Continue Information technology Simple, Stupid. In that location's a lot to exist said for simplicity, and one fashion to brand a cycle's transmission simpler is to ditch the usual pair of chainrings and get past with just 1.

• With just ane chainring, 1X bikes give you less mechanical gubbins to think about so you can focus on the ride

• Gear range isn't every bit wide equally a double-chainring system, simply 1X fans are happy to sacrifice a flake of top- or bottom-stop for simplicity

• SRAM'south latest AXS wireless systems and Shimano'south GRX components have brought 1X gearing right into the mainstream

33 unmarried-chainring bikes for 2021

• Cannondale SuperSix Evo CX — £3,800.00
• Fuji Jari Carbon 1.iii 2021 — £2,499.99
• Canyon Grizl CF SL 8 1by — £2,949.00
• Vielo R+one Alto SRAM Force eastward-Tap AXS — £half-dozen,999
• Specialized Diverge Pro Carbon – Campagnolo LTD — £7,250
• Cannondale Topstone Carbon i Lefty 2021 — £7,499
• Ribble CGR SRAM Apex 1x 650b — £i,899
• Merida Mission CX Force Edition — £iv,200
• The Light Blue Robinson V2 Rival 1X — £one,849.99
• Orro Terra C Adventure 2021 — £2,099.99
• Shand Stooshie — £3,395.00
• Merida Silex+ 6000 2021 — £ii,700
• Enigma Endeavour — £ii,999.00
• Cube Nuroad EX 2021 — £1,599
• Cervelo Aspero Force eTap AXS i Disc 2021 — £half-dozen,049
• Genesis Fugio 30 — £2,999.99
• Ibis Hakka MX — from £3,599
• Kinesis G2 — £1,680
• Bergamont Grandurance eight 2021 — £1,689
• Mason Bokeh Force — £3,425
• 3T Strada — from £2,425
• Bombtrack Hook EXT-C 2021 — from £2,499
• Specialized CruX 2021 — £2,750
• Marin Headlands ii — £ii,795
• Giant TCX Advanced Pro 2 2021 — £2,699.00
• Kona Libre CR DL 2021 — £3,699.00
• Rondo RUUT AL 1 2021 — £i,799.99
• BMC Roadmachine X 2021 — £i,899
• Vitus Substance CRX-ane 2021 — £2,199.99
• Whyte Glencoe 2021 — £one,599
• Vitus Energie VR 2021 — £1,299.99
• Sonder Camino Al Apex 1 Hydraulic — £1,199
• Boardman CXR 8.nine — £1,100

A few years ago a unmarried-chainring gear system for anything by a cyclocross wheel would have been unthinkable. The unquestioned way to get a wide range of gears on route bikes was to have at least two chainrings. It'southward generally a adept thought for gear ratios to exist fairly closely spaced. An 8- or nine-speed cassette and ii chainrings gave y'all two overlapping ranges of reasonably closely spaced gears. When you ran out at the high cease of the pocket-sized chainring or the depression terminate of the big ring, you just inverse chainring and maybe inverse a sprocket or two equally well to get to the next higher or lower gear.

It's taken the bike industry a while to catch on, merely the evolution of 11-speed cassettes changed things substantially. You can now have 11 reasonably closely-spaced gear ratios with just one chainring. You save the cost and complexity of a double chainring, front derailleur and shifter, and it's one less thing to recollect almost as you lot ride.

Single-chainring systems are now nearly universal on mountain bikes, where they're known as 1X (say "one by", as in 1X10, 1X11 and 1X12). That's driven development of the technology that has at present spilled over to drib-bar bikes. Mountain cycle designers had extra incentives to ditch the forepart mech; getting rid means no longer having to blueprint a suspension organization around it. You lot can put your intermission pivot where y'all like, and information technology'south also easier to accommodate fatter tyres if you don't as well have to find room for 2 or three chainrings between the frame and the crank arm.

Initially, most the spillover of single chainring systems to drop-bar bikes was for cyclocross racing. Cyclocrossers have been using single-band set-ups for decades, because if you're going slowly enough to need the low gears of a small chainring, you lot should probably exist running. Single chainrings with teeth designed to proceed the concatenation in identify have helped make this more pop; some previous cyclocross single-ring systems used a pair of concatenation guards to keep the chain on. Effective, but hardly elegant.

Gravel/adventure riding is another genre where single chainrings have traction, for the aforementioned reasons of simplicity that make them pop on mountain bikes. Nevertheless, at the moment you lot could argue that single-ring transmissions have a small problem with limited gear range for riding that ofttimes involves very steep climbs or luggage. Hubs with SRAM'south XD and XDr freehub bodies help solve this trouble past allowing a 10-tooth smallest sprocket. SRAM as well offers 12-speed transmissions in the wireless eTap AXS systems, allowing the combination of a 10-50 Eagle 12-speed cassette, AXS mountain bike derailleur and drop handlebar shifters. If your budget won't stretch that far, and you're looking at a bike with SRAM's xi-speed 10-42 cassette and want lower gears, yous can always fit a smaller chainring and coast on steeper descents.

Speaking of SRAM, almost of the bikes hither all the same take SRAM transmissions. Shimano was slow to get on the single-ring mountain bike bandwagon and only introduced drop-handlebar groupsets with straightforward single-band compatibility in the GRX series. Notwithstanding Shimano is making inroads; we're seeing more than single-ring bikes with Shimano transmissions at present that manufacturers don't take to bodge them together.

Is a single-ring fix-upwardly correct for you?

Similar all new developments in bikes, single-chainring systems separate stance. Among the road.cc editorial squad, for example, route.cc founder Dave Atkinson has enthusiastically embraced 1X and does nearly of his riding on a unmarried ring. He says: "There are enough of adept reasons to run a 1X setup. For a starting time there'south no front mech, and forepart mechs are a faff. They jam up easily because of their mounting position, they rub on the chain and they drop the chain or push it over the height of the big chainring if they're non perfectly gear up up. Y'all don't get any of those issues with a single band, and a thick-thin chainring never, e'er drops the chain, in my experience. Ever.

Big Dave gives it some on a single-ring Kinesis Tripster ATR V2

"Secondly, gearing becomes rational, simple and logical. Too hard? Change upward. Go faster? Change down. There's none of the psychological luggage that comes with swapping chainrings and no having to conform your gear at the rear too when yous do. And in that location's i less gear cable to wait after equally well. They're quieter, likewise: no chain slap considering of the clutch (or stronger leap) in the mech, no movement of the chain on the chainring and no rubbing of the front end mech plates.

"I've been running a single band transmission on my main cycle, a Kinesis Tripster ATR, for a couple of years now, and I'thousand sold on on it equally a groovy general purpose setup. Information technology'll depend on what you use your bike for, only for an everyday auto they're corking."

Mat Brett searches for a college acme gear on the Polygon Curve CT5

On the other mitt, technical editor Mat Brett is a sceptic. He acknowledges the simplicity of 1X and the way you can't become chain rub on a front mech that's not there, just says: "You get some gert large jumps in gear ratios beyond such a wide-range cassette. In a typical set-up, the 38-tooth chainring and 42-tooth sprocket give you a 24.3in gear while the next largest sprocket is 36-tooth and gives you a 28.3in gear. It can be difficult to keep your rhythm when swapping from one to the other.

"That said, the 42-molar sprocket will get you up nearly anything – non necessarily rapidly, but at to the lowest degree you'll continue progressing.

"At the other end of the scale, I discover myself running out of gears on long, fast descents. If you want to pedal at over 28mph you have to spin at more than 100rpm in an 11-tooth sprocket. If you lot want to pedal at over 33mph you're looking at 120rpm, so I find myself just coasting more ofttimes than usual. If you're going to ride only on tarmac and unladen you might find many 1X systems under-geared."

The bikes

Permit's take a wait at some single-chainring bikes.We've listed the gear range for each 1, in gear inches based on a 27-inch wheel. That's most the rolling bore of an ETRTO 584mm (650B) wheel with a fat tyre or an ETRTO 622mm (700C) wheel with a 32mm tyre. A alter of tyres will change the gearing, but these numbers provide a basis for comparing of gear ranges between bikes.

Cannondale SuperSix Evo CX — £iii,800.00

Announced in Baronial 2021, the SuperSix Evo CX takes Cannondale'due south SuperSix aero bike and boosts the tyre clearance to mash up a mud-racing speedster. There's a gravel-racing version, the SE with a double chainset, and this cycle, with 33mm tyres and a xl-molar unmarried band. With an 11-36 cassette the gearing is very much tailored to racing; yous won't exist grinding your manner up any mount dirt roads with a total camping load on this gear up.

Gear range: thirty-98 inches

Read about the new fat-tyre-uniform Cannondale SuperSix Evo bikes
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Fuji Jari Carbon 1.3 2021 — £2,499.99

Tester Stu was securely impressed with the Jari, describing it as "a really fun bike to ride, whether as a stripped dorsum, lightweight gravel machine or loaded up for adventures further afield. It has a not bad ride quality, geometry that flatters – especially when the terrain becomes catchy – and a decent spec list for the money.

"Everything simply feels right: the riding position is like shooting fish in a barrel to set up for the kind of saddle-to-handlebar drop I like, and the geometry makes it easy to ride off-road, without making it deadening on the tarmac.

"The Jari has an FSA Omega chainset set up to run a 1x 40T FSA chainring. The cassette is a Shimano Deore 11-42t, so y'all are getting a proficient spread of gears. My chief gravel road has plenty of steep climbs and descents on a whole range of surfaces, and I e'er had the ratio I needed."

Gear range: 26-98 inches

Read our review of the Fuji Jari Carbon 1.3 2021
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Coulee Grizl CF SL 8 1by — £2,949.00

Tester Matt thought the Grizl was "a little undercooked" for off-road riding merely "for general riding, information technology volition suit plenty of riders. The increased tyre clearance is the biggest plus, peculiarly for British riding."

"Confronting Canyon'due south existing Grail, the increased tyre clearance is a big positive for grip, command, comfort and speed. The deviation between 40mm and 45mm tyres is surprisingly big, and the option to go wider still is welcome

"It feels best on a mix of route and unsurfaced tracks, especially where the tracks are not too technical or steep. Handling is fast and agile with quick direction changes, while the steep 73.5 seat bending puts you forward for efficient pedalling."

Gear range: 26-98 inches

Read our review of the Coulee Grizl CF SL 8

Vielo R+one Alto SRAM Force e-Tap AXS — £6,999

Tester Stu Kerton loved the Vielo R+1 Alto, calling it "one of the virtually beautiful bikes I ever had the pleasure of riding".

He continued: "Its condolement levels are quite just stunning for such a performance-orientated bike, while the handling is impeccably polish and directly.

"Efficient; that'due south probably the best way to depict the Vielo. The R+one isn't all nigh speed, but that doesn't cease it delivering a high-performance ride.

"On newspaper its 7.7kg overall weight may not sound exceptional, simply the way it responds to your commands and power input makes it feel a kilo lighter out on the road. Even when hitting a steep ascent, it feels much lighter than it should, which in fact makes climbing a lot of fun.

"This is also downwards to the stiffness levels. The R+1'southward lack of an inner chainring means Vielo has been able to make the lesser bracket shell wider without affecting the Q-factor (the distance betwixt the pedal faces). This wider beat out allows for much larger tube cross-sections to mate upwards with it, which brings incredible stiffness."

The 1x12 gearing was a revelation too: "The biggest shocker for me, though, is just how well the 1x gearing works on the route."

Gear range: 36-130 inches

Read our review of the Vielo R+1 Alto SRAM Forcefulness e-Tap AXS

Specialized Diverge Pro Carbon – Campagnolo LTD — £7,250

A common mumble about 1X bikes is that they don't provide the same gear range as bikes with double chainrings or, if they do, the gears have gaps that make keeping a steady cadence all but impossible. Campagnolo's respond to those complaints is the new Ekar groupset, seen here on Specialized'south stellar Diverge platform.

Ekar has xiii sprockets in three combinations, 9-36, 9-42 and x-44, providing both reasonably close gears and a large range for versatility. You tin read more nearly the Ekar groupset here and discover out what endurance off-road legend Matt Folio idea nigh it here.

The Diverge is one of our favourite bikes of recent years. Dave Arthur described it equally "one of the best run a risk bikes I've ridden" and added: "It'due south a sophisticated ride with buckets of adequacy for going fast and tackling big journeys over varied and challenging terrain." Information technology'south non exactly inexpensive though.

Gear range: 24-114 inches

Read our review of the Specialized Diverge Pro Carbon
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Cannondale Topstone Carbon ane Lefty 2021 — £7,499

With its front and rear suspension, 650B wheels and wide-range SRAM AXS Forcefulness/Eagle hybrid gear shifting the 2021 Topstone might just be the future of gravel bikes.

SRAM kicked multiple goals with the AXS eTap wireless electronic shifting they launched in 2019 and one of them was making the mountain bike and road bicycle versions interchangeable and then that you could gather a hybrid gear system like this, with a SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS rear derailleur, drop-bar restriction/shift levers and a huge 10-50 12-speed sprocket choice.

SRAM recently introduced a 10-52 12-speed cassette that's compatible with the AXS X01 Eagle rear derailleur. We haven't seen anyone speccing it on product bikes still, simply it'due south surely only a affair of time

Up front, there's a new incarnation of Cannondale's single-sided Lefty fork with 30mm of travel, which should be enough to improve condolement and road-belongings on dirt roads and frost-hammered UK country lanes. Out back at that place's the Kingpin break system that Cannondale introduced in 2019.

Gear range: 22-108 inches

Ribble CGR SRAM Apex 1x 650b — £1,899

Ribble's CGR 725 SRAM Apex 1x 650b is a hugely versatile bike that offers incredible value to kicking. The combination of steel frame and plump but fast-rolling 47mm tyres delivers a comfortable ride on dirt while notwithstanding existence plenty quick on road, with sorted handling that'due south a happy medium between stability and steering agility; it's quite peradventure all the driblet bar bike you need for gravel, route or commuting.

The CGR 725 is Ribble'southward steel-framed option in the versatile CGR lineup, with all bikes getting very similar geometry but offering you a selection as to the low weight of carbon, affordability of aluminium or more premium pleasures of titanium. While the skinny Reynolds 725 tubing means you get some traditional good looks, the downside is a little extra heft in the frame - a claimed 600g or and so over the aluminium CGR nosotros've tested previously.

It'due south dainty and modern elsewhere, though, with a full carbon fork, a neat tapered headtube with internal bearings, plus 12mm through axles at either stop. There'due south a full complement of rack, mudguard and bottle mounts, including a bento box mount on the tiptop tube, so you're well catered for.

Gear range: 27-103 inches

Read our review of the Ribble CGR SRAM Apex 1x 650b

Merida Mission CX Force Edition — £4,200

Merida's Mission CX Force Edition is a top-quality cyclo-cross bicycle that's ready to race direct out of the box. Information technology'll plow its manus to fast gravel riding and winter riding too, if y'all're looking for something more than merely a defended race bike.

The Mission CX is designed as a cyclo-cantankerous race bike and equally such it'southward not going to mollycoddle y'all over rough basis: this is a bike for attacking stuff on. It's at its best when you're sprinting up a steep, loose gravel climb or you're finding a fast line through a swoopy bit of singletrack. It's a direct, responsive bike that goes where you lot point information technology.

Gear range: 31-103 inches

Read our review of the Merida Mission CX Strength Edition

The Lite Blue Robinson V2 Rival 1X — £ane,849.99

Gorgeous retro looks and classic Reynolds steel ride meets modern 1X gearing and hydraulic brakes in this all-rounder that just exudes class and comfort.

Gear range: 32-103 inches

Read our review of The Lite Blue Robinson V2 Rival 1X 2020

Orro Terra C Hazard 2021 — £2,099.99

Orro's Terra C Chance gravel cycle has that familiar balance of comfort versus operation that the visitor seems to do so well. Information technology feels like a a very capable endurance road motorcar just with room for bigger tyres and a slightly more than relaxed front cease to take the twitchiness out of the equation when on the crude stuff.

Gear range: 26-98 inches

Read our review of the Orro Terra C Adventure 2020
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Shand Stooshie — £3,395.00

The Shand Stooshie is a comfy and relaxed-handling all-road and occasional gravel bike with enough versatility to serve multiple uses. This new version with regular dropouts makes it more than affordable than the Rohloff model if y'all only ever want to run a derailleur-based drivetrain.

Gear range: 26-98 inches

Read our review of the Shand Stooshie

Merida Silex+ 6000 2021 — £2,700

The Merida Silex+ 6000 is a nimble-handling gravel/adventure bike that offers enough of versatility along with a comfy ride courtesy of chunky 650B tyres. The smaller wheels permit the plumbing equipment of larger tyres into the same frame and fork, so you lot get more grip and cushioning at a small cost of weight and speed.

The 2021 model has sold out simply here's a skillful deal on the functionally identical 2020 wheel.

Gear range: 24-93 inches

Read our review of the Merida Silex+ 6000 2020

Enigma Try — £2,999.00

The Enigma Attempt is not but the prettiest looking bike I've seen in a while, information technology's also 1 of the sweetest riding, with delightful smoothness and fine handling – on the road and in the woods. It isn't exactly inexpensive, simply it is handmade in the UK, which might just be enough to convince you it'south worth it.

Gear range: 26-98 inches

Read our review of the Enigma Effort

Cube Nuroad EX 2021 — £1,599

Our Stu really liked the ride of the Nuroad's twin-chainring version, calling it "a much more fun bike to ride than you might expect; it'south comfortable, and offers a smooth ride".

The SL uses the same 6061-T6 aluminium frame that gives that bike its very balanced steering and beautifully weighted experience that seems to offer plenty of feedback throughout and then you can still push on into the bends knowing exactly what the tyres are up to.

This stripped-down 1X version should offering all the sizzle of the Nuroad platform without the Race FE extras, giving a simple, fun all-rounder.

Gear range: 26-98 inches

Read our review of the Cube NuRoad Race Atomic number 26

Cervelo Aspero Force eTap AXS 1 Disc 2021 — £vi,049

Cervelo's speciality since it founded in 1995 has been high-finish road race bikes, but that all changed with the launch of the Aspero, its beginning foray into the gravel bike market. What we have here is a rapid total-carbon gravel racer that marries the operation of Cervelo's road bikes with some smart details that create a multi-surface capable bike, chief of which is adjustable fork start.

Cervelo has used SRAM'south Forcefulness AXS wireless electronic shifting here, which incorporates a new approach to gearing, using smaller chainrings and sprockets to requite a wide gear range with less weight. With 12 sprockets on the rear wheel information technology's currently the best way to go a speed-orientated, closely-spaced prepare of gears.

Gear range: 26-98 inches

Read our review of the Cervelo Aspero Strength eTap AXS 1 Disc
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Genesis Fugio thirty — £two,999.99

The folks at British brand Genesis have been making gravel bikes since before they were called gravel bikes, and actually know what they're doing when information technology comes to steel frames. The Fugio has clearance for 47mm tyres, Shimano's GRX 800 components and mounting points for only nigh anything you might want to attach to a bike. With the screaming purple/pink paint job, information technology'due south not hiding its lite under a bushel

Gear range: 26-98 inches

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Ibis Hakka MX — from £3,599

The Ibis Hakka MX provides a shine and fast ride with great handling and space for wide tyres and versatility by way of mudguard mounts, and it's lite on the scales, only it is a pricey prospect in a competitive marketplace.

While probably all-time known for its mountain bikes (information technology's one of the oldest mount bike brands having been founded in 1981) Ibis isn't allowed to the charms of the growing adventure category and two years ago redesigned its cyclocross cycle into a much more capable risk and gravel bike.

It still retains some of that cyclocross DNA. The ride is fast and direct with the geometry not as slack or stretched equally some more progressive bikes in this burgeoning adventure and gravel category. If you lot desire to race CX on a Sun and ride gravel on a Monday, the Hakka MX would be a good pick.

Gear range: 26-98 inches

Read our review of the Ibis Hakka MX
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Kinesis G2 — £1,680

British bicycle brand Kinesis Bikes has good course when it comes to versatile all-terrain drop bar road bikes with its Tripster AT and ATR, and this new G2 continues that trend but ups the accessibility gene with an aluminium frame, SRAM Noon 1x groupset and £1,500 price tag. It'south huge fun off-road, fast and comfortable on the route, and adjustable to unlike riding requirements.

For mixing up rides with stretches of country lanes and diving into the woods and forth bridleways, dirt tracks and through skinny singletrack, before pottering dorsum into town along the cycle path for a flat white and brownie to recover and Instagram your adventure, the G2 is bob on.

Gear range: 26-98 inches

Read our review of the Kinesis G2
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Bergamont Grandurance 8 2021 — £1,689

The Bergamont Grandurance 8 is a well equipped aluminium gravel cycle or 'all-route' cycle. It'southward decent value and has got a striking pigment job, if not paired with the most progressive geometry. This is a classic endurance road wheel with allowances for gravel tyres, mudguards and racks merely for the price, I think it'll brand whatsoever owner a bang-up weekend gravel adventure bike that will commute with ease on the weekdays likewise.

The Bergamont Grandurance is capable, tough and will happily plow a wheel to most situations. It is a myriad of contradictions. The tyres are really built for the road or at least dry fire roads, and the position isn't particularly aggressive, recollect endurance road wheel rather than mountain bike. The head tube length is a bit shorter than other bikes in its grade but in that location was plenty of room left on the steerer to choose your bar acme, something I left rather high to preclude me feeling too tipped over the front, giving the feeling of ameliorate balance and command on off-road descents. The gearing is aimed at adventures off route rather than on it only if you've chosen a 1x bike, that's probable your intention anyway. The parts complement each other and this bike is a brilliant jack of all trades, it gives you lot the option to stray from the beaten track and widen your route horizons.

Gear range: 26-98 inches

Read our review of the Bergamont Grandurance half dozen
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Stonemason Bokeh Strength — £iii,425

The Stonemason Bokeh is a highly capable adventure bicycle with a feature-packed aluminium frame, splendid aesthetics, and handling that ensures information technology's as at dwelling house on the road as it is on the trail.

The Bokeh combines an aluminium frame and carbon fork with all the cardinal ingredients of an adventure bike, including wide tyres, disc brakes, thru-axles, relaxed geometry and mounts for mudguards and racks. The Bokeh goes the actress mile with a front dynamo mount, third bottle cage mount, 700C and 650B bicycle size compatibility and fully internal cable routing.

You can have all Bricklayer'southward bikes with 1X gearing, and the set-up Mason has called here is as versatiled as it gets.The wide-range SRAM 10-42 cassette paired to the 42-molar chainring up front will get you upwardly and down virtually climbs and descents without unduly running out of ratios.

Gear range: 27-113 inches

Read our review of the Stonemason Bokeh Force

3T Strada — from £2,425

One of the most exciting road bikes effectually, 3T'south Strada is a unmarried-chainring aero road bike, and while its tight clearances and disability to run a double chainset might put some people off, those bug fade away when you ride it. It's a truly stunning cycle with breathtaking speed, impressive smoothness and fine treatment residue.

Gear range: 38-122 inches

Read our review of the 3T Strada
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Bombtrack Claw EXT-C 2021 — from £2,499

This is the carbon fibre version of a bicycle we reviewed and really liked in 2017, and in going composite it's shed a couple of kilos of weight, which is impressive. We expect the Hook EXT-C to exist as big a bundle of fun as its steel cousin, simply less piece of work on climbs and on the road. Trail riding is where the Hook EXT really excels though, thanks to huge 2.2-inch ETRTO 584mm (650B) tyres.

Read our first look at the Bombtrack Claw EXT-C
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Gear range: 27–98 inches

Specialized CruX 2021 — £2,750

All of Specialized's Crux cyclocross bikes at present take singe chainrings, and this one is a simply brilliant crosser that provides actually expert handling, numberless of stride and all the benefits that disc brakes bring to the party, all wrapped upward in a bold looking bundle. It's ready to race, but is equally at dwelling diggings along bridleways and through the local woods for a couple of hours.

Gear range: 30-98 inches

Read our review of the Specialized Crux Elite
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Trek Crockett five Disc 2021 — £2,050

Trek'southward Crockett is mostly a race-fix cyclocross bicycle, but features similar the double canteen boses and relatively tall caput tube make it more a one-trick pony.

Gear range: thirty–88 inches

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Marin Headlands 2 — £2,795

Marin'southward latest gravel/take a chance bikes, the two bikes in the Headlands range accept carbon fibre frames and a huge selection of mounting points for backs, racks, and any attachments you can imagine.

For the top model, Marin has used Shimano's new GRX 800 components, including the wide-range rear mech that accommodates a x-42 cassette. The left-manus shifter operates a dropper post so you can shift your weight downwards for improved cornering on fast descents.

Gear range: 27–113 inches

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Giant TCX Advanced Pro 2 2021 — £2,699.00

Giant's flagship cyclocross bike, the TCX Avant-garde Pro 2 has a carbon fibre frame, tubeless wheel and proper cross racing tyres in its Maxxis All-Terrenes.

For the 2021 version, Giant rolled out a new TCX Advanced frame and fork that they say is 260g lighter than previously and a ride that's smoother thanks to the introduction of new features.

Gear range: thirty–98 inches

Read more than about the new TCX Advanced pro bikes
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Kona Libre CR DL 2021 — £3,699.00

With its carbon fibre frame, 45mm tyres and massive option of gear mounting points, Kona's Libre platform is billed as coming "packed with everything you lot need for the ultimate adventure". There are enough of rack and mudguard mounts, four bottle mounts, a peak-tube bag mount and Salsa-style three-commodities rack mounts on the fork legs.

Scrap spendy for you? At that place's now an aluminium Libre with many of the same features for simply £one,699.

Gear range: 26-98 inches

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Rondo RUUT AL 1 2021 — £ane,799.99

The RUUT AL is an aluminium gravel/adventure wheel from Polish brand Rondo. It's a super comfortable multi-surface automobile with active handling that can be adjusted between fast and racy to more than upright and relaxed through its cleverly designed, geometry adjusting Twintip fork. The 43mm Panaracer Gravel Rex tyres work well in all only lightheaded weather, and in that location'southward telescopic for 55mm ETRTO 584mm (650B) tyres and wheels if you want to go even fatter.

The RUUT distinguishing feature is that fork, which has swappable 'chips' in the tips that change the start and ride height. The departure is not that noticeable at the handlebars as it's only 1cm in height divergence, but turning into switchbacks and barrelling forth the singletrack, the difference in steering feel is noticeable. In the low axle position with the longer trail, the bicycle needs more input to take the aforementioned lines as the loftier axle position with the shorter trail. It's a clever characteristic, letting you choose the handling that you like best for your own trails and mode.

Gear range: 27-103 inches

Read our review of the Rondo RUUT AL
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BMC Roadmachine X 2021 — £1,899

Equally the name implies, this is an endurance road bike with adventure tendencies, the merely one of BMC's Roadmachine family to manipulate with the traditional double chainset. By the standards of many of the bikes here it has skinny tyres at 34mm, indicating its purpose is more Tarmac than trails, simply with a wide, low gear range information technology looks well suited to long days in the hills.

Gear range: 26-98 inches

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Vitus Substance CRX-1 2021 — £2,199.99

Driblet-bar bikes with ETRTO 584mm (650B) tyres are however in the minority, but Vitus has called the smaller and arguably more versatile wheel size here, and built it in carbon fibre to keep the weight downwards. With hydraulic disc brakes, 1x groupset and full-carbon fork, this Substance CRX holds plenty of entreatment for the modernistic day on/off-roader.

Gear range: 32-98 inches

Read our review of the Vitus Substance V2 Apex

Whyte Glencoe 2021 — £i,599

Whyte is also clearly a believer in the 650B concept as well, enough to telephone call the Glencoe " the best all circular route bike we have always made". Merely like the Merida Silex it shows potent signs of Whyte'southward expertise in mountain bikes, with a long frame, short stem and wide bar for command on crummy surfaces. The 47mm tyres put the Glencoe in the RoadPLUS category, Marin says and we've certainly been impressed by the capabilities of the WTB Horizon tyres Whyte has called. If you're looking for something a bit out of the ordinary, the Glencoe deserves close examination.

Gear range: 28–108 inches

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Vitus Energie VR 2021 — £1,299.99

The Energie VR is an excellent tool for thrashing circular in the mud for an 60 minutes on a Sun, and it's versatile plenty for more general riding. The drivetrain is splendid and information technology's tubeless-prepare out of the box. For the money, information technology'due south difficult to fault. It's built around a 6061-T6 triple-butted hydroformed aluminium alloy frame that's mated to a full carbon fork, and both of those are tidily built. The cycle has mounts for a rack and full mudguards and two sets of canteen bosses, then it's properly versatile if you want to run it equally a winter cycle/adventure bike/tourer.

Gear range: xxx–98 inches

Read our review of the 2017 Vitus Energie

Sonder Camino Al Apex ane Hydraulic — £1,199

With its wide, flared bar, the Sonder Camino from outdoor equipment specialists Alpkit is very much at the 'off-road adventure' station on the liine spectrum from pothole-basher to intercontinental expedition. This is a bicycle that enjoys going off-road merely would as well be quite happy taking yous longer distances on tarmac besides. The bias – and the way the bike is specced certainly corroborates this – is towards off-road adventuring. The comfortable position is perfect for gravel excursions or riding long distances loaded with baggage, but is but a piddling too upright for longer (proper) road rides. It'due south a do anything bike with a definite off-road flavour, but above all, it's a bike to have fun with at a price that belies its capabilities.

Gear range: 26–98 inches

Read our review of the Sonder Camino Al Apex 1 Hydraulic V2

Boardman CXR 8.9 — £one,100

Chris Boardman has always said that his cyclocross bikes are his favourites in the range. With a large gear range, SRAM Apex hydraulic discs, and mounts for racks and mudguards, the CXR 8.9 exemplifies the versatility Boardman loves about cyclocross bikes, and it's outstanding value for coin.

Gear range: 28-108 inches

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Explore the complete archive of reviews of bikes on road.cc

Cafe Wisdom: road.cc readers talk 1X

Many of our readers who are experienced cyclists volition have used all fashion of gearing systems over the years, so are a valuable source of cognition when helping you decide which is all-time for y'all. Here's some of the best comments nosotros've had about 1X gearing in previous versions of this article.

zeeridesbikes said: "For me 1x works well for my towpath commute and as well means less maintenance. I don't recall information technology shines out on the road. I never seem to be able to observe the perfect gear like I tin on my ' traditional' 52-36/xi-32. Might exist that I just need to go used to it. If I only had one cycle I'd chose the 2x option."

slappop said: "If information technology works for you, fine. I personally don't have any problems at all with a front mech (adjusting it is extremely elementary) and similar the shut ratios it gives. In fact, there's a certain pleasure in operating ane in the aforementioned way that double-declutching a manual gearbox in a car is. I can certainly see the advantage if you lot need the clearance under the bottom bracket."

Drinfinity said: "I'thousand using my Cyclocross cycle on the road now every bit a ShopperCross. Rival shifters and mech, with eleven-42 and a 34 chainring. Would become upward the steep hills with a full load from the co-op, but going to the shop it was undergeared. An xi-46 Shimano XT cassette (with spacer) allowed me to become a 40 chainring for faste descending, but nevertheless easily climb dorsum abode. The Rival mech handles the 46 with no issue."

TRV56 said: "Been using 1x Rival with 10-42 on my commuter and gravel bikes for almost two years at present and would never go back to 2x. Have 1x12 on my mountain bikes, so using 1x11 on the road and gravel was an easy transition. Sure, if I was a hardcore roadie and cared virtually cadence I'd stick with 2x, but 1x, peculiarly with the xd 10-42 gives me all the gears I want with none of the blather of dealing with my old nemesis, the front derailleur. I switch between 40, 42, and 44 wolf tooth chainrings depending on terrain, and have never had a drop."

matthewn5 said: "If people want simple, why not go for hub gears? No derailleurs, no problems, last for ever."

fukawitribe replied to matthewn5: "Well, they're really no more simple but I think it's mainly that currently they tend to be significantly heavier and far more than expensive in general *... and seen as 'not cool'. Hopefully all three of those will continue to alter in the future, it seems to exist happening just it's slower than many would like, myself included. I'd similar to think that the increase in popularity in due east-bikes is pushing the gearbox developments a wee bit faster, just hard to tell for sure.

* Up-front costs anyway - the amortised toll due savings in cassettes, chainsets and chains tin certainly be compelling but no help if the initial purchase price makes information technology difficult to get."

TheSmallRing said: "Just started using 1x on my new commuter. Haven't noticed the big leap between gears, probably only an issue when on a fast pace guild run or racing. What I practise notice is the lack of chain slap, especially when striking potholes or jumping up curbs. Very satisfying. Indexing seems a fleck more fiddly though."

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Source: https://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/33-road-gravel-and-cyclocross-bikes-1x-gearing-237160

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