Cyclocross Archives - Cycling Hacks

Best Cyclocross Bikes Under $1,500

September 15, 2022September 8, 2019 by Cycling Hacks Team

Can’t decide between a road bike and a mountain bike? Or maybe you love the idea of riding on dirt roads and gravel, but don’t feel comfortable riding them on a road bike.

Enter the cyclocross bike. In a nutshell, it’s a little rougher and tougher than a road bike, but faster and more fun to ride on the road than a mountain bike. It’s also the perfect commuter.

If you’re looking for the best cyclocross bike under $1,500, here are some of my favorites, including our number one pick, the value-packed Women’s specific Raleigh RXW here.

How to Find the Best Cyclocross Bike + 10 Awesome Cross Bikes Reviewed

July 5, 2021December 1, 2017 by Jonathan Nolte

Cyclocross is a racing discipline involving a short, closed course packed with obstacles like of mud, stairs, sand, barriers, snow, hairpin turns, mud, and more mud. Heckling, cowbells, and the distribution of hoppy beverages is part of the event and culture, which hails from Belgium. If you’re contemplating pinning on a number, cyclocross is a very beginner-friendly style of racing.

Traditional cyclocross bikes have drop bars, cantilever brakes (although disc brakes are now dominant), and relatively narrow 32-35mm tires. The durability, terrain versatility, and handling characteristics of cyclocross bikes have attracted the attention of many non-racers. Cyclocross bikes are easily adaptable for commuting, trail-riding, road riding, gravel road racing, and wilderness exploring.

While this has led to a market explosion of genre-bending bikes, let’s focus for a moment on some of the best cyclocross bikes you can buy today, bikes that are versatile enough to ride to work on a Monday then rip up your local cross course on Saturday . The cyclocross bike that’s near and dear to my heart is the Raleigh RXM (but more on that later).

Some Like it Hot: A Cyclist’s Guide to Embrocation

August 28, 2022September 12, 2016 by Cycling Hacks Team

Fair-weather riders, listen up! Cyclists have long relied on a secret salve to help adapt to the changing seasons. Embrocation is the answer to those cool fall mornings when leg warmers are too toasty, but the thought of bare skin is goose bump inducing. Want to keep your legs happy as old man winter nips at your heels? Here’s the lowdown on embrocation and reviews of a few of my favorites.