Specialized TriCross Comp

Price Paid:  $0.00 at ZZK, Riga, Latvia

Bike Setup:
stock for now

Summary:
I wanted a bike that do a comfortable 50km on the road, but handle some gravel and singletrack as well. After ordering the 56cm 2008 Tricross Comp in September (7 months is the time it takes a Spesh bike to get to the Baltics), I picked it up at last. The brown frame looks better on the real thing than on the Spesh website.
The ride is nice and comfortable on the road. The 32c tires, not too harsh Roval Pave wheels and carbon seatstays and fork don't mind the potholes and there is almost no road vibration. Certainly 28c or 25c would be better suited for tarmac, but it's a do-it-all bike for now and I don't have a second pair of wheels.
The weight is surely less than a typical MTB. Cant't really compare it to a true road bike as I dõn't have much experience with them, but it's heavier I suppose. The flat top tube makes it easy to carry whenever you have to.
You may say that a RRP of $2050 can get you better components, but I like the frame quality, the geometry and comfort.
I had a little fork shudder at first like others have mentioned, but there was almost no toe in on the front brakes, so after toeing the front pads, it's gone. There was some ticking after the first few km's. It took some time to figure it was one of the cranks. A bit of lube on the bolts and gone it was.
The best thing about the ride is that it's (reasonably) quick on the road, but you can take it to gravel and singletrack with no problem (...duh, it's a CX bike).

Strengths:
- Not too heavy, but strong frame and fork
- Comfortable riding position
- Well chosen components

Weaknesses:
- price could seem a bit on the upside at first, but after a week of riding...

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Toga Bikes

Model Year:
2007

Summary:
Frame is outstanding and sturdy. Shifts flawlessly. Ride is smooth and the ergonomics are wonderful when propery fitted. I have over 1200 miles on this and it really is a nice smooth ride.

Strengths:
Beefy frame. Shifts wonderfully. Comfortable ride.

Weaknesses:
The brakes rattle and rumble something awful and feel like they are going to toss you over.

Similar Products Used:
Bianchi Axis '06, Bianchi Cross Concept '06

Price Paid:  $0.00

Model Year:
2006

Bike Setup:
2006 bike with extra Mavic Open Pro / Ultegra wheelset. Original Roval wheels using custom 14-30 tooth Cassette to get wider range on the double that came on 2006 bikes. (2007 bike is a triple.)

Summary:
Great bike for the Phoenix area, where we have miles and miles of irrigation canal trails, and lots of single-track within the Metro area.

The Roval wheels are incredibly light and beautiful to look at.

The flat frame makes the bike easy to carry when the going gets too rough or rocky to ride.

Equipped with 42mm tires, the bike is very capable on trails -- I often see mountain bikers with their jaws dropped and mouth open when they see a road bike on the trails.

On the road with skinny tires, the bike is extremely comfortable. Road buzz, shock and vibration are minimal.

Strengths:
Good clearance for large tires. Very comfortable ride on the road. Good stiff frame.

Weaknesses:
Bike needs rear brake adjustment so that road wheels can be changed in more easily. Bike gets dirty too easily -- needs mud and dust-shedding teflon finish.

Similar Products Used:
Redline Conquest Pro. (Too stiff.)