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FIRST LOOK: Specialized Tricross

Cyclo-Cross bike with a bit of commuting and touring thrown in...

Posted: 5 January 2006
by Guy Andrews
Z3

Cyclo-Cross is big business in the USA these days. Most of the top manufacturers now have a 'crosser in the line up and now Spesh have entered the mud plugging fray with this complete bike - The Tricross. It's a sleek and capable machine. OK so the 'cross season is nearly over, but this bike is the 2006 model so it will be available all year and potentially could be the bike for your next season's campaign.

There's a pretty healthy specification on the Tricross too and there would only have to be a few changes made to get it off-road ready straight from the box. Perhaps some tyres and a pair of SPDs, then your ready to line up for a local cross race. And there's plenty of scope for upgrading this into a stealth-cross bike, so with a few choice upgrades it could be a perfect steed for local cross leagues.

But there's more, Specialized have also added mudguard eyes, bottle bosses and rack mounts so during the summer you could pack up a tent and a sleeping bag and head off for a spot of touring, or use it all year round as a commuter.

Needless to say at £700, they're selling like hot cakes

Specification

Frame: A1 Premium Aluminum, double-butted tubing, semi-compact design
Fork: FACT carbon cyclocross, carbon legs, aluminum Steerer, Speed Zertz inserts, rack/mudguardmounts
Aheadset: 1 1/8" integrated threadless, sealed stainless steel cartridge bearing
Stem: Specialized 3D forged alloy, 10 degree rise, 26.0mm clamp
Bars: Specialized Comp handlebar, alloy racing drop, 26.0 Clamp
Tape: Body Geometry Bar Phat, cork ribbon w/2.5mm gel padding
Brakes: Tektro Oryx, cantilever brakes with cartridge pads
Brake Levers: Shimano Sora, 8-speed, STI, flight deck compatible, with Specialized brake lever extensions
Front mech: Shimano Sora, 31.8mm clamp, bottom pull
Rear mech: Shimano 105, short cage
Shifters: Shimano Sora, 8-speed, STI, flight deck compatible
Cassette: Shimano HG50, 12-25t
Chain: Shimano HG50, 8-speed
Cranks: RPM forged alloy compact crankset with 48x34T rings
BB: Shimano UN-25 cartridge, 68mm shell, 113mm spindle
Pedals: Composite body, alloy cage, with toe clips and straps
Rims: Alex ACE-19, double wall rim, machined sidewalls, spoke eyelets
Hubs: forged alloy, 32 hole, double sealed bearings, QR
Spokes: Stainless 14g
Tyres: Specialized Borough CX, 700x32C, wire bead, 60TPI
Saddle: Specialized road saddle, full padding
Seat Post: Specialized carbon fibre, 27.2mm

• Sizes: 49, 52, 54, 56, 58 and 61 sloping geometry.
• Colours: Black
• Price: £699.99
• From: Specialized UK - 020 8391 3511
• www.specialized.com


Compact drive
'Cross clearance
budget Shimano group

Spesh on/off road tyres
Carbon Zertz fork
Cross set up
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Discuss this story


Alistair Robinson
Shimano sora on a £700 bike? Seems pretty poor spec, you can normally get 9 speed 105 for that kind of money. Why is it an 8 speed cassette? something to do with being better adapted to muddy conditions perhaps? Also that looks like a 105 10spd rear mech which will presumably be designed for a narrow chain but the spec'd chain is 8 speed, how well will that work?
Posted: 05/01/2006 15:05


James Stout (defrosting)
specialised mess about with putting the wrong mechs i.e a 9 spee dmech on an 8 spd bike to give the impression they have more gears. A mech could shift most chains it is the cassette which is the limiter.
Posted: 05/01/2006 16:16


Adam Shash
Does seems a bit pricey presumably the money is on the frame...
Posted: 06/01/2006 10:39


James Stout (defrosting)
or those odd levers saw a bloke on one the other day.
Posted: 06/01/2006 11:54


Pinch Flat
One of my favourite gripes, this. It's the usual nonsense to catch yer eye in the shop. Use a higher priced rear mech because it's most visible and hope people don't pay too much attention to the rest of the kit. Why manufacturers do it is beyond me. A better idea is to use a superior front mech, as it has to work harder than the rear to hoist the chain across the large gaps between the rings, rather than the tiny differences between sprockets. I've done that on my bikes for years.
Posted: 06/01/2006 17:15


Martin Walker
Has no one anything nice to say about the Tricross. Journalists seam to like it, I'm considering buying one as my do it all bike, A replacement for my now ageing Hybrid. Thought it would be a good all rounder, Sunday Rides, Commuting and the odd Forest trail. I like the idea of being able to use one bike for everything.

I have been impressed with Specialized kit that I have purchased before and was thinking of Sirrus Sport, When I discovered the Tricross in a bicycle shop in Moneymore Northern Ireland Whilst on Holiday at Christmas.

Anyone any good comments
Posted: 07/01/2006 15:42


Alistair Robinson
I'm sure it is a good bike, i am a big fan of Specialized bikes and alot of there kit it just seemed an odd spec to me.
Also you probably want to try one yourself or talk to someone who has as i don't think anyone who has posted here (including me) has actually ridden one.
Posted: 07/01/2006 16:49


Adam Tranter
Hi there, your all going on Road specifications. £799 is a lot of money for a road bike, but Cross bikes have to be a lot better frames, more sturdy and so on.

James, just because it's 8 speed doesn't mean it has to have a crap mech on it, better mechs are more durable and work better. The kind of functionality you want in a cross race.

Oh, and the official technical reason (what Specialized told me) is that 8 speed is there to give more clearance, the idea being more gears + mud = more problems.

Tell me James, what other mismatching and odd components have you experienced on Specialized bikes? I'd like to hear.


Posted: 07/01/2006 19:38


James Stout (defrosting)
spesh allez 2005 has a tiagra 9speed mech and 8spd shifters. I didn't say the mech was crap simply mismatched. Also the wheels on my allez were built by a chimp seriously they needed 3 turns takingo ut of each spoke on one side. saying that its a very good bike for the cash.

I saw a tricross ona club run and it looked nice for as long as the bloke kept up!
Posted: 07/01/2006 20:05


Ron Gallacher
Hi i bought a tri cross, last week for £560 in the GB cycles sale,I was looking for a 1 bike does all(commuting,training rides,gentle off road rides with the wife) I have only given it one ride, around the kent lanes 50kms, mostly on the road,(very muddy,wet,even snowy) It was fantastic, i was with some club mates on road bikes had no problems keeping up, this was my main concern, i thought it might be a bit heavy/slow on the climbs, but no probs, 1st ever time using a compact, it worked really well, I have never been a fan of sora, this is my only concern, but i plan to pick up some cheap 9speed 105 kit and sell the sora on ebay, going for an off road ride later, will report!
Posted: 08/01/2006 11:31


Adam Shash
If you can only buy 1 bike a X bike is a good place to start especially at that price! surely in a X you don't shift the front rings that much? therefore I would have thought a good quality rear mech would be the way to go? Certainly on a road bike I's say that anyway
Posted: 08/01/2006 11:43


Adam Shash
I suspect X frames have to be more expensive as they sell lower quantities too?
Posted: 08/01/2006 11:58


Martin Walker
Thank you Ron nice to here from an owner.What a good price you got, Everywhere else seams to be advertising for 699.

As Adam pointed out it should be a good allrounder.


Still saving.
Posted: 08/01/2006 13:41


Ron Gallacher
I have just come back from a ride,wimbledon common, 2 laps of richmond(track not road) then back up over the common,

The 34 ring feels more like a 42 on an off road climb , downhill takes a bit skill, much easier on a hard tail mountain bike, that x-cross is a bit more difficult than i thought, holding 30kph off road is tough, It seems like a great all round bike, I also have a spesh tarmac with ultegra 10, that will be staying indoors until spring now i have tri cross
Posted: 08/01/2006 14:18


m@
I think as well it may be slightly more expensive as there's only one model in the range as opposed to say the Allez where several bikes use the same frame.
Posted: 08/01/2006 14:47


James Stout (defrosting)
there are other in the usa no?
Posted: 08/01/2006 15:03


Adam Shash
I'm pretty sure the main reason is down to the fact that they'll probably sell a lot fewer than the road bikes. As m@ said the allez frame sells massive quantities because they use it on a very popular range and must sell millions (well nearly?) whereas the X frame will sell on a much smaller scale simply because more people buy road bikes...The old Supply and demand, market equilibrium thingy!
Posted: 09/01/2006 09:17


Bill Koraska
I bought the tricross before christmas. Have done about 250 miles on it and find it to be a great road bike. The compact chainset is great for just getting around and no problem on south england hills. I did change the tires and rims for some more roadie gear. ( 28mm tires and MA3 36 spoke rims) Climbs well, shifts ok, and can have full racks on it. Only complaint being the wheels that came with it. Put them on the touring bike done maybe 100 miles and the rear one is out twice now.
Posted: 09/01/2006 11:49


James Stout (defrosting)
prob this bike is a candidate for a road and a cross set of wheels
Posted: 09/01/2006 17:48


Richard Wilson 5
Well I've nothing bad to say about mine, got it as one of the first drop about nov/dec. Can't quite remeber.

It came with a nine speed 105, which admitted does work better than the ten. The ten's tend to be a little noisy, but who cares really. Can you hear it as you rail woodland trails with your mates on their fully suspended Mtb's. Nope. Besides I've had way too much fun riding this bike to notice such things.

It all works, so far without fault. £700 I don't know why your all moaning.
Posted: 09/01/2006 18:58


m@
They're moaning because it comes with 8speed Sora!
Posted: 09/01/2006 19:04


Adam Shash
Moaning?
Posted: 17/01/2006 13:27


ian cleverly
I think, Adam, that Specialized will sell bundles of these. It's the perfect winter bike, 'cross, commute, training, it does the lot. The spec seems perfectly reasonable for the price.
The 'mismatched mech' situation that James refers to is something that every volume bike manufacturer does. You save money on the front mech/bottom bracket/headset but always spec up for the rear mech because that is where you will get most 'bang for your buck', as it were. Shimano mechs will work perfectly well on 8,9 or 10 speed, so what's the problem there?
Posted: 17/01/2006 15:49


Adam Shash
I don't disagree with you...why single me out? If anything you've just said a load of points that agree with me. Yes its expensive but then X bikes generally are compared to road bikes because of the lower volume. You don't seriously expect that there'll be more of these frames out there than say the allez frame though do you?
Posted: 19/01/2006 12:42


James Stout (defrosting)
i think they do a whole range of them in the usa
Posted: 19/01/2006 15:09


ian cleverly
Sorry Adam!! I didn't mean to single you out, but, although they may not sell as many Tricross as Allez, I am suggesting this is a huge growth area that the big manufacturers have finally cottoned on to. All those newbie racers on their gleaming Italian machines are realising that winter trashes their bikes and are looking for alternatives. The bike show at docklands featured a cross/winter bike from every big producer, so they must be confident that it's the way forward.
I just hope that the people buying them make sure they do some 'cross racing. There's no going back...
Posted: 19/01/2006 16:01


James Stout (defrosting)
is it the same as langster frame?
Posted: 19/01/2006 16:04


Adam Shash
Would be good for the sport!
Posted: 19/01/2006 17:53


NUKE
Just been to the LBS to see about buying a Tricross. He's got one in for Monday for me to try. As I want this as lightweight Tourer/Commuter rather than for Competing. I asked about conversion to a triple chainset and was pleasently suprised by the response £40 for Sora or £80 for Tiagra. Probably go for Sora Although I dare say If he's half a sales man he'll talk me up to Tiagra before I part with the Cash.

Posted: 27/01/2006 20:42


Adam Tranter
Quite honestly I think you'll be fine with the Chainrings on there already.
Posted: 27/01/2006 21:09


NUKE
Adam I suspect from your photograph you are Young and fit. I on the otherhand am not. I have a knee which was badly smashed in accident several years back which does not like grinding big gears. So the more I can twiddle when it comes to longer hills the more likely I am to keep going. Whilst the tricross gear range is fine for here (Suffolk), and is greater than the range I currently use. The gearing would not be very good for our holiday this Year in Northern Ireland or if I went back to my native Yorkshire.
Posted: 27/01/2006 21:35


Adam Tranter
Ah OK point taken, generally Cross bikes have small chainrings and wider cassettes, which is OK for most and quite compact. But whatever you're used to!
Posted: 27/01/2006 21:41


Adam Shash
I would have thought it would have come with a small set of chainrings....
Posted: 30/01/2006 17:12


NUKE
Still waiting to here the costing, on the triple, but after riding one with a double, Adam Im beginging to believe you might be right the range on the compact double is probably enough Decissions Decissions.
Posted: 30/01/2006 20:53


Nick Valison
Commenting from Seattle: I found this thread because I've been enchanted by the bike, but am going through my cooling off period before I fork over the cash. In the states there are two models. The Sport which you seem to have in the UK, and the Comp which has some very nice upgrades along with about a 30% price increase. To check out the comp, browse over to www.specialized.com and pick the USA as your location. Thanks for all the comments about the bike. I really think I have to have one. I've got about 3 weeks left to think about it though.

Oh, and about the gearing, My LBS suggested when I want to go play in the mountains, just throw a XT Cassette and derailure on it. (The Comp Model is 9speed)
Posted: 28/02/2006 23:59


Bill Koraska
I've made more than a few changes to my tricross now. I had to change the forks due to an unpredictable shutter the bike had. It would appear that the bottom portion of the fork legs would flex a whole bunch on certain unpredictable braking conditions. I changed the forks over to Ouzo Pros. Problem solved. Transfered the old forks to the tourer, no problems so far. I've also changed the drive train to Ultegra 10 and the wheels to Mavic rim/Hope hubs. It now weighs 20 lbs. and goes like stink with rock solid stability. I can still but the off road tires and go play in the dirt if I wish, but I now have a very good all round bike. To bad they don't sell the comp version over here.
Posted: 13/04/2006 23:30

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