Cyclocross has a few unique demands both on your body and on your equipment. Participating in the gritty, brilliant sport entails muddied-up drivetrains and the occasional tumble, so you’ll want a bike that’s purpose-built to handle the abuse and put you on the podium. These are the best cyclocross bikes you can get right now. Not surprisingly, all of these rides will also make pretty great gravel bikes.
What’s New in Cyclocross
The popularity and proliferation of gravel bikes have done quite a bit to eat into the popularity of dedicated cyclocross bikes. While large brands like Trek and Canyon still produce a dedicated cyclocross race bike alongside their gravel bike offerings, other brands have chosen to consolidate their lineups or, like Santa Cruz, market one bike for both gravel and cross, given the small market for pure cross bikes. Such brands include Cannondale, which sells their SuperSix Evo CX in two builds, one that is set up for racing cross and one that is set up for gravel. Specialized took their popular Crux cyclocross bike, tweaked the geometry, and are now selling it as both a lightweight gravel bike and one suited for cyclocross.
It's a strategy that many larger brands are taking as they see the demand for gravel bikes surging. Riders looking for pure cross racing bikes will need to look a little harder at smaller brands. However, many riders will be perfectly happy with bikes that are marketed as suited for both disciplines. After all, the cyclocross bike was the original gravel race bike.
More Affordable Materials and Modernized Geometry
Carbon fiber is the frame material for mid-range and top-end cyclocross bikes, and you can now find quality rides made with it at more affordable prices. The Giant TCX Advanced Pro 2, for example, has a carbon frame and will set you back $2,600 for a race-ready spec. Many brands continue to lower the bottom bracket height on their bikes, which gives better all-around handling. Manufacturers like Trek and Cannondale are putting out bikes with drops between 66mm and 70mm. However, you can still find a traditionally high BB (and greater pedal clearance) on European-style cross bikes, such as the Canyon Inflite CF SL or the Ribble CX SL.
What You Get for Your Dollar
Here’s how the marginal gains of cyclocross spending break down: The $3,000-4,300 level—where you’ll find the Vitus Energie EVO CRS eTap AXS, Santa Cruz Stigmata Rival, and Cannondale SuperX—gets you a precise SRAM 1x drivetrain and bikes that typically weigh about 17 to 18 pounds. Dropping a little less money—below the $3,000 range on bikes like the Giant TCX Advanced Pro 2 or the Canyon Inflite CF SL—nets you a similar-quality carbon frame with a slightly heavier drivetrain and wheelset. Bikes like the All-City Nature Cross swap in steel frames with carbon forks, which saves a bit of money but still offer a 1x drivetrain, disc brakes, plus a cool paint job. All of these bikes are race-ready for your local cyclocross event, plus can do double duty as gravel bikes the rest of the year.
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How We Tested
Most of the bikes on this list have been ridden hard on the cyclocross course near our Pennsylvania office during a weekly training series, and many have been raced by our team of test editors. We rode fast and dry conditions, as well as nasty, slippery mud. We pushed the bikes through hard, high-speed turns and tight hairpins, as well as slick off-cambers. And because these bikes are plain old fun to ride, we put in our fair share of road and gravel miles on these rigs. Those that we haven’t put through the wringer personally, we selected based on experience with the product and firsthand knowledge of the parts, most of which we’ve tested separately on other bikes. Often we swapped tires and other components to get a better understanding of each bike. Then we evaluated them on performance, price, comfort, handling, value, and reliability to come up with this list of bikes that will best serve the needs of anyone looking to add a new cyclocross bike to their collection.
Specialized Crux Comp
Pros
- Wildly light
- Clearance for 47mm tires
Cons
- Pricey
Using what they’ve learned from the successful Aethos road bike, Specialized has remade the Crux into quite possibly one of the most versatile and exceptional drop-bar bikes. The refreshed geometry strikes the perfect balance between stability at speed and responsive handling. English threaded (BSA) bottom bracket, a round 27.2 seatpost, and a standard bar/stem combo make the new Crux hassle-free and straightforward to work on.
The Crux comes as close as I can imagine to being the one bike that can conceivably do it all. It’s so light and responsive that I could easily see myself putting some 30mm width tires on the wheels, bolting up a front derailleur, adding a chainring, and entering a road race or criterium with this bike. Likewise, I could also put some knobby tires on, jump into some rough singletrack, and the Crux will maintain its incredible poise and precision on either surface. It almost breaks my brain thinking about how good one bike can be on so many different surfaces, but the Crux manages to do just that.
Canyon Inflite CF SL 7
Pros
- Lightweight carbon frame and fork
- 2x drivetrain (for those that prefer it)
Cons
- 2x drivetrain (for those that don't)
No list of cyclocross bikes would be complete without the bike piloted to both the elite men’s and women’s World Cyclocross Championships. The Inflite CF SL 7 has the same unique frame shape and Hi-Mod carbon as the bikes ridden by Mathieu van der Poel and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, but Canyon saves you money by using a less complex carbon lay-up. The brand hung a GRX 800 2x Shimano groupset, along with a one piece carbon cockpit, DT Swiss C1800 Spline db wheels, and a 4iiii powermeter. We challenge you to find a build with better value elsewhere. Several editors at Bicycling were able to ride this bike near our headquarters in Pennsylvania, and there was a common thread among our experiences: It’s extremely comfortable while remaining fast on all ’cross-specific terrain.
Trek Boone 6
Pros
- Shimano GRX 1x groupset
- Cross specific design and geometry
Cons
- Pricey
- Officially only clears 38mm tires
Because of Treks sponsorship of the Baloise Trek Lions professional cyclocross team the Boone has remained a purpose built cross bike. There are all kinds of clever tube shaping to help increase mud clearance, shed frame weight, and make the bike easier to shoulder. Geometry is standard cyclocross-style with a 68mm bottom bracket drop, a 72-degree head tube angle, and a short wheelbase. A dependable Shimano GRX 1x groupset takes care of shifting. The entire package makes for an outstanding cyclocross race set up for folks that don’t care about maxing out their tire clearance for gravel.
Santa Cruz Stigmata Rival
Pros
- Massive mud clearance
- Fits 650b wheels and tires
Cons
- Not for the cross purists
The Santa Cruz Stigmata was arguably one of the first bikes that blurs the lines of cyclocross and gravel. While you’ll find quite a few talented racers riding the Stigmata at UCI races here in the US, it’s also equally at home on a bike-packing trip through Scotland. Tire clearance is modest by gravel standards at 45mm for a 700c wheelset, but the Stigmata can also accommodate 650b wheels and tires up to 53mm (2.1-ish). The 72mm of bottom bracket drop is on the low end of all the bikes here and should give the Stigmata a bit of extra stability. Combined with a reliable Rival 1x drivetrain, the Stigmata is ready for both racing and adventure.
Giant TCX Advanced Pro 2
Pros
- Clearance for 45mm tires
- Aggressive fit
Cons
The Giant TCX Advanced Pro 2 has stabile geometry and a vibration-damping carbon frame that makes even the roughest courses feel fast. A slightly shorter reach and long chainstays (relative to its competitors) help the bike feel planted in sloppy conditions. Giant’s proprietary D–Fuse seatpost improves ride quality while in the saddle. Shifts from the 11-speed Shimano GRX-600 drivetrain were immediate and crisp. The flat-mount hydraulic disc brakes have race-level stopping power. At $2,950, the TCX Advanced Pro 2 is a great value as a smooth-handling ’cross bike.
Kona Jake the Snake
Pros
- Aluminum frame, carbon fork
- Cable-actuated hydraulic disc brakes
Cons
- 33c tires are good for cyclocross but on the narrow side for gravel riding
If you’re looking for a bike that can handle daily use as a commuter, mixed-surface road riding, and weekend cyclocross racing, this could be the bike for you. The aluminum frame boasts geometry that balances the performance you need for hitting the ’cross course without sacrificing the comfort and stability you need for road riding and commuting. In addition, SRAM’s Apex 1 11-speed drivetrain offers good performance at a great price, while the TRP HY/RD C cable-actuated hydraulic disc brakes give you the power and consistency of hydraulics at cable-actuated prices.
Ribble CX SL Pro
Pros
- Race focused in every way
- Tubulars come stock
Cons
- 2x groupset may not suit everyone
- Tubulars come stock
The Ribble CX SL Pro is a cross-bike built with a very European approach, ticking every box needed by racers with podium aspirations. A size medium comes in an amazingly (for a cross bike) light 16.9lbs thanks to a full carbon frame, fork, and seatpost, as well as sleek integrated handlebar-stem combo. The Shimano Ultegra Di2 drivetrain is built with 46/36t double chainrings up front and an 11/32t cassette, a “Euro” gearing setup might not be for everyone, but which you still seen being used at the elite levels of the sport. The bottom bracket is set at 64mm of drop with an almost road-like wheelbase of 1013mm. The Ribble should be ideal for pedaling through turns and tight corners. Its low weight is a bonus for shouldering the bike on run-ups or carrying over barriers. It is also the only bike in the round-up that is offered stock with tubular tires and wheels. If this is a step too far for you, Ribble offers a Rival 1x build for $2,350, which can be a bit more sensible for many riders but still uses the same aggressive frame as the Pro version featured here.
Cannondale SuperSix Evo CX
Pros
- Precise handling
- Great mud clerance
Cons
- Ai offset rear means re-dishing spare wheels to fit
Cannondale took the geometry of its excellent Super X cyclocross bike and merged it with the aerodynamics and looks of the SuperSix Evo road bike, mixed in 45mm of tire clearance to make a bike that can win a nine-hour gravel race or a sixty-minute cross race. Currently, Cannondale is offering the new bike in two versions, a CX variant (that we tested) and an SE build aimed towards gravel riders or anyone looking for a fast bike with ample tire clearance. The CX version will retail for $4,000 with a SRAM Force CX1 drivetrain. While an 11-speed mechanical groupset might seem dated, Force CX1 has been a reliable performer. By choosing it here, Cannondale helps ensure broader compatibility for racers potentially upgrading from the older Super X.
The SE build (priced at $5,000) features a 2x SRAM Rival AXS 12-speed drivetrain and wider, 40c Vittoria Terreno Dry tires. Essentially Cannondale is saying, “If your main focus is gravel, then the SE is for you and cyclocross friends; you’ll want the CX version.” Both use the same frameset, so with some slight parts modifications and tire changes, you could easily use the CX build to ride gravel or vice versa.
All-City Nature Cross Geared and Single Speed
Pros
- Steel is real
- Clerance for 42mm tires
Cons
- On the heavier side for the price
The All-City Nature Cross provides the core-coolness of a high-end steel race frame at a competitive price. With a flashy paint job and an aggressive 67mm of BB drop—complementing a stiff frame and clearance for 42mm tires—this is a race bike that is also ready to party. All-City offers the Nature Cross in a single-speed build for those preferring to be their own gears. The single-speed build is available for $2,400 and riders can add gears to the frame at a later date. There is also a frame and fork option priced at $1,600 for those wanting to do a custom build.
Triban RC500
decathlon Triban RC500, Shimano Sora Disc Brake Road Bike
decathlon Triban RC500, Shimano Sora Disc Brake Road Bike
Pros
- Good price
- Good build
Cons
- Clearance is too tight for full mud conditions
The Triban is technically not really a cyclocross bike, but at one thousand dollars, it's the cheapest bike in this roundup. For that money, riders get a solid aluminum frame built with quality Shimano Sora parts. The max 36mm tire clearance is going to be tight for full-on muddy cyclocross conditions, but with a tire upgrade, riders can still tackle dry races to figure out if cyclocross is something they are interested in.
