The Tricross is described as a Freeroad bike. It is made to handle a wide variety of terrains. It can handle dirt roads, no roads, or paved roads. The various settings allow a large range of rider talent levels. This bike can be used for cyclo-cross racing, transportation within the area, or adventure riding.
Frame
In the past several years, Specialized bikes has continued to work harder to develop some special looks to its various bike lines. Almost all the tubing on the bike is custom altered to the chassis. The only thing that does not seem to have been changed is the bar the seat is put on only because a seat had to be mounted there
The frame is constructed of double-butted A-1 style aluminum in a slightly compacted shape. Anyone that is not familiar with road bikes should be aware that road bikes have a totally flattened top bar (tube). The compacted frames have a lower slopping upper tube. Semi compacted frames are somewhere in between the range. For some riders, the frame may feel like it sits taller than most free road bikes, however, the frame sits rather low by road bike regulations.
In the front of the bike is a special bar that allows the plug in of a headset. Fastened to the rear of the bike are the upper and lower bars. The lower bar has multiple revisions in cross-section and has a slight bend on the path to the lower bracket. The upper bar features a shoulder friendly smooth portion in the center for cross style races.
In the rear of the bike, the stays were typically normal. The drop outs display concealed rack eyes. The rider can al get specially made “low rider” mounts on a carbon fiber fork. This is known as a cyclo-cross fork. This has a lot of space for tired and cantilever bosses, and vibrating controller mechanics. Many of these special items are found on these bikes. They claim that as much as 85% of vibrations that would get to the hands are stopped by those rubber inserts.
The entire bike is joined together by double pass welding. This give the old school look to the bike itself. There is a daunted quantity of work that has been put into the production of this frame. Especially for a bike that is not all that pricey.
Ride
Considering the bike was designed to do almost anything, several test were performed on it. First we needed to determine if the bike was road worthy. Not to be left behind, the bike actually felt more comfortable on off road conditions than car racing turf. The Tricross simply feels solid.
For the off road capabilities of this bike, it is incredible! For the rider that demands a serious racing cyclo-cross, you will want something just like this. This bike is ideal for recreation minded trail riding. The brake and narrow tires will probably cause you to re-estimate your stopping distance, but it is much easier to handle than you may think. For riders that need a emotional boost, if you can handle the trails with this style bike, riding the trail with mountain bikes are no problem.
This bike is an incredible ride and despite the few imperfections that make it better for some and not so great for others, overall this is an excellent machine at a very decent price range. The frame is black so it looks great and blends in real well when riding. It is recommended that you have a good amount of experience before attempting to ride a bike of this nature. It is not a typical off the rack department store bike and does not operate that way either. There are training classes available across the country to prepare you for traveling on this type of bike.
