As winter begins taking more daylight away, bringing in colder weather and blustery winds, we tend to think we have fewer opportunities to get outside and ride our bikes. Road cycling in the winter can be very enjoyable if you have proper attire and plan carefully to ward off the cold wind chill factor.

However, a few years ago, I found a new way to rejuvenate my interest in winter cycling with a cyclocross bike. I really didn’t have much interest in Cyclocross racing as my triathlon season had me wanting to take a break and back off the hard workouts, but I really did miss the camaraderie of group rides that were now taking place on these “Cross bikes”. After some research, I made the purchase of a cross bike, so I could enjoy cycling without being stuck on the pavement. Now I am riding during daylight and night hours on roads, sidewalks, greenways, trails and parks, sometimes all during the same ride. Fortunately, Umstead Park is close to many in the Raleigh, Cary, and Durham area offering many miles of smooth dirt bridal trails for endless hours of riding while protected from traffic and windy weather. Cross riding is a way to adventure wherever you want to go without limitations or worries of a bike mis-handling in the varying off road terrain.

I had the chance to ride the new 2009 Scott CX Team bike for a few weeks and thought a review would be appropriate. The Scott CX Team frame uses 7005 alloy, double butted tubing with a sloping geometry allowing for greater clearance on stand over height. The Carbon CX straight fork provides a very nimble front end for quick handling without sacrificing stability. The component make up is a mix of Shimano’s 105 front derailleur, Ultegra rear derailleur and Ultegra STI shift lever which allows for very precise shifting. The Truvativ Elita CX compact cranks are very lightweight and stiff for great power transfer. A second set of shorty brake levers on the handle bar are a nice touch offering additional hand positioning. The Tektro CX Pro brake calipers have a much greater stopping power than last years Avid Shorty levers and also use replaceable cartridge brake pads.

The handlebar is a Scott Pro OS (oversized) 31.8mm bar accompanied with a Ritchey Pro Road OS stem. The bars come wider than most road bikes per size to allow for greater leverage when pulling hard either seated or standing. Even the Scott CX saddle is not bad for a stock saddle and pairs well with a light and stiff Ritchey 31.6mm seatpost. Lastly, the wheelset is probably one of the best value components for a bike in this price range. The wheels consist of Mavic CXP 22 rims, Shimano Ultegra hubs and 32 hole DT Swiss 1.8mm bladed spokes. The Continental Speedking 35c tires are great for traction on many different surfaces without trapping mud between the treads or adding rolling resistance on smooth pavement.

Scott has also added technical features such as externally cable routing on the top tube to avoid tangling when shouldering the bike over obstacles. Even the top tube is flattened underneath the tube at the down tube junction, for greater comfort while carrying the bike