Cyclocross, or Cross or CX if you like, is undergoing quite a bit of resurgence in terms of popularity these past few years with riders looking for an off-season physically challenging sport although not all riders looking to buy a cross bike are wanting to race it – cross bikes, a bit like hybrids can offer a rider a degree of versatility down to their ability to a varied range of terrains.
One of the many unique characteristics of a cross bike is its resemblance to a regular road bike however they have increased clearance, slightly more aggressive tyres (although not quite as knobbly as those found on mountain bikes) and on models which don’t feature disc brakes they have wide angle cantilever brake which allows for mud and other bits of debris to pass under without clogging up.
Because they are so much like road bikes they are also becoming increasingly popular fast commuter bikes for riders who don’t want the “lazy” upright sitting position of a hybrid plus unlike most road bikes today cross bikes more often than not feature mudguard eyelets allowing the fixing of mudguards for those wet commutes.