CCX Off-Road and Tire Size

[SteveADV]

Most of my time and miles is spent on bike paths and roads, but about a third of my riding is dirt paths, grass hills with moderate to brief steep grades, paths through the woods, etc. Can the CCX handle that OK or should I lean toward one of the Rip Currents?

Also, if I go with the CCX I might want wider tires and I saw that someone put 2.2" tires on their CCX. I contacted Juice and Stephanie (who got back to me same day - today Sunday BTW) and said in her return email that 45x700c would be about the largest I would probably want to use because of the fender size. So, I guess I either stick with the OEM tires or get some larger after market fenders, right? Then again if the CCX isn't a fit for my application tire size is a moot point.

What do you think?

 

[linklemming]

Im the one of the guys with 2.2s on my CCX (2.2F/2.0R continental racekings). I also tried surly knards (700cx41) and WTB resolutes(700cx42) and they both(at 60psi) had good offroad traction but I wanted more plushness. BTW, neither of these are recommended if you want to go tubeless. Also not recommended to go tubeless with the bigger tire like 2.2/2.0 on the narrow CCX rims. No biggie for me, I just run stans in the tubes like I have been doing forever.

I took the fenders off my CCX before I even rode it.

Getting aftermarket fenders could be a hassle? Dont know.

 

[SteveADV]

Got it. Thanks for the input.

 

[linklemming]

Here is a link to alot of gravel type tires.

http://ridinggravel.com/graveltires/

 

[SteveADV]

Excellent. I take you found the CCX to be a good all-purpose bike?

 

[linklemming]

Yes, I do about 50/50 road/gravel and it works fine for that

 

[SteveADV]

Appreciate the info.

 

[linklemming]

How about some more details of what your going to be using the bike for and what kind of features you want(i.e. fenders).

 

[SteveADV]

Most of my time and miles is spent on paved bike paths and roads, but about a third of my riding is dirt paths, grass hills with moderate to brief steep grades, paths through the woods, etc. Fenders not super critical. Speed nice but a lower priority. My first ebike so don't want to spend Strom prices yet. I have a local bike shop that will provide service and I will likely ship them the bike for assembly and tuning. They will also be my source for accessories, tires, seat upgrades, etc.

My only ebike experience is renting a Pedego Trail Blazer in Florida for a few days and test riding a few mid-drives. From that rental I learned I want more torque (Trail Blazer 47nm). One mid-drive I really liked is the Specialized Turbo Como 2.0 and, frankly, like a lot of people am having a hard time deciding between that bike and a hub drive.

I'm 6'2"/210 in reasonable condition for a 68 yr old but with a hip replacement and couple knee surgeries, so there may be some advantages to a hub with a throttle, but the huge weight difference between hubs and mid-drives is a consideration. Not for transporting purposes but for no assist pedaling.

I expect to throw this thing on the back of my Jeep and take it with me when traveling. Live in northeast Ohio and drive to a lot of places all over the country that can be better explored on a bike.

This thread is starting to morph toward a "looking for bike selection guidance" and might be better placed on that section of the forum, but because bike selection so often boils down to individual preferences and test riding, I thought I would go to the brand section of one of my top choices. The CCX certainly looks like it fits the all-rounder kind of bike I am looking for that is biased toward road work but able to handle moderate off-road work. Just want 2+ tires if possible.

 

[Bruce Arnold]

There was a thread about a year ago by @Reid in Florida about his experiments with putting wider tires on a CCS. Interesting reading and might have the answers you are looking for. He went so far as to squeeze the chain stays to get more room for the tires.

 

[SteveADV]

That's interesting. I thought there might be a few folks using their Cross Current in the same way I intend to use it.

Thanks.

 

[jom]

Most of my time and miles is spent on paved bike paths and roads, but about a third of my riding is dirt paths, grass hills with moderate to brief steep grades, paths through the woods, etc. Fenders not super critical. Speed nice but a lower priority. My first ebike so don't want to spend Strom prices yet. I have a local bike shop that will provide service and I will likely ship them the bike for assembly and tuning. They will also be my source for accessories, tires, seat upgrades, etc.

My only ebike experience is renting a Pedego Trail Blazer in Florida for a few days and test riding a few mid-drives. From that rental I learned I want more torque (Trail Blazer 47nm). One mid-drive I really liked is the Specialized Turbo Como 2.0 and, frankly, like a lot of people am having a hard time deciding between that bike and a hub drive.

I'm 6'2"/210 in reasonable condition for a 68 yr old but with a hip replacement and couple knee surgeries, so there may be some advantages to a hub with a throttle, but the huge weight difference between hubs and mid-drives is a consideration. Not for transporting purposes but for no assist pedaling.

I expect to throw this thing on the back of my Jeep and take it with me when traveling. Live in northeast Ohio and drive to a lot of places all over the country that can be better explored on a bike.

This thread is starting to morph toward a "looking for bike selection guidance" and might be better placed on that section of the forum, but because bike selection so often boils down to individual preferences and test riding, I thought I would go to the brand section of one of my top choices. The CCX certainly looks like it fits the all-rounder kind of bike I am looking for that is biased toward road work but able to handle moderate off-road work. Just want 2+ tires if possible.

Hi @SteveADV , It called my attention your "I expect to throw this thing on the back of my Jeep..." Do you mean inside? The CCX is long and heavy. If you find a solution on how to carry the beast I would like to hear. I have a CRV. Thanks.

 

[SteveADV]

I'll be using a bike rack as my Jeep is a 2 door soft top Sahara. But my guess is I could take the front wheel off and angle it in there (back seat removed and passenger seat tilted up, of course). I'm guessing I would need about 60".

The more I think about, the more I think it unlikely I'd get it in there. Of course, I could put the windshield down and stretch it out over the hood.

 

[SteveADV]

FWIW...I'm pretty sure a CRV has more interior room than a 2018 2dr Wrangler and a bike should fit in there a lot easier than in the Jeep.

 

[jom]

I did not measure actual dimensions of the CCX, but looking at specs:
Without removing front wheel, total length is 72", height abt 36".
Removing front wheel, length is abt 62", height abt 32" after removing seat
I will try removing battery, seat and front wheel, otherwise it is too heavy for me to lift.

Regarding the subject matter of this thread, I have about 3 miles of dirt on my usual trips and I need to be careful to avoid loose dirt or sand. The tires are very good for paved roads but too thin for anything loose, gravel, dirt or sand.

I think the CCX is intended mostly for paved surfaces and optimized for speed, as it comes from the factory. A typical commuter bike for the US: large battery, high speed, 28" diameter rims, relatively thin tires, good brakes. That is, I don't agree with the other posts: if you are thinking dirt roads and paths through the woods, you should consider the Rip current, almost identical specs to the CCX but with fat tires and wide fenders, front air suspension, 26" rims, same price. The Rip Current is more of a dual purpose bike: off road and commuter, even when road conditions are not ideal.

 

[SteveADV]

Yeah, just being able to put it in the back of your CRV would be great! You probably know about the bike racks with ramps.

 

[linklemming]

I think you should test ride a fat bike (even non ebike) and see if you think that would work. I have ridden several(including ripcurrent) and just dont like the experience. Your experience may differ.

My 27.5+ eMTB hardtail is more enjoyable for me than any fatbike I have ridden.

I bought my CCX because it appeared to be one of the fastest available with the longest range. On that, it certainly delivers. I made it into something else and it does that better than I thought. I actually considered the ripcurrent with smaller tires but in the end, I was looking at replacing rims/rebuilding wheels and in the end, the bottom bracket was going to be lowered to much.

Certainly many other bikes to look at, any eMTB hardtail would suit you. You mention speed isnt important, if so you will have alot more options going with a class 1 ebike (unless you want a throttle). The next issue would be range.

 

[SteveADV]

I'm with yah on all that. I rented a fat bike for a couple days (hub) and initially thought that was how I wanted to go. The throttle was helpful in sand and a couple other applications.

The first mid-drive I tested was a Turbo Como 2.0 and it honestly blew me away. Long distance speed wasn't as good (or as easy, I guess is a better way to put it) but it was MUCH more bike-like, going up steep grass covered hills was no problem, and I knew range control would be far easier.

So why even consider a hub? Well, they are simple. Gear selection is no where near as important. The throttle could help me in some off-road situations. Less expensive. My legs aren't what they used to be and always having to peddle to move a bike forward is a consideration.

Still, a mid-drive is on my short list and the Como 2.0 with its frame work was really comfortable compared to the orher mid-drives I tried. Upright is what works for me. If I felt confident that I could physically ride a mid-drive every day through streets and the woods I would probably go that way because of the efficient use of torque.

Fact is, after renting that ebike for a couple days my legs and hip had not felt that good for a long long time. Been a more than a few years since I was a real athlete but it sure felt good....just physically good, if you know what I mean.

So, getting into biking somehow became a priority. Don't care if its hub or mid-drive. Probably more "sharing" than necessary, but there it is.

 

[linklemming]

The Turbo Como 2.0 looks like a well designed and integrated ebike. The fatter tires (than the CCX) would be more comfy. Personally Im a fan of the Brose mid-drives (I own 2). Riding the brose system just seems so invisible(silent) and telepathic(pedal/torque response). With the CCX, Im always aware Im on an powerful ebike. My brose bikes dont feel that way. I was actually considering selling my CCX(after recently buying an iZip Moda E3) as I wasnt really commuting with it as I was working from home. Recent job changes might have me bike commuting soon and the CCX will be perfect.

Not everyone is a fan of specialized but they have always treated me and friends well (replacing/upgrading a frame I had issues with). You would also have LeBS support if thats important to you. I bought both my brose bikes from LeBS for the potential support in the future.

You can easily get a more upright position with riser bars or even stem extensions, lots of guys on this these forums do that and would be willing to offer advice. If the Como feels right out of the box, go for it, nothing wrong with that either.

Hub drives most certainly would work for you as well and as you mention, will probably be cheaper in the long run. If I have an issue with my brose drive, its off the LeBS to get it checked out and replacement is $$. With something like the CCX, a new motor/wheel would be cheaper and servicable by you.

Might also want to consider the Juiced CCS. Its more than capable and alot cheaper than the CCX. I wasnt a fan of all the exposed wiring(bottom of downtube) that the CCS seemed to have although this might be different in more recent models.

 

[SteveADV]

The Como 2.0 is a great fit for me and is priced similarly to the CCX and Rip Current S. Whatever bike I choose, commuting will be done sparingly whereas exploring will be the more common use (therefore the preference for a wider tire). So, high top end speed while having it would be a bonus, it is below the need for a mixed use bike and one with torque to get me up and down paved road hills and off road slopes.

Both the CCX and the RPS are set for a planned delivery to the west coast in a few weeks so I asked Stephanie to be me on the notification list. Between now and then I should be able try a couple more bikes with different power configurations to help me better decide between hub or mid-drive.

I appreciate the insight and guidance.