The 2012 Range Of Specialized Crosstrail Trail-Friendly Bikes

If 2012 finds you searching for a high-performance, light-weight hybrid bike that’s going to relish spending as much time off the road as on it, you would be most unwise to ignore the new Specialized Crosstrail range. With fat tyres and suspension forks retained on all models, these are bikes which will go down well with those who like to get away off the beaten track.

At the same time, a Crosstrail will take you just as cheerfully to work or school with the minimum of fuss – in fact many owners have reported just that. Their comfy ride, with great shock-absorbing capacity make navigating today’s less-than-ideal road surfaces a pleasure.

What are the attributes that have been retained from last year?

• A1 Premium aluminium frame, with a great selection of spectacular colours and decals. Practicality is crucial, as there is clearance for mud guards and fittings for fixing racks – vital in any bike developed for the commuter. You can even put a kickstand on if you want to.
• All Crosstrails have Suntour suspension forks. A lockout function will help save your pedalling energy when suspension is not needed.
• Shimano gerartrains and triple chainrings with guards. The quality increases up the range as you would anticipate. Simple-to-operate RapidFire shifters all round.
• 700mm Road wheels, fitted with 45mm tyres. These are quite wide for a bike that is to be used on the road, but at least the face of the tyre is smooth, so reducing the rolling resistance. They are great for trips off the road though.
• Comfort is looked after by the gentle riser bars and BG saddle. Flat pedals reinforce the practical aims of the Crosstrail, as most of us will be riding in trainers or similar.

There have been modifications brought in to the Crosstrail range for 2012 though:-

• The range has been decreased in size from six, down to just four, the Sport, Comp, Pro and Ltd.
• All models in the collection now have disc brakes – the V-brakes on some of last year’s models have gone. Not a bad thing at all – discs have terrific power. They likewise give you great wet-weather performance, as well as not marking your nice smart black wheel rims.
• All Crosstrails now have 27 gears, from Shimano components as previously mentioned.

How do the individual models vary?

• The Crosstrail Sport is the entry-level model. Gear components from the basic, but still sound, part of the Shimano range. The Suntour fork has a mechanically-operated lockout function – simple and effective. There are hydraulic disc brakes by Tektro – something not generally seen on the first model in a range.
• Next up the range is the Crosstrail Comp. With the Comp you get substantially superior gear components, together with a very good Shimano hydraulic disc brake system. Hydraulic lockout on the forks make for a softer operation which still retains some movement. The handlebar is also nicer, forged from 31mm tubing.
• The Crosstrail Pro is next. No major change in the type of gear fitted, just a general and welcome increase in quality of the brakes and gears.
• The Crosstrail LTD is the top model in the range. A better fork and brake calipers are the differences here, together with much nicer (and lighter) wheel rims. It’s quite a bit more money though – only you could decide whether it’s really worth it.

So there’s still a useful range of options within the Specialized Crosstrail range, even though there are now only four to select from. All clearly conform to the same design philosophy – bikes for fast commuting and urban travel, but will likewise allow for more off-road riding than the regular road-oriented hybrid.

There’s no doubt that the entry level Crosstrail Sport is a lot of bike for the money. Weighing less than 14kg, and with a suspension fork, it could be the perfect bike for many. But the increased sophistication up through the range is worth paying for if you have the budget. If nothing else, the Comp model is definitely worth looking at – the additional cost is minimal. For those with the budget, the top-of-the-range LTD model is excellent. Magnesium fork, Deore components and all under 12.5kg is impressive.