Hyper-X – CX
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The Hyper-X lets you build a race-ready disc ‘cross bike. It’s got all the great handling of the CrossHairs – now with our chainstay disc mounts:
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It all spells speed – not only when you’re on the bike but when you’re carrying it.
We didn’t forget the functionality: you still get eyelets and rear rack mounts plus two sets of water bottle bosses. The chainstay disc mounts let you mount a standard rear race for commuting or light touring – without interfering with the brake caliper.
It’s still a road bike disguised as a cross bike – this time with disc brakes.
SPECIFICATIONS:
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Will Gunnar be making a Grand Tour with disc brakes? Soon? Seems like a natural for a touring bike that will be hauling a ton of extra weight and that might be fitted with extra-wide tires.
Also, will Gunnar modify a Grand Tour with couplers?
By the way, this comment box is a really nice feature. You should put it on all the bikes pages.
What type of tubing are you using for this frame?
Actually, the Fastlane already pretty much serves as a disc tourer. Though not quite as long a wheelbase and lacking the third set of water bottle bosses, it’s good for just about any type of touring. It’s got the same beefy tubeset, same upright position and now double eyelets on the chainstay disc mount dropouts. We will also build a matching fork with rack mount (Tubus Tara compatibility) for an additional $50, just like we do for the Grand Tour.
We use our heavy duty OS2 tubeset (all heat treated custom air hardening tubing), which we get from True Temper (custom OX Plat) and Reynolds (853).
What is the weight of the 56cm Hyper-X frame?
Figure about 3.8 pounds.
So is this frame lighter than the fastlane? Roughly how much would a fully built bike weigh?
Fully built bikes can vary widely depending on your component selection. If you’re willing to go with tubulars, a composite race fork, “carbon everything”, you could be down below 18 pounds. Most builds will be more like 20 with, let’s say SRAM force.
I have a CX bike made with Tange Prestige. I would like a stiffer version of this bike, especially on the bottom bracket area. I dont need much in the way of tire clearence, 700 x 32 is enough. Should I consider the Hyper-X or the Cross Hairs? Which frame is better for a bigger & stronger user? I’m looking for a Century & light touring bike but want Canti or disc brakes.
Tange Prestige comes in many wall thicknesses. Unfortunately, the mere use of that name doesn’t tell us whether your bike if beefy or not.
None of our bikes are considered whippy. They offer good support in the bottom bracket area thanks to our OS2 tubeset. The CrossHairs is a medium strength blend of tubes that tends to have a heavier tubeset than the Hyper-X to reduce the incidence of brake chatter. This is particularly true for sizes 58cm and above. The Hyper-X uses a lighter tubeset because brake chatter is much less of an issue with disc brakes.
If you’re a somewhat heavy guy (let’s say 170-220 lbs at 5’10″), either bike will work for you. Over 220, and you might want to consider the Fastlane (disc) or Grand Tour (canty) alternative.
Hi,
Under Pro your true temper platinum ox link is broken.
True Temper is updating their site. Until it does, we are having it removed.
Hello. In what color is this frame depicted? Thanks.
It’s our color of the year – Gold Rush over Charcoal with Charcoal panels.
What are the main differences between the Fast Lane and the Hyper-x-Cyclocross in the geometry and the stability? Which frame would you recommend for longer commuting and shorter tours?
The Fastlane will be a bit tougher and more stable. It would have a modest advantage over the Hyper-X, which is more CX race oriented.
Is the Fastlane also free of cable routing on the top tube?
No cables on the top tube. Both the derailleur and brake cables run down the down tube.
Sorry to obsess about weight, but what would be the weight difference between a 58cm crosshairs and hyper x?
I’m specifically wondering if the weight difference is big enough that the weight penalty of (for me, mechanical only) disc brakes is going to offset the weight advantage of the hyper x’s thinner tubing.
All else equal, it seems like either could work for me: I’m 160lbs, 5’11″ and looking for a commuter / light touring bike.
The Hyper-X is less than 1/4 pound light than the CrossHairs in the 58cm size. Disc brake dropouts weigh more than the road dropouts we use on the CrossHairs. We use a lighter main tubeset, since brake chatter for most part goes away once we no longer use canty brakes. As long as you keep your load 20 pounds or less, either one will work.
I have a tire-clearance question: Will 42-mm-wide tires fit? I’m looking to run Schwalbe Marathon Extremes in that size for gravel-grind racing. They worked amazingly well on my Salsa La Cruz, which was stolen last week.
Just wanted to comment on the weight. I have a 56cm built up with Shimano 105 and mostly mid-range (but fairly light) aluminum parts, Winwood carbon fork with aluminum steerer and Avid BB7. The only truly heavy parts I have are a Brooks B17 (540 grams) and Vittoria Randonneur Cross Pro kevlar-beaded tires (430grams x2) – figure I could cut maybe 300 grams off the seat and another 400 grams total off the tires if I went with racing clinchers (that would be a total of 1.5lbs)? The bike is a bit over 24.5 lbs as built, with nothing else on it (i.e. no water bottles, lights, mini pump or saddle bag). I told my LBS about the 18-20lbs estimate that I saw on this page and he said even using lightweight parts, it would be a challenge to get it there.
On the plus side, the bike is a monster, bomb-proof, will do anything that’s asked of it, handles pavement, singletrack and gravel with no problem, and I love it more and more every day. However, it’s not a lightweight road bike.
Hi, just how much heavier is the fastlane than the hyper- x? I like the hyper-x but the geometry of the fastlane fits me better.
Thanks.
The Hyper-X is between 1/4 and 1/2 pound lighter, depending on the size. Most of this comes from lighter tubing. (edited 12/2/11)
This frame looks perfect for a 650B conversion. What is the spacing at seat stays and chain stays 320mm from the rear axle? I’m wondering if I could fit a quasi moto tire at 2.1 inch width.
The stays are not designed for 2.1 inch width tires. Even if you could fit the 2.1′s, your bottom bracket will be lower than it would be for a 700C wheel, creating potential ground clearance problems.
Seems like the X has some tweaks in the front end geometry as compared to the cross hairs.
Can you talk about your thinking there and what you see translated into how the X handles?
Thanks!
~Mike
Hi Mike,
The idea was to tighten up the steering for racing, not that we have the Fastlane for more general use. You’re comment reminded us that we needed to the same thing for the Crosshairs, which just got the same handling adjustment now that we have the Grand tour.
Richard
Can I fit a 40mm tire in the Hyper-X frame? You say it will fit 35mm tires with fenders. Is it actually narrower than the Fastlane, which you say will fit a 38mm tire with fenders.
Is it possible for you to make sliding Rohloff dropouts for your bikes?
We have built a number of Rohloff bikes. They all tend to be different in one form or another. Therefore, the base price includes the custom design charge. Please give us a call or email to discuss your specific needs.
In your Aug. 31 reply above you say the Fastlane is lighter thanthe Hyper-X. True? Which would you recommend for commuting duty for a 165 lb rider carrying small panniers? Also, are HT shifter mounts an option? Thanks!
Busted. I miss-spoke. The Hyper-X is lighter, as it is designed as the race bike, while the Fastlane is the commuter/tourer. As a practical matter, for loads under 20 pounds, either one will function well. The Hyper-X has a more aggressive, race fit.
As to head tube mounted cable guides: Right now we charge a $75 special handling (i.e. pain in the butt) charge plus $50 for the shifter mounts.
I guess I better fix the old post. . .
What are the largest fenders that will fit on a Hyper X? Gathering up all my part while I wait for mine to ship…longest wait ever it seems. Worse than waiting for Santa to come as a kid
So anyone in the shop, how does the Sunshine yellow/Shamrock Green 54cm Hyper X look. I am stoked to get it!
Fenders: That’s a hard question since fender makers don’t have standard sizes. Also, 35′s should fit without modification. Larger sizes may require trimming around the stays.
Color: Sunshine yellow over shamrock green is like a drug.
With disc brakes coming on like gangbusters, how about making a gunnar sport with disc brakes!!!!! It is impossible to find a road bike that has a relaxed fit and more upright riding position with disc brakes…. Can this be ordered? Can this be made? Something that climbs well, takes like a 28 tire instead of a balloon tire, tracks well and corners and descends real well? And doesn’t weigh much more than 18 lbs or so. Can this be done?
You can order your bike on a custom basis. As soon as most people spec disc brakes, they tend to want more tire clearance. The Hyper-X is the lighter weight version. The stock Fastlane has another 1/2 pound of tubing but fits and handles like the Sport. To get the weight down, consider a composite fork.
Admin…. Have you read the review on the fastlane in Paul’s Cyclery. Anyway he loves the bike for what he uses it for. But he does say that initially he tried 23 tires and then slowly moved up in size because the bike didn’t handle very well when he used the thinner tires. When he hit 37′s he says that seems to be the size the bike requires to handle real well. For me that is too big a tire.My riding will be 100% pavement. I want a 28 tire and a disc brake and a bike that handles well with that size tire. I don’t think a gunnar sport would require a 37 tire to handle well. I find it unusual that a hole that big exists in the bike market. My wife is buying me this bike for retirement and I really didn’t expect to have to go the custom made route in order to get what I thought was a reasonable request. (see above) Now maybe the 18 lbs is unrealistic but 20 or 21 lbs shouldn’t be. Am I the only person who wants a bike like this?
Handling is nearly as personal as fit. If your goal is a cushy, stable ride, then bigger tires are better. If you want more responsive handling, then choose a narrower tires. It’s a matter of personal preference. The good news for Paul is that he got the performance he wanted – the speed and efficiency as well as the handling – it just took bigger tires than what he started out with.
I think most riders run 28′s, 32′s and 35′s on the Fastlane. It’s time for a poll, and I just added one to our facebook page: http://facebook.com/gunnarcycles/
Thanks,
Richard
For the Fastlane, are the stock finish options powder or wet paint? Thanks.
We’re all wet. Powder it great if you don’t care what the finish looks like. The more powder finishes look like wet paint, the more they act like wet paint.
Wet paints have improved in recent years, and even more so for the Gunnars. For the first 5 years or so, Gunnar didn’t apply a clearcoat to the frames, since the target market was assumed not to care that much about finish. We even offered a powder coat finish early on, but most people wet paint has dominated the preference of our riders.
As we realized that people really thought of Gunnar as a real custom bike, we added clearcoat over decal. Recent technological improvements have added considerable durability to our finishes, and we continue to look for ways to make our finishes more durable.
No finish, wet or powder, can prevent all forms of paint damage, as we’ve seen from the powder coated frames that have come back for a fresh – and wet paint – re-finish.
I have read this hole thread and still can’t tell if I should get the hyper-x or the fast lane, so I was wondering if I could get some advice. I want a bike replace my aluminum GT attack ( road bike ) which I use primarily for all year commuting is SF. It seems that that fast lane is build for me, but I wonder if I will have more fun on the hyper-x. What I really like about the GT is that it is nimble, fast and great for sprinting hills. I would like to keep that feel as much as possible while getting in to a bike that has disc breaks and is more durable then then GT. ( Also I have stated to dabble in Cyclo-cross either of these will be a upgrade from my mountain bike for that. )
So give that context, my main questions are: How much strength am I getting by adding the extra weight in the fast lane. And. How different is the feel of these two bikes, is the fast lane going to feel sluggish coming from a road bike?
With either bike my plan is for a Rival group set with BB7 breaks.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
While both these bikes are reasonable, the edge goes to the Hyper-X. It’s got a shorter wheelbase and more road-like handling. What you didn’t mention was camping out. If you want to carry loads over 20 pounds, then you’ll want the extra strength in the Fastlane. Up to 20 pounds, both will work.
You mention that it’s shown with optional double eyelets for the rear rack/fender. You should probably mention that the downtube shifter mounts and dimpled chainstay are also non-standard.
The dimpled chainstay is one of two configurations we use. It is designed to provide extra chainring clearance as well as tire clearance.
The shift mounts are one of two available configurations (the other being downtube split cable stops). The downtube shift bosses require an “STI” adapter, which lets you connect Shimano STI, Campy Ergo or SRAM Doubletap levers to a frame with downtube shift bosses. These suppliers used to supply these with their component groups but no longer do so, hence the move to split cable stops.
I can speak to the weight and ride of the Hyper-X, having recently bought one. Mine is built up with a Gunnar Steel fork, SRAM Rival drivetrain, Avid BB7s, 3T aluminum bar and stem, SRAM X-9 hubs, and Mavic rims. No carbon anywhere except the brake levers. It weighs 23.5 pounds. The ride is fantastic. It is smooth and responsive, corners beautifully, and climbs easily. I’m using 28 mm tires. There’s no BB flex that I can sense, even when sprinting, but I’m only 150 pounds.
The paint is outstanding, with a thick, smooth clear coat. The TIG welding looks good – maybe not as microscopically perfect as the welding on a Seven, IF, or other high-zoot frame, but it is pretty damn close, and the difference is purely aesthetic anyway, not structural.
Overall, the Hyper-X is an amazing bike, the best one I’ve ever owned by a long shot.
Are you guys going to make a steel disc fork to go with this frame?
We do make one.
What does the word Theo mean next to Top Tube in the Geometries? (Theo):
Excellent question. The theoretical top tube is an imaginary horizontal line connecting the seat tube to the head tube. It is an indicator of relative frame size that is independent of the top tube slope.
It is measured from the theoretical seat height, a statistic not shown on the regular Hyper-X page. You can find it when you use the Gunnar Fit Tool. Select your model, click the Go button and a drawing appears for that specific frame design. The red line shows the theoretical top tube.
The Gunnar Fit Tool it great for seeing how well you will fit a particular size and model.