As Winter Approaches...

[EricS]

Not to be a downer, but with the cool, moist and increasingly dark conditions of late, I am beginning to think of fall and winter riding. I have really enjoyed the TripleShot experience so far, and I want no excuses when the rains come. Therefore I am shopping for a cyclocross bike and I am coming you, the very knowledgeable and helpful members of this club for advice. I plan on using this bike 90% of the time as my winter road bike, but I would also like to try CX racing this fall. Here are my questions:

1) I heard somewhere that many people buy one size smaller for cx bikes. I ride a 56cm normally, so should I be looking at 54cms?

2) There seems to be a lot of carbon out there these days, should I be afraid? (Lister...I know...)

3) Not really a question: Any other advice for a first time CX buyer would be great.

Thanks,

[Roland]

1) Go by top tube length rather than seat tube length. Since the BB is higher, the seat tube will be a bit shorter. It probably won't be enough different to make you go down a size unless you are right on the boundary between sizes.

2) Be very afraid. If you race it you will crash it. Buy a bike that can take some bangs and bumps and survive. I'd look for an aluminum steerer as well. http://www.bustedcarbon.com/search/label/cyclocross

3) If this going to be a utility bike rather than a pure race bike, look for fender mounts. Get a disc brake compatible frame.

If you are willing to spend the $$$, get an Everti. (We should really try to get Everti as a club sponsor)

[wonger]

From the OBB newsletter today - cross bikes on sale...

OBB Sale List (Oak Bay Location)
Bikes:
2009 Ridley X-Fire w/ 105 build, 58cm: $2800 $2399
2009 Norco CCX2, Large: $1289 $889
2010 Salsa Chili Con Crosso, 53cm: $2699 $2399
2009 Specialized Tricross Comp, 54/58: $2299 $1999

Frames:
2008 Ridley X-Fire, 56: $1799 $1399
2009 Salsa Chili Con Crosso, 53: $1250 $899
2010 Salsa Chili Con Crosso, 49/51: $1250 $999

OBB Sale List (Westshore Location)
2010 Norco CCX SL, 59: $2750 $1999
2010 Norco CCX 1, 59: $1700 $1499
2010 Norco CCX 2, XS/S/M/XL: $1050 $889
2010 Specialized Tricross Sport, 52/56/58: $1500 $1299
2010 Rocky Mountain Metropolis SEA, 48/51/54/57/60: $1500 $1299

I got a Ridley aluminum bike because I was very afraid as Roland says - I can't imagine riding a carbon frame in a cross race. It was also a really good deal. The only problem that I have with it as a training bike is that it doesn't have bottle cage mounts so I had to get one that mounts onto the seat post. Other than that, I LOVE that bike, and the races were a blast last year.

[Roland]

The only problem that I have with it as a training bike is that it doesn't have bottle cage mounts so I had to get one that mounts onto the seat post.

My last frame didn't have cages either. Troy from Pro City will drill and insert threads into your frame for cages for not too much money.

[Lister Farrar]

Great to hear Eric. Good advice above. Only thing I can think of to add is look at the geometry charts. Some frames have slacker head angles for the same size than other makes. Slacker is a bit safer in cross I hear, but might feel weird/slow for road. Everti for example has a 73 head angle which is only one degree less than most road frames my size. (Yay Roland, I vote for Everti to sponsor us!) Others are down around 71 degrees which means around 2 inches difference in wheelbase. Maybe not that critical, but ...

Also, some makes have much higher bottom brackets, a holdover from when toeclips would drag on the ground otherwise. Most people seem to think lower (road height)is better for stabilty and standover clearance (this is one of the reasons sizes are sometimes smaller), and it's not like you're using it for crits.

Roland posted ealrier that discs are now legal for cross, which means rims last much longer and your brakes actually work. Maybe not Euro-chic enough for Alce Elegante but might save your collar bones...

Maybe look at this: Purty!

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie ... SS:CA:1123

[Katie]

Looks like OBB has some good deals on Chilli Con Crosso's. I have a 2008 Chili and love it. I ride it year round as a road bike as well. I sold my road bike when I bought the Chili frame, and found the Chili far livelier than the road bike, and it comes to life when it ventures off road. It does have a 71deg head tube angle, not sure what the effect of that is on the road.

Just a heads up though - Chilis are sized strange, and I think other cross bikes are too - I ride a "47", but it has a 53cm top tube. If you ride a 56 road bike, you might fit a "51" or "53". Definitely look at the geometry before ruling out any cross bike.

[Lister Farrar]

Looks like OBB has some good deals on Chilli Con Crosso's. I have a 2008 Chili and love it. I ride it year round as a road bike as well. I sold my road bike when I bought the Chili frame, and found the Chili far livelier than the road bike, and it comes to life when it ventures off road. It does have a 71deg head tube angle, not sure what the effect of that is on the road.

Just a heads up though - Chilis are sized strange, and I think other cross bikes are too - I ride a "47", but it has a 53cm top tube. If you ride a 56 road bike, you might fit a "51" or "53". Definitely look at the geometry before ruling out any cross bike.

Intertesting. Geoff said the same thing when he got his cross bike.

The 73, 74 head angles are for my size bike, 60 or 62. A 47 cm road bike would be normally be 72 or 71. So maybe that's another vote for roadyish head angles. Others have any experience with this?

[EricS]

Wow, I knew I could count on you all!

Thanks for all the advice, I will definitely check the geometry carefully before I buy.

[JohnT]

I prefer a slack head tube angle for off-road (allows the front wheel to 'find it's way' before your body is committed). But, it seems to me that it's better to have the front wheel closer (under your chin) on the road. That probably doesn't help you, but it makes me think that a cheaper, used road bike is a better bet for TripleShot winter riding for me. Heidi has the same X-bike as the wonger and she loves it too, but she doesn't like road bikes.

John

[wonger]

One more thing - if you are looking for a deal on a cross bike, it's not likely that it will have mounts for disc brakes, as they have just become "official" and most of the sale items are older stock. It's very common to have a shudder problem with carbon forks and cantilever brakes - something to watch out for when buying. Apparently the combination of cable stretch and fork flex causes this.

Mine was so bad when I was riding on the road that I installed v-brakes (which require an adapter) and the problem was completely solved. The adapter was $20 from Russ Hays and I have extra v-brakes if you end up going that route. If you can get discs I highly recommend them.

[Lister Farrar]

I asked the tech grouches at rec.bicycles.tech about different cross geometries last year and finally found the thread.

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.bicy ... f703552880

Lots of opinion, but, if I can generalize:

• yes, there is a wide variety of cross designs compared to road designs
  slacker head angle is gentler
  steeper is 'quicker' (whatever that means; more roadie like?)
  go low bottom bracket, not high, altho' Ridley goes high (ack!)
  go for disks
  sit a bit more forward over the pedals for racing cross; or not, for general riding
  use a slightly more upright upper body position

Kinda goes to show that you can almost ride anything and make it work, I guess. Sounds like discs, fender mounts, bottle bosses and frame material durability matter more.

Mike L you use discs on your winter bike? How are they?