Frankenbike for cross? Help? tips?

[amyp]

Been getting miles on my new Terry road bike and have always wanted to compete in cross.

Finding a bike in my size was already difficult. I have a 43cm Terry with 650c wheels and even during the fitting they had to jam the stem all the way down.

I ave a single speed I built up but I ended up giving to my brother because it was too big. It was a 49cm with 700c wheels with annoying toe overlap.

I have a old Schwinn Caliente that I converted years ago to a single speed because I got tired of the shifting not working. I used to commute on it until I got a new road bike recently. So now the Caliente is just sitting and in the garage so maybe it can be good to build a frankebike for cross? The bike as 24" wheels. Would I put 24" wheels or even be able to put 650b wheels on it? Would I have a disadvantage in racing (not that I care)? Would I have to get a new fork?

I suppose my other option is to look on CL and find a frame small enough for me and build up from there? It could be a fun project. I have heard that I should just find a mountain bike frame and do that instead of the Schwinn but they never told me why.

I probably won't have anyone to help me with this project since no one I knows enjoy bikes the same way I do. I honestly don't know where to start though, like what parts to get and what not.

[tulip]

Just today I saw a 46 cm cross bike (or at least a frame) on eBay. Might still be too large if your road bike is a 43. Couldn't you build up a small mtn bike frame with drop bars and 26" wheels?

[amyp]

I shoudl also mention they put me on the smallest surly crosscheck and their long haul and they ended up being too big as well.

[goldfinch]

I was just working on my sister's old Schwinn Caliente juvenile which has the 24 inch wheels. That bike is a tank. The wheels are chrome and you have to really have the brakes set close and the wheels super true for them to work at all well. Even with Koolstop pads the braking is inferior. I am very short, 4'10.5", and also ride a 43cm bike with 650 wheels. Even I find the handlebars uncomfortably narrow on the Caliente. However, it is kind of nice to have such a small frame. But, if you are going to use it for cross you will need to have better brakes and wheels than what they came stock, if your bike has similar components to my sister's. You also won't want the original Schwinn wheels because you will be limited in what tires you can use anyway.

I look at the bike and sigh. It just isn't that great of a bike.

I'd go for a mountain bike frame. I just bought for fifty dollars an older Trek 800 mountain bike with no suspension in a 13" frame. That would work far better for cross than the Caliente. Though it is almost as much of a tank as the Caliente.

You could look at juvenile cross bikes as well. For example: http://www.rei.com/product/795151/novara-pulse-kids-bike-2013?partner=aff_cj&mr:trackingCode=2EA6DE14-EE81-DE11-B7F3-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=&siteId=cjIsd2x-it3792&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rei.com%2Fstyle%2FCJ%2F795151%3Fpartner%3Daff_cj%26mr%3AtrackingCode%3D2EA6DE14-EE81-DE11-B7F3-0019B9C043EB%26mr%3AreferralID&PID=3933525&AID=10456937&cm_mmc=CJ-_-Aff-_-3933525-_-10456937

Or a 24 inch wheel bike from Kona that a friend tried to persuade me to get: http://www.konaworld.com/bike.cfm?content=jake_24

[amyp]

I know what you mean about the Caliente. It's heavy as heck. In the rain it's not that great even with Koolstop pads. I'm 4'11" and find the bars fine for myself.
I think the bike has all original components. Would 650b wheels work for them? do I have to get a new fork?
I thought about going to the community bike center and stripping all the parts...if I don't use it for cross I guess I could turn it into a a fixed gear for fun as well.

I think I will go the mountain bike route. Do I just check on craigslist? How do I knwo if the frame they are selling is in good condition? Maybe the community bike center will have a few mountain bike frames my size. I will check them out some time.
Can I just put drop bars on the mountain bike?
I don't think I will get a cross bike at this time. Just considering my options.

[zoom-zoom]

Oooh ooh ooh, you should get a Redline Conquest 24 (http://www.redlinebicycles.com/bikes/cyclocross/2013-conquest-24). Our 11 year old son has one and loves his. At nearly 5' he'll likely outgrow it in the next year, but right now it fits him perfectly. A neighbor girl of ours is maybe 5'1" and it fits her pretty well, too.
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/485790_4771307484913_2044297809_n.jpg

It's a really sweet bike for the money. Not super lightweight, but I don't think you'll find anything much lighter in that kids' 24" class of bike. It has nice enough components, though. Things you could always upgrade in time and that would save you some weight.

[goldfinch]

I know what you mean about the Caliente. It's heavy as heck. In the rain it's not that great even with Koolstop pads. I'm 4'11" and find the bars fine for myself.
I think the bike has all original components. Would 650b wheels work for them? do I have to get a new fork?
I thought about going to the community bike center and stripping all the parts...if I don't use it for cross I guess I could turn it into a a fixed gear for fun as well.

I think I will go the mountain bike route. Do I just check on craigslist? How do I knwo if the frame they are selling is in good condition? Maybe the community bike center will have a few mountain bike frames my size. I will check them out some time.
Can I just put drop bars on the mountain bike?
I don't think I will get a cross bike at this time. Just considering my options.

There are challenges in converting mountain bike bars to drop bars. Brake lever compatibility--road levers are not easily compatible with mountain brakes. You probably will have to use bar end shifters. A new stem likely would be required. The end geometry might be quirky. The better idea may be to keep the flat bar and get a light weight mountain bike that can be carried and put skinnier, slicker tires on it. Try that out and if you like cross go ahead and buy a cross bike, maybe a juvenile, at that point.

But I don't ride cross so I may be full of it.

[SheFly]

Zoom-zoom hit this nail on the head - go check out the Redlines. Here in the Northeast, we have a number of juniors who are shorter than you riding these bikes.

SheFly

[Eden]

The smallest made? Or the smallest they had in the shop? Makes a difference.

From her road bike size, I'm going to say the smallest made. I'm 5' even, with a short reach. I would not fit on any Surly - last time I looked, every model in the smallest size is too long in the top tube for me, way longer than a short stem would ever fix.

She also would likely never fit on an adult size cross bike - a 46 cross bike is probably more like a 50 road bike - they measure out "smaller" because the bottom bracket is higher, making the seat tube shorter, but the rest of the geometry is more like a much larger bike. I ride a 44cm road bike with 700's, or a 47cm road bike with 650's. I can barely stand over a 44cm Redline and the reach is way longer than I can tolerate. I have a conquest 24 to mess around on. It is a little small. It's the only bike I've ever had that I've had to put a long stem on (I think I've got a 100mm on there) and it is heavy, but it works to have a little fun on.

[tulip]

+2 on the 24"-wheel Redline Conquest. I bought one for my niece a few years ago and it's a nice bike. Not a dumbed-down kid bike at all.

[amyp]

what is considered a "junior"?

[Eden]

what is considered a "junior"?

In the racing world, as Shefly used it, a "junior" is anyone under the age of 19. There are restrictions on the gearing that kids can use to race with, and it varies with age.

[SheFly]

Sorry - as Eden clarified, I did mean racing juniors. And for us, it's mostly 10-14 year olds that are riding that sized frame. For CX racing, there are no gear restrictions, only for road racing so gearing would not be an issue.

SheFly

[amyp]

Ooohhhh I'm not that young! I probably look like a 15 year old though haha. has anyone (ages 20+) ever competed with the redline conquest 24 with adults?

[Eden]

Ooohhhh I'm not that young! I probably look like a 15 year old though haha. has anyone (ages 20+) ever competed with the redline conquest 24 with adults?

I have - but my dirt skills are pretty bad.... I think the bike is kind of heavy (and good tires are pretty much impossible to find) for really serious competition, but fine for starting out and seeing if you like the sport - people start on mt bikes sometimes after all. If you did decide to get serious you'd probably end up wanting to look into to something better and that very well might entail going custom. Giant does have a small size cross bike in their line up, but even that might be too big for you.

[zoom-zoom]

Ooohhhh I'm not that young! I probably look like a 15 year old though haha. has anyone (ages 20+) ever competed with the redline conquest 24 with adults?

Around here the smaller women seem to be on 26er mountain bikes, but mostly because the few small women in the area are also die-hard mountain bikers. If I were small and and wanting to do CX, but not mtn. biking I don't think I'd look at a mountain bike. Even though the Conquest 24 or Kona Jake 24 are heavy bikes, they are still going to be lighter than a comparable mountain bike, most likely. We have a really small Cannondale F5 mountain bike that is positively tank-like (that was my previous mountain bike...we got a good deal on it and I rode it around for a year to see if I even wanted a nicer, better-fitting bike). My son rides around on that, some, but MUCH prefers his CX bike, even on some singletrack. I think because the Redline is a nicer, lighter-weight bike and it's less cumbersome for him on uphills.

A friend of ours' sister is really petite and is considering buying our son's Conquest 24 when he outgrows it. She is in her 30s and wants a CX bike.

Something else to consider might be a Ridley in their 41cm size. I've not looked seriously at Ridleys, since they jump from 41 to 47. I need something midway between those sizes. A friend of ours has a 41 and she's smaller than I. Her road bike is a 44. I think she might be around 5'1-2".

[zoom-zoom]

Giant does have a small size cross bike in their line up, but even that might be too big for you.

I just looked at it...bummer, the smallest is a 46cm and definitely looks like it would be bigger than the 44cm Redline I'm on (longer top tube and taller standover). Sure would be nice if they wouldn't call a 46cm CX bike an XS, since that's really more like size S territory.

[Eden]

I just looked at it...bummer, the smallest is a 46cm and definitely looks like it would be bigger than the 44cm Redline I'm on (longer top tube and taller standover). Sure would be nice if they wouldn't call a 46cm CX bike an XS, since that's really more like size S territory.

Oy... I could have sworn the last time I looked I thought the XS might just might be small enough, but what I see there now definitely would not fit me.... too big BOO

I have a WARNING about the Redlines.... It is NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE to find tires... I just spent all day looking and the shops around here can't even find them to order from their suppliers. My team shop is going to harass Redline about why in the world they don't order extra tires, since apparently they can get them put on the bikes at the factory, but no one exports any. He's also calling Kona for me (since they make the Jake 24)

[zoom-zoom]

I have a WARNING about the Redlines.... It is NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE to find tires... I just spent all day looking and the shops around here can't even find them to order from their suppliers. My team shop is going to harass Redline about why in the world they don't order extra tires, since apparently they can get them put on the bikes at the factory, but no one exports any. He's also calling Kona for me (since they make the Jake 24)

I think our lbs and my DH figured out that they take wheelchair tires.

[amyp]

hahaha.


i looked at the ridley website. they have an xxs but i don't know how to read the geometry. :(

[Owlie]

hahaha.


i looked at the ridley website. they have an xxs but i don't know how to read the geometry. :(

The geometry chart should list a seat tube measurement as well as a top tube measurement.

[Eden]

I think our lbs and my DH figured out that they take wheelchair tires.

Nope - wheel chair tires are iso 540's and the Redline takes iso 520's (though they are both called 24".....) I found this out the hard way this summer when I desperately needed slicks (*both* of my other road bikes were in the shop.....) I found two unmatched tires at a shop and though they both said 24" one was too big. It turned out that one was a wheel chair tire - and a 540. They have too large a diameter. Unless wheelchairs have different wheel size options?

The first time I ordered tires for it I was able to find some BMX tires that fit. I wanted to try some that were less wide. They turned out to be too skinny and I kept falling.... but that is a different story.

[zoom-zoom]

I know we have a set of slicks for the rugrat's bike...I want to say they're Panaracers...? I can ask DH. He and the LBS managed to find *some* sizes that would work.

[zoom-zoom]

I think the Panaracer Pasela tires are the slicks we have. Not sure what the stock knobbies are that come on the bike, but I see Panaracer also has a BMX tire (http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=panaracer+24&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#q=panaracer+24&hl=en&newwindow=1&client=safari&tbo=u&rls=en&source=univ&tbm=shop&sa=X&ei=rH2aUNSaKoWFyQHIiYCIDQ&ved=0CEcQsxg&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=3fe733434f48d826&bpcl=37643589&biw=1535&bih=909).

[tulip]

Wouldn't BMX cruiser tires work? They are 24".

every bicycle tire dot com has several 520 tires.

[Eden]

I'm not looking for slicks. I'm looking for mud tires for actual cross. When I was at the shop yesterday we did find some that were the right size, but the shop guy said they would't be good for racing- the tread is about the size of goose bumps according to him.

I can't say as I'd trust every bike tire..... The one that looks like a good width and tread shows a 26" tire though it lists it as a 24..... Some of the others I'm pretty sure are 540's. one guy yesterday said only tires 1.95 and narrower would be 520's, fatter tires are all 540's made for mt bikes.

I just checked- EBT is fudging..... The tires I looked at only come as small as 26" per the manufacturer site ... Looks like all the 24's on that site are iso 507's, as are the Panaracers. Seems silly, but apparently this is a really oddball size. There may well be some floating around on the web, but according to a different LBS (I was at a lot of them) most mfgs have been discontinuing them.