Thinking of Cross Bike

[spokewench]

I ride a Conquest Pro Redline - it was a free frame - so that is why I got it, but I like it. (Won it in the end of season cyclocross raffle) I set it up more like a roadbike than a time trial bike. It should be more upright than a tri bike especially if you are going to use it for cyclocross (which is offroad and sometimes you are going down more technical steep downhills so you do not want to be leaned to far forward); or if you are going to be riding offroad. Or for that matter, even if you are riding as a utility bike, cause you want to be more comfortable on a utility bike. As for wheels, I can't really recommend a certain type of wheel, but do not go real cheap. Again, if you are riding offroad, you want to have sturdy wheels that don't have to be trued too often. I think I have an shimano ultegra wheel hub, cant remember what rim I had built up anymore, but it is plenty beefy, but not too beefy. How beefy really depends upon your size too. If you are heavier, you need a better wheel to handle the bumps of offroad. My redline is a 50 centimeter and almost too big as far as standover height, but is really much shorter in the top tube than my old steel Bridgestone Road Bike.

spoke

[spokewench]

Woops, forgot to answer your question about gearing. Since I ride the cyclocross bike offroad and in cyclocross, I put a triple on my cyclocross bike. I ride only a double chain ring on my road bikes, so this will give you an idea that I wanted more gearing on my cyclocross. Dirt gives you more resistance thus the need for more gears and it also can give you much steeper hills (with the added resistance of dirt) so more gears are essential, at least for me.

My husband actually runs only one chain ring in front on his cyclocross cause if it is too steep, he runs, but he is an animal. I prefer to ride some of the stuff he runs.

spoke

[rhiannon008]

I will also weigh in on gearing. As it is a dedicated cross bike, I use a 12-27 in the back and a 38/44 up front. I also alternate between that and a single 42t ring in the front.

The only part I could not swap out from my older road bike was the canti brakes and pedals. For the brakes, I chose the wide profile TRP Euro X brakes which are very light, have alot of clearance room, and once adjusted properly have adequate stopping power. For pedals, I used the Crank Bros. Candy SL, which have all the mud shedding properties of the Egg Beaters with just a bit of platform for a bit of extra stability.

As for the geometry of the bike, I found it most important to focus on the standover and top tube numbers. For example, I ride a 48cm Cervelo and due to the longer top tube and stand over differences, I found the 44cm Cross Pro to fit like a glove.

[Kathyrides]

Thanks for the advice..

With a triple do you drop your chain a lot? My first road bike was a triple and the chain dropped all the time. I switched to compacts for all my bikes and I once a season drop my chain.

I have an '07 Tarmac with 105/ultegra parts I probably could use. Depends on what is the best deal.

My goal is to pay $0 for the bike as I'm trading in but then in a way you don't know what you are really paying as it is sort of fuzzy with the trade in values and such.

I'm going next week and ask for different options. Hard thing is they will order the bike so it makes it tough to test ride to make sure it is right.

I agree that I probably won't use my Zipps unless for some reason I become a competitive cross racer and it will make a difference..which I doubt.

If I had a cross bike I could ride it today as we had our first snow and as much as I want to ride outside it will be a trainer ride for me today.

[spokewench]

No, I don't drop my chain with my triple - although I hear some people have that problem with triples. I'm pretty good about not putting it in a cross over gear so that makes it less likely to drop - also when I'm going downhill, I gear up to my big chain ring in front to keep the tension on so that it does not bounce off on the bumps.

I would think that a compact would be good enough on a cross bike. It would be enough for me, but like I said, I ride a road bike with a 51 and 38 front chain rings.

[SheFly]

Hey Kathy! I ride a Specialized S Works. Loved it SO MUCH, I bought another one as my "beater" 'cross bike . I ride a 54 on the road, and my 'cross bikes are the same size. They fit perfectly!

The geometry will be different from your TT and road bikes. Slightly more upright position, and a higher bottom bracket. I set my bars up so that I sit a little higher - this gives me more control in the technical sections of a course.

My race bike is outfitted with lots of "bling". Mavic Ksyrium wheel set, Ultegra grouppo, very light ALUMINUM bars (broke my carbon bars earlier this season and it HURT). I run a single chain ring up front for racing (39 or 40), and a 12-27 in the back. Around here, that works fine for me. I have been able to ride quite a few of the hills.

I would stay away from using your Zipps as race wheels for the 'cross bike.

Let me know what you end up with! And does this mean that NEBC has another 'cross racer in our midst???

SheFly

[Kathyrides]

[QUOTE=SheFly;264700
My race bike is outfitted with lots of "bling". Mavic Ksyrium wheel set, Ultegra grouppo, very light ALUMINUM bars (broke my carbon bars earlier this season and it HURT). I run a single chain ring up front for racing (39 or 40), and a 12-27 in the back. Around here, that works fine for me. I have been able to ride quite a few of the hills.

I would stay away from using your Zipps as race wheels for the 'cross bike.

Let me know what you end up with! And does this mean that NEBC has another 'cross racer in our midst???

SheFly[/QUOTE]

Yep after Ironman Lake Placid in July I'm only doing fun stuff which means bike stuff for me. I plan on doing a 12 hour road race, then giving cross a try and see what I think. By getting a bike this year I can use it as my winter bike and get some help from some NEBC folks so I can practice some skills. I've never ridden other than on roads so it is all new to me and I have a lot to learn.

I hope to make a swap so my cross bike costs $0 out of pocket making my family happy.