2 major decisions for new bike order...

[Dromen]

Hey Forum,
Im getting ready to place an order for a new cross frame/fork with the primary intended use gravel/2 track/fire roads. Secondary, goofing around on pavement. No real plans at this point to race, but you never know.

Im an all road bike guy with only mechanical shifting and caliper brakes. Now the options of disc braking and electronic shifting have reared their heads. Obviously, shifting and braking must be decided for frame design.

Ive researched the 'net a bit, now if could hear the Forum Truth.

Based on the intended use of my new cross do i go Canti or Disc? Is it Mechanical or Electronic?

Thanks to all.

[donevwil]

Oh boy, here we go.

My only input is: if you're going to get wet and dirty, get discs. Otherwise, keep it simple (mechanical) unless you have a personal desire to try electronic. Also, if you get a canti bike, use mini-v's.

[veloduffer]

I have bikes with mechanical discs and hydraulic discs, and I think you'd be fine with cantis or mini-V brakes. I don't perceive huge advantages to either one. Discs are better in wet weather but not very good in mud; their is also a weight penalty (discs, heavier fork to withstand force). Cantis, of course, don't have the same stopping power, but are cheaper, lighter and easy to maintain; mini-Vs have very good stopping power but not the mud clearance as cantilevers.

As for electronic shifting, if you don't mind waiting I think wireless will be coming soon.

[cnighbor1]

If electronic shifting is reliable in all conditions than consider it. but I don't want to be out some long hilly gravel road and have the electronic shifting fail
And ride home in the one gear that works

[oldpotatoe]

I have bikes with mechanical discs and hydraulic discs, and I think you'd be fine with cantis or mini-V brakes. I don't perceive huge advantages to either one. Discs are better in wet weather but not very good in mud; their is also a weight penalty (discs, heavier fork to withstand force). Cantis, of course, don't have the same stopping power, but are cheaper, lighter and easy to maintain; mini-Vs have very good stopping power but not the mud clearance as cantilevers.

As for electronic shifting, if you don't mind waiting I think wireless will be coming soon.

Once again, wireless either means a power source on all 4 places, ders(2), shifters(2) or hard wire to ders with receivers, power source and transmitters in each lever, for????

EPS/Di2 bikes are 99.9% internal so I don't get the urge to be wireless. The only 'wire' you may eliminate would be the one from the levers/interface to the battery, which you only see a few inches if. Ain't gonna happen soon IMHO.

[sparky33]

Mechanical drive train.
Paul mini-V.
Keep it simple.

[kenmetzger]

I have loved the switch to disc brakes on my cross bike. They brake well and are quiet, but some do howl. (I tried a Magura rotor, but it was super loud on my Hayes CX brakes) One thing I like about disc is that if I dent my rim, then I am not feeling that on everytime I brake. (I am 200lbs and race some, so this happens to me) The only down side that I have found is a loss of interchangeability of my wheelsets.

[Dromen]

Mechanical drive train.
Paul mini-V.
Keep it simple.

Im doing this. Thanks to all.

Keep forgetting to use the Search function on the forum. Sorry for unearthing the same topic for the umpteenth time.

[redir]

Disk.
Mechanical.

[David Kirk]

Im doing this. Thanks to all.

Keep forgetting to use the Search function on the forum. Sorry for unearthing the same topic for the umpteenth time.

I second your choice - if you said you were riding in the mountains in all weather or on muddy dirt then discs might be a good idea - otherwise rim brakes are the ticket for your use.

dave

[mtb_frk]

On my last custom bike I didn't get a few options that I now wish I would have. I opted not to get disc and fender mounts. They add very little weight it would seem, and it allows you or the next owner more options. I guess at the time I never thought discs would be allowed in cross. The disc tab can't be retro fitted so if I want disc it is either going to be buy a new frame or set it up with discs in the front only. My next bike will have all the options.

[kentileguy]

Will you be showing off your new ride at Barry-Roubaix?

[pdmtong]

Mech mech is fine
It won't be your last bike.
Disc and electric continue to get Better.

I don't look at new stuff and need to have it because it's new. More important to figure out what you need and go with that.

The one place discs and electric excel is in eliminating hand arm fatigue - that's nice in certain situations

[Ahneida Ride]

As for electronic shifting, if you don't mind waiting I think wireless will be coming soon.

I predict that it will be all electronic wireless in the future.
Why ? .... Once R and D is recouped.... it will be cheaper to
manufacture wireless then mechanical.

[josephr]

The one place discs and electric excel is in eliminating hand arm fatigue - that's nice in certain situations

yeah...gotta save that hand/arm for later!

[mtb_frk]

Will you be showing off your new ride at Barry-Roubaix?

If you are asking me, no I am not far enough along to have anything new by then.
If you are asking the OP maybe we should try to do a B-R meet up at the race. :hello:

[kentileguy]

Meant for the OP, but I like your idea for a Paceline gathering at BR. Perhaps a new thread closer to race day would be a good idea

[thirdgenbird]

I predict that it will be all electronic wireless in the future.
Why ? .... Once R and D is recouped.... it will be cheaper to
manufacture wireless then mechanical.

I disagree. It's not like a mechanical vs quartz watch. The electronics don't really replace a complex mechanical part.

Electronic derailleurs add a motor/actuator and only remove a spring
Electronic adds a battery and removes nothing
Electronic adds a processor(s) and removes nothing
Electronic adds software and removes nothing
Electronic adds a charger and removes nothing

The only cost savings I can see coming soon are shifters. Here, the electronic replace some form of a ratchet mechanism in favor of simple buttons. Shifters are not really that compex however. I doubt the cost savings of shifter mechs will outweigh the cost of actuators, batteries, chargers, processors, and software.

Edit: I guess electrical wires/connectors may cost less to manufacture than cables/housing, but I still don't think that's enough to make electronic shifting a cost savings over a comparable mechanical group.

[pbarry]

I predict that it will be all electronic wireless in the future.
Why ? .... Once R and D is recouped.... it will be cheaper to
manufacture wireless then mechanical.

Yes. Mavic already did it--not perfect but the second generation worked well enuf. Surely Big S and Big C already have it drawn up up and well past the prototype stage.

[fuzzalow]

I stand with the camp that says wireless will not happen in the near future, if it ever happens at all.

The bike industry is not big enough to drive development in the area of battery technology, it piggybacks what is available. And the 800 pound gorilla that drives battery capacity & miniaturization is the cellular smart phone industry. The amperage draw needed for a front derailleur is very different from a touch screen. Will also require coded transmission between shifters and derailleurs but software encoding is cheap, cheap as chips (silicon) as it were; but milliamp/hours are expensive.

As to the OP: sorry, don't know ding about cyclocross bikes. Buy what you like and what looks fun in the sense of appealing to you as a toy & diversion. That's all that any bike is outside of the Netherlands and the People's Republic of China.