This year's first cross post? Bike setup stuff for new guy

[PoppaWheelie]

Jumping the season? Maybe...

Anyway, I'm setting up a cross bike this year...both for fun but also for racing. I have a few questions for the gurus out there...

- The single front ring setup seems to be pretty popular. I like the idea of fewer moving parts too. Any real downsides aside from running out of gear on pavement??

- I run Campy on my road bike...should I just stick with that (huge loaded question...I know...no need to start a thread war please) so that I can switch wheels around if need be...or do you guys think the switch is worth it? I'm sort of itching to build a set of King-centered wheels. SRAM Force? If you do the SRAM thing with a single front ring, what do people do for a dummy lever? I know the Campy makes a non-brifter brake...maybe one more check in the "plus" column for sticking with them...hmmm. Though can you buy single mis-matched levers??

- I'll have just one set of wheels...if this is the case are tubulars still the way to go? I'm guessing most will say "yes", but just wonderin'. Most riding will be in the dry hard-pack, so I'm thinking of non-mud specific (ie, no need for deep section) rims, like Reflex CD's would be fine...3x laced with good ol' brass nipples and maybe X-Ray spokes. Sound about right?

More to come, I'm sure...thanks for any info! I feel a bit like Alice in Wonderland with this stuff for now.

[gregclimbs]

single ring simplifies things... both mentally (shifting - you onl have got one option - up or down with the right) and sheds some real weight.

with campy, if you have a set of brifters, you can just gut the left and throw it in a baggie until you wanna rebuilt it into a shifter.

deep sections run great in the slop - I used my 440s because I had them and THEN found out how great they work in the snow.

tubies are the only way to go in terms of being able to run low pressures and maintain the tire on the rim...

here was my bike from a few years ago:

http://wattagetraining.com/images/cross1.jpg

still run similar setup, but some changes through the years (like only one bar top brake lever)

hth

g

[djg]

I think it's very useful for cross to be able to swap wheels (and raid your road stash, with appropriate tire changes). There are all sorts of ways to work that out, but it's at least a nod to sticking with what you have.

Tubulars -- yeah, that's my first choice. I think that basic box section rims with a good build would be absolutely fine, although a lot of folks are starting to like deep section rims for mud shedding ability (which doesn't seem to be your cheap concern). Also, for backup wheels, slapping something like Michelin Jets or Muds on a set of road wheels can make for a useful backup, especially if you're not keen to lay in several sets of dedicated cross wheels right at the start.