More speed on a cyclocross bike

[konaman]

I am riding a Waterford X-22 (cyclocross) currently in fast city mode - on a set of riser bars, cantilever brakes, thumbshifters, 9-speed Ultegra and 28c continental gatorskin. I love the bike.

Other than training my own fitness, what would you suggest to help me gain some speed? would changing to a drop bar setup help significantly? I am constantly being smoked by Roadies and TT riders btw.

Or should i just get a proper roadie?

Thanks!

[charliedid]

Buy a road bike.

[AngryScientist]

any bike can be optimized for the primary function, but....

Originally Posted by konaman

I am constantly being smoked by Roadies and TT riders btw.

what does that actually mean?

are you racing? doing fast group rides? just getting passed on the road by random people blowing by you?

what kind of riding? long road races? short group rides, sprints? crits??

what??

[konaman]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

any bike can be optimized for the primary function, but....



what does that actually mean?

are you racing? doing fast group rides? just getting passed on the road by random people blowing by you?

what kind of riding? long road races? short group rides, sprints? crits??

what??

Not doing racing. I normally ride alone and could see fast bikes passing me. And i could not catch up. Was wondering if i could optimize my current setup to at least keep up.

[Bentley]

What is your current sustained speed? How is your bike set up, cross tires, 1X, what is your current cassette/chainring? How much does your bike weigh?

Honestly, there are some things to get faster... weight/fitness, but Tri-athletes on Aerobikes will always be a bit of a problem, also, there are always people that are faster than you are. Enjoy the ride, you are not in a race...

[colker]

Originally Posted by charliedid

Buy a road bike.

Yes. Instead of half azz measures do it once and do it right. A road bike is the faster bike.

[Peter P.]

While it would be easy for me to join the others and suggest you buy a road bike, I think you'll be disappointed.

It's your training and genetics, sir.

While you can't do anything about your genetics, you can certainly do something about your training.

You need to get spanked trying to hang with those roadies. Once you see you're starting to not get dropped by them, it will be time to reward yourself with a road bike.

You will have learned, Grasshopper.

[muz]

No matter how fast you get, there will be faster guys. I am a decent climber, but most local climb KOMs are 50% to 100% faster than my PR. My faster friends do a 14-hour Everesting, but the record is 7:02...

As the man said, "It is not about the bike!"

[robt57]

IMO, your biggest advantage is if you can get long and low, put out power, and tolerate the position.

Think about the frontal area of your chest and torso upright VS at even 50% less angle. [45^ VS 22.5^ example] Narrower bars also get you out of the wind a bit.

Way cheaper than a full aero bike would be getting yourself into a much lower profile to the air you are riding into. The faster you go the more watts you'll need to overcome what ever % of watts you are using moving into even still air. If it is dead still, you still are making a 20 MPH headwind @ 20 MPH, right?

Drafting with multiple riders helps a lot. Skill required, not to mention trust etc.

[charliedid]

Buy a road bike.

[Monsieur Toast]

I was riding a rigid Salsa El Mariachi while transitioning from MTB to road. The El Mariachi was definitely setup for speed on pavement, but on the road loop I've ridden hundreds of times there was no hanging with most decent roadies while on the cyclocross bike.

Once my Della Santa showed up I overnight went from getting dropped to being able to hang with all but the upper echelon of roadies around here. Hell, I took a year off due to injury, and came back with an Ottrott and beat all my Della Santa times before I even got into decent riding shape.

Sometimes certain tools are just better at certain tasks.

[Mark McM]

I disagree with those that say you need to get a road bike. The geometry of a cyclocross bike isn't much different from a road bike (and the differences that exist primarily affect handling, not speed). The key to speed on a road bike (other than the power and fitness of the rider, obviously), is the rider's position. Assuming the bike is properly sized, changing the riser bar to a drop bar should allow you to achieve just as good a position on a cyclocross as on a road bike (you may want to visit a good bike fitter to optimize your position). That, plus a good set of road tires, will get you 99% of the way towards what a true road bike will give. You'll have to change the handlebar and probably the stem, the brake/shift levers, and the tires, but it could be a less expensive option than buying a completely new bike

[CMiller]

Drop bars if you aren’t comfortable or feel like riding more aggressively. Other than that forget the fast people and have fun at your own speed!

[CMiller]

I agree with Mark, I don’t see a huge point in buying a road bike if you can set up a high quality cross bike like yours. You’ll see way bigger differences from just drop bars and good fit.

[slowpoke]

For a group of folks that refer to Gatorskins as a "garden hose", I'm surprised no one has suggested lighter tires. Continental GP5000s tires will offer a noticeable ride difference, while still providing puncture resistance, and are often on sale.