Couple of cross questions

[Dave B]

I need some practicle knowledge I cannot get froma book on cross equip.

Brakes? I see several (cyclocrossworld.com) and a wide range of prices. I know you usually get "more" the more you spend. Any recomendations on what works really well? This will be for alu rims (for now) and i know pad changes mean more depending on wheels.

clincher tires. All I have to work with right now is clincher wheels and that is fine for me...any good over all designs? I know having ones for different type of terrain make sense...but this is a beginning. Yes i understand Tubular is what I should be using, but I am not bothered by that.

brifters: Does it really matter? I have read and listened to people who say having a fixed brake lever is beter then shimano due to potential crashes (especially for a beginner)

saddles: same one as you would for road? more cush for remounting?

bars: I know it is personal, but does anyone run flat top bars? I don't plan to use secondary brake levers...well until I think i shouold so are flat tops a no no?

discuss



thanks by the way

[flux]

Originally Posted by Mr.President

I need some practicle knowledge I cannot get froma book on cross equip.

Brakes? I see several (cyclocrossworld.com) and a wide range of prices. I know you usually get "more" the more you spend. Any recomendations on what works really well? This will be for alu rims (for now) and i know pad changes mean more depending on wheels.

clincher tires. All I have to work with right now is clincher wheels and that is fine for me...any good over all designs? I know having ones for different type of terrain make sense...but this is a beginning. Yes i understand Tubular is what I should be using, but I am not bothered by that.

brifters: Does it really matter? I have read and listened to people who say having a fixed brake lever is beter then shimano due to potential crashes (especially for a beginner)

saddles: same one as you would for road? more cush for remounting?

bars: I know it is personal, but does anyone run flat top bars? I don't plan to use secondary brake levers...well until I think i shouold so are flat tops a no no?

discuss



thanks by the way

Dave,

Brakes: The Cane Creeks are a very simple set up, no frills, get the job done and cheap. A lot of guys are running the TRP's in various models but I have yet to try a pair... though they seem to work nicely as well.

I have always like the Spooky's and they have been a good seller for me.

Wheels: Clinchers are fine. Go with strong first, then light. Both attributes being important. Aero comes into play with the carbon wheels but don't go out and build up a set of CXP 33's as they weigh a ton and will only slow you down.

CONTROL LEVERS: (I don't know what a "brifter" is
SRAM is the best stuff out there for cross and in general (imho of course). 1:1 ratio means accurate shifting even when your cassette and rear der are clogged up with mud and grass.

Bars: Flat tops (mtb) are UCI illegal and it kinda takes away the fun of a cross bike. Go with a normal road bar. No need to go crazy and get an insanely wide bar as they will only decrease your handling. No need for silly flared drop bars either. Just run a normal width road bar.

[SWorks4me]

Originally Posted by flux

Dave,

Brakes: The Cane Creeks are a very simple set up, no frills, get the job done and cheap. A lot of guys are running the TRP's in various models but I have yet to try a pair... though they seem to work nicely as well.

I have always like the Spooky's and they have been a good seller for me.

Wheels: Clinchers are fine. Go with strong first, then light. Both attributes being important. Aero comes into play with the carbon wheels but don't go out and build up a set of CXP 33's as they weigh a ton and will only slow you down.

CONTROL LEVERS: (I don't know what a "brifter" is )
SRAM is the best stuff out there for cross and in general (imho of course). 1:1 ratio means accurate shifting even when your cassette and rear der are clogged up with mud and grass.

Bars: Flat tops (mtb) are UCI illegal and it kinda takes away the fun of a cross bike. Go with a normal road bar. No need to go crazy and get an insanely wide bar as they will only decrease your handling. No need for silly flared drop bars either. Just run a normal width road bar.

FLUX has spoken...and it is good.

[J.Greene]

I can concur with Justin on the Cane Creek brakes. They are cheap, light and easy. I'm a hack though, he is pro.

JG

[Dave B]

Thanks loads!

I miss spoke on the bar. I have a FSA wing bar (just sitting) so the flats I meant were the top of the road bar...where the wing is. I have watched loads of videos (Indy isn't big into cross ...YET!) and have not seen many wing-topped bars.

Wheels are kings on Open pros. Was trying to pick ergott's brain to see if they would sort out with stan's rim strips and tubeless to maybe get a little bit of a tubeless advantage.

oh yeah, total newbie question...what is with the skin suits? don't bibs and a jersey work anymore

[Dave B]

are cantilever brakes difficult to set up? I can do disc, road, and v, but have never had a set of cantilever (well maybe as a kid, but I didn't build my own back then)

[flux]

Originally Posted by J.Greene

I can concur with Justin on the Cane Creek brakes. They are cheap, light and easy. I'm a hack though, he is pro.

JG

In all seriousness one of the keys to cross is to not use your brakes. The trick is to use the terrain to slow you down. Sounds crazy but it's true.

That being said "I love my Cane Creek Brakes!"

[flux]

Originally Posted by Mr.President

T

oh yeah, total newbie question...what is with the skin suits? don't bibs and a jersey work anymore

The bike doesn't get "caught up" in a skinsuit (when shouldering in a running section). It's not nesc for aerodynamics.

[Dave B]

makes sense.

Oh yeah.

I kow Tufo makes the clincher tubular tires and I have used them a couple of years ago on the road bike. I feel like I might have read they are not a smart design for cross (if they even have a cross clincher/tubular)

Maybe rolling off. Does that ring a bell for anyone?

[J.Greene]

Originally Posted by flux

In all seriousness one of the keys to cross is to not use your brakes. The trick is to use the terrain to slow you down. Sounds crazy but it's true.

That being said "I love my Cane Creek Brakes!"

Funny you say that. Years ago a belgiun cross champ spoke to our local bike club. Someone in the audience asked him about brakes and he said in his funny accent......"I don't know why americans are always obsessed with stopping".

JG

[Bruce K]

Pres. -

e-mail or call Stu Thorne at www.cyclocrossworld.com.

He is currently in the middle of his end of season sell-off of all his team gear and components.

There are some OUTSTANDING deals right now, including the carbon cantis the team used for pretty short money.

Basically, every component of every team bike is on the block.

BK

[flux]

Originally Posted by Mr.President

makes sense.

Oh yeah.

I kow Tufo makes the clincher tubular tires and I have used them a couple of years ago on the road bike. I feel like I might have read they are not a smart design for cross (if they even have a cross clincher/tubular)

Maybe rolling off. Does that ring a bell for anyone?

I used them. Functionally very reliable. I find the Challenges more supple though which is very important. I was running the Challenge clinchers as low as 25psi-30psi depending on how hard I was pushing the bike into the corners.

I plan on running the Challenge clinchers next year as opposed to the tubulars. It's a maintenance thing... makes life easier and they perform extremely well.

[flux]

Originally Posted by Bruce K

Pres. -

e-mail or call Stu Thorne at www.cyclocrossworld.com.

He is currently in the middle of his end of season sell-off of all his team gear and components.

There are some OUTSTANDING deals right now, including the carbon cantis the team used for pretty short money.

Basically, every component of every team bike is on the block.

BK

I feel so used.

[jeffg]

Originally Posted by J.Greene

Funny you say that. Years ago a belgiun cross champ spoke to our local bike club. Someone in the audience asked him about brakes and he said in his funny accent......"I don't know why americans are always obsessed with stopping".

JG

"What do I say to complaints that my brakes are no good? I'll tell you this: Anyone can stop. But it takes a genius to go fast" - Enzo Ferrari

[Bruce K]

Sorry Justin, just tryin' to help the guy out.

You know I know where to get my whiz-bang components.

To add to your misery , I just got an e-mail that cyclocrossworld is having a 4-day end of season sale on inventory as well.

This might solve a lot of your problems, Pres.

BK