Cyclocross bikes - I've seen the light!

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Cyclocross bikes - I've seen the light!

(79 posts) (29 voices)

Started 1 month ago by Surfr
Latest reply from west kipper

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Surfr - Member

I took delivery of a 2010 Jake the Snake last week and had a great off road explore on Saturday, followed by my tarmac commute today. I have completely fallen in love! What a machine!

I've had a road bike before (Condor Italia) but this is so much more compliant. I was amazed at the speed I could carry through rocky/rough sections of doubletrack without feeling pumped in the arms or death-by-vibration. SO much faster UP the forestry roads than an MTB and only became a chore on the steepest sections as I could do with a couple teeth off the inner ring for such sections of trail (36/46 up front, road cassette at rear).

Then today on tarmac it eats up the flat and soaks up the terrible potholed roads around here with ease. My old flat bared slicked rigid MTB was less forgiving I'm sure.

When I was in the LBS sizing up the bike, the manager said how he and the owner both really enjoyed their cross bikes and it reminded them of the olden days of MTBing. I completely understand what he was getting at after my first off road ride. I'm now seeking out more exploratory rides and not only thinking about singletrack. I'm sure it will be a hoot around the trail centres too but I've not tried that yet.

Can't stop grinning. I've cut the bike stable down to the Jake the Snake and an ST4 and I feel I've got everything covered. I'm even going to get a second set of aksium wheels with GP4000s and some clip on aero bars for the local club 10s.

Posted 1 month ago #
Thurman Merman - Member

If you're not gonna race on it, you might be better off with a 34/50 rings instead. You'll climb better and eat up more tarmac

Posted 1 month ago #
Surfr - Member

How can I tell the limits of my cranks with regard to changing teeth numbers?

Posted 1 month ago #
drain - Member

And you should know, Chas

Number of teeth would be determined generally by the rear mech "capacity" which will be stated somewhere on its spec.

Messin' around on 'cross bikes, great fun. Not sure I've got the balls to go racing 'cross but by all accounts it's a very sociable activity (see Mr Thruman above!).

Posted 1 month ago #
cynic-al - Member

It'll be a "road compact" AKA "old mtb" std? 34 is as small as you can go IIRC.

So you are comparing your cross bike with an mtb on road eh?

Posted 1 month ago #
Surfr - Member

Rear mech cage size defines limit of chainset rings? Really? That sounds wrong to me.

Posted 1 month ago #
Surfr - Member

And a condor italia (road bike)

Posted 1 month ago #
PJ266 - Member

I've had a road bike before (Condor Italia)

Evidently not.

*EDIT* I iz tooooo slow

Posted 1 month ago #
dave_aber - Member

Rear cage is what takes up the slack. Sounds about right to me

Posted 1 month ago #
west kipper - Member

The length of the rear mech cage is largely defined by the potential slack in the chain when shifting rings on the front.

Posted 1 month ago #
plop_pants - Member

Cross bikes are great, I've been leaving the roadie chaingang to do their same old thing while I get the miles in riding all the little roads and tracks they wouldn't touch. I especially love to plan a long road route to a bit of forest (Bedgebury recently) so I get my off road fix too. A ride like this goes much quicker for me an so much more satisfying. Ask some racing roadie about their long training rides and its seems like it's something they have to endure more than enjoy.

Posted 1 month ago #
Surfr - Member

I see. I always thought it was the range of the rear cassette which defined rear mech cage size. Colour me enlightened.

Oh and the 'mtb' was actually a hybrid but don't let that get in the way of my gushing about cross bikes

Posted 1 month ago #
Hammo - Member

My crosscheck is fantastic. So versatile, been riding it in epping forest, fixed and on 28c's. What a laugh!

Posted 1 month ago #
oldgit - Member

Good innit
I'm using my crosser for everything since the season ended, perfectly capable of doing everything a MTB can do in XC guise.
Standard road compact would be better. The 34 would help on tougher terrain, and the 50 will be like switching into overdrive when you turn onto the tarmac.
Just building another crosser to save my good one for race day.

Posted 1 month ago #
oldgit - Member

BTW I like your bike choice. You'll get a nice transition from one bike to another i.e Racey ST4-crosser-roadie.

Mines similar XTC-crosser-roadie.

Posted 1 month ago #
grantway - Member

Whats the weight of the Jake

Posted 1 month ago #
drain - Member

Another vote for the Cross Check / Traveller's Check, really versatile and great fun with 29er tyres

Posted 1 month ago #
Surfr - Member

22lb with pedals as weighed in lbs when I picked it up. That includes 4 reflectors and a bell

Posted 1 month ago #
crazy-legs - Member

Cross bikes rock. I used to do a 20 mile road ride to get to the off-road bits - a blast round Grizedale or similar then ride home. Great for commuting along towpaths etc, far faster than a mountain bike. Ideal on-road winter training bikes: better brakes and loads more mud clearance than traditional road bikes plus fatter tyres for any icy/potholed bits.

You'll find that it's only the *really* technical/rocky sections that they start to come unstuck, otherwise they're as capable as any decent hardtail.

Posted 1 month ago #
MikeWW - Member

Cross bikes are great but love my road bike as well...and my single speed rigid. But then there's the hardtail which is nice and quick although the full susser is great for the all dayers. The more you mix em up the more fun it is

Posted 1 month ago #
grantway - Member

Thats not bad Surfr I was looking at getting a Sportif
road bike and i do like the Jake nearly bought one a few
years back.

Posted 1 month ago #
AnalogueAndy - Member

Another vote here!

Bought mine for the 3 Peaks initially (although I'd been doing 'cross on the HT before that).

Now I've got it, it get's used for all kinds of riding, from Weds nights full on off-road trying to keep up with 5in travel FS to keeping up with the local roadies on the tarmac

Posted 1 month ago #
Sponging-Machine - Member

I'm intending on buying a jake the snake in a couple of months. Glad you like yours. Very much looking forward to getting mine.

Posted 1 month ago #
aracer - Member

The length of the rear mech cage is largely defined by the potential slack in the chain when shifting rings on the front.

Amazing how I get away with a short cage mech on my roadie with a 50-34 chainset then!

Posted 1 month ago #
cynic-al - Member

You'll find that it's only the *really* technical/rocky sections that they start to come unstuck, otherwise they're as capable as any decent hardtail.

nonsence. Unless you are about to tell me my riding is deficient?

Posted 1 month ago #
Thurman Merman - Member

The length of the rear mech cage is largely defined by the potential slack in the chain when shifting rings on the front.

Amazing how I get away with a short cage mech on my roadie with a 50-34 chainset then!

On my 'spare' CX bike, I've a 36/46 chainset for race days, and a 34/50 chainset for poncing about off-road in the non-race season. Both work fine with a short-cage 105 rear mech. Don't even have to remove/add links to the chain (I just need to move the F mech up/down accordingly).

Posted 1 month ago #
clubber - Member

The length of the rear mech is about the total gear capacity eg for a 50/34 with a 12-28 cassette it's 14+16= 30 which would probably need a medium cage. This is further complicated by a long toad mech being the same as most medium cage mtb mechs.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/derailers-rear.html

anyway, cx bikes are great. Fantastic at turning routes that would be boring on an mtb into good fun. I find them frustrating on proper mtb trails though as they just don't roll over rocks and roots very well.

Posted 1 month ago #
west kipper - Member

aracer,I did say LARGELY, BTW, you may be within the capacity of the mech then, depending on which cassette you're using (and they will stretch a bit outside the stated tooth range)
However try using a triple for instance, and you'll find the chain going slack/tight near the extremes of the range.

Posted 1 month ago #
SOOBalias - Member

2009 fixed wheel
2010 crosser

when do the marketing boys start to drip feed next years big thing then?

Posted 1 month ago #
oldgit - Member

You'd be surprised at how far you can push a cross bike. Though if the forks are pointing backwards and the front wheel folds enough for it to fit in your pocket you've probably reached the limits.

Are the wheels on the Kona standard i.e 32/32? I just ask because IME the 18 and 24 spoke wheels though great for racing can go when used on normal MTB trails. I was showing off in the play area in Woburn, one spoke went and and it buckled big time had to ride with the brake disconnected.

Posted 1 month ago #
crazy-legs - Member

nonsence. Unless you are about to tell me my riding is deficient?

cynic-al, I said they're as capable as a decent HT. I did not say they were as fast or as indestructible. There's a big difference!
There's not a lot that you can't do on a CX bike - it might be slower in places, a bit less comfy in places but it'll still do it.

I've seen pics on here of people jumping them, riding them down steps, doing drop-offs etc.

Posted 1 month ago #
cynic-al - Member

So it's not as capable at going fast, rider comfort etc?

I just thought it was a daft word to use as it's capable of wide interpretation.

You don't see folk at jump parks on crossers do you? DH courses? XC races? IF crossers were as capable as HTs you would.

Posted 1 month ago #
SOOBalias - Member

are they not just tourers with faux knobbly tyres?

Posted 1 month ago #
crazy-legs - Member

So it's not as capable at going fast, rider comfort etc?

On most XC race courses in this country, a CX bike would leave a MTB standing. That's why they're banned!

Posted 1 month ago #
epicyclo - Member

SOOBalias - Member
are they not just tourers with faux knobbly tyres?

No, they're proper bikes for our roads. Ride nicely over all the winter cack. Basically like a bike in the days when we had just one bike for every job.

What is sold as a road bike these days is for racers and racer wannabes.

Posted 1 month ago #
DezB - Member

Chap riding the Kona on Sunday sure made the cross bike look fun to ride.
Certainly as capable as many riders on MTBs that I've witnessed! Singlespeed too.

Posted 1 month ago #
cynic-al - Member

On most XC race courses in this country, a CX bike would leave a MTB standing. That's why they're banned!

I just don't believe that.

What is sold as a road bike these days is for racers and racer wannabes.

Oh FFS, get a grip!

Posted 1 month ago #
crazy-legs - Member

I just don't believe that.

The pic above is a good example - the Gorrick race courses. Two riders of equal ability, one on a HT, the other on a CX. The CX would win on that course.

Posted 1 month ago #
epicyclo - Member

cynic-al - Member
I just don't believe that.

Is that a faith based statement, or experience based on riding a cross bike?

Posted 1 month ago #
cynic-al - Member

latter

Oh and I only have experience of sxc courses, which I understand are a bit more gnarly than the southern softy stuff.

EDIT

Posted 1 month ago #