Does anyone know of any good Cyclocross resources on the net? I recently moved and I have the opportunity to ride my bike to work daily (if I want) to start building my aerobic base. There is a limestone bike/running trailing which will basically take me from my home to work (25-miles round trip). The main roads are too dangerous for road bike riding.
Has anyone ever converted a road frame to a Cyclocross set up or has done the same with a Mtn. bike? I don’t know too much about Cyclocross, but considered the hybrid of a road and Mtn bike may be a good setup for the fall and winter.
Yeah, Baby!!! Another 'cross convert! This will be my first 'cross season and I’m PUMPED. My rig is ready to roll and the season starts Sept. 21st. The training/racing season never really ends, it just just switches sports.
I didn’t convert a true road frame, but I did convert my 1990 Schwinn Crisscross bike that had junk parts to full Cyclocross with all Ultegra and XT parts. It started life as a cheap @$$ hybrid, now it’s a real steel 'cross machine!
If you want to convert a true road frame, just have a good custom bike person add cantilever brake mounts to your frame and fork. Steel would be easiest, I think, but might be possible on other materials as well. I have heard of people using regular low profile road brakes and they’re fine in dry weather, but when it’s gets good and muddy you’ll have problems.
Here’s a few of things you might keep in mind. If you have a triple crank, I think you’ll need STI that’s triple compatible.
If your Mongoose uses cantilever brakes, you’re fine, but if it has linear V-brakes, you’ll need a device called a Travel Agent that goes where the brake noodle goes to compensate for the increased cable pull demands of these brakes.
As for tires, I assume that since it’s a mountain bike that the wheels are 26". I’d get the skinniest 26" tires for conditions I could to save weight. This because your going to have to hump this this baby around the course for 30 min. to an hour!
I live in Lombard, IL and work in Maywood, IL. About 10-miles west of Chicago.
-Joe
The IL Prairie Path is very flat and non-technical. A cyclo-cross bike will be over kill for you; so you won’t need a cyclo-cross bike unless you intend to actually race cyclo-cross.
If you want a cool commuter bike, I would suggest modifying your mountain bike into a fixed-gear. The Prairie Path is usually dusty, and the simplicity of a fixed-gear drivetrain is nice for those conditions. You’ll also need lights, reflectors, fenders, and non-knobby tires.
If you want to swap out the handlebars, I would suggest a moustache handlebar, or a triathlon base bar. Those would give you more hand positions than a flat bar, but still give you an upright position so that you can see traffic.
That’s probably more info than you wanted - just thought I’d give you another option.
PS. Be careful at those street crossings. They’re not at usual intersections with stop signs, and cars won’t be expecting to see a bike on the path in the dark during the late fall and winter months.
'cross baby! Becareful, it’s addictive! New bike, converted mtn bike, or a sweet single speed doesn’t matter. It’s 60 minutes of giggling and anaerobic bliss! Find some races in your area and give it a whirl. check out www.ncnca.org for addt’l beginner cross info.
An if you want to hear others whine, take your new cross bike to an off-road triathlon. It’s too fun! I did Brad Kearn’s Lake Clemintine race last year on my cross bike and had a blast.
If you are going to race cross, you can convert a mtn bike by going to thinner tires w/ small knobs, take off the bar ends and take off the bottle cages. Since most of the courses aren’t really rocky or super technical, you can lock out the shock if your bike has one.
A hybrid would work too, except the BB height is little bit lower than a cross bike. Just upgrade to some cross tires, like Ritchey Speedmax, Panaracer Crossblaster, etc. You can go to cyclocrossworld.com to find them.
Spend some time working on remounts and dismounts. Good technique can make a big difference. Remounts are the toughest to learn since you must hop back on without taking a stutter step.
Cyclocross is great fun. It is also a great spectator sport.
On getting a bike, you can get a Surly Crosscheck from AEbike.com for ~$280. A pair set of canti brakes are ~$40. This might be the way to go as to avoid surgery on your road bike.
I used to ride a Cannondale cross bike, but switched to the Surly. As you are considering, the Surly is my commute/errand bike also. Too, it is nice to tool around on in the winter months when I don’t feel like running at 8pm.
Get your dismount/mount down before racing. In my experience, there are usually 20-35 laps with 3-4 portage sections per lap. If you cannot dis/mount quickly, it is tough.
Also, be prepared for more than dudes in fleece jester hats. I have found here in Texas, the CX racers tend to be hardcore. You can still have fun, but know what you are getting into.
There is a classic text on cyclocross racing. You can get it at Velo Press. It is not at Amazon.