I’m giving cyclocross a try this fall, and just got a new frame, a Specialized M4, that needs to be outfitted. Since I know very little about 'cross components, I am taking the dubious step of throwing it to the minds of slowtwitch to tell me what to hang on it.
So, high end, mid-range and low end…I need opinions and options…
and thank you in advance for your help!!
Mike.
Salsa makes a really cool chainring that won’t fall off and is designed for 'cross.I think it has something like 45teeth. It is designed to be a single 'ring unit.
Long cage mech is in order. Avid makes some really cool minimalist canti brakes, and Dia Compe makes wonderful levers to pull those. Don’t forget the Tufo 'cross tyres. And don’t do STI- get bar end shifters.
If you are not going with disc brakes you have to go with the froglegs cantilever brakes. Very light, very minimalist and very easy to clean. Oh yeah, and they stop you pretty well too!
Also, if you like riding the hoods stick a second pair of brake levers up on the flats, for quick braking without having to move your hands.
Now, you’ve officially been pimped!
I disagree with running bar end shifters and avid shorty cantis. Bar end shifters seem to have a following because they’re simple, inexpensive, and most people tend to just “throw” cross bikes together. But, I think they’re a pain in the butt while actually racing. Look at any pro bikes, they’re not running bar end shifters. Instead, think about getting some Campy shifters, that way if they get gunked up they’re fully rebuildable. The avid shorty brakes are okay, but they squeek alot, do a search on RBR and you’ll see many people don’t like them. There are better (although more expensive) alternatives. Top mount levers are an okay idea, but I’d say skip them if you don’t need them (they tend to make braking squishy.) Single ring setups are popular, but maybe not the best idea if you’re going to train on the road with this bike. Other than that, if you can get your hands on some tubular tires, that’d be good. That way you can run low psi and not pinch flat. Deep dish rims cut through the muck better but they’re more expensive. I’d say an older Ksyrium tubular off ebay would work just fine.
I’ll chime in against the avid shorty brakes too. I currently have both a set of 4’s and 6’s, i bought the 6’s thinking they might make some difference. They are both borderline dangerous brakes. I use mine with campy chorus ergo’s and the only place that remotely acceptable braking happens is in the drops. I would totally recommend getting disk brakes for your cross bike, they will have enough stopping power in the hoods to be usable. I also second the tubular thought, i personally use vittoria tigre cross tires, and have been using them for a few years, I love the quality of the CX’s so I stick with Vittoria when i can. Personally my wheels are a mach2 CD with a MA4 front, both 32 hole built 3x with DT Comps onto a formula sealed rear unit, and an LX front. I will be changing to disks before I race another cross race. Another thing to keep in mind is how useful these bikes are through out the year, I race DH, XC and cross on my bike, as well as hammering out training miles in the slush and wet in mar/feb. My personal take on componetry is that campy is vastly superior to shimano in this application because of the rebuildablity of the shifters. The only potential drawback is that there are 10 speeds to get mud in, however if you examine the issue you see that shimano and campy have very similarily sized chains in C10 and S9.
Good luck!
Just go with STI and/or Ergo levers for shifting - forget the bar ends, brifters are fine, shift flawlessly, and allow you to keep your hands where they belong. Shimano is prone to collect dirt and it effects shifting, but really only in extreme conditions. Campy’s design is better in this regard, but really it’s what you’re comfortable with. Unless you want the bling, go with 105, or Centaur level stuff. Works great, cheaper to replace (and you will be replacing components).
Whether or not you go with a single ring up front depends solely on your strength as a cyclist, and whether your racing or just riding around off-road. I’d recommend going with double rings. The one thing I’ve found to be true with amatuer 'crossers is that virtually everyone is over-geared. There are very few people that need anything larger than a 42 up front, and most need a 36, or even a 34 inner ring to get them up some of the steeper stuff. Cracks me up to see people struggling to turn the 46’s, 48’s, etc., there’s just no need unless your spinning out of those gears routinely.
Long-cage derailleurs are a good idea because it gives you more choices for gearing in back.
Top-mount brake levers are a matter of personal preference, if you’ve done a lot of mountain biking, you’ll probably like them, but the cheapers ones do provide weaker braking. Go with quality here.
Brakes? Depends on what you want to spend. Paul’s are hands-down the best, but expensive. Everybody makes a big deal about clearance with the neo-retro’s in back, but that all depends on your size. If you ride a frame smaller than, say, a 54, you might hit your heals on them, but otherwise they’re great. Avids are hit and miss, Shimano actually makes a decent cheap pair, and then there are the “Euro” models that are available from Cyclocrossworld.com, but I’ve tried nearly all, and the Paul’s work best, and are amazingly easy to maintain.
Wheels are where good decision-making will save you time and money. First of all, tubulars make a difference in cross. Whichever side of the tubular/clincher debate you’re on, everyone agrees that tubulars and cross are like PB&J - they just go together. Tubulars allow you to run lower tire pressures, which assures you of better traction without the worry of pinch flats. As has been stated, Tufo’s make some great tires - and they’re tubeless so pinch flats are even less of a problem. Don’t worry about boutique wheels unless you’re racing at a high level, and perhaps have some sponsorship to replace them cheaply. Plain old 32 spoke Open Pro rims work flawlessly with Shimano or Campy hubs. Go with wheels that are easily maintained. If you must go clincher, Tufo’s clincher-tubular will work well - some might argue better because they roll off less. I’ve found this to be true, but believe it’s due to poor gluing of the tubies.
Wipperman stainless steel chains are a must.
Pedals. Time ATAC’s or Crank Brother’s Eggbeaters (Candy’s or standard, doesn’t matter much) are your two choices. Shimano’s top-end mtb pedals will work, but they clog quicker than the Time’s or CB’s.
Have fun, if you’re going to race, practice your dismounts and re-mounts until you’re very, very confident. Doing them in practice as opposed to during a race is night and day.
Wow…thanks for the info…I am going to print it out and start getting to work…I will probably race, but not much. Really just for some fun, alternative way to ride, and to ride all winter…
thanks again…
Mike
sorry bunnyman, but “Tufo” doesn’t belong in the same sentence with “pimp” & ‘cyclocross.’ “Dugast” is the only tubular that fits that category. If you go with clinchers, I think the Michelin mud & jet work great. Wheelset should be durable, but not too heavy. Mavic Reflex or Open pro’s with double butted spokes work great. A spare wheelset is always a great thing to have on race day.
chainrings: 38 & 46 should be ok if you’re Cat 3-4. 39 & 48 should be ok if you’re strong Cat 3 or higher. A single 44t works really well if you’re at least a cat 2. 12-25 or 12-27 cassettes.
Brakes… well I haven’t been impressed with avid’s canti’s. Although I do love their v-brakes on my mtb. Maybe try the Paul’s or Spooky cantilevers. Or go with Mafac cantilevers for big old skool style points. Get some top mount brake levers.
Pedals, time are really good in the mud. Supposedly the eggbeaters & new shimano’s are also.
Saddle. I like a good mtb saddle. Plenty of shell flex. A little bit of gel on the top is ok also. Makes it nice when you’re jumping & landing on the saddle.
Most importantly: build a rig that’s durable & well maintained. Mechanicals seem to happen more often in cyclocross; it sucks. Have fun!
Well…You’ve got the frame/fork so I’ll just add the rest:
Headset–Chris King–No brainer
Ergo Levers–Campy Centaur or Chorus 10-speed. I’ve been running Campy 10 for 3 years in CCX in the PacNorWest…No problems with mud or goop.
Cranks–Compact–FSA with integrated BB is a nice way to go (34/48 chainrings).
Brakes–Paul’s Neo Retro front and Touring rear (so you don’t catch it with your heel…)
Bars–TTT Prima 199 (light and reasonably priced with a relatively short reach)
Empella Top Mount Lever–Run your brakes “moto” to allow braking while off the side of your bike (you only need one “chicken lever” and it should be on the left side of your bars)
Stem–Ritchey WCS–Light and cheap (best bang for the buck on the market right now)
Wheels–Zipp 404 CCX, but a nice 3-cross set of tubulars is also a good choice
Tires–Dugast are stupidly nice tubulars. The Ritchey WCS CCX clinchers are another nice alternative. I prefer clinchers because of the ease of use (I don’t want to re-glue mid-week if I punctured at the weekend’s race)
Seatpost–Thomson Master (light and durable)
Saddle–Personal preference, but WTB is a nice solid saddle for CCX
Derailleurs–Campy
Bar tape–Dark color…It’ll be muddy soon enough.
Cables–Nokon
I’m giving cyclocross a try this fall, and just got a new frame, a Specialized M4, that needs to be outfitted. Since I know very little about 'cross components, I am taking the dubious step of throwing it to the minds of slowtwitch to tell me what to hang on it.
So, high end, mid-range and low end…I need opinions and options…
and thank you in advance for your help!!
Mike.
try this:
halfacre i would suggest a different direction here.
swanky overpriced 'cross parts are fine and all, but do you really need to be spending massive coin for a pair of cantilever brakes when a pair of old XT’s you can get for nothing from just about any decent shop in the land are actually - in addition being nearly free - gonna work better ?
similar lines of thought can be taken with the rest of the build for a fisrt-time 'crosser. maybe you or a buddy have an old square taper dura-ace or ultegra crank lying about - perfect. maybe you have an old 8 speed cassette in a drawer - again perfect, if not better than a new ( narroer 9 spd) one for riding in the muck. old bars, either some out fashion 8 spd STI’s or bar-ends will be awesome. tighten up some spokes in an old set of training wheels and put some tires on and you are all set. somebody mentioned sew-ups . . . . . . .come on. for a new-to-the-sport rider ??
just get the thing working, and have at it. you and your fellow racers are gonna be falling and stepping on the thing, and bashing it into 2x12’s at a dead run with white spots filling your vision from a sustained pulse of 200+. it is not a sport that requires fancy-ass blingy parts. in fact you will look like a dumbass if your 'crosser is all swanked out and you are sucking . . . . as the guys on dumpster-born singlespeeds lap you. just built the thing up, and get to it and have a good time.