This may be a very stupid question…
Is it possible to make an old mountain bike into a cyclo-cross bike? I have an old mountain bike from college that is pretty beat, but the frame is still in pretty good shape. I also have an old road bike, which is too big for me, but the components are in decent condition. If new wheels and a front fork (and possibly brakes too) were purchased, would a mountain bike frame work for a cross-bike?
The only thing you would really need to do is remove any bar ends, and you could go race. It might be a little heavier than a ‘true’ cross bike, but it would work fine. Some courses actually suit mtn bikes more than cross bikes.
ummm… what size wheels do you plan to use. I may be wrong, but I’m guessing the rear triangle would not be conducive to switching rear wheels to one of a different size. Also, consider hub spacing.
Sure a mountain bike will work. Lots of people race stock mountain bikes, but you can convert it specifically for cross as well. Consider replacing your suspension fork with a suspension-compatible length rigid fork. Almost no cyclocross bikes have front suspension, and if they do they have very short travel (maybe an inch). The courses don’t really require them, and a rigid fork will lighten up the bike. (If it’s a threadless headset, swapping out a fork is easy enough to switch back and forth as needed.) Change your tires to the narrowest tire you can find, usually around a 1.5 inch, or 1.7 inch. Find tires with relatively small knobs to increase clearance on the frame and to reduce mud build up. Kenda has some really good 26 inch tires for cross (the Kwik?). Remove the inner, “granny gear” and limit the front derailleur so that it won’t shift down to it. Choose a clipless pedal that functions well in the mud. Eggbeaters and TIME pedals are a popular choice. Some say the Shimano 959 works in the mud as well.
Now get muddy and enjoy it!
The mountain bike will work fine for cross races. If you’re thinking specifically of using the mountain bike and converting it to a road style bike (i.e., road handlebars, shifters, brakes, etc.), it should work. It depends somewhat on what your old mtb was rigged up with. If it had cantilever brakes, then you need to make sure your road brakes are compatible, or buy an adapter. If v-brakes, you should be fine with regular road brakes. There may some issues with shifting too, depending on what you were using and what you’re planning to use.
Others have created similar frankenbikes so you’re not alone. On roadbikereview.com’s cross forum this is brought up almost every year, so that’s another good source for advice. Cross bikes can be purchased relatively cheap (compared to road bikes!), so you may wish to consider selling off the mtb and old road bike and getting a new, lower-end cross bike.
For a real workout, get an old road bike with canti brakes and convert to a singlespeed cross bike!
Chris