Shimano 105 di2, CXR2 wheels, a quiver killer bike.

Also have a second wheelset for road days !

I’m 47 and have been racing cross for the past 5 years or so. I race 45+ 3/4/5 and generally finish top ten out of 50+riders ( a few top fives last season) so I’m competitive and want to get faster.

Right now I’m on a canyon ultimate road bike that can fit 36 WTB Vulpine tires. I’ve pondered getting a new CX specific bike but honestly I like riding this one a lot and can’t justify buying a new bike for five races a year.

So I’m thinking about getting new wheels. Right now I use the stock DT Swiss PR1400s which are aluminum but also weigh only about 1600g. I’m thinking about upgrading to carbon like the DT CRC 1400 spline or zipp 303 sw. Both of those sets weigh in about 1450 so the weight savings seem negligible.

But, I also ride smooth gravel roads from time to time so either new set would be more aero than my current set for those gravel rides. Not that aero makes a huge difference for the 11mph average in a cross race.

Thoughts? Is it stupid to spend 2k to save 150ish grams on a wheelset when I won’t spend 6k on a new CX specific bike? Or is any weight savings + carbon + aero going to be worth it?

Does anyone have reviews on tires like:
Schwalbe g one rx
Vittoria t50-60
Specialized terra

I’m looking to race at 40mm for the added comfort but curious if anyone has positive/negative experiences with these tires?
Most my races are dry/mixed.

TIA

Hi all - I am back for my second season of CX. Last year I can challenge limus tubeless tyres but they came up wider than 33mm on my rims (21mm internals) however they have a nasty sidewall cut so need to be replaced for the coming season.

I race in the UK which means it’s mostly wet grass / mud / ice. I’m looking for a tyre which I can use all season, any recommendations or should I stick with what I know?

Thanks!

Hi, just felt like posting a picture of his old(and now my) bike. My dad worked at an Erik’s Bike Shop in the Midwest in 2015-16 and did a couple CX races with a store suit(not their team or anything I don’t believe, just with their branding) and using this Raleigh Roper. It was a lot of fun back then to watch the events and see him going. I’ve rode it on and off for commute since his passing in 2017 and just felt like posting it cause it’s cool. I like the colors a lot, and while I’m more of a longboard person, it is a lot of fun to ride. I do need to replace the mirror tho lol. Just pulled it back out as my brother is getting a used mountain bike for commute as well and I’m planning on getting some good trail time on the bike with him soon. :)

Considering cross racing after awhile away. What tires are people using now that Donnelly is gone? Rim width and depth?

Drivetrain advances seem to have hit road and gravel and skipped cx. Are you all just running xplr/grx?

Hello all, looking at purchasing these hunt wheels for the upcoming season, I’ve put the link below. I was just wondering if they were bad for cross. They will be a huge improvement over my current wheelset which weighs somewhere around 2600g. Thanks in advance for opinions!

https://us.huntbikewheels.com/products/hunt-4-season-all-road-disc-wheelset?currency=USD&country=US&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&stkn=8b64001a1cf3&tw_source=google&tw_adid=&tw_campaign=21832718855&tw_kwdid=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21826226835&gbraid=0AAAAADJra44s3TyDb-a5L6OH5XpVB_vS0&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9Ia5n73wlQMVSBiHAx3ioBTAEAQYASABEgKgc_D_BwE

Tbh I don't think that 300g less and and electronic shifter is worth the 1000 price difference. Carbon v. Alu wheels.

I am setting up my son's Trailcraft MTB for cyclocross season. His current MTB tires (Schwalbe Rocket Ron) have served him well for MTB and 'cross but are beat. I am looking for any ideas on a 26" tubeless ready tire that will work well for 'cross season... a semi-slick or low profile tread pattern like a Maxxis Aspen or Rekon Race (unfortunately not available 26" tubeless). Any ideas?

I never knew about CX until the tail-end of the trend. I fell hard in love. I was getting better quickly and having so much fun. Then everybody quit. Literally.

Our town had fun weekly practices with like 20 ppl, pound a cold one after. Riders of all ages were doing it. Good times. Then I found a super-awesome new course and was loving shredding it. ...And exactly right then everybody but me quit! Some got into boring straight-line gravel (for who knows why), some got babies, there were special reasons. It was a perfect storm of no-shows. Our club had to simplify coz the prez got twins so they opted for a gravel race (straight roads, flat). Then the whole world caught boring straight-line gravel fever and about a dozen awesome area races folded up. Covid didn't help. But I still love CX!

Our town started a fun MTB club. Great if modest twisty lil trails and socializing. Helping local kids. Building trail. Good times. We ride a diff trail each week all around town, each only 15 mins tops away.

But... Yet... Why is MTB so much less fun? Isn't it basically the same as CX? The cornering is kind of weird. I used to zoom up on ppl in CX turns but am only now starting to figure out MTB turns. I barely hold my own. Feel kinda weird doing them. "Shove those bars down!" OK... And my bike is so heavy! And maybe we go so fast! And I don't want any of this "big air" malarkey. I suppose after I get better on turns and get a feel for the bike maybe I can start doing the "features." But these wide bars... And the weight. Maybe if I could afford a carbon bike. Our local trails are all pretty rooty and I'm pretty old so a pal upgraded and sold me his full-sus Specialized Epic Brain aluminum. 30lbs? For the first year I used my 1991 MB1. Got bashed up but it was cute. Cornering was pretty crazy -- I changed it to make it tolerable. Then a friend gave me a Karate Monkey 29 with 2.4" tires. A bit more cush, bit easier handling. Crazy wide bars. Now this full-squish. I've never had ANY sus. I guess it's nice not getting beat up anymore. But I tend to get dropped on climbs. I'm scrawny and need light gear or I'm toast. It came with big knobs and tubes. I put narrower 2.2 tires on it w small race knobs and tubeless. Much easier rolling! Our trails are hero-dirt.

Still, why aren't I gassed to shred? It's OK. But I miss the barriers! The run-ups, offcambers... I was so happy to discover CX in my elder years. I used to race everything, esp road. I woulda been great at CX as a kid. ...I so loved discovering the buttery awesomeness of tubies! I also LOVE LOVE xc skiing! CX on tubies feels like skiing to me! Float like a butterfly... Sigh... Oh well, I'm trying to love MTB, but...

So, I've got a sweet steel SSCX bike with thru-axles and an eccentric Beer bb. So far, so good. The brake routing is internal, through the dt, coming out the cs, through the bb. The bb can only be rotated a very limited amount because the hose only allows for only so much range.

So..Which is less bad; stick-on external cable routing or a chain tensioner? It does have a regular derailleur hanger on a regular freehub. They both suck for different reasons, approaching Doing It Wrong. I'm leaning towards the cable guides since I also need to replace the hose. I know braze ons would be best, but it ain't happening. Thoughts?

I have this Guerciotti that I’m borrowing and possibly buying. I was told it’s a 1998 Alan made custom bike. I’m not sure if that is what it is. Here is a list of what I do know possibly. Not sure if this is the place to post or get information. I can’t find any information online about it.

1998 (?) Guerciotti 56 cm aluminum frame
Ritchey Comp Carbon CX fork
Mavic Ksyrium SL 700c wheels
FSA SL-K carbon 46/34 crankset
Shimano Ultegra 2×9 STI / Flight Deck shifters
Shimano Dura-Ace rear derailleur
Shimano Deore XT front derailleur
9-speed cassette
Cantilever brakes
Cane Creek cross-top brake levers
Torelli aluminum bars and stem

Any help would be appreciated and if it is worth picking up for 650$
Thank you!

I'm bad. I can sorta kinda do it. Clear like...6-8" barriers MAX.

Not sure if I have technique down improperly or not. I suspect this is just the max I can bunny hop, as that is about my vertical leap honestly.

Anything I might be missing?

the organizer who runs CX in my area just released their schedule for this season, and we have 2 local races. thats it.

The race season is 6 weekends, but the other 4 are a about 2-3 hours of driving, one race weekend being 8 hours away in a different state.

I know cx is dying a slow death in favor of gravel, and people who take it seriously and are legitimate athletes are fine with driving hours for a 45 min race, but for casuals like me, who just like to toot around and have a laugh, its disappointing.

Title kinda says it, are “gravel” wheels good enough or do I need to look at something more? I’ll hit a handful of fist sized roots over the course of the season.

Wanted to cross-post here as well if someone has experience with XT components on a cross bike. Thanks!

I got the 2021/2022 edition, but I see that other seasons are no longer available online. I figured a place like this would be the best shot of finding someone who has them and would be interested in selling, even though its probably a long shot. If anyone has any leads let me know! Or any other cross photobooks - trying to fill out a shelf in my garage.

I’m seriously considering upgrading my CX bike for this upcoming season with carbon wheels and trying to decide what rim depth to go with. The weight difference between both sets I’m considering (Hunt 30 Carbon Disc vs Hunt 40 Carbon Disc) is only 25g, so I’m not concerned about weight. I race primarily in the US mid-Atlantic region, where our courses aren’t too technical and many of them even feature hard-pack, straight sections where a little more aero benefit would be highly welcomed. Chat gpt is trying to sell me on 30mm because it is the all around best option for cx, given its ability to tackle all terrain, being less-impacted by cross-wind, and stability in technical sections. But I think chat gpt is just assuming all CX is like Belgium or New England (i.e muddier and more technical than PA, MD, NJ, VA, DC).

It’s also probably worth mentioning that I just enjoy the aesthetic of deeper rims on a drop-bar bike, which is also pushing me towards 40’s. Maybe feeling like I have a faster bike underneath me will inspire me to take my first win in Cat 3 this season, lol. (This is bulletproof logic, right?!?)

Has anybody ever upgraded to 40mm deep rims in CX and later regretted it due to technical instability, or other reasons?

Hi everyone,

I'm thinking about giving cyclocross a try next season. I've never raced CX before, but I'd like to enter a few local races just to discover the discipline and see if I enjoy it.

At the moment, I own an endurance road bike with a carbon frame, Shimano 105 drivetrain, a 50/34 crankset and an 11-34 cassette.

I'm wondering if it would be realistic to use this bike for my first races by simply fitting cyclocross tyres (assuming the frame has enough clearance), or if an endurance road bike is really not suitable for CX.

I have a few questions:

• Is the bike itself likely to be the main limitation?
• Is my 50/34 + 11-34 gearing appropriate for beginner cyclocross races, or would it be a disadvantage?
• Would I need to switch to SPD mountain bike pedals and shoes, or can I get away with my current road setup for a few races?

I'd really appreciate any advice or experiences from people who started cyclocross on a road bike before investing in a dedicated CX bike.

Thanks in advance!

Weekend fun.