Let's talk cyclocross

Is anyone here into it seriously? I see the Vancouver cyclocross series is starting next week in Fort Langley. Is anyone doing it or does anyone just own a cyclocross bike? Educate me on what frame your using, what parts, what gear ratios, what events, where you ride, best budget build, top of the line build etc..

http://www.vcxc.ca

https://m.facebook.com/VancouverCyclocrossCoalition?_rdr

I did one race last year (Aldor acres) and it was fun. I broke my frame later on so that was it for the season. Now I'm on a traitor Ruben (steel) frame which is more like a commuter than a race bike. 99.9 percent of the time it is for hauling my kids in the chariot trailer so I have a MTB cassette on there with 46/36 up front.

I'm hoping to do a couple of them this year but definitely can't make the first one.

gf and I are fully into it….

this year I got a giant tcx, and i've built it up with a wolftooth n/w 38T front ring and a 12-30 cassette. a lot of the cross races I've done, especially last year, you end up in the lower ring most of the time anyway cause the ground is super water logged (or your front der gets clogged up with shit and then doesn't shift worth a crap at that point anyway). n/w's have worked out really good for MTB so I thought i'd give it a try for cross.

I'll be doing my first ever cyclocross race series in Regina through September and October this year.
I bought a Brodie Romax (aluminum frame) from Mighty Riders at the end of last year and will be racing on it.

I hear fenders and water bottle mounts are big no nos in cyclocross though so I may need to pull those off. The bike has only been used for commuting and riding around UBC endowment lands + Vancouver. Will let you know how it handles real cx.

Wow, it even has the same title!

http://bb.nsmb.com/showthread.php?t=135206[HTML_REMOVED]page=27

Wow, it even has the same title!

http://bb.nsmb.com/showthread.php?t=135206[HTML_REMOVED]page=27

Wow!!!! With so much wisdom I can't wait to see what your next 46 posts are like. Anyone else that is interested in conversing about cyclocross in 2014 keep posting.

I hear fenders and water bottle mounts are big no nos in cyclocross though so I may need to pull those off. The bike has only been used for commuting and riding around UBC endowment lands + Vancouver. Will let you know how it handles real cx.

Fenders nope. Bottle cages….some people only run one on the down tube but that is more those who are those who are not anal sausage suiters. No bottle cage on the seat tube as it gets in the way of shouldering the bike.

Wow!!!! With so much wisdom I can't wait to see what your next 46 posts are like. Anyone else that is interested in conversing about cyclocross in 2014 keep posting.

Whoa relax! I was just trying to point to you that there are lots of folks on the board who race cross, and lots has been discussed over the years. If you troll through, I'm sure you'll find some useful stuff on riding and racing cross here.

How wide is too wide?

I am mentally spec'ing our a cross bike to build up but also want to build a 29'er.

Could I pull double duty on a set of wheels? Is a rim like the Pacenti TL28 going to be too wide to run cross tires?

I'll be brazing the frame so creating the space for wide tire/rim combo should not be a problem.

Bottle cages….some people only run one on the down tube but that is more those who are those who are not anal sausage suiters. No bottle cage on the seat tube as it gets in the way of shouldering the bike.

racing shmacing

bike riding is thirsty business!

How wide is too wide?

Could I pull double duty on a set of wheels?

no way dude. tl28's are just a little narrower than flows! wide cx rims are closer to mavic xc rims

Would it not be like the new wide rim trend in mtb? Like the Derby rims.

How wide is too wide?

I am mentally spec'ing our a cross bike to build up but also want to build a 29'er.

Could I pull double duty on a set of wheels? Is a rim like the Pacenti TL28 going to be too wide to run cross tires?

I'll be brazing the frame so creating the space for wide tire/rim combo should not be a problem.

UCI says 33mm is the max although cycling bc says they will not disqualify a rider with a 34mm tire. I also read somewhere that as long as you meet the maximum tire width regulation that novice and intermediate can race with any bike including mountain bikes.

from wikipedia:

Handlebars must not measure more than 50 centimetres (20 in) in width.
Tire width may not exceed 33 millimetres (1.3 in) and tires may not feature any kind of studs or spikes.
Wheels shall have at least 12 spokes.
The weight of the bicycle cannot be less than 6.8 kilograms (15 lb to 2sf).
Disc brakes have recently been allowed for UCI races.

I'm pretty sure you can ride any bike or tire size unless you are Cat 1.

The only time my tires have ever been checked in the last 4 years of racing were at Nationals here last year, and at Starcrossed in 2011 (I think because it was a UCI race at the time). No other race in BC/washington has ever checked. Race with what you got.