Converting Older Roadie to Cyclocross Bike?
Yesterday we got our first rain in SoCal and it was a harsh reminder that Fall has arrived. It rrained almost continously for close to 20 minutes at one point. I kid you not. The local ABC station was teasing "STORM WATCH 2012 with LIVE DOPPLER 7000" all night on TV. It's enough to make a guy want to go out and get batteries and canned goods.
It also got me thinking about a cyclocross bike. I don't see myself doing any racing, but think it would be a cool move for a few reasons:
1. Now that we have lost the daylight, I am riding at night on the streets and hills around my house. A cross bike seems like it would be more sure footed in the dark - especially when wet
2. The roads do get wet and because I live on a hillside we get mud and gravel in the road.
3. I have direct access to miles and miles or fire roads right out my door.
I have a pretty spanking mountain bike, but I hate to ride it. It is a full suspenion bike (Trek Fuel FX 7) and it just seems like riding a wet sponge. I don't like the massive cassette and the thing is just no where near stiff enough for me even with all the suspension "locked-out" and the tires all pumped up.
So, after looking at a couple CX bikes on-line, they seem relatively reasonably priced, but I had another thought. I have a thrid road bike - a Madnone 5.2 that is about 4-5 years old. As a bonus, it has an Ultegra triple chaining up front. I know, I know, give me a break. I was new...
Questions?
- Can I squeeze a cyclocross wheel set on this thing and be good to go?
- What other mods woud I need?
- Is it better to just get a sport specific rig with differnt geometry and disk brakes?
Cheers!
Comments
Dino@dinosarti.com
Much appreciated!
First thing that I thought of was the tire and brake config too. Then that was based on what I have seen of these bikes. LBS is the best place to start as of course.The tires/wheels would be bigger with brakes needing to be changed. It does't seem like alot and a good way to get into that kind of bike on the cheap...
I think you would also need a new fork. Cyclocross bikes have a wider and slightly longer fork with more clearance to prevent dirt from building up and accommodate the wider tires. Bottom bracket is also higher off the ground. If you're just gonna ride it on the road, maybe you just need to use some wider and more wet weather specific tires. If you're thinking about riding it on trails - I'd personally look at a specific cross bike.
I tried this once before with an old (really old - like 1989) Cannondale roadie. Tire clearance and lack of cantilever brakes were real killers. Most road bikes will only tolerate 28 cm tires max, and any good cross tire with a meaningful bead will be 30-32.
I ended up converting the old 'dale to a fixie/single-speed flip-flop that I use in bad weather on the road here (same weather as you, but with more humidity and salt).
For 'cross, check out bikesdirect.com ... they have good deals on entry level cross bikes or if you can snag a deal from one of the catalog retailers in a touring frame (cantilever break mounts) in your size, that can also be a fun build project. If you're not going to race cross, either of these can be a good opt.
BTW, there is cyclocross in SoCal if you're interested ... do a Google search and you'll find the annual series running from Sept-Jan.
Thanks for the thoughts. I discovered exactly what you are saying. I sat down with the guys at Wheelbuilder and they walked my through all the clearance issues. Also, to get serious about it, look like I would need to add crank and group change to the mix with brakes and wheels. At the end of the day, CX are fairly cheap, even carbon. And after the cost of trying to convert I would be way better off buying sport specific.
I did find a few local resources on line. socalcross.org had a ton of events and I think I will check one out soon.
Thanks for the purchase resources as well!