Ritchey Swiss Cross Build?
03-18-16, 04:14 PM
#1
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Ritchey Swiss Cross Build?
My lbs has a Ritchey Swiss Cross frame in my size on sale, wondering if this could be built up into a good road bike that is a more relaxed geometry?
Ritchey Swiss Cross Disc Frameset | Ritchey
Ritchey Swiss Cross Disc Frameset | Ritchey
Last edited by dkyser; 03-18-16 at 04:53 PM.
03-18-16, 04:49 PM
#2
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My lbs has a Ritchey Swiss Cross frame in my size on sale, wondering if this could be built up into a good touring bike that is a more relaxed geometry?
Ritchey Swiss Cross Disc Frameset | Ritchey
Ritchey Swiss Cross Disc Frameset | Ritchey
03-18-16, 04:52 PM
#3
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When I said touring should have specified no need for fenders or racks, just looking for a more relaxed geometry. I have an AWOL if I ever want to use as a commute bike.
Looking for a nice steel road bike with a more relaxed geometry.
Looking for a nice steel road bike with a more relaxed geometry.
03-18-16, 08:56 PM
#4
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My lbs has a Ritchey Swiss Cross frame in my size on sale, wondering if this could be built up into a good road bike that is a more relaxed geometry?
Ritchey Swiss Cross Disc Frameset | Ritchey
Ritchey Swiss Cross Disc Frameset | Ritchey
The answer is yes, a cross bike in many ways can work as an endurance road bike. Shorter top tube, higher stack height, longer wheelbase, plus ability to take fatter tires. I think it'd make a great endurance bike.
That said I have no problem doing centuries on my Road Logic, which has a more "aggressive" geo.
03-18-16, 09:09 PM
#5
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I use my disc cross bike as my endurance do all terrain/surface type bike. Great bike for sub 25mph riding, aka don't take to club ride unless I want to REALLY work. Can't race a rally car with F1 cars in the bunch
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03-19-16, 04:41 PM
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Swiss Cross is known to be a more noodly steel frame, with inherent flex taking the edge off rough surfaces. I know two folks who are larger (clyde or borderline) who have sold them on because of the frame flex experienced.
Conversely, that may make them extra-comfy.
Conversely, that may make them extra-comfy.
03-19-16, 06:54 PM
#7
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I take it they're significantly different to the Road Logic frames then, because they're not noodly at all.
03-19-16, 07:18 PM
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03-19-16, 10:49 PM
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I'm not really seeing your point other than one guy in the comments section?
03-19-16, 11:13 PM
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Hi,
If the frame fits, go for it. As the tag says, I’m an old guy. I use a Ridley CX bike as a fast road bike because it’s a bit more relax and less twitchy than racers. I swapped out the wheels and tires for lighter and narrower ones. These old bones can’t handle stiff comp road bike.
Good luck,
If the frame fits, go for it. As the tag says, I’m an old guy. I use a Ridley CX bike as a fast road bike because it’s a bit more relax and less twitchy than racers. I swapped out the wheels and tires for lighter and narrower ones. These old bones can’t handle stiff comp road bike.
Good luck,
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03-20-16, 07:09 AM
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This factor (frame flex) goes up with rider weight.
So, if you want something with a little plushness to it and don't care about rotor rub or a bit of whippiness when you hammer ti, they are lovely bikes. If those things bug you, it may not be best.
03-20-16, 02:41 PM
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This seems like a positive rather than a negative and 20 lb disc steel bike is nice. My disc steel is 28 lbs. Beefy steel fork and stiff as a mofo on mine though.
"The Swiss Cross Disc is certainly a capable bike for trail riding and fast gravel road exploring. Its smaller diameter tubes lean towards one of the more flexible and forgiving cross bikes we ridden in recent memory. While a couple hours spent off-road on most modern cross bikes leaves us feeling it a bit in the lower back, this one had no such effect. With thin stays and a quick release rear wheel, short out of the saddle efforts resulted in a little bit of rotor drag in the rear. (bolded is likely the cause of rubbing) That’s something we see in almost all steel bikes, and while it can be annoying or at least disconcerting, it never has seemed to be a real performance detriment.
Although it did show that forgiving nature that most steel bikes aim towards, the bike never felt slow. Even after having recently come off of a top notch carbon race bike, the Ritchey still felt decently quick to get up to speed, and never felt sluggish to start. Where it does feel a bit slower is where you are already at speed and try to sprint. It felt like when it was already moving along at a decent clip, it just didn’t want to go much faster very quickly."
"The Swiss Cross Disc is certainly a capable bike for trail riding and fast gravel road exploring. Its smaller diameter tubes lean towards one of the more flexible and forgiving cross bikes we ridden in recent memory. While a couple hours spent off-road on most modern cross bikes leaves us feeling it a bit in the lower back, this one had no such effect. With thin stays and a quick release rear wheel, short out of the saddle efforts resulted in a little bit of rotor drag in the rear. (bolded is likely the cause of rubbing) That’s something we see in almost all steel bikes, and while it can be annoying or at least disconcerting, it never has seemed to be a real performance detriment.
Although it did show that forgiving nature that most steel bikes aim towards, the bike never felt slow. Even after having recently come off of a top notch carbon race bike, the Ritchey still felt decently quick to get up to speed, and never felt sluggish to start. Where it does feel a bit slower is where you are already at speed and try to sprint. It felt like when it was already moving along at a decent clip, it just didn’t want to go much faster very quickly."
