sixshot1

Hey everyone. I am a noob when it comes to roadbiking. First thing I went out and did was buy a used $850 Cyclocross bike for roadbiking . The problem is I wasn't planning on cyclocrossing. As cool as it looks, I just want to ride really fast in a tight group.

My question is, can I convert my 2009 Fuji Cross Pro into a very fast road bike. I have been going out and riding on thursdays here in Carson, CA at a spot the local guys call the "Carson Loop." The only problem is I can't keep up with the riders. Not even for one rotation of the loop and it is only half a .3 miles! Here are my bikes specs. What do I have to do to convert this thing into a rocket?



Size 56cm
Color Fuji Red/White
Main frame A-6 Quaternary phase alloy, custom butted and shaped with PowerDiamond down tube, integrated head tube, Double water bottle mounts
Rear triangle Fuji custom butted and tapered 6000 series aluminum, Fuji forged road dropout with replaceable derailleur hanger
Fork FC-770 Fuji Bonded Carbon Cross w/ 1 1/8" Al Steerer
Crankset FSA Gossamer Cross MegaExo w/ Integrated spindle, 7075 CNC 36/46T Chainring Bottom bracket FSA MegaExo Exterior Sealed Cartridge Bearing System
Pedals Nil
Front derailleur Shimano Ultegra, 31.8mm
Rear derailleur Shimano Ultegra SL
Shifters Shimano Ultegra shifter/brake, 20-speed Flight Deck compatible
Cassette Shimano Ultegra, 12-25T 10speed
Chain KMC DX10
Wheelset Mavic Aksium Race, 700c clincher
Gator Skins 700 x 25c
Tube CST SuperLite Presta
Brake set Avid Shorty 4.0 Cantilevers
Brake levers Shimano Ultegra STI
Headset Tange IS-24 1 1/8" Integrated Road
Handlebar Ritchey Logic Pro, 31.8mm Double Butted 6061 Aluminum
Stem Ritchey Logic Pro, +/-6 degree
Tape/grip Fuji custom cork wrap
Saddle Fuji UltraLite Racing
Seat post Ritchey Logic Pro, 300mm
Seat clamp Fuji Superlite Alloy, 31.8mm Laser Etched
Other 7075 alloy water bottle bolts
Weight, lb./kg. 21.60 lb/9.80 kg


I am trying to sell it but no one has contacted me about it =(

sixshot1

I am sorry that my first action is a thread guys. Hopefully I can better contribute as I gain expierence.

rmr1923

i'm not real familiar with cyclocross bikes, but isn't the main difference the tires and cantilever brakes?

joe_5700

The bike is NOT holding you back. You need to train yourself into that rocket.

svtmike

With the Gatorskins on there, all you really need is a bit more gearing -- I'd assume when the pace on the road gets high you are spinning out. Get 50/34 chainrings for your crankset, move the FD up a bit (you'll probably want to replace the cable as a result) and possibly get a longer chain. If you still need more top end, get an 11-25 or 11-23 cassette.

If you find the brakes inadequate, you might get better results from Avid Shorty Ultimates but other than that it seems like it's pretty much there.

If you can't keep up with the other guys the main gap is probably the engine (you).

I run my cross bike with road tires on it when the weather is sloppy in spring and fall and though it's significantly heavier than my road bike, I don't feel significantly slower on it.

sixshot1

I think so, but there also might be a difference with the general dimensions of the frame? Also, the crankset on my cyclocross is double rather than trip and is quite smaller than the ones I see on other road bikes =( No matter how hard I peddle, I cannot keep up with these guys.

RonH

Not sure if you can make it a fast road bike, but it can be a decent road bike.
You'll get more speed if you swap the 46/36 chain rings for a 53/39. You'll probably need new crankarms. The 46/36 is probably 110 mm BDC and a 53/39 is 130 mm. You'll have to change the position of the clamp-on FD and lengthen or replace the chain.

tagaproject6

Work on the engine first.

Palomar01

It's not the gearing that's holding you back. You need to get stronger and push a bigger gear. The only time gearing will come into play is if that group goes downhill and you spin out on top. Otherwise, in the flats there is absolutely nothing on that bike that should keep you back. If the riders in that group are in their big chain ring and using their middle cassette gears, you can do the same by going to your 46T main and your top gears.

Carson, CA is really flat. Unless I'm mistaken and that loop includes rolling terrain then yes, you will get dropped due to gearing. In that case you need to swap your crankset to a compact 34/50. That will be well matched to your 11-25T cassette and then you can keep up in the rolling terrain when the group goes downhill.

sixshot1

Thanks for your guys' imputs. Joe and Taga. I am training a few times a week. I have always had very strong legs. I hope I can turn that into speed. But I have a question. If I work on my "engine", will my crankset and and casette keep me from reaching speeds high enough to keep up with the group?

Ron and Mike, will your recommended upgrades be possible on my bike? Like can I customize it to add your recommended parts? How much do you think it would cost if I wanted to keep it up with ultegra standards?

erik c

Are you claiming to be spinning out or do you need to work on the engine?

No matter how hard I pedal I can't keep up with my local Saturday group ride either. It's got nothing to do with the bike, I just don't make enough power.

If you indeed are spinning out, swapping the big ring out to a 50 or larger 110 bcd ring and raising the FD will fix that cheaply.

Unless it's all downhill, no.

sixshot1

My tires arn't spinning from under me. I just can't go as fast of them. I am not losing traction or anything like that. I feel like I am peddling at the same RPM as them, but I am just not going as fast.

sixshot1

Ah I think I get it now. I am going to just train in the highest gear. Hopefully I can get fast enough to keep up with them then.

svtmike

The upgrades I mentioned are very possible, as are Ron's. Your 46/36 crank will have a 110BCD spider, so if you don't want to replace the entire crankset going with compact 50/34 chainrings will be the way to go. I think last time I looked at the price of FSA chainrings they were about $100 for the set. Because the big ring is larger, you'd have to move the front derailleur up a touch to clear it. This will put the previously clamped part of your front derailleur cable on the tension side of things, which may or may not play nice for shifting so I'd replace it. It's simple enough to do on 6600. And again since the large chainring will be 4 teeth larger, you'll probably need 4 more links in your chain (unless it's overly long now), which is why I recommended a new chain.

I run a 50/34 with 12-25 on my road bike, and don't feel like I want another gear until I get to about 30mph (higher if I'm sprinting and therefore spinning a higher cadence anyway).

One of the guys in my riding group (who's a stronger, more experienced, and faster rider than I am) runs a cross bike in the sloppy weather too, but he's left his 46/36 on. He completely spins out when sprinting at about 32-33mph, which is why I think you could really use the top end of a 50/34 chainring set.

The brakes I recommended you definitely can also do as they are just better cantilevers. If your Shorty 4's are working fine for you there's no pressing need to change them out. I replaced the Shorty 4's on my TriCross with Shorty Ultimates and was very impressed by the difference. They still feel different from dual-pivot road calipers, but they are much improved over the Shorty 4's. Price is pretty stiff, though, at just under $200 for a set.

telebianchi

Train. And then train. And when you are done with that, train. You might want to do some training rides in between.

If you are getting dropped that quickly, it's not the bikes fault. I get dropped all the time. That's why I ride more.

As for the bike, I would get a 50t large chain ring. It won't make you immediately faster but as you train and get stronger, having the extra gearing will come in handy. Make sure the bolt patern diameter is 110mm (this is the 110 bcd you will see listed). As mentioned, you will probably need to raise the front derailer up a little bit so it clears the larger ring. If you don't know how to do this, search Park Tools website or anyplace else on the wide glorious web. This is not hard to do. Else, take it to a shop -- shouldn't cost you much. On the other ring, the 36x25 combination is plenty of low gearing unless you start going into some hilly/mountain areas for the first time. Come back to the Oracles of BikeForum.net for what you might want to do at that point.

Make sure your brakes are set up and adjusted well. I go faster when I trust my brakes to do their job when called upon.

I have a 2003 Fuji Cross and have used it for plenty of road rides up to 100 miles.

When you can keep up with your group on the CX bike, then you can start shopping for a some sexy carbon rocket -- you will have earned it at that point. Plus, you can then put the knobbies back on your Fuji and go kick people's butts in the Fall/Winter Cyclocross races!

pallen

The bike is not holding you back. Some smooth tires and you should be good to go. All you need is more riding. Have fun!

jr59

pedal faster

erik c

Spinning out is a reference to needing to spin the cranks faster than you physically can to go, not a traction thing. ie you you need to be at 130rpm and can only give 110rpm.


As mentioned further down if a significant portion of the flat portion of your ride is spent at 32mph plus, your 48 may be holding you back and you probably should be searching out a national development coach.

sixshot1

Kind of a change up subject but I am on a steep learning curve at the moment. So spinning out means not being able to pedal faster? Doesn't that just mean a person needs to practice more or get stronger legs to spin faster? Does spinning out mean reaching the peak of your abilities?

billyymc

You probably a carbon frame.

oops...need

Seattle Forrest

Bingo. If money isn't an issue, get a cadence sensor so you can know how your RPMs compare. If not, count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. You won't need new gearing until you can hold 90 to 110 RPMs for a long time. When you're spinning out ( pedaling as fast as you're able to, and still not supplying enough power to the wheel ) you'll want higher gearing. Your gears are lower than a typical road bike, which means you'll need to pedal faster to keep up with the best of them ... but it shouldn't be a problem unless you're going down hill, or riding with very fast people.

Also, get slick road tires like GP 4000s, and work on your posture. The more aerodynamic you can make your body, the less wind resistance you'll face, and this goes up with the cube of your speed, so, beyond around 20 mph, it becomes a big deal. Finally, just go out and ride a lot. You'll get faster.

tagaproject6

Here is one thing you can do. If you can, borrow a "regular" roadbike from one of your buddies at the Carson loop. See if you can hang with the group then. If you can...it is probably the bike. Otherwise,....

kayakdiver

Sometimes I will take my touring bike on our Saturday fast group ride instead of my TCR. One weighs 15.7 and the other close to 35. Neither will get me dropped though I notice the weight on the hills. Get out and ride more, get dropped more and come back and repeat. The engine will follow.

Bob Dopolina 

It means your gearing is too small for those moments when the speed really picks up. You need a bigger front chainring.

BTW training only in your biggest gear will not make you stronger. It will mess you up in the long run.

Having strong legs doesn't make you fast. Cycling is a cardio-vascular sport. Having strong legs and being able to supply them with enough oxygen and nutrients to go fast is what it is all about.

This requires training.

My guess is you will need both.

jayp410

I converted my 2006 Cross Pro into a road bike (mostly anyway), although in the end I got a true road bike and the Cross Pro has been restored as a CX bike. I still have the Cross Pro and use it for gravel, etc.

Cyclocross bikes have a smaller chain rings (compact cranks) for obstacle clearance and hill climbing. Other differences are higher bottom bracket (for clearance), different fork length (axle-to-crown) for mud/tire clearance, and of course different brake mounts.

In 46/12 gear you could hit 25 MPH at a cadence of 83 (not all that fast). If you go faster on the downhills though, you might appreciate larger chain rings. For example, if you hit speeds of 35 MPH, you'd need a cadence of 115 (getting uncomfortably fast for me). I live in an area with lots of rolling hills (where downhill speeds are commonly 25-35 MPH) and was happier after changing cranks to 53/39 as I never used the very lowest gears for climbing anyway.

As for the brakes, I was never satisfied with the Avid Shorty 4/6 brakes on my Cross Pro. This was one of the reasons I switched to a true road bike with DA caliper brakes (WAY better!) although I have since been told that switching cantis to mini-V brakes would increase the stopping power greatly. The other issue was a loud squealing sound from the front brake, which I could temporarily correct by adjusting toe in, but it would always start up again. I'm guessing this was due to the outward force of the cantis pushing the CF fork outward a fraction of a millimeter, causing vibration. All I know is that the caliper brakes on my road bike are infinitely better in both respects.

The other thing I didn't like about my Cross Pro as a road bike was that the steering was very unstable and I couldn't take my hands off the bars, ever. I don't know why that was the case and yours may be different. As a CX bike, offroad, I never take my hands off the bars anyway so it doesn't bug me now.