ridethecliche

Howdy folks!

I'm going to be living in Philly full time starting in July and wanted to get back to using a bike to commute full time. I bought a used ss cross bike to get clearance for wider tires for the terribad roads out here.

The bike is a 2008 (?) specialized tricross and I was wondering if anyone has familiarity with this and any recs for what I should do in terms of preventative maintenance. I need to fix the toe in of the brakes to start since they shriek like a banshee! Might get Kool stop salmon pads if I can find some for the v brakes. The v brakes aren't something I'm used to but I'm hoping they can be adjusted well enough!

Thanks in advance for any help!

Here's a picture of the bike.

bboy314

Does this bike have horizontal dropouts? I’m only familiar with the geared TriCross. It looks like it originally had canti brakes, I would double check that the levers on it are for long pull (v-brakes). Kool stops should be available and helpful. Some new bar tape should be a big improvement. Might as well check chain wear too. Sweet bike!

It’s been a long time since I lived in Philly but Firehouse and Trophy are both great shops if West Philly is convenient to you. Also the “bike church” co op, part of Neighborhood Bike Works was always an amazing resource. Apologies if these recommendations are outdated.

ridethecliche

Yup, horizontal dropouts. Early models came with v brakes. I think they switched over to cantis later. Also, the bike is set up like this from the factory so yes, they matched the levers to the brake cable pull ratio!

Not sure if it's worth trying to switch the brakes but I'd consider it if it makes a big difference.

Honestly wondering about the gearing as. I think it's a flip flop hub so debating getting a slightly smaller cog for the other side. Right now it tops out at 16mph at 90 cadence. But it's a bike I'm going to ride to work so I'm okay with not getting super sweaty on the way to work!

Re work
I do most of my own bike maintenance. Tape was ordered the day after I got the bike.

TugaDude

V-brakes have mechanical advantage over cantilevers. Don't change what isn't broken.

Moisture

You might want to adjust your saddle setback a little. If it's in a comfortable position to ensure good balance over the bottom bracket, you'd want to eventually get a seatpost with more setback to ensure that you're not maxed out on either end of the saddle rails.

Moisture

Also, I would take one or two of the spacers underneath the stem and mount them above .

Rolla

Not sure what you're trying to prevent, but make sure the tires are in good shape and the drivetrain parts aren't too worn. Salmon Kool-Stops for V-brakes are widely available. The suggestions regarding saddle setback and stem spacers have more to do with comfort and fit, and aren't something that someone else can accurately prescribe for you online. I'd go ahead and replace the bar tape, if only for aesthetics.

Moisture

Not just fit and comfort. That saddle is mounted beyond the max line on the rails, no doubt.

Also, taking a spacer from below and mounting it above the stem will ensure that the stem is fully seated onto the steerer tube.

Moisture

That looks like a great bike. I am sure it will serve you well. Always spend at least some time with the bike as is before deciding on any fit oriented changes. As for the saddle setback, I wouldn't suggest riding around like that, but its nothing major unless you weight over 200lb and ride with your weight in the saddle.

If you like the setback as it is, you could look into something such as the Satori Serpent seatpost, which has 24mm of setback. All the standard seatposts ive seen usually have about 15mm. That should do it.

Moisture

I would also suggest tensioning the spokes on your wheelset. You could maybe look into some higher quality v brakes and upgrade it all at once - very simple upgrade. would be worthwhile to replace lines and housing or at least oil the existing ones. That's a gorgeous cat in the background, by the way.

ridethecliche

I appreciate the concern but I'm not looking for bike fit advice, thanks!

Fair enough. Might take them apart a bit to lube pivot points etc.

Stop.

Was mostly just wondering if there were known failure points. Might have been better off asking in the cross forum about that though. I mean... Hard to get more simple than a ssfg though!

Hey man, with all due respect, I'm actually relatively proficient at bike repair and work on cars for fun too. I have a park tools truing stand and I've built a bunch of bikes over the years. Was a necessity when racing in college since we broke things all the time. I have a fair number of posts on here with a bunch of things I've worked on so I'm all set with that but I really do appreciate the enthusiasm!

​​​​​​​With proper pads the v brakes will lock the tires instantly. Heck they do it now as well. If modulation starts to be an issue I'll likely look into replacing the levers and brakes or at least overhauling them. I might do the cables and housing or at least just the cables. I've often found that rubbing a tiny bit of lube on the cables helps get more life out of the housing. It's going to be a city bike so the biggest priority is not getting it stolen! I have two other bikes ill likely be on if im out riding. Been away from things due to some old knee issues popping up but I'm stoked to get back to the simplicity of this. I used to be car free in Boston x 5 years riding mostly a single speed and then a 1x8 I built up. Both bikes were vintage 84 treks. Gorgeous frames!

And the kitteh is awesome. Fiance got him last year. When I move in this summer I think we're going to get him a friend! Thank you!

Moisture

What on earth are you telling me stop for?

Why would you look for one specific type of advice but not another?

To me, it's totally irrelevant what sort of expertise you have fixing bikes and cars or whatever. You asked for advice. I gave you advice. I wasn't challenging your proficiency as a handyman in doing so.

Those v brakes are cheap and remind me of the ones I had on my Trek FX. The metal tab holding the housing in place bent, causing the line to pop up. You can imagine the terror when you find this out, conveniently once you actually need to use the brakes.

ridethecliche

I asked for recs on preventative maintenence not a thesis on bike fitting. It's really not that hard. So I ask back, why would you disregard the question asked just so you could answer as you wished to? I asked for specific advice and you just went off lol.

Point taken on the v brakes. I'll dig around. I'm sure I can find decent take offs since there are a billion of them out there.

Man, id forgotten how this place gets at times lol

Rolla

I'm a fan of using a chain tensioner on the driveside track end to prevent forward wheel slip under heavy pedal loads. My favorite is the Surly Tuggnut, but they all pretty much do the same thing.