lakerider

Hello all CycloCrossers

First of all, let me tell you that I don't race. I have been doing road cycling as my main sport for a decade.

I moved last year to another region that is much more hilly and also I have now many forests near to my home and on my way to work ( some 30 km commute ).

I was commuting to work at least twice per week on my road bike and I was going along to a forest on the top of the hills, the forest extends behind the hill and all along the river that reaches the lake where I live.

As I was reading about CycloCross and that this was the cycling sport for the Autumn/Winter season, I got interested into it and then decided and built me a Cross bike.

Now is the fall and the roads start to be covered by leaves, and also I could then explore the forests on my bike. I am not really interested in MTB though.

So I went today for my first long ride ( some 1:30 h ) through the forests on hills and rivers.

I enjoyed the experience it was a great sunny day today and was full bliss...

however there were some issues I'd like to comment and get your impressions about.

1. The trails were good maintained, they are mainly for bikes and horses, but there are large passages that are covered by leaves. This is a good thing as the leaves cushion the ride, but also they cover some obstacles, rocks and branches and then you suddenly hit them. I guess there is no way to avoid that, just ride slower, even if I was some 30Kmh at some passages. The Cyclocross specific fit I made on my bike really helps to have a better handling though. 1 or 2 centimeters higher handlebars and shorter stem really provide a great improvement in handling under those conditions.
   
   
   .
2. The ride is quite bumpy and harsh compared to road cycling, I've been riding a selle Italia SLC on my road bike and with it I am very happy, no prostate/seat problems anymore. On my CycloCross bike however I put on a Selle Italia SLR Gel Flow I had on my parts box. The ride was ok and my ass is not complaining that much, but I still took a lot of punishment on my ass, specially not about the rocks or obstacles, you can avoid just keeping yourself out of the saddle when they appear, but the almost constant trail induced vibration on the saddle. I've read about other saddles with a dampening effect of saddles like the Fizik Arione for example, but alas that one hasn't a cutout and I really need the cutout.
   
   Has anybody tried the "Selle Italia SLR XC Gel Flow" it is according to their web site a saddle specially designed for Cross Country. Is that just a marketing speech or it has real advantages in comparison with the standard SLR Gel Flow for cross ?
   
   I've been looking also at the Thoork, any experiences in CycloX with it ?
   
   
   
   .
3. The trails are wide enough even if they narrow for some passages and you have no cars, but you find many nordic walkers and runners, many of them with dogs.
   
   I hit 2 dogs on my way.
   
   The first a small dog, it was running with his owner, so I reduced my speed and went slowly behind until he noticed me and made room for me to pass, so I passed him slowly, but the dog saw me and started to run at my side, I could't really sprint away as there were many stones on the path and then the dog just came in front of my wheel. I hit its side and almost felt but it was not that bad so I said "sorry" and just continued.
   
   The second dog was when I was reaching back the city, I was still on a bike specific trail ( with official signalisation and all), a group of people was walking occuping the full trail , I signaled that I wanted to pass, so they opened a way in the middle of the group so I went through. and suddenly their dog ( a big one ) run just direct into my wheel. I think I rolled my wheel over its arm but I didn't stopped, I think it was the dog owner's fault, he should have kept the dog under control.
   
   What do you do in those cases ?
   
   
   .
4. Gears
   
   I mounted the bike using a compact 50/34 (soon will be 46/34) 12-25 10 speed cassette, I use 700x35c tires.
   
   On my road bike I use a 53/39 with a 12-27 10 speed cassette and 700x23c tires.
   
   According to the Sheldon Brown's gear calculator the low en of both is similar 2.7 Gear inches for the Cross bike on the 34-25 and 2.8 for the road bike on the 39-27.
   
   However, I feel I can climb easier and faster on the Road bike than in this CycloCross bike. And I am talking about the paved climbs I have to go before reaching the forest.
   
   I guess it is due to the CycloX bike being heavier and also it has more drag on those knobly tires.
   
   However when on the trails It was good, I was thinking maybe I need more low end. I've seen many custom setups on the Cross Love thread with mountain cassettes and so. I guess I could put a 12-27 on the bike to make it even.
   
   What is the gearing you prefere to use ?
   
   
   
   .
5. Pedals
   
   I set up the bike using one-sided SPD pedals, as I am a roadie, I guessed that one sided pedals where the way to go. I was wrong. I found me many times on rough terrain not being able to clip in when I wanted.
   
   I am tempted to try the egg-beaters as they can be cliped in on the 4 sides, but I have read many bad reviews about them, that they break and are not durable etc.
   
   Some say it is only the cheap egg-beater but the SL version is as good as it should be.
   
   Probably I should keep it with Shimano and just get a dual sided MTB pedals.
   
   what say you ?
   
   .
   
6. Chain Lenght
   I set up the chain lenght the same as I do for my road bikes ( put the chain on the bigest chainring-smallest sproket and have the derailer jockeys aligned making a 90° angle ).
   
   But this proved to be too long. I had the chain slapping around when running at speed on rought terrain.
   
   I saw a movie on youtube where they recommend a much shorter chain to avoid that problem.
   
   I am expecting my 46 chainring to arrive next week so I'll first put it on the bike before shortening the chain.

Thanks a lot for your answers.

zagnut

I'm a novice at this as well, but here's my take
1) You'll get better at avoiding or handling obstacles. Overall, your bike handling skills will get better riding CX
2) Saddles are personal, keep looking. I use a Brooks B17, but will probably shift to a Mtn Bike saddle because the Brooks is too nice to beat up.
3) In most areas, the dogs are supposed to be leashed by law. You might get a bell to warn walkers.
4) Traction might be the culprit, lower gears should help.
5) I use Eggbeaters (Candy SL)and like them.
6) no answer

Zagnut

jfmckenna

Just a couple comments: Yes it is most certainly the dog owners fault for not having the dog on a leash and in control. I would not utter sorry but rather some harsh words to the owner, I'd be pissed.

I would be very very cautious riding through deep leaves not only could there be a rock but composting leaves provide surfaces slipperier than ice.

Saddles are to personal a fit to ask advice for. You just have to try them out. Typically though if you are comfortable on your road bike saddle it will work for cross. But do realize that the longest cross races are usually 1 hour so if you are riding on cross terrain fo a long time you will take more of a beating.

I usually use a single 42 ring with a 12-25/27. Right now I am running a 38x46 double 12 x 27. Works for me.

I presume you mean SPD-SL pedals? Because I use SPD's and they are double sided. And yes that is the way to go.

My road and cross chain are the same length.

lakerider

No, they are SPD

I had a pair of Shimano PD-7410 like those



The thing is that on the road you have to clip-unclip very few times, but on the trails I had to do it often and then I was more often than not with my foot on the wrong side of the pedal

I want to decide if I should get eggbeaters SL or Shimano XTR pedals for this bike. they both cost the same and are expensive enough not to be experimenting with them.

flargle

If your only complaint about your current pedals is one-sided entry, then go with the XTR.

nycphotography

Pedals: If you already have SPD shoes and cleats, and aren't racing CX, then this is easy: Shimano PD-M520 pedals. Even racing, I've been using the PD-M540's I stole off my MTB, and so far I haven't had a mud problem. I imagine I'll be miserable in a really muddy race, but on really muddy mountain bike rides, I just clean them out from time to time.

Gearing: The 46/34 will help with chainslap, but to some extent, you just accept some (not a lot, but some) chainslap when offroad, whether on a CX bike or a mountain bike. I seldom use the big ring on the CX bike unless I'm doing training rides on pavement, in which case I seldom use the small ring.

Saddles: CX is typically a <1 hour sport. 1 hour all out effort for Elite men (A Class). At 40 minutes of all out effort (C Class), I never once felt my seat. I am too focused on pedaling, handling, and other problems. My screaming upper body, lower back, and legs... these I notice. My ass, not so much.

Climbing: For climbing, you have THREE modes... most of the time, you want keep your weight back ON the BACK OF THE seat, and pedal through.

When it gets too steep to pedal through, you can stand, but you have to keep your weight back (butt back above and behind the seat) to keep traction. This is different then how you stand and attack on a road bike.

If it's so steep that you are breaking traction, even if you think you COULD muscle through it, CX bikes aren't really designed for that approach. Somewhat tall gearing (34x25 is tall for off road, my MTB has a 22 ring x 32 cog), skinny tires, and short knobs (I run Maxxis Locusts, which have more knob, but Ritchey Speedmax Pro 700x32's, for example, have very little tread. Again, by design.)

CX bikes are designed with the expectation that you will simply shoulder them and run up the steep bits. Now you aren't racing, so maybe attacking with a run is not going to be your style... but this is how the bikes are designed.


Hope this helps.

lakerider

Thank you indeed very helpful.

No, I don't do races, I do it for my fitness and because I love the sport and the outdoors.

I used to live on a flattish more urban area before and I did usually flat rides on my 53/39 12-23 setup.

Now I live on a very hilly and beatiful area with lakes, paved road hills, forests on top of hills with trails, long river valleys with paved roads and also riverside forests with trails. There is also a hill with single-track technical descents for mountainbikers.

I tell you is the dream place for bikers over here ( Zürich, Switzerland ), and near from here you have at the Alps, high mountains and passes if that is your thing.

So I am getting into CX to enjoy rides through those forests during the Fall/Winter Seasons.

flargle

I'll just repeat my suggestion to consider a suspension seatpost, can be perfect to take the edge off for riding as you describe. Or go old-school like I do.

BlastRadius

2. I have an SLR XC but not gel flow. It has worked great for me but as with any saddle YMMV.
6. Chain length should be... unlaced from the derailer, it should wrap around the big ring, big cog combo plus 1 full link (1").

nycphotography

With only one inch of slack.... will it break something if shifted into big ring / big cog?

(NOTE: I've never cut a chain to length, but 1 link just seems intuitively on the short side to me).