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Post by berangerfric on Sept 6, 2019 12:40:59 GMT
Hi all,
I would like to give a go at cyclocross this winter and would like to have some tips for it! I would like to build myself a bike and want to know if the frame needs to be like the one from my road bike? I’m riding a XL Ridley helium which is a 62cm. Do I need that big? Also, can I use road wheels? So if you have any advice, I take them all! Or if you have a bike fairly cheap I might be interested?!
Cheers
Beranger
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Post by davidr on Sept 6, 2019 18:19:45 GMT
Hi Beranger, the club has a strong cross contingent with most racing regularly throughout the season. Most of the discussion, chat and general organising happens via the dedicated DP cross WhatsApp group - if you'd like to join the group, PM your details and I can add you. There's also a Cross section of the forum in case you missed it.
In terms of getting started, I'd suggest probably going for an off-the-shelf bike if it's your first foray into cross and riding off-road. There's some great bikes available ready to ride and it'll save you a lot of time, money and hassle. And with a bike that's already dialled in you'll find it a lot easier to master the knack of off-road riding.
As for sizing, most manufacturers give a good sizing chart at least. One thing to consider is cross bikes tend to have a unique geometry. Usually a higher BB, shorter top tube and a steeper head angle. So don't be confused if you're listed as a different frame size could compared to say your road bike. As ever, if you can try before you buy then that's best.
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Post by Sara Barman on Sept 8, 2019 6:45:55 GMT
And if you are on a budget, could try looking for 2nd hand (tho appreciate harder if you’re extra tall!) . Join the london cross league group on Facebook etc
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Post by berangerfric on Sept 8, 2019 7:39:35 GMT
Thank you very much! I’m gonna start looking around what I can find. I have a spare group set and I’m quite tight on the budget so I probably gonna look for a second hand beast. Sure being tall makes it a bit harder in choices
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Post by James Malone on Sept 9, 2019 12:36:12 GMT
Look for people selling old cross bikes with canti brakes as they've upgraded to discs. Canti's are still fine, in fact a lot of the fast guys in the London league still use them.
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Post by Andy Davidson on Sept 9, 2019 14:56:21 GMT
One other thing to look out for if assembling your own - I made this mistake when trying to save cash and get my son a cross bike by converting a road model - the wheels were slightly smaller because the tyres are fatter and canti brakes are slightly lower down than road bike calliper brakes... ended up buying a complete cross bike off the shelf after all!
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Post by davidr on Sept 9, 2019 15:58:35 GMT
No difference in wheel size, cross bikes run the same 700c wheels as any road bike (some kids bikes use 650c wheels for smaller sizes).
Whilst it may be tempting to go for a cheap canti cross bike, I'd recommend getting a disc shod steed as it's all going that way (nothing wrong with cantis, I'm still using them, but you'll find a cross bike with discs much more versatile in all conditions).
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Post by Andy Davidson on Sept 10, 2019 5:27:06 GMT
No difference in wheel size, cross bikes run the same 700c wheels as any road bike (some kids bikes use 650c wheels for smaller sizes). Whilst it may be tempting to go for a cheap canti cross bike, I'd recommend getting a disc shod steed as it's all going that way (nothing wrong with cantis, I'm still using them, but you'll find a cross bike with discs much more versatile in all conditions). My mistake - looks like it’s a quirk of 24inch kids road / cross bikes. I guess because they are using the same frame for both.
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