Cyclocross all-arounder or N+1 with road bike?
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@sethpo 78154 wrote:
It sounds like the issue w/ the 130mm spacing is limited options for replacement wheels. But these wheels look pretty solid, no? Aside from the convenience of different tires for different uses, how many wheels does one need? /ducks
Yeah, those wheels are probably just fine. I think vvill and I just have a knee-jerk reaction to painting yourself into a corner like that with a bike purchase. We buy all bikes with intent that they last forever, and then (I at least) get rid of them a few years later for something newer
So if you treat it like a disposable purchase with near-term upgrade potential then the 135mm rear spacing is not a big deal. On a steel bike you could probably stretch the dropouts. May work on aluminum too, not sure …I would say having extra wheels is really nice. I have two sets: one with 28mm tires for commuting (and I have detachable fenders) and one with CX tires — or studded tires this winter. Swapping the wheels take just a couple minutes and means I can decide last minute that I’m gonna take the detour on the way to work (or that I need studs because it’s below freezing and there’s still ice on the trail). The disc brakes also make swaps easy, but I did build wheels using same hubs to minimize any issues (and even still have to adjust 2 clicks due to rotor warp).
@hozn 78156 wrote:
I would say having extra wheels is really nice. I have two sets: one with 28mm tires for commuting (and I have detachable fenders) and one with CX tires — or studded tires this winter. Swapping the wheels take just a couple minutes and means I can decide last minute that I’m gonna take the detour on the way to work (or that I need studs because it’s below freezing and there’s still ice on the trail). The disc brakes also make swaps easy, but I did build wheels using same hubs to minimize any issues (and even still have to adjust 2 clicks due to rotor warp).
There’s certainly an appeal to this although I can always ride my road bike when the roads are clear
I’m going to email BD and see if they will sell an extra wheel set though. I also did a quick search and it seems like there are 130mm wheel sets out there. Am I missing something beyond just having fewer options? And honestly, there seems like TOO MANY options when it comes to wheels as is.
@sethpo 78159 wrote:
There’s certainly an appeal to this although I can always ride my road bike when the roads are clear
I’m going to email BD and see if they will sell an extra wheel set though. I also did a quick search and it seems like there are 130mm wheel sets out there. Am I missing something beyond just having fewer options? And honestly, there seems like TOO MANY options when it comes to wheels as is.
Yeah, it’s just the limiting of options. But you’re right I was surprised how many options were out there when I searched (here’s a cool one: http://store.velocityusa.com/p/road-disc-wheelset-700c-reflective). For awhile this seemed to be competing with the MTB 135mm rear spacing for the standard, but I think it’s all agreed that 135mm won.
The 135mm makes for theoretically stronger disc wheels — better bracing angles possible (can’t put the spokes as far out on NDS due to presence of rotors), but not likely to really be of practical concern for you.
So, you could ask them about selling a spare, or just use as-is and eventually buy a spare if you think it would be helpful. I imagine the 130 will get a little harder to find over the years, though.
@hozn 78156 wrote:
and then (I at least) get rid of them a few years later for something newer
we’re about the same size, and you build nice bikes. let me know when you’re thinking of upgrading!
I reason I like 135 is just yeah the “settling” of the industry on 135mm hubs (who knows, next they may decide all road/CX disc rear axles should be through axles) and also MTB hubs are, errr were, 135 (they’re not all anymore since 142×12 came out). But actually I can put my older 26″ wheels in my CX bike if I had to (although the current rear tire wouldn’t fit). The front studded tire 26×1.9 though does (and both bikes have BB7s with 160mm rotors), so if I do decide I want to ride my CX bike with studded tires I could use that existing front wheel/tire setup and only have to get a rear studded 700c tire (the BB would drop maybe 2mm). But yeah just about all new CX/road disc bikes come with 135mm rear spacing, so I wouldn’t want to invest in an aging standard. (That said, there is no way I am going 11 speed anytime soon.)
Tire clearance is a consideration too but it’s difficult to get specs on that. I do wish I could clear a bit more in my frame (fork is pretty generous), but any “race” CX frame will usually only be guaranteed to do 35mm for sure, any more than that is just extra mud clearance and also wider than the old UCI limits for CX racing (used to be 35mm, now 33mm).
Come to think of it, my best “all-rounder” bike would probably be more a gravel bike since they usually have more clearance and are slightly less aggressive in geometry… hmmm.
@sethpo 78154 wrote:
This is the issue, isn’t it. You can easily start talking yourself into the next upgrade and before you know it….
The problem really is (for me anyway) judging the marginal increase in pleasure value for each gear/price upgrade. That’s what seems to make these decisions so tough.
They don’t count as upgrades if they come stock on the bike!
Things worth upgrading imo: wheels, wheels, wheels! After that I guess RD, shifters.
Then there’s things everyone “upgrades” anyway due to fit/personal preference: pedals, saddle, tires.With BD/Nashbar prices you get good bang for your buck regarding components + groupsets – you pretty much just have to pick the frame material (and canti vs disc) and that’ll dictate the price to a large extent. I haven’t (yet) sprung for a carbon frame because of the price jump there, but the CX wheels I bought after market only come stock on bikes that cost 3-4x what my bike cost.
For the drivetrain, etc. I think most modern groupsets are comparable and are all very solid. I’ve used the newest Sora, 9 and 10 speed Tiagra, 10 speed 105 and Ultegra, and either SRAM Force/Red (don’t remember) on a loaner bike. Mostly it’s weight savings, although I think around 105/Ultegra/+ level for a bike you’ll ride a lot is worth it.
I think you made the right choice. You won’t feel bad about laying the bike down in the woods with 105 shifters; whereas you might with Ultegra. My 2-year old 105 shifters have been beat up pretty badly and superglued several times; I have new Apex shifters to replace them, but they are still functional and I still crash a lot trying to hop logs or otherwise keep up with mountain bikes
Things you may wish to consider upgrading: the FD (top-pull cx70 or cx50) and the brakes to mini-v (I got the pricey TRP brakes but the cheaper Tektro version probably work just fine). Of course, ride what you got and then decide; those are just the two things I would probably budget swapping out.
And as vvill said, wheels are probably one of the best upgrades.
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