[JeremyCannon]

It Finally Came
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[JeremyCannon]

At first i didn’t realized that we were a Time dealer, but now i know we are, i’m gonna go with the ATACs.

If i go the shimano route, since 105 5800 is here, would it really be worth doing Ultegra anymore? I still might go SRAM anyways.

[JeremyCannon]

Thanks, this has been very helpful. I still haven’t decided on the frame yet, but it is most likely going to be the felt or trek because of my EPs. Here are some other questions if someone is willing to answer them:

Shoes?
Does anyone have preferences of shoes for cross? (Again, I’m looking at PIs, Bontragers, Shimanos or Sidis because of my EPs)

Pedals?
Anyone have preferences? Would Speedplay Frogs work for racing? Opinions of Egg Beaters? It seems like people love to ride them, but hate to maintain them.

Shimano vs SRAM?
You’ve been saying weight is key for cross bikes. I’ve been leaning towards sram since they would shave some weight, while being less expensive compared to the equivalent shimano groupo, but would Shimano be a little better from a durability?

[JeremyCannon]

Thanks, and then my next question is Mechanical vs Hydraulic Disc brakes? i’m currently leaning towards BB7s.

[JeremyCannon]

I think i just have to ride a couple bikes at this point, but one of my next questions is that i’ve heard that cantilever is better for racing because of weight loss. Is this true?

[JeremyCannon]

I’m definitely going to get some nice wheels too, which is part of the reason i am planning on doing a custom build kit. I am leaning towards a nice alloy rim with some disc compatible king hubs.

[JeremyCannon]

@hozn 91234 wrote:

Great suggestions from vvill. Good point especially that if the focus is racing, getting a real CX bike makes more sense than a gravel bike like the RLT9. And probably aluminum. I like the versatility of being able to put big tires on, but they’re not race legal (max 33mm). And even 32mm tires run tubeless can work fine on singletrack.

Definitely consider wheels, though. Getting a set of Stan’s Iron Cross — or the new Grail — wheels would be on the must-have list for me. Tubeless is very nice. (I am not quite willing to take the plunge to tubular.)

And Yes, i have also been looking at quality components a lot too, and i’ll ask on your thoughts on them as well if you don’t mind, i just wanted to figure out the frame first.

[JeremyCannon]

@vvill 91232 wrote:

I wouldn’t pick steel for racing CX simply because of the weight – and to a lesser extent the chance of it rusting. I feel that bike weight in CX weighs you down more than in other types of riding because you have to carry your bike, you don’t always have a lot of momentum going up climbs (which are often short/steep), and there isn’t much drafting. I’d go with aluminum or carbon myself (I’ve never ridden a Ti frame), but aluminum will likely be the lightest for the $, and carbon the lightest overall. (Also – don’t forgot about putting some money into the wheelset not just the frame.)

If I wanted a new bike for CX racing, I’d get something that’s CX race specific e.g. Raleigh RXC, Kona Major Jake, Specialized Crux, Blue Norcross, Cannondale CAADX, Ridley X-, Redline, etc. Most major manufacturers have similar 2014/15 lines for these – disc brakes, aluminum or carbon frames with tapered headtube, carbon fork – the only issue using CX race bikes in other situations is they tend to have tire clearance maxing out around 35-38mm so they are not as versatile as the 40mm+ gravel grinder bikes. (But FWIW I haven’t ever felt my 32mm CX tires were too narrow on gravel rides – singletrack might be a different matter). Also, some might worry about using race/light carbon frames on gravel if there’s rocks constantly being thrown up onto your frame (some people use tape under the downtube, I believe).

That said, if you do really want steel and are fine with a straight 1 1/8th steel fork, the Macho Man Disc would probably be one of my top choices too. It does have a CX race geometry and I love the paintjob. Also – Soma recently came out with the Triple Cross frame if you’re interested in them. I briefly considered the Double Cross when I got my CX bike, but the inability to test ride and weight took that one out of the picture.

Thanks, yeah I’m pretty sure steel is out of the picture now. The two carbon frame set’s i’ve been looking at are the Trek Boone 9 Disc F/S and the Felt F1x. One nice thing about the Boone 9 is that there is a pretty good chance it is made in the USA since it’s Trek’s 600 Series carbon, and that it comes with a carbon seat mast cap and stem. Any thoughts on those?
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[JeremyCannon]

I would think a well built Ti frame, like a Moots or Litespeed, would just as Light/Stiff while more compliant then most carbon, is that not true?

[JeremyCannon]

So are you saying that aluminum or carbon would be better for titanium for racing as well? What d0 you think about using a reynolds 853 steel or stainless steel for racing?

[JeremyCannon]

and the Civilian Vive Le Roi would probably be on their too.

[JeremyCannon]

@peterw_diy 91160 wrote:

Soma Wolverine looks interesting, too.

Someone actually also recommended looking at the SOMAs today, and since you can just buy the frame without the fork from SOMA, i’d probably build it up with a whisky thru axle.

Because of the Surly’s Cable routing and looking of the SOMAs, this is my new short list(In Order):

1. All-City Macho Man Disc:
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2. SOMA Double Cross Disc
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3. Salsa Colosal 2 (2015)
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4. Surly Stragler
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5. Salsa Vaya 2 (2015)
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Would anyone like to comment on that list, preferably the All-City since thats the front runner right now, or have any others that should be added?

[JeremyCannon]

@dkel 91161 wrote:

I have a a Straggler that I use for commuting, and it’s fantastic. I have done some sloppy gravel rides on it, and the 41 Knards are superb on mixed surfaces (though they are too wide for competition, I’ve heard). Massive fork clearance for fenders and racks and such. I had to get a little creative for the rear fender mount to clear the disc, but it wasn’t difficult at all. If you are racing, the cable routing under the top tube seems in exactly the wrong place for shouldering the bike. Can’t beat the paint job, though. Mine’s a 54, which is too small for you, but you can PM me if you want to come out and see it.
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Thanks, that is actually very helpful in that i didn’t realize the cable routing is under the top tube, all that doesn’t totally count it out.

[JeremyCannon]

@hozn 91156 wrote:

+1 on the Traitor. I really want a reason to own that frame/bike, but I already have a bike in this category.

My thoughts:
– Get a 44mm (or tapered) head tube. Really opens up the possibility on changing out your forks. E.g. if my frame would support it, I’d be saving for a Whisky no 7 thru-axle fork. If you do run a QR fork, consider the 9mm thru-bolt instead.
– Get a frame with the rear caliper inside the triangle, especially if you want to run fenders. And make sure you can run full housing for the rear brake (assuming it is going down the downtube) or internal routing.
– Frame material really won’t matter for ride feel on a cx bike. Steel will likely be heavier and flexier than aluminum (e.g. RLT9). Of course, steel looks awesome.
– Give some consideration to seattube angle and your knee-over-pedal-spindle position. Use the competitive cyclist online fit calculator to calculate how many cm you need to be behind the BB. This will likely change the effective stack/reach numbers for your frames (or maybe not if STA is the same).
– I would get the steeper HT angle (e.g. 72.5 instead of 72) as it’s more versatile for road riding. Right now I have my hab cycles frame setup in “road mode”, since I have to repair my shifter on my road bike. It rides great as a road bike.
– Consider tire clearance and how versatile you want the frame to be. I think riding singletrack on 32mm tires works fine, but riding on 42mm tires is arguably more care-free. I was really psyched to find that I could fit big tires on my frame. Of course, if you are switching wheels between road and cx, you might not want a gaping frame that makes the road tires look silly-small.

And, of course, I will put in a plug for Habanero cycles. My HT is not 44mm, but I do like my frame a lot and at ~$1000 for titanium it’s a good value. Probably doing it again I’d pay the extra $500 and customize it (44mm HT, internal/di2-compatible cable routing, caliper insider the triangle).

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P.S. Nice work taking that 26th St. KOM yesterday. You’ll probably want to factor in frame stiffness here to ensure maximum power transfer to the road for when you have to work to get that back after I reclaim it (Just kidding. Mostly.)

Thanks,
I’ve been looking at the whisky parts co forks, but the’d defienetely be something i’d upgrade to later.

Would you mind elaborating on your frame material comment? Are you saying that i’d feel no difference in ride quality between a aluminum/carbon for fork and a steel bike? I was actually looking at that niner before, and it’d probably be on the top of my aluminum list, especially with those paint jobs.

That Ti frame is definitely tempting, especially at that price, but maybe not quite tempting enough. How big a difference do you think Ti would make?/how well do you think it’d race?

P.S. It looks like i have some work to do on that segment now.

[JeremyCannon]

RCannon100 with Annie on Ocracoke Island
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