super 'noob' - suggestions for a first timer

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Permalink Reply by Chris Mayhew on February 17, 2011 at 4:02pm

How tall are you? That 'cross bike looks a little too low and long to me.

 

What  tires do you have? What pressure are you running them at?

 

Thought about getting a MTB? Or taking your current rig off road?

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Permalink Reply by deckard on February 17, 2011 at 4:47pm

i am a hair over 6'1" and the bike is a 57cm.

by 'low' do you mean the saddle to bar drop?

im over 6' but only 177lbs and am generally comfortable with a pretty aggressive riding position. i was thinking having my weight that far forward is part of the stability issue.

i currently have a 110mm 7deg rise stem. i was thinking about getting a 10 or 15deg rise and some shallow drops.

also, i took that picture with my wifes lumix which has a habit of making pictures a little distorted with the wider angle lens.

 

i have vittoria xg pro clinchers at 50psi.

 

i dont want a mtb. i dont like heavy bikes.

 

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Permalink Reply by Chris Mayhew on February 19, 2011 at 10:22am

Yeah, the saddle to bar drop seems a bit much for a cx bike but then that's a hard call to make w/o seeing you on it. In general you want a bit more relaxed position on a 'cross bike since aerodynamics are not an issue an you need to be able to absorb the terrain with your arms. Even on the road you rarely see someone in the drops on the cobbles, for instance.

 

Tire pressure sounds high for 'cross racing, but not for MTBing. It's be worth playing with for sure.

And there are sub 20lb MTB bikes out there, so you might want to rethink heavy :)

http://www.cycle-smart.com/articles/find.php?search=31

http://www.cycle-smart.com/articles/find.php?search=32

http://pittsburghcyclocross.com/2010/09/tech-skill/cyclocross-tire-...

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Permalink Reply by deckard on February 19, 2011 at 3:09pm

first off i just want to say thanks for the replies, chris. you are restoring my faith in the internet as an actual tool. im sure i could have searched, but with the bounty of poor/false info online its nice to be pointed in the right direction by someone who knows what they are talking about. the links you posted were super helpful and already, based on what i read, the bike feels a bit more stable. i moved my saddle down slightly and rolled my bars back about 5 deg. i suppose part of the instability is just my lack of experience off pavement. as i practice i'll play around with tire pressures and see what works, or what doesnt, for me.

 

o and about the MTB sub 20lbs thing: i am poor. bikes like that arent found on CL for less than $1000 i would think. the felt was purchased for well below MSRP and is by far the most expensive bike i own.

 

thanks again.

 

j

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Permalink Reply by Chris Mayhew on February 19, 2011 at 4:18pm

No sweat man, glad to be of some help.

 

Just teasing you about the light bike thing. I have two mtbs and they're both like 27lb. I just live with it.

 

Might be worth getting some Clement PDXs next time you buy tires too.

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Permalink Reply by deckard on February 20, 2011 at 5:47pm

yea i was 'um ~20lb mtbs are serious loot. is this guy crazy?' haha

 

i looked at those clements online. from what i understand they are great in the mud but still roll reasonably fast on hardpack, etc. you are recommending them becasue they are a good all around tire im assuming?

im going to need new tires before the spring is out so i'll see if my LBS can order them for me.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Mayhew on February 21, 2011 at 6:45am

They do exceptionally well in the mud and don't seem too bad in the dry.

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