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What was your first cyclocross bike?
Curious to know what was your first 'cross ride?
I'll start - after riding my mtb for a bit in races, I had a zebrakenko that took 27" wheels, and had a mix of suntour and dia compe on it, including sidepull brakes. I think somehow I got some specialized 27" tricross tires on it. It since has gotten canti braze ons on the rear (via Rhygin), gone through three forks up front, and is on its third paint job since I bought it used. Now the gear cable housing stops routings and hanger are cut off (via Rock Lobster). With its horizontal drops, it still sees limited singlespeed use.
My first real cx bike was a lugged steel Moser frame and fork, Suntour XC pro cantis, SRAM 9.0 SL mtb brake levers modified to be inline, Ultegra brake levers, sachs quartz road front and rear derailleurs, Mavic Reflex clincher wheels with DA hubs (I still ride those wheels on my commuter), green Michelin Muds Selle Italia Turbomatic saddle. I can't for the life of me remember the crank, but for some reason I think it was an Suntour XC Pro 110 BCD. Here's a pic:
It handled a few New England seasons, lots of snow riding, '98 nats (devens) and '99 nats (presidio) and a mess of Kauai mud. Mud clearance wasn't great. My teammate had the same frame but in a much smaller size. Pontoni asked to use it as his backup bike for the Supercup but frowned so badly when he picked it up. It wasn't light. But he still took it to the pit.
Where is it today? I remember selling it to a guy in the parking lot of the Westin Ski Track after a day working there. It's funny how those are the types of days I regret the most. Selling a bike? Not usually a smart thing for a bike geek unless you really hate it. I'd love to have it back. Oh, the memories! I saw one on eBay a month ago and was tempted to buy it but know it wouldn't be the same.
Post yours...new or old, let's hear some stories. It's kinda like your first love, right?
I'll start - after riding my mtb for a bit in races, I had a zebrakenko that took 27" wheels, and had a mix of suntour and dia compe on it, including sidepull brakes. I think somehow I got some specialized 27" tricross tires on it. It since has gotten canti braze ons on the rear (via Rhygin), gone through three forks up front, and is on its third paint job since I bought it used. Now the gear cable housing stops routings and hanger are cut off (via Rock Lobster). With its horizontal drops, it still sees limited singlespeed use.
My first real cx bike was a lugged steel Moser frame and fork, Suntour XC pro cantis, SRAM 9.0 SL mtb brake levers modified to be inline, Ultegra brake levers, sachs quartz road front and rear derailleurs, Mavic Reflex clincher wheels with DA hubs (I still ride those wheels on my commuter), green Michelin Muds Selle Italia Turbomatic saddle. I can't for the life of me remember the crank, but for some reason I think it was an Suntour XC Pro 110 BCD. Here's a pic:
It handled a few New England seasons, lots of snow riding, '98 nats (devens) and '99 nats (presidio) and a mess of Kauai mud. Mud clearance wasn't great. My teammate had the same frame but in a much smaller size. Pontoni asked to use it as his backup bike for the Supercup but frowned so badly when he picked it up. It wasn't light. But he still took it to the pit.
Where is it today? I remember selling it to a guy in the parking lot of the Westin Ski Track after a day working there. It's funny how those are the types of days I regret the most. Selling a bike? Not usually a smart thing for a bike geek unless you really hate it. I'd love to have it back. Oh, the memories! I saw one on eBay a month ago and was tempted to buy it but know it wouldn't be the same.
Post yours...new or old, let's hear some stories. It's kinda like your first love, right?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by slippyfish on
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My first three or four cross races were on a Voodoo mountain bike with front shock and 2.125 tires. After slogging that thing through the mud for a season, I got on the phone with Toby at Hot Tubes and got in line for a real cross bike. At that time, Toby was building bikes for the McCormick brothers who were the bad-asses of the sport. For $750 (this was in 1998) I got a great looking bike with Columbus tubing and matching fork. A fortuitous garage-cleaning by a co-worker netted an older 600 group from Shimano, to which I added bar-cons, 600/Mavic Open Pro wheels with some heavy clinchers, and a Rock-Shox seatpost. Me and a couple others raced that bike for three years until I stacked hard on Bike to Work Day and decided the mojo was gone.
About a month ago, it popped up on the Bay Area craigslist for $400 - seeing the photos was truly horrifying, as all the nice parts were gone, most of the paint was gone, it was a stupid single-speed or fixie with mtb bars, and flat pedals with toe clips. But the Rock Shox seatpost was still there - heck, it was frozen in place when I owned it!
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Permalink Reply by Tinpot Dictator on
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First 'cross bike wasn't...
Was an old crap Velosport 12 speed I had as a teenager. When I bought my C-Dale road bike I slipped the chunkiest road tires I could find on my old bike and tore through wooded trails near home like these European guys I saw on a tv show. The bike had a slightly dropped cross bar that made dismounts a breeze, though you had to reach down further to shoulder it. Memories.
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Permalink Reply by Jason on
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I wish I had a photo...mine was a carbon/aluminum Trek 7900 hybrid...circa 1992. I put road bars and bar-cons on it and raced the heck out of it. It rode pretty well for a noodley carbon monster.
I replaced it with a hand built cyclocross bike (the only one created by a small WA builder) and raced it for the next 12 years...It is now retired but is being restored.
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Permalink Reply by andrew on
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you know, i vaguely remember a top junior racing one of those in the mid 90s in new england. maybe it was TJ? my memory fades.
who's the WA builder?
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Permalink Reply by Ariel Brown on
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My first true cross bike was a custom RockLobster in 1992. Orange Secret Team, one of five I think. Pretty much hodge-podge of scrounged parts. Campy tubular wheels with Wolber Dot tires. Raced to top 5 at '92 and '93 Junior Nats. It was definitely my first love. I still have it and can't get rid of it. I've actually updated a few of the parts and raced it a few times in the last couple years. Before that, and my backup bike, was a Specialized Epic carbon MTB with a single chainring and the narrow 1.5" Panaracer Smoke kevlar bead tires they made for awhile. That thing was wicked light.
I've finally ordered a new custom RockLobster for the upcoming season. I figure with newer components it should be 3 or 4 pounds lighter than my old one. That should compensate for not being 17 years old anymore, right? ;)
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Permalink Reply by Da Baggah on
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1st bike I raced cross on was a POS mt. bike (Dorado Sherpa Comp)
It was probably about 10 yrs old and about 30lbs.
But...I must admit...it never had a mechanical for the 3-4 times I raced it.
Got tired of being beat by 12 yr olds so I sold the mt bike and bought my first cross bike.
What a difference!
It was a Cannondale XS800...the one with the headshok.
I remember turning that knob to lock out the fork 3-4 times a lap when I first got it. ha!
What a waste of time...
So...from then to now...I've been through quite a few bikes.
Lemond Poprad
Kona Jake the Snake
Surly Cross Check
KHS CX100 (or something like that)
Bianchi Reparto Corse, Axis, & San Jose
Salsa Las Cruces
Seven Tsunami (I wish Ti, but it was the steel one)
Independent Fabrications Planet - X
Steelman Euro-Cross
and probably 2-3 more that I just can't seem to remember right now.
I think my favorite ride was/is the Steelman...it's definitely the smoothest.
I race the IF more cause it's geared and I'm weak.
I still have 3 of the bikes listed above.
I guess I really like them cause I haven't had a new cross bike in the garage over the last 2 years.
Something must be wrong with me...
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Permalink Reply by Steve Ransom on
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Wait a second...this sounds familiar. Orange IF? Steel Tsunami and a KHS? I have seen those bikes in a garage before. Are you that guy who sold me that defective Jake the Snake from craigslist? I have been trying to find you for the last 4 years! Why did you put tacks in the tires? The superglue in the bottom bracket was NOT funny.
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i figured the tacks would double as additional side knobs for the high speed cornering you are so well known for.
and the super glue...no idea what you're talking about. that was rubber cement.
i'm surprised it held during your test ride actually.
:-)
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Permalink Reply by Troy Maxfield on
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My 2005 Major Jake is my first cross bike....loving it!
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Permalink Reply by Texican on
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First cyclocross bike was a 2003 Jamis Nova I picked up from Chucks Bikes back in 2005. I gave it away to a friend as it couldn't make the move with me from Philly to Dallas in Nov 2007. I really missed that bike as I scooted all over Center City. Sadly, cyclocross wasn't on my radar at that time.
Now that I'm a little more situated here in Dallas and cyclo-aware... here's my first bike I intend to race. 2009 Mongoose Croix Comp. I look forward to entering the local Dallas series that should start late September. I just picked up my bike this evening... so the wrapping is still on the drop bars. :-)
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Permalink Reply by J.D. Kimple on
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hEY! How's your Croix holding up for you?
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Permalink Reply by Ian McFarland on
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My first Cross bike was Jeremy Power's Orbea Igorre 6000 i love that bike he gave it to me after we went for a ride and i was talking about how much i wanted to race cross. he gave it to me as Frame, Fork, Headset, seatpost clamp. the frame and fork itself is worth a grand and i'm building it up with upgrades for my second cross race season.
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