Michigander Cross

Comment

Comment by Ryan McKinnie on August 27, 2009 at 11:19pm

on off-MI weekends i'm planning on hitting up the chicrosscup! anyone who wants to roll with me in the hippie wagon is welcome!

Comment by John Osgood on August 27, 2009 at 11:07pm

I will be heading down to Ky this year for the USGP! This will be my first out of state national level CX race. Can't get the damn thing off my mind! Andrea, I hop you will be down there taking lots of picture of me ;)

Comment by Tom Payn on August 27, 2009 at 3:21pm

Bar - I think I decided on the Deda Newton shallow

Bar width - wider gives better control for sand/mud and also more leverage when climbing... I am running a 44.

Out of State Races - a group of us may be going down to Cinci the weekend of Oct 10th.

Comment by Surly Bastard on August 27, 2009 at 1:48pm

Gary, I could sell you my old Kona Jake. It loved to collect water inside its tubes, whether it rained, rolled through a puddle, or just got a good wash down. It's a frickin' tub and gains pounds while ya look at! I'm just thinking that the standing water inside that frame, plus your concrete, would make a great dual purpose bird-bath and pit bike.

Or a boat anchor.

Comment by Gary Olson on August 27, 2009 at 12:33pm

Hi Tom,

My bar is some orbea (zeus?) house brand crap that came on the bike. Works fine. It's a bit wider than my road handlebar but it doesn't seem to affect my handling, etc.

As for weight - 22 lbs - I'm a bit of a bizarro-weight weenie, I like my bike as heavy as possible. Thinking about filling my frame tubes with concrete prior to my first race just to add a few more lbs....

Comment by SweetChicken on August 27, 2009 at 11:30am

Disclaimer: I don't know what the hell i'm talking about....
Being new to cyclocross I guess this will be a trial by fire test and tune for my components. Originally from Utah i'm an avid MTBer and since I came to MI i've started to dabble in tri.

re: handlebar width, on my MTB i go as wide as I feel comfortable (aerodynamics count for nothing and I can trick myself into thinking it helps me breath better 2 hrs into a race.) I feel i can manage big hits on technical downhills with a wider grip. If we're going 4 wide into a 2 wide chute i worry more about pedals and cleats hitting me on the leg and elbows knocking my arms off. I think handlebars (at least straight ones) move out of the way pretty easily if you bump them and you typically have to go through someone's arm first. We'll see if this all translates to cross on the drops or not but I honestly think that's the last thing i'll have to worry about 5 min off the back of the C men's race...
re: cross levers: in the past the only time i've had to get off my bike is when i'm going over the handlebars or across the finish line so needless to say the dismounts are what's worrying me. Having reversed brake levers and/or cross levers might help me in that regard. Maybe it's no big deal at the end of the day but for me to start i think i'll give the cross levers a shot first.

Comment by Tuckerbikes on August 27, 2009 at 9:20am

Thanks...the shot was at Nats in K.C. the year before last.

Comment by Surly Bastard on August 27, 2009 at 9:09am

Beautiful shot Andrea! Where was that? That's awesome ... We're planning on a few out of state cx trips, but have decided on which one ... but we're going! We're thinking USGP. I would have like to have done a Chicago Cup but the dates are all wrong. And that's not the only races dates that are goofed up for me ...

Brian: that looks like a great bar. You are right about the Ritchey "swoop" but I don't mount top levers and I either ride in the drops or the hoods, so the shorter top bar doesn't bother me. One thing I'd be interested in hearing is bar width. I know that some people like running wider bars on their CX bikes. I keep mine pretty narrow. I don't know that it really effects handling much - but I sure like the idea of being able to sneak through those small gaps! Anybody?

Comment by Tuckerbikes on August 27, 2009 at 8:40am

Anyone traveling to out of state races this season? If so which ones?

Comment by brianhancock on August 26, 2009 at 1:34pm

Bontrager Race Lite with the VR bend. Seems not everyone likes the strange mix between anatomic and classic bend. I like them on both my road and 'cross bikes. The top bend to where the shifters start is almost 90 degrees (unlike the Ritchey Classic which has a bit more of a "swoop". This allows for a wide grip while still being in the tops. I run Sram shifters, which pair up very well with a short reach from the tops.

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