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hello cxmag community 

 

so i've been a bit of a bike nerd for the past 3-4 years after re-discovering the joys of pedal power[im an auto tech and cars and going fast in them has been my main interest since highschool --im 31 now]. this has translated into a bunch of CL bike + parts purchases, disassembly and assembly of everything and a disaster of a basement.

here is a small indication of my situation/collection.

 

 

i have been riding roadbikes, geared and ss/fg. i commute +300kms weekly on my bikes with some casual long rides on weekends.

 

some of my riding buddies also hit the trails on their ss 29ers. they decided to do a race next april here in ontario [parisancaster.com] so i decided to give it a go as well.

 

having a 35lb bike didnt appeal to me so i opted for a cx ride. i bought this 09 felt breed last fall off CL. all stock except some fat smoothies as the previous owner used it for commuting.

he had the original vittoria xgs so i've thrown them on plus new bartape, old syncros post and i changed the gearing to 36/16. since this picture was taken i have also swapped the rear 720 canti for an old deore lx. i was catching it when i was practicing flying mounts/dismounts. also threw on some koolstop salmons.

 

 

 Photobucket

 

 

im pretty comfortable with the low ratio as i like spinning and have excellent natural cardio. on my ss road bikes i like a ratio between 42/16 and 47/16 generally.

im really just looking for any suggestions on bike setup or tips for bike control in the mucky/slippy stuff. i find being someone who rides exclusively on the road im not the most controlled at low speed stuff.

any tips appreciated.

 

thanks folks.


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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?

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.

 

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-...

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

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.

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.

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

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