What are you riding?

[James Huang]

Would just like to conduct an informal poll here: what sort of 'cross bikes are you riding and are you a casual 'crosser or a more serious racer? And relative to your road habit, do you spend about the same amount of money or substantially less? Spare bikes/wheels?

 

[roadie]

Cat 4 on the road, working on unpgrading to Cat 3 by end of season. Road bike is a Specialized SL2 and cross bike is a Specialized Tricross Expert Double. Caught a partial cx season last year, and will race this year's cx season starting in September. Have three wheel sets for my road bike (training set with powertap, carbons and original set that came with bike) and for my cx I have just what came with my cross (Roval Pavé SL), but can put my road bike's original set as backup. I do not spend the amount of money I did on road for cx, and just look at cx as a way to keep up the habit during the winter, race for fun, sharpen my bike skills, train in the mud and enjoy the cx season for fun. I also use my cx quite a bit for in season training on fire roads and mountain trails just to mix things up a bit.

 

[lordconqueror]

I just upgraded to 4 on road, wasn't very into racing due to boredom and financial limitations, but I find cross to be alot more fun (i am more motivated to train for this season) and so I have planned to do a whole bunch of cross races.

I am riding a Redline frame, because it was cheap and alot of people in the Pacific Northwest ride them and like them alot. For this season all the parts are coming from my road bike where possible - 4ZA carbon tubulars, a mix of Campy Record-Chorus-Centaur shifters and derailleurs, Shimano and Tekro brakes, Rival crank, and a mix of alloy cockpit pieces. Really, the only carbon that I will be using is on my Record shifters and the carbon wheels - the shifters because they are the only working pair i have now, and the wheels because they are so much lighter then my other two wheelsets.

For spares I am just going to use clinchers with generic offroad tires.

 

[rider106]

Specialized S-Works tricross

Light, stiff, compliant machine.
Great race rig

 

[LugHugger]

Kinesis Pro 5 alloy frame with full carbon forks, SRAM Rival, Hope hubs/Ambrosio Nemesis rims/Vittoria tubs (first season on tubs). Only race cross, it's the reason I ride! Spend about the same on my cross bike as my road rig but cross gets 5 months use v 7 months for the roadie.

 

[runninboy]

Ride a Giant TCX, with Campy. Havent raced x in a few years

 

[elapid]

Would just like to conduct an informal poll here: what sort of 'cross bikes are you riding and are you a casual 'crosser or a more serious racer? And relative to your road habit, do you spend about the same amount of money or substantially less? Spare bikes/wheels?

Stevens Team Ultegra. I am a casual 'crosser and want to race this year. I spend substantially less money and time on the 'cross bike, but also use it as a utilitarian bike with a bit of commuting and a bit of touring as well. Same as lordconquerer, I have a lot of fun on the trails with my 'cross bike and this injects a bit more motivation into my training.

 

[kiwirider]

Last year was my first season of cross, so went at the cheaper end of things and got a Cannondale X6. Of course I fell in love with the sport - helped no end by a season of top 10 finishes in the local scene. All going to plan - and dependent on travel plans for a necessary trip back down south - I'm going to race the provincials and hopefully the two international races held down at Toronto this year. As for how serious that makes me - I'm on the wrong side of the Masters B age cut off, but am trying to make up for missed opportunities for cross racing from when I was young ...

My bike now bears little resemblance to what it started as. It is equipped with a combination of my old Record cranks (last of the square taper) and new Veloce. I've got Ritchey bars and saddle and am about to fit a WCS fork. Brakes are now Tektro CR720s (long story about trying to beat brake shudder). When I get a pair of (brand new) Daytona hubs that I ordered, I'm building up a set of wheels on them and Open Pro rims. Nice tubular wheels come next season.

Like a couple of other posters, this bike's a go anywhere machine - MTB trails, 80km+ epics through Gatineau Park, winter riding and training (snow racing anyone??), roadie over summer and the daily commuter.

As for spend - less than the roadie (Record equipped Six13) and heaps less than the MTB (X.0 and various other customisations on a Carbon Scalpel). But in part that's cos cross bikes are actually sensibly priced ... but that's starting back into the "Have bike manufacturers gone mad?" thread ...

 

[redstar]

Cat 3 on the road, cat 2 CX. My cross bike is a Ridley Crosswind with Campy Centaur and Mavic Ksyrium SL. My road bikes are Willier Izoard (scandium) and Specialized S Works (Al) both with Campy Record. I started doing the CX back in 2004. and fell in love with the sport. Last season I won overall Virgina CX Series in B cat.

 

[ilillillli]

New to CX, but I just picked up a Specialized Tricross Comp to ride in the winter up here in Chicago and on some trails back home in Missouri. A week in and adjustments made (new saddle notwithstanding), it's fantastic. I'm a new 3 on the road, so I'm thinking of trying a few 'cross races this winter. I'm a big fan. Anybody in the market for a new mid-to-entry level cyclocross bike should really check out the Tricross.

 

[deeporbit]

old school

I'm riding my Fuji Cross - steel - with a carbon fork. Heading into my 5th CX season. I don't really spend much on equipment, just try to make what I have last as long as possible. Wasting money on a carbon CX frame is not my deal. I go just as fast on steel as I do on carbon. I have a Ridley Damocles road bike - I can't win on that either - lol!!!!

 

[TheDude]

Cannondale CX9 with Campagnolo Centaur. No racing, but dirt trails and the locall pot-hole infested streets. Some off-road for fun, but mostly use it as the utility/commuter bike. I like the twitchy short-wheelbase for riding in traffic and curb jumping.

 

[Oldman]

Road bike 'n parts

Called the Dog's breakfast of bikes-
Merlin Ti extralight with:
Campy 10 speed shifters, rear derailleur
FSA cranks
Shimano chains, front derailleur, cassettes
Zipp 303 w/Vittoria all weather Pro for races
Easton Circuit clinchers for training, Conti GP's
Light, dependable and crashable

Races Pro/Cat 1 crits as well as wet Master's races equally well.

 

[Barbarella]

Ibis Hakkalugi

Two Ibis Hakkalugi's

One built with Force, one built with Red. Spinergy Carbon tubulars with a mix of Challenge and Dugast tires (some of which are still waiting to be glued). Pictures will be available once I finish glueing everything.

 

[James Huang]

Barbarella:

You've got two *new* Hakkalugis or the older steel ones? Either way, looking forward to the pics.

 

[ridley25]

I ride as a Master 2 in Ontario:
Aquila Ciclo CX (a generic brand with Aquila decals) with 105 and Ultegra cranks.
Michelin Mud 2 or or Jet (clinchers) depending on the course. (Pro 3 Race for criteriums (This is also my road bike))

 

[BrandonT]

Cross

Hey James

I fell in love with Cross about 3 years ago and haven't looked back. It is the main focus of my year now and all the other racing I do on the road or on the XC bike are in preperation for Cross season.
I have a Norco CCX SL (Rival and Ksyrium elites), Masi CX speciale and am a proud new owner of a Ridley X-Ride (Ultegra SL and a hand built set of tubulars)
I spend twice as much money on Cross then on any other discipline.

BrandonT

 

[Barbarella]

Hi James,
I'm on the new all carbon Hakkalugi's (in the lovely Phlegmish Yellow color)with Alpha Q forks. I'd like to post a picture but the only picture posting option I can find is is to link a url to an image. At the very least there will be pictures after the Start Crossed/Rad Racing weekend and anyone attending Cross Vegas will see the bikes.

Barbarella

 

[Barbarella]

Here's a picture of me looking very pleased with my new bike.

 

[James Huang]

Duh, didn't even put two and two together from your 'Barbarella' handle. Of course you've got two of them! Good luck at Star Crossed and see you at CrossVegas. Maybe the grass will be a little faster this year!

 

[BrandonT]

I would be very pleased if I had two of those as well.

I have heard that with the Alpha Q fork that you need a special insert for the steerer tube?

 

[Barbarella]

Hi Brandon,

The Alpha Q steerer has very thin sidewalls requires an aluminum insert to be epoxied into the fork after it is cut. It's not a huge deal it just means that you have to wait overnight for the epoxy to set before you can finish building your bike!

Barb

 

[printf]

I'm riding Scott CX Team with SRAM Rival, Ritchey WCS and Fulcrum 3 wheels.
I buildt it two weeks ago so I'm quite new to cyclocross. Bike isn't the lightest, but it has suprisingly crisp feel in it.