Thinking of getting into Cyclocross..................

Cheeky

................and I've no idea where to start!!!!

Any hints or tips (especially as to where you can pick up a decent, but relatively cheap bike) gratefully received. I may well buy something off eBay or similar as I'm more than happy to build it up myself.

Would sturdy road wheels do or are there specialist cyclocross wheels to take account of the (presumably) bigger hits?

Any help appreciated,

Cheers

Cheeky

DavidBelcher

Cheeky wrote:

................and I've no idea where to start!!!!

Any hints or tips (especially as to where you can pick up a decent, but relatively cheap bike) gratefully received. I may well buy something off eBay or similar as I'm more than happy to build it up myself.

Would sturdy road wheels do or are there specialist cyclocross wheels to take account of the (presumably) bigger hits?

Any help appreciated,

Cheers

Cheeky

I use ordinary road wheels (with Mavic Open Pro rims, which seem to cope well with off-road riding and occasional bunny-hopping) - the chunky lower-pressure tyres used for 'cross some of the sting out of the rougher ground. Now's a good time of year to pick up a cheap 'cross bike, as a good few people will be selling theirs to make room for new machines they've bought for this autumn's racing; eBay, or the small ads in C+ or CW, are also worth a look. Alternatively, Elmy Cycles in Ipswich have a list of reduced-price frames for £250 or under on their site (http://www.elmycycles.co.uk/Framesets.htm) which would be a good basis for a cheapish beginner's bike.

David