Cyclo X V Road Bikes ....... FIGHHHTTTTT

always_tyred

downfader wrote:

itboffin wrote:

AndyManc wrote:

Just got into work on my tri-cross, the brakes are a total waste of time, god knows what they will be like in the wet :?

They will have to be changed, :roll: , apart from that , I'll have to make a few tweeks adjusting seat, bars etc, I'll also have to stop trying to change gears using the emergency brake levers :oops:

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I understand where you're coming from it was a huge shock for me going from hydro disc to calliper to cantis although I now use koolstop pads which make a huge difference to stopping power, still miss the disc brakes.

I thought about upgrading mine to disc brake, but didnt know if you could do that. Do you need special wheels, etc..

I want a set of Koolstops too or similar too. My pads will be out in about a month

Yeah - you basically need big mtb wheels. Mine has XT hubs and "29er" rims (American code for "I'm an enormous bastarrd and I need bigger wheels on my mtb"). I guess you could use regular 700c rims (same size) but you'd be carryin around a useless braking surface.

Presumably you have disc mounts, in which case its not too difficult from there. You may have 130mm axle spacing in which case I have reached the limit of my knowledge (mtb hubs are 135mm, and I don't know if you can remove the extra 5mm and still get the discs to align with the calipers).

I got mine to avoid wearing out rims in winter, and for consistent braking in winter. No way that mechanical brakes are as powerful as the hydraulic ones on my mtb though.

Surf-Matt

Interesting reading - I am thinking about a Tricross but also have doubts aboout the brakes.

Being a lifelong MTB rider - two MTBs with hydro disk, one with V brakes and an old one with cantis, I'm a little hesitant about a bike that goes faster but is harder to stop!

They do look nice though and the brown ones look soooo cool! 8)

I'm surprised more commuter/CX bikes don't have disk brakes.

il_principe

I dreamt about owning a Tricross Single the other day! Wish I'd bought one when they were on sale, would be ideal to keep at my folks house in Sussex leaving the option for on or off road rides, mmmmm.

always_tyred

Surf-Matt wrote:

Interesting reading - I am thinking about a Tricross but also have doubts aboout the brakes.

Being a lifelong MTB rider - two MTBs with hydro disk, one with V brakes and an old one with cantis, I'm a little hesitant about a bike that goes faster but is harder to stop!

They do look nice though and the brown ones look soooo cool! 8)

I'm surprised more commuter/CX bikes don't have disk brakes.

Clearly, its because the average joe is worried about UCI regulations. :?

Remember that with CX bikes, although you are going faster, you are potentially stopping less mass and tackling less severe terrain. I just did back to back weekends going up a fairly bonkers hill, once on a disc equipped cross bike, and once on a 17-18lb ish road bike. The braking was similar. Undoubtedly the discs are more powerful, but they have to be. Compared to a similarly heavy road bike that was recently "retired" by a driver, the discs are superb.

By the same token, if you start to compare mtb's with cross bikes, although the brakes are better on the former, you probably wouldn't feel that the brakes of a cross bike were inadequate.

AndyManc

Surf-Matt wrote:

Interesting reading - I am thinking about a Tricross but also have doubts aboout the brakes.

It's a known issue with the tri-cross, I did a Google and there's numerous forums about the problem but they also recommend a number of alternative brakes that solve the problem.

I like mechanical disc brakes, the ones on my hardrock pro stop me dead even despite it carrying heavy loads at times, they are far better than the hydraulic disc's on my enduro.

I suppose manufacturers are thinking about weight and cost issues but I would have thought they would be negligible.



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Surf-Matt

AT - think I will just have to try one and stop faffing!

My MTB weighs about 23lbs so is fairly light. Quite a minimalist rider - can't abide 10" of full suspension for pootling along country tracks!

How much do the Tricross bikes weigh?Much difference between the Sport and the Comp?

Kieran_Burns

All I can say is that my old road bike brakes must've been bloody awful, 'cos I think the Tricross ones are excellent.

I've only once had to fully grab the brakes and that was because a dog shot out of a hedge just feet in front of me when I was up around 20 ish... apart from that I can stop REALLY well using the drop brakes with two fingers.

In fact they are so good, I don't consider using the flat bar section brakes at all.

crosstowncommuter

AndyManc wrote:

Thanks for the 'bed-in' advice , I'll see if they have improved after my 6 week service.

Just got back home, smashed my commute record , great weather for a ride , everything was just a blur ,

Don't like carrying a rucksack :? so I might add a lightweight rear rack even though I was hoping to avoid that :? , my Trek hybrid has a rack (also my hardrock) and my intentions were to keep the tri-cross 'accessory' free but I just can't be doing with carrying all that gear on my back.

Will get up early and go for a spin ..... the need for speed .
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On the no rack front, have you checked out the Carradice SQR range of bags - just use a seatpost mount. I've tried backpacks, messenger style shoulder bags and even a pannier (for my sins), and the SQR packs are the best thing I have found so far.

Nice thing is if you just want to ride the bike without carrying anything you aren't carting around a rack you don't need.

Still can't decide on the way the SQR's look (I have one of the slim ones for the daily commute and one of the tiny ones for minimal carrying), but I guess carrying anything is a compromise. The SQR slim will take a small laptop plus a change of clothes and a few other bits an bobs (just).

The other thing I wondered about was a frame bag - came accross a guy in the states that makes custom sized and shaped ones. Seems like a good idea for carrying light flat stuff, like a change of clothes, whilst keeping the weight low and central on the bike. Not really seen anyone using them here though, or even selling them, apart from the useless tiny ones on ebay.

Have to admit I couldn't go back to carrying a pack on the bike again - much better to carry the weight on the bike and it doesn't knacker your back / make you sweat like a barsteward...

AndyManc

crosstowncommuter wrote:

On the no rack front, have you checked out the Carradice SQR range of bags - just use a seatpost mount. I've tried backpacks, messenger style shoulder bags and even a pannier (for my sins), and the SQR packs are the best thing I have found so far.
:

Funny you should say that , I've had my eye on this (below), 7ltr capacity and it looks decent.



There's loads of options, it's just guessing which ones right :roll:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Carradice_Barley_Saddle_Bag/5360042583/




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AndyManc

I can feel a 'wiggle moment coming on' ............. :?



http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Carradice_SQR_Tour_Bag_including_SQR_Bracket/5360042571/


Non in stock ....... saved by the 'none in stock bell' ......... :roll:



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dirk_van_gently

I have one of these



strange closing clip but been 100% watertight.

As to brakes, this has no doubt been written elsewhere. The main problem with Cyclocross brakes is that you have road levers trying to pull more cable then they were really designed for. Obviously cable operated disk would be better. The real issue is while the UCI outlaws disks on road bikes, and therefore squashing any R&D in that area, this isn't really going to be resolved satisfactorily. I have Avid Juicies on my 29er MTB, and they are amazing, when I jump back on the CX bike the brakes just seem so inadequate, having said that, until I got the 29er the brakes on the CX bike seemed fine to me :?

AndyManc

I like the look of the Carradice, the 2 side pockets for phone; money, keys etc would be very useful.

If the manufacturers view boards like this it may influence them to invest in non UCI compliant bikes, bikes that will be the vast majority of their sales.

Maybe two versions, a commuter friendly version and a competition one.




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itboffin

erm WTF people do you know what CX bikes are for>>>??????

these are not touring old man bikes (which I have) these are for hard core too hard for road too hard for MTB people - LIKE US :shock:

downfader

I think with V brakes, etc I kind of anticipate braking in a certain way. I always allow myself a decent time to slow down and apply...

Some people say that disc brakes allow you stop better in the wet. I'm not so sure thats quite right but I've never tried them myself to find out. I suppose if the brakes are too good you'll just skid.

I'm banking on ABS for bikes in the next 10 years

roger_merriman

in seriously wet and filthy weather (and off road) disks are great no scraping muck off the rims before the brakes work, they also allow a soft touch, which is great for control.