tricross with marathon plus 32c to 25c road tyres

jackthelad

My tricross has at present 32c marathon plus tyres,if i was change to 25c fast road tyres would this make much difference for road use.Or not enough to make it worth my while

any help appreciated

jackthelad

wgwarburton

jackthelad wrote:

My tricross has at present 32c marathon plus tyres,if i was change to 25c fast road tyres would this make much difference for road use.Or not enough to make it worth my while

any help appreciated

jackthelad

Yes, it would be noticeable. The balance between time saved by travelling faster and time lost to fixing punctures would depend on how prickly your route is, of course...

Cheers,
W.

redvee

I dropped from the original Speccy 32s on my Tricross single and put suitable tubes in and suffered one puncture since doing it which was caused by an errant stone on an unlit cyclepath tunnel.

jackthelad

Hi guys thanks for the replies.The reason I am asking is that I was going to use the tricross as a road bike because of the slopping stem making it comfortable.I have tried road bikes and find them a little too much leaning over.I have other bikes for commutting and wanted to turn the tricross into an all out road bike,this is why I am asking .If anyone can give advice to help turn my tricross into an all out road bike I am here to listen

thanks

jackthelad

davis

jackthelad wrote:

Hi guys thanks for the replies.The reason I am asking is that I was going to use the tricross as a road bike because of the slopping stem making it comfortable.I have tried road bikes and find them a little too much leaning over.I have other bikes for commutting and wanted to turn the tricross into an all out road bike,this is why I am asking .If anyone can give advice to help turn my tricross into an all out road bike I am here to listen

Ummm I hate to point this out now that you've got the Tricross, but surely a fairly upright "all out road bike" would have been a better place to start? You could have flipped the stem or stuck a higher-rise stem on there.
There are a great many options in bike geometries, so not all road bikes would have you leaning over.

jackthelad

davis thanks for the reply, do you know of any good road bikes with situp geometry, the ones I tried had me leaning over and could feel it on the lower back.Any help to put me in the right direction would be highly appreciated

jackthelad

davis

Well, the Specialized Roubaix is usually recognised as being a more "upright" position. I have one, and I do find it's more upright than everything else I've tried, which, granted hasn't been a particularly wide selection. It *is* comfortable though.

I'd say if you were to leave the steerer fairly long (if possible, not sure how much choice an LBS can get or give you), stack some spacers in there, and turn the stem over it'd end up pretty upright.

I'm not going to say "get the Roubaix", because I'm not all that great on reading geometry specs, but I think you'd do well to check some manufacturer's pages for their geometry/sizing info, and try as many bikes as you can. Ultimately I think that's a better way to get a out-and-out road bike that fits than to start with a CX bike.

Not to slate CX bikes mind; I'll be getting next if all goes to plan.

kelsen

Sorry if I'm stating the obvious here, but are you utilising the hoods (top of the brake levers) as well as the drops when holding the handlebars on a roadbike? Assuming the bike is the correct size for you, riding with your hands on the hoods makes you far more upright and I'd say most people use this position over any other.

With regards to the Tricross, 25c isn't a problem as that's what I run on the supplied Alex rims and you will notice the difference. For all intents and purposes, the Tricross is pretty much a road bike anyway, albeit a little bit heavier, but that also makes it more robust than a pure race bike for commuting. It's versatility makes it the weapon of choice for many on this forum.

ex-pat scot

I use my Tricross with 23c tyres as a fast commuter. It's great for the purpose

Kieran_Burns

I changed the Borough 32s (which look way wider) for Conti 32c City contacts which were fine for the road and light trails I did for my commute at the time.

I've now swapped them for Conti 28c top contacts as I do all road commuting; but the roads can be a bit poor in places. I keep the pressure at the maximum 100psi to minimise punctures and rolling resistance.

It's no speed machine, but this isn't a problem - it makes the times on the Madone all the sweeter as it's WAY quicker

ex-pat scot

I have the Tricross built up as a fast roadie with cantilevers.

- Stem low and flat. Headset spacers on top rather than below the stem.
- lightweight kit (I sold off the 9 speed triple kit when purchased, then effectively swapped it over for 10 speed compact double stuff)
- 23c tyres
- 34-50 chainset mated to 12-25 cassette.

It's light, versatile and fast!
The 23 tyres cope with light off-road - would be better putting some 32s on if I were doing more. I have some 32s for winter use in bad weather, but not fitted them yet.
Mudguards will go on for the winter as well.

jackthelad

Thanks for the replies guys,Its just that I find the tricross so comfy was the reason I was going to convert it to a road bike,rather than buy another bike.

Kieran_Burns

The thing is: it IS a road bike. It can just go off-road as well.

wgwarburton

jackthelad wrote:

....If anyone can give advice to help turn my tricross into an all out road bike I am here to listen...

Realistically, it's never going to be a "all out road bike" (see Kieran Burns post). That's not what it was designed for... You can tweak it a bit to make it more road-focussed (ex-pat Scot) but it's always going to be heavier and less responsive than a proper racer.
I had a go on a friend's one recently and was struck by the upright position, wide bars and generally "chunky" feel of it.
They are comfortable, versatile bikes; strong and well-suited to commuting duties but if you want a light, fast, responsive road bike then it's probably not the best starting point.

You could change the bars & stem to get a lower, narrower (more aero) position and fit lighter wheels and tyres. It'll make it a bit faster but not as "quick" as a steep-angled close-clearance race frame and will cost a bit.

If you really want an all-out roadie, then it might be better to get something designed for the job (N+1, anyone?) but look carefully to ensure you get something that is (or can be made) comfortable...

Cheers,
W.

jackthelad

warburton thanks for the reply it has given me a better understanding of road bikes.I thought I could have utilised the tricross, but it seems not

looks like it is a case of getting the right machine for the right job.

now it begins what would be the minimum amount to spend on a half decent road bike
preferrable with 10 speed .I know this opens a can of worms but a guide line would be nice

jackthelad

wgwarburton

jackthelad wrote:

...looks like it is a case of getting the right machine for the right job.

now it begins what would be the minimum amount to spend on a half decent road bike
preferrable with 10 speed .I know this opens a can of worms but a guide line would be nice..

There are bikes like this at most price-points, as it's a popular category (fast recreational road bike). the question I would ask is "How much would I have to spend to get a significant upgrade from a modified TriCross?". This is based on the assumption that you would be looking for better performance rather than just more racy handling.

I can't answer that question, but I'm sure there are people here who can! That answer should give you a better understanding of whether this is the right route to follow, I hope!!

My starting point would be the Edinburgh Bicycle Coop's Revolution range- I like the way they spec their bikes and feel they generally offer good value. Their 10-speed offering is the Continental Pro at £750 ("reduced from £900"), though they have cheaper options with 8-speed cassettes.
I expect you could find cheaper than that but my instinct would caution against buying the cheapest bike with 10-speed, since compromises will have to have been made elsewhere to meet that spec. If you want a racier ride than the TriCross, you probably don't want an entry level frame.

Cheers,
W.