Road 2 Cyclo cross bike for 20 quid?

Moonbiker

Hi have an old steel peugeot 5 speed bike Reynolds 531 was thinking just sticking theese wide tyres to make it into an instant CX bike

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/TYVIRANDC/ ... wired-tyre

What do you reckon?

Obviously its not gonna be the best CX bike eva bit would it work or a recipe for disaster ?

The rims are mavic Ma40 will thet take a 32mm tyre?

Some opnions here...

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic ... NemYmgK71M

The frame/brake clearance does looks big enough alot more than on most newer road bikes.

Moonbiker

Plan was to use bike round the Gwydyr forest etc

majormantra

Didn't people used to convert their road bikes for 'cross just by fitting centre-pull brakes for extra clearance? I thought there was a Sheldon Brown article but I can't seem to find it.

For just messing about I expect it would be fine if the clearance is there.

And yes, the rims will be fine.

Monty Dog

The Vittorias aren't really a CX tyre, but would be fine for fireroads, gravel trails etc but less so soft conditions and mud. Provided you've got enough tyre clearance, you'll be OK but soft mud and leaves are likely to collect around the brake calipers / fork crown and could make progress difficult in heavy conditions.

Moonbiker

soft mud and leaves are likely to collect around the brake calipers

Getting that on my road bike whilst riding on tarmac roads, atm due to farmers trailing mud everwhere.

Alot of gravel fire roads seem to have less mud on them than regular roads as farmers don't drive tractors in the forests. :roll:

DeVlaeminck

I tried something similar years ago - the problem with my peugeot was clearance at the chainstays was tight and would get clogged with mud or muck even on wet cycle routes let alone cross races.