Winter bike options

stevenb

I'm selling my Felt CX bike and looking to buy a winter road bike.
However, there are pros and cons to both options I have.

My summer 2015 goals are to ride more Sportives and enter some Cat 4 races and with improvement some Cat 3 races.
My winter goals maybe to enter some CX races and just ride as much as I can through the darker/colder months.

The Felt F75X2013 is a CX bike which has 105 10 spd with Ultegra mechs and my alloy frame/carbon fork with mudguard compatibility.
I don't like the rubbish tektro Canti's as they are woeful in the wet so they would need replacing and I am thinking of TRP CX9's.
To keep the Felt I would also want to get another pro Bike fit done so I can maintain my race position of my Focus road bike.
Then as a winter bike it would ideally need a set of road wheels that I can swap over with the standard CX wheels/tyres when needed. So to adapt the Felt as an all rounder for CX/winter bike use it will cost me the best part of £250.

My other option is to sell the Felt and buy a winter road bike from my LBS who would do a free bike fit allowing me to keep my race position. They have the Trek Madone 2.1 on offer. This means no CX races of course but means a more race like winter bike with mudguard compatibility. However, it means it would not cost me any extra money to adapt (apart from the mudguards of course) and it would be a new bike with 105 10 spd too. I am also considering another Felt road bike instead of the Trek Madone 2.1 which would mean less outlay for purchase but the cost of the bike fit at my LBS on top.

I've not done CX racing before but appreciate it would be good fun. Do I keep a bike just for this element?

I also run, so I love to run cross country and normal road running.

Hmmm....what to do.

ai_1

I don't really understand the incentive to buy a new bike.
Surely a CX is the ideal winter bike if you plan to also do some CX races. All that's wrong with it is you dislike the brakes and need separate wheels for road use. I don't see why you'd need a bike fit if you've already had one. Just transfer the measurements from your road bike to the CX bike. The fit is to find out what psoition is likely to be best for you. If you know your position from a previous fit then why do it again? Just measure from the BB to the nose of the saddle (height & fore/aft), match the saddle tilt, measure BB to the handlebars (if different shape bars decide where you spend most time - probably the hoods and base it on that). If the crank lengths are slightly different adjust the saddle height to match the distance from bottom of stroke. It's all pretty simple and just needs a ruler/tape measure, a plumb line and a little care.

stevenb

Thanks for the reply.
I thought that maybe the differing frame geometries meant a different set up but it does make sense now.
I will at least have the 2 bikes in 1 versatility of the Felt I suppose.
I just thought that maybe if my summer goals are to enter some Cat 3/4 Crit races then the out and out winter road bike would be better than the Felt.

drlodge

A CX is the perfect all round winter bike!

stevenb

Maybe I'm just looking at it from the money point of view in that new brakes and some road wheels/cassette will cost a fair bit whereas the sale of my Felt would give me a chunk of money towards a newer bike.
I suppose I have time on my hands so can get the road wheels/tyres from the LBS this month and TRP CX9's next month.
I'm going to get some measurements and photos of my current road bike as have a fettle with the Felt first.
Cheers guys.

ai_1

I think you're perhaps confusing yourself a little. The expense if new wheels is in order to give you a road bike and CX bike in one. You can still use the Felt as a winter bike without buying new wheels. Just stick slicks on the existing wheels.
The alternative of selling the Felt ditches your CX option altogether. Unless you just want a new bike you gain nothing by selling and buying.

ai_1

I think you're perhaps confusing yourself a little. The expense if new wheels is in order to give you a road bike and CX bike in one. You can still use the Felt as a winter bike without buying new wheels. Just stick slicks on the existing wheels.
The alternative of selling the Felt ditches your CX option altogether. Unless you just want a new bike you gain nothing by selling and buying.

stevenb

Point taken.
The rims on my bike are quite wide and use 32c tyres.
I thought that maybe a 25mm tyre might not seat right.
The LBS have got a deal for me.
Shimano RS11's with Schwalbe Lugano folding tyres and tubes for £100. Taken off a bike they sold.
Would be worth buying as decent new tyres will cost me near on £50.

Ive withdrawn my for sale advert for now anyway.
Thanks

simon_masterson

Have you tried replacing the pads on your brakes?

stevenb

I have thought about some Swiss stop brake pads but not sure if that will improve the braking over the crappy Tektro ones. Money spent on new pads could get some CX9's.
Even the Tektro mini V brakes seem to be better than Tektro canti's according to many reviews Ive read through.

ai_1

stevenb wrote:

I have thought about some Swiss stop brake pads but not sure if that will improve the braking over the crappy Tektro ones. Money spent on new pads could get some CX9's.
Even the Tektro mini V brakes seem to be better than Tektro canti's according to many reviews Ive read through.

Clean rims and decent pads will make a big difference if that's not currently what you've got. If you decide to change brakes later the pads won't go to waste

simon_masterson

stevenb wrote:

I have thought about some Swiss stop brake pads but not sure if that will improve the braking over the crappy Tektro ones. Money spent on new pads could get some CX9's.
Even the Tektro mini V brakes seem to be better than Tektro canti's according to many reviews Ive read through.

Rim brakes are very primitive friction devices. They rely on the rim surface and the brake pad to work much more than the caliper. You can have very good calipers but very rubbish stopping power with the wrong pads and brake surfaces - and braking technology has come on hugely in the last couple of decades; the days of brakes that flex like cooked spaghetti are long gone.

MichaelW

Ai_1 wrote:

Just measure from the BB to the nose of the saddle (height & fore/aft), match the saddle tilt, measure BB to the handlebars (if different shape bars decide where you spend most time - probably the hoods and base it on that). If the crank lengths are slightly different adjust the saddle height to match the distance from bottom of stroke. It's all pretty simple and just needs a ruler/tape measure, a plumb line and a little care.

Me too.
I use [x,y] coordinates measured from the BB, to all points of contact.
I mark x=0 on the top tube (using plumb line), as an aid.
Differences in frame angles can be ignored.
Note the coordinates in case your bike goes AWOL.

stevenb

Simon Masterson wrote:

stevenb wrote:

I have thought about some Swiss stop brake pads but not sure if that will improve the braking over the crappy Tektro ones. Money spent on new pads could get some CX9's.
Even the Tektro mini V brakes seem to be better than Tektro canti's according to many reviews Ive read through.

Rim brakes are very primitive friction devices. They rely on the rim surface and the brake pad to work much more than the caliper. You can have very good calipers but very rubbish stopping power with the wrong pads and brake surfaces - and braking technology has come on hugely in the last couple of decades; the days of brakes that flex like cooked spaghetti are long gone.

True. Are you saying though that better brakes or brake pads or both would be the way to go?

stevenb

MichaelW wrote:

Ai_1 wrote:

Just measure from the BB to the nose of the saddle (height & fore/aft), match the saddle tilt, measure BB to the handlebars (if different shape bars decide where you spend most time - probably the hoods and base it on that). If the crank lengths are slightly different adjust the saddle height to match the distance from bottom of stroke. It's all pretty simple and just needs a ruler/tape measure, a plumb line and a little care.

Me too.
I use [x,y] coordinates measured from the BB, to all points of contact.
I mark x=0 on the top tube (using plumb line), as an aid.
Differences in frame angles can be ignored.
Note the coordinates in case your bike goes AWOL.

I am going to have a stab at this and also get my wife to take pictures, front, back and both sides.
Hopefully measurements and pictures will help make things easier.

simon_masterson

stevenb wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

stevenb wrote:

I have thought about some Swiss stop brake pads but not sure if that will improve the braking over the crappy Tektro ones. Money spent on new pads could get some CX9's.
Even the Tektro mini V brakes seem to be better than Tektro canti's according to many reviews Ive read through.

Rim brakes are very primitive friction devices. They rely on the rim surface and the brake pad to work much more than the caliper. You can have very good calipers but very rubbish stopping power with the wrong pads and brake surfaces - and braking technology has come on hugely in the last couple of decades; the days of brakes that flex like cooked spaghetti are long gone.

True. Are you saying though that better brakes or brake pads or both would be the way to go?

Ultimately both, but I would always start with good pads - and obvious though it may seem, taking care to keep the braking surface clean pays dividends. I have Tektro deep drops on my road bike and they're very good.

stevenb

The Felt is better than ever now.
I did some measuring and got a good set up.
It feels better to ride now too.
Adjusted the cantis too so they brake better and will replace the pads when these wear down.
My LBS is a great shop and I get on really well with the guys there.
One went over my bike tightening my front wheel axle, torquing up certain bolts for me all for free and now with a new pair of RS11 wheels, Lugano folding tyres and a Tiagra 10spd cassette all for £120 I have a pair of winter road wheels.
Bought some new matching bar tape too and it looks great.

Im glad I was convinced to keep the Felt.