Road bike conversion?

nsmyth1988
nsmyth1988 Posts: 91
edited September 2018 in Cyclocross
So as per title I want to try cross before I decide to buy a bike have been looking second hand and not that much available size wise, which got me to thinking could I replace my 700c wheels with 650b wheels and long reach Calipers? I know that tyre size will depend on clearance!

I have a 2013 Specialized Allez which I use as winter/spare bike it’s 1x but with a 50t?

Could this work? Have used google and read other forums but haven’t seen anything concrete.

Thanks
Knowledge much appreciated
"Training is like fighting a Gorilla. You don't stop when you're tired. You stop when the Gorilla is tired"

Comments

  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    You won’t get Cx tyres in an allez frame, regardless of whether you use long reach calipers or not. Also, you will struggle with a 1x 50 off road. Use the money you were going to spend on those 650b wheels and buy a cheap cx bike.
  • StillGoing
    StillGoing Posts: 5,211
    I looked at this myself and on the whole, it really isn't worth it. You can buy a decent cheap gravel/cyclocross bike at low prices currently with decent group sets, be it 105/Ultegra 22 speed or 1x set ups. They also come with wheels more likely to stand up to the bumps and knocks encountered off road.
    I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    as Imposter says - you won't get CX tyres in an Allez frame - I get max 25mm in mine - 28mm would rub - and that's slicks ...
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    If you have an MTB (or can borrow one) start off on that. Alternatively, you can pick up old but serviceable CX bikes for anything from £150 upwards; you don't need anything special, and canti brakes will be fine. If you subsequently decide you want to upgrade (or if you decide CX isn't for you) you can sell it on for close to what you paid for it.
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • haydenm
    haydenm Posts: 2,997
    Slowbike wrote:
    as Imposter says - you won't get CX tyres in an Allez frame - I get max 25mm in mine - 28mm would rub - and that's slicks ...

    Could that change with smaller wheels? I've read that some frames take a wider tyre when using smaller wheels but I imagine that was purposefully designed in

    Personally I would buy a second hand Caadx for very little and give it a go
  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    HaydenM wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    as Imposter says - you won't get CX tyres in an Allez frame - I get max 25mm in mine - 28mm would rub - and that's slicks ...

    Could that change with smaller wheels? I've read that some frames take a wider tyre when using smaller wheels but I imagine that was purposefully designed in

    Personally I would buy a second hand Caadx for very little and give it a go

    Maybe if you used Brompton wheels, or something... ;)
  • haydenm
    haydenm Posts: 2,997
    Imposter wrote:
    HaydenM wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    as Imposter says - you won't get CX tyres in an Allez frame - I get max 25mm in mine - 28mm would rub - and that's slicks ...

    Could that change with smaller wheels? I've read that some frames take a wider tyre when using smaller wheels but I imagine that was purposefully designed in

    Personally I would buy a second hand Caadx for very little and give it a go

    Maybe if you used Brompton wheels, or something... ;)

    Sounds like a solid cx conversion then :wink:

    It must just be something specific to frames designed around having the option of the two sizes then, makes sense
  • haydenm
    haydenm Posts: 2,997
    Imposter wrote:
    HaydenM wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    as Imposter says - you won't get CX tyres in an Allez frame - I get max 25mm in mine - 28mm would rub - and that's slicks ...

    Could that change with smaller wheels? I've read that some frames take a wider tyre when using smaller wheels but I imagine that was purposefully designed in

    Personally I would buy a second hand Caadx for very little and give it a go

    Maybe if you used Brompton wheels, or something... ;)

    Sounds like a solid cx conversion then :wink:

    It must just be something specific to frames designed around having the option of the two sizes then, makes sense
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Front fork spacing - 23mm tyre
    Allez_Front.jpg

    Rear stays spacing - 25mm tyre
    Allez_Rear.jpg

    You'd need to drop the size of the wheel quite a bit to get much wider tyres in there ...
  • VamP
    VamP Posts: 674
    Borrow a MTB for a taster race. You'll know after one race if this is going to be fun for you or not.
  • nsmyth1988
    nsmyth1988 Posts: 91
    Thanks for all the replies managed to find a boardman CX team in my size and picked it up this evening! Absolute steal at £290 just have to take the reflectors off it and it’s good to go
    "Training is like fighting a Gorilla. You don't stop when you're tired. You stop when the Gorilla is tired"

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