UKC

Couple of questions

I have a Giant Road bike (with V brakes) which I was thinking of putting some cyclo cross tyres on and get out in the hills with. Would this work or is the frame not suitable?

Also any websites that show cyclocross events in the Peak District?

In reply to iusedtoclimb:
impossible to say without knowing the actual frame. Your main problem is probably going to be tyre clearance.
Aside from that maybe a stem change depending on the riding position. I guess the one other thing would be if it was some ultra extreme lightweight road bike it might be a bit fragile particularly in the wheels department.

In reply to KevinD:

Thanks for the reply

Also any good Cyclo X routes in Peak District?

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

For competitive events you should check out the British Cycling calendar:

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events?search_type=upcomingevents&zuv...

We're nearing the end of the season though.

For non-competitive (but still timed) events you can look at sportives. Most of these are road events but cross versions are gaining popularity.

http://www.cyclosport.org/events/Apr-2016/UK.html

In reply to iusedtoclimb:
Back in the day, most people just used their winter bikes without mudguards. Winter tyres were a bit knobblier then. youtube.com/watch?v=H9_Fs1QtsOY&
I'm not in the film - it was about 1961/2 - but I rode that event a year or so later as a 16 year old - got very wet and dirty - cleaned myself and my bike in the river afterwards and rode the 25 miles back home!

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

the adventure cross series started last weekend - 5 events over the season and good routes suitable for cross bikes.
just give it a go!

In reply to iusedtoclimb:



Anything you can ride on a CX bike is a good CX route so it all depends on your skills. That said I think they're best on routes where road sections link bits of track, the kind of stuff that would be toilsome on an MTB.

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

Oh and if your bike has v-brakes it isn't really a road bike. Clearance for tyres is the key thing as CX tyres tend to be 35mm ish. How fat are your current tyres?

In reply to DaveHK:


That's exactly what I use a CX bike for. I use 28mm tyres so wider than a road bike but less than most specialised CX tyres. The other main difference versus a road bike is the bottom bracket is higher to get the chain a bit further away from the mud.

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

For the last 32 years, the "Hell of the North Cotswolds (HONC)" has always been run each year on the same day as Paris Roubaix.

It traditionally was done on knobbly tyred tourers or cyclocross bikes, but only about a dozen or so of us persevered when most switched to using mtbs instead. But cyclocross bikes were better for it and the numbers might have risen again recently as that sort of bike has regained popularity.

In reply to Lord of Starkness:



This is brilliant thanks

In reply to DaveHK:

Its like the one in the attached except older

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/284979/products/2015-giant-defy-5-road-bike-b...

I'm gonna take it into Evans and see what I can do

In reply to woppo:

Had a look at this and I thought it was mostly road?

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

Those are calliper brakes not V-brakes. I doubt you'll fit anything fatter than a 28mm tyre in there so it will be pretty limited for off road action.

In reply to iusedtoclimb:


I did this over two days, but bits could be incorporated into day rides. http://lightfromthenorth.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/bikepacking-around-peak-dis...

In reply to Lord of Starkness:

I've seen that before but it's always worth a rewatch. I love the sheer daftness and needless difficulty. Makes modern day cross and fell running look almost like proper sports!

In reply to DaveHK:


Ah ok thanks

Any idea what to look for if getting a cyclocross new

I would imagine weight is a major concern?

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

Weight isn't a massive issue, most CX bikes are reasonable weights these days. There are los of bikes out there with small differences that make them slightly better suited to certain applications so have a think about what you'll use it for e.g. will you race it? Will you need panniers or mudguards? What kind of off road terrain will you ride? What are your gearing preferences (do you spin or grind)? Do you live in a hilly or flat area? Do you prioritise quick handling or stability?

All the big manufacturers do a variety of bikes that broadly fall under the CX category but the choice of niches within that is getting bewildering.

In reply to Jim Lancs:


I rode last year and still a majority MTB. Maybe 80/20 MTB/CX split? Last year it was dry so CX had the upper hand, but I imagine if wet MTB might be better?

In reply to bigbobbyking:

80/20 split is a huge increase - there were 4 of us not on mountainbikes one year!

Halfords is selling off the previous model of Boardman Cyclocross bike. The CX Team is a good machine and it's a couple of hundred quid off at £675 with the occasional shop soiled ex-display model for £600.

In reply to DaveHK:


I find 28mm OK for forest gravel tracks with the odd muddy trench, canal towpaths and similar. It's a compromise between being close to a road bike on road and ridable in places off-road I wouldn't take a road bike. It isn't an MTB-substitute and in that sense yes it's limited. But so much nicer than a MTB on the road.

In reply to Dogwatch:

So planning on buying one from Evans https://www.evanscycles.com/cannondale-caadx-105-disc-cyclocross-bike-EV214...

One key question can a cyclocross bike be used on rocky descents without trashing the wheels and front forks

2 mins 25 onwards on the attached is the sort of thing I am talking of

youtube.com/watch?v=3lzw6Us5zAI&

Cheers

In reply to iusedtoclimb:


This lad knows a few CX routes up in Yorkshire:

vimeo.com/89689947

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

I would expect that descent to be very uncomfortable on a CX bike. I doubt you'd trash anything unless you are quite heavy, but it's definitely MTB territory.

In reply to iusedtoclimb:


You could certainly ride that on a crosser. It would be slower and harder work than on an MTB though. Personally I don't mind that but it's not for everyone.

In reply to iusedtoclimb:






I bought one of these with shimano sora instead of 105 . bloody love it . great for commuting with slicks and brilliant off road.

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

Slightly off topic but I recently bought a Dawes Tourer from Evans and I found 1 website offering it for £165 cheaper and they price matched it with no hassle at all....worth seeing if you can get it cheaper elsewhere and they should honour their price match...

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

Yes, but probably not as fast as you can on a MTB with suspension.

In reply to iusedtoclimb:




If you took it slowly the bike should survive. You on the other hand will have the hell beaten out of you. That's a MTB track.

In reply to iusedtoclimb:

I have descended Jacobs and Potato Alley on my Cross bike, the bike survived fine but my arms were cooked! It is slower and much harder one loose rocks as the skinny tyres drop in to the gaps more than mtb tyres. It is still great fun just in a more masochistic way!