Right, race number two today. I didn’t break my rear mech in the claggy mud so I must have beaten at least 20 people. It was carnage.

I had massive trouble with my front brake. I ended up borrowing a hex wrench from someone in the pits and releasing all cable tension to get the wheel to turn. So I rode half the race with only one brake.

I’ve got a focus Mares ax 3.0 the mud clearance on the front fork isn’t great when I was comparing it to other peoples at the end of the race. IT also comes with mini vees and the pads extend backwards under the fork reducing mud clearance even further. As I was riding mud was building up somewhere, I couldn’t tell where, and stopping the wheel from turning. It was more effective than my brakes normally are at stopping me.

So, do you think set of cantis might help? Are they going to make a massive difference to mud clearance? Could you recommend me some? Budget is about £50 but I’d also need to get a front and rear canti hanger. IS there anything else I’d need to budget for?

Currently using 35mm Maxxis raze tyres. Would a narrower more mud specific tyre help?

IS the mud clearance on my fork going to be the main problem?

If it was your money would you try narrower tyres or change the brakes? Forks is pretty much out of the question for this year at least.

Otherwise another good fun race. Lost loads of positions though messing around with the bike. Next time…

i would suggest changing the pads first for something shorter, or put them on the wrong way round so the extra pad material sticks out the front rather than in the fork.

Unless you like A&E I’d strongly suggest not turning cartridge brake pads round the other way.
Smaller tires and then cantilevers should help.

Use cantis – way more mud clearance – with mini-v’s the pads need to run very close to rim and they are still spongy (my genesis day one runs these). But canti’s can have about 3mm clearance from rim and about the same lever travel, they may not be as powerful as v’s but fine for racing when you just do light braking anyway.

Get tektro 720s (I paid about £35 for a front and rear set) and when the pads wear out, upgrade to kool stops – expensive, but great! I run these on my race bike and it works for me.

In terms of tyres – for really muddy conditions I run schwalbe cx pro’s 30c, narrow but very tough and grip like nothing else (my secret weapon) – best thing is that you can find for about £10 each! they are wire bead but not much heavier than my race vittoria’s xg pro kevlars. I have run the cheap schwalbe at the back at all the races so far this year due to mud. I think 35c’s are just too big for races, these are maybe OK for all round use.

Buy these and you wont be stuck again!

If the pads are the wrong way wround the only thing holding them in will be the tiny pin! Shorter pads might work though.

Who says disc brakes aren’t need on CX bikes? 😉

It would be a nice advantage, traction would have been an issue it was really slippery on the downhill corners.

I think I was first today. To break the rear mech hanger anyway – closely followed by STAT0 from here who broke his actual mech. I think the only solution today would be two bikes and someone to clean them each lap.

I had a set of 29er forks in the car too but you never replied to yesterday’s thread . . .

This was the result of my race (as the 2 above know well)

Jon, if you want to borrow a canti to try on the front i can loan you the required bits.

Sorry Paul, i didnt twig that Jon was jonba, Doh!

ahhh, sorry I have no idea who people on here are in real life.

were the forks for sale or to borrow? email me bayley.jon@gmail.com if they were for sale

I might just buy some cantis, as I’ll need to get hangers anyway. They can’t be much worse than what I’ve got on now and there are some cheap ones on On-one.

Might also try the cx pros as they look cheap.

from this page sums it up for us really!

Jon – email on its way. Was it you who had the bottle of water emptied over your rear mech?

Was it you who had the bottle of water emptied over your rear mech?

No that was the other lad, Andrew.

Canti for the win. Could get a nice set of tectros. Don’t get onyx! They are dog poo!

hadnt thought about cartridge pads in my advice 😳

Another vote here for kool stops too. Most importantly they come in lots of colours to enable full co-ordination.

me, complete with race face, you can see the ball of mud at the front.