After a successful foray off road on a cx-ish bike at the weekend, I have the following Qs:

Drop bars off road: as the usual advice is to set them up so that the drops are in the same position as flats would be, (i) you then get no aero/flatback positonal advantage when road riding and (ii) the additional positions are more sit-up-and-say “ooh look at those nice hills ” etc….is this right?

Is there (moon on a stick) a fast rolling and wide cx tyre (35-42) with decent side-knobs, available cheaply-ish?

Chicken levers for me – that way I can have a decent road-ish position with a higher position on the tops for more technical stuff – not for cx racing but for the kind of riding that I actually use my cx bike on. It’s quite noticeable too that there are riders who are noticeably better than me techncially on mtbs that I can beat on technical stuff on my cx (when they’re on their too!) and I reckon it’s because I’d not stuck trying to ride on the drops/hoods.

conti speed kings for me – 35mm – seem to grip well enough for me and definitely roll fast – when I was a bit fitter I was able to go out on road rides without taking them off and keep up fine with the people on proper road tyres.

Ta. Hmmm I’d be concerned my grip was too narrow on chicken grips.

Think I’ve got a Speed King on the back which seems OK, around 450gm though 🙁 . On the front there is a V-rubber secial that I am scared to weigh, but you can soooo feel it slowing you down!

Drop bars off road: as the usual advice is to set them up so that the drops are in the same position as flats would be,

think that applies to flared drops like Midfges, Dirt Drops where you’d generally want the hooks in the same place as a flat. For “normal” drops I’d just go maybe a tad higher than you would on a road bike.

so no 🙂

Mine just after it was built (with road wheels on). The geometry is a bit shorter and higher than my road bike anyway and the tilt back on the bars means the levers are just a bit higher.

Can still get a reasonably low position on it and, if descending on fireroad I prefer being in the drops anyway, it’s only for more techy stuff that I use the chicken levers. That bike was built specifically for the Three Peaks, that’s the only CX race I do, the rest of the time the bike gets used as a real all-rounder.

Ta. Hmmm I’d be concerned my grip was too narrow on chicken grips.

You’d think so and at rest it does kind of feel that way, particular after riding my mtb but out on the trails it works brilliantly.

CX is about 3cm shorter and 3 cm higher at the bars than my road bike.

I run zero stack and zero rise, but have my STIs sticking up as I tend to ride on the hoods a lot. I hardly use the drops, but when I do its for non technical fast stuff so I dont mind getting down.

I have my bars at pretty much the same drop as the road bike. The hoods are slightly higher though and the reach is slightly shorter.

In over 3 years of cyclocross racing and with hearing lots of advice on setup, I have never heard of putting the drops the same height as a flat bar would be. Wouldn’t that would make the front stick up loads, or have I mis-understood?

A 35-42 tyre isn’t a cross tyre IMHO. Certainly not this year, it’s illegal. The police will arrest you.

i’ve recently built up my crosscheck for cx/commuting/general off road duties but dont have much road bike experience so just built it up with what looked ‘right’ to me which may/may not be to everyones taste. bars seem good set reasonably high (but not so over done it to give a sit up and beg position) i have about 15mm of spacers under the stem with the stem positioned to give more rise too. bars seem to work well with the tops/hoods totally level, my mate rides with them rotated forwards slightly but i didn’t get on with that set up especially off road. also using a 100mm stem. found speed kings pretty good rolling resistance/grip but the rears worn pretty quickly. don’t see the need for the chicken levers on it, it’s wierd getting used to riding technical stuff in the drops but once you get used to it its fine and think having a narrow grip due to having hands on the flat bit of the bar would be more hindering for me personally. i recently did dalby red a few weeks ago with my girlfriend with no problems on it and although its is a little bumpy compared to my heckler totally loved it! 🙂

Mine came with tonnes of rise but I reversed the stem and removed as many spacers as possible to get more aero for TT use. I’ve now kept this setup and race cross and ride trails with no ill effect. I’m after a road race bike next and I guess I’ll be going lower again:

Before

After

I’m with ‘traildog’…….

‘I have my bars at pretty much the same drop as the road bike. The hoods are slightly higher though and the reach is slightly shorter.’

Wow that first piccy, you must have fallen over backwards going up hill.
Second piccy 8)

Fast rolling ,wide, grippy and cheap cx ….Bontrager Lt3 38c.

mine are higher than my road bike but i find it comfy and ride the tricky stuff on the drops so dont want my old back wrecking 😉

just finished fettling this one today actually fitted new forks and drops and swapped my other cx to flatbar fixie

I have never heard of putting the drops the same height as a flat bar would be. Wouldn’t that would make the front stick up loads, or have I mis-understood?

A 35-42 tyre isn’t a cross tyre IMHO. Certainly not this year, it’s illegal. The police will arrest you.

Yes – it’s maybe more of a monster cross thing, and I’m unlikely to race, (or race seriously) anyway.

Oldgit yeh that seems to be how Kona ship them!

You have to ride technical sections on the drops really to get decent braking coverage. Can’t imagine riding trail centres on the hoods!

Surely flat bars & disc’s are the way to go for a fast easy xc machine 😉

“Surely flat bars & disc’s are the way to go for a fast easy xc machine”

You are so right, but that’s nowhere near niche enough!

flat bars and discs ???

you mean an mtb 😉

the more tech the trail then the more likely i’d be hanging on the drops wringing every last bit of leverage out of the brake lever whilst praying that the brakes work sometime soon

personally i kinda like running no pussy levers on the top as its kinda zen riding brakeless on the tops off road and does make you smoother / fall off (delete as need be)

if your “drop” is in the same position as a flat bar summink gotta be having some big angle of rise goin on

SALSA Bell Laps might be worth a gander

SCHWALBE Racing Ralph 35’s is mucho good but no cheap or mebbe PANARACER Cinder X for raddish gheyness

PS – it ain’t CX of you can stop so ditch the discs

I tend to have the same set up in my CX as I do on my road bike…
The biggest difference is I use shallow drops on my CX..

But hey, as well you know Al, I’m never gonna worry anyone while “Racing” 😐

Al, I love my Sala Bell Laps with a Thompson 15degree 100mm stem.

Specialized Borough CX tyres 32mm. I really like these.

Forgot to say, I’ve a pair of 46cm O/S Bell Laps if you want them Al??

firestarter – Member
flat bars and discs ???

you mean an mtb

If running 700c with 30mm tyre is the new xc then yes 😉

Coleman – Member
“Surely flat bars & disc’s are the way to go for a fast easy xc machine”

You are so right, but that’s nowhere near niche enough!

Darn, i thought I had created the next ‘big thing’

here’s my dropped bar hybrid

another tick here for the spec’ boroughs cx

not a cx racer use mine for stuff like trans pennine trail and short sections single track to link lanes

use drops to ride into headwinds and to get some roadspeed if think can make a beer before due home