I know you all love a new bike thread 🙂

Anyway popped into my LBS the other day and was having yet another chat with the owner about cross bikes. Then went to do a bit of browsing. A bit later he comes over wheeling a lovely Giant TCX in my size. “Just take it home, ride it, get it muddy, see what you think” he says. And that is just what I did…

A few rides in and I think it’s a keeper. Rediscovering old trails that I’ve not ridden in ages, and being able to link them up with something that feels pretty quick on road. A great option to have when wet and windy weather makes road riding dismal. Having fun sliding around in the mud too 🙂

A few thoughts on kit. The SRAM double tap is taking a bit of getting use to. I can only assume they had to try and do it all with one paddle due to Campag and Shimano patents as it’s a bit rubbish in comparison. Also the Rival stuff feels a bit clunky but then I have been spoiled with Di2 on the road bikes for a while now. The 1x range has been fine for the stuff I’ve been riding.

Disc brakes… well I’m use to discs off road so not really given them much thought there. On road, yeah they are better but nowhere near making me feel like I want them on a road bike.

Also the seat post bolt is impossible to adjust with a typical multitool as it’s on top of the top tube close to the post. I had to dismantle a multitool to adjust it on first ride. The wheels will have to be swapped soon as they are close to 2.5kg.

Handling was a bit funny at first as I think it’s quite tall, but once you get use to the way it drops into corners it’s great fun to ride. Looking forward to a taking it racing now 8)

Good fun aren’t they 8)

SRAM, you’ll get used to it. I have full Force CX1 which has been faultless for the last couple of years.

Very smart! Hope you have lots of fun on it 🙂

Yes suspect SRAM gears is just a case of getting use to it. Still often not quite subtle enough on the down shift tap. And I don’t really like the way that if you are in the biggest sprocket and try and shift up then it actually drops you down a cog. Could be annoying on a steep climb when you try and go for an extra gear.

Thanks CH, got a bit lost in fence woods on it the other day, some great mud riding practice to be found there!

I’ve got Sram Rival on my road bike – in terms of shifting I prefer it to the 105 I had on the previous road bike.

The hoods aren’t as comfy as the Shimano ones though.

On the clunkyness I haven’t used di2 before, but given that’s topline Shimano stuff and electronic I imagine it’s very awesome so probably not a fair comparison.

I do wonder if the clunkyness is a SRAM thing as my MTB stuff is all SRAM and has a similar feel 🙂

I used to love cantering my horse through there 😆 Riding a bike? Not so much 😉

Is the Rival shift lever still a bit thin/flexi/floppy? Feels kinda like the lever is bending when you downshift.
(Been a while since I tried Rival so it may have improved, but I know Apex still feels a bit like that too).
You will get used to the SRAM shifting though, and it pretty much just works.

@2.5kg wheels my boardman knows that feeling well – its not a great feeling!

Bright orange and black looks fab by the way 8)

Rival lever doesn’t feel that floppy, maybe they have improved it.

Wheels, the quick fix will be just to run my Hope/Crest 29er wheelset tubeless and drop almost a kilo! Then maybe look at getting some nice carbon tubs 🙂

Still had a SMIDSY on the way home the other day despite the bright orange!

time to get out on a playing field / park with some cones!

Right weather for that bike at the moment too!

ferrals I’ve already been checking out the Sven Ness videos on youtube and aware there is quite a skills gap for racing! I’d currently lose minutes just mounting and dismounting 😳

Nice!

You need to get into central london for some CX training.

Red light ahead and a no left turn sign…but want to turn left?
Cycle up to red light, dismount run across the pavement with bike to the road. Plonk it down, clip in and go go go!

A few of those with some steep curbs and you’ll be CX’ing properly in no time 🙂

I read somewhere that being half a second to a second slower than someone else cornering can cost you 1.5 – 3 minutes over an average ‘cx race!

ferrals I’ve already been checking out the Sven Ness videos on youtube and aware there is quite a skills gap for racing! I’d currently lose minutes just mounting and dismounting

Don’t panic, I did a CX race on my HT MTB last Christmas and ran past some CX people carrying it.

I read somewhere that being half a second to a second slower than someone else cornering can cost you 1.5 – 3 minutes over an average ‘cx race!

Same for MTB. I’ve built a “fast as you can no brakes” policy into my MTB training rides on some sections, using the same bike I’m racing for all session 2 weeks before to get the feel of the grip / speed levels.

Mr Blobby, lovely bike.

re. the dismounting.. just don’t try step throughs.. they’re a recipe for sprained ankles in my experiance 😳

Cycle up to red light, dismount run across the pavement with bike to the road. Plonk it down, clip in and go go go!

Take out a few pedestrians in the process or amuse drivers by falling flat on my face 🙂 I think I shall be practicing far away from any observers!

re. the dismounting.. just don’t try step throughs.. they’re a recipe for sprained ankles in my experiance

Hmm lots to practice there 😕 Any tips on CX skills drills then?

I’ve built a “fast as you can no brakes” policy into my MTB training rides on some sections,

Surely the only way to ride 😉

dismounting step behinds are suposedly fractionally slower but a lot safer! plenty of you tube vids. start out at walking pace and make sure you dont have a stutter step then build up pace.

I’m going to build some of thse next week as having a rest week: pvc piping barrier

should cost about £12

then lots of cornering and offcamber drills. just cone things out and practise!

A good one is two hairpins say 50m apart, out of saddle sprint corner sprint corner for 5 mins then rest 3 mins then repeat in reverse direction…

have a look at my HR trace on strava yesterday for the idea!!

Oh and for inspiration.. I like this site: Cyclephotos

lots of images from various euro races

A good one is two hairpins say 50m apart, out of saddle sprint corner sprint corner for 5 mins then rest 3 mins then repeat in reverse direction…

Sounds like the sort of thing i’d be rubbish at and would likely make me vomit, I’ll get on it right away 🙂

Those PVC barriers look good too, probably got enough bits in my shed for that.

I would be interested to know how the 1x is for just road use. I’m tempted by one as a bike for riding on roads and trails, current thinking is a Diverge or Revolt(ing). I would imagine I’d want a double to make it a true all rounder.

Dont underestimate that small bit of running. As i found out its a bloody knackering addition. Thank god the races are shorter…

AA, single ring ihas been fine for a bit of road linking up trails. And knobblies are a bit draggy so speeds aren’t as high as on a road bike anyway. Though a bit of an incline and I am spinning out a bit.

Kryton, I’m hoping my former life as a runner will mean I cope ok with the running. Sure that’ll be proven wrong though!

AA, single ring ihas been fine for a bit of road linking up trails.

Yeah that kind of confirms my view that for a bike that can be used as a road bike one day and a trail bike the next with only a change of tyres I’ll need a double

AA, if that is what I was using it for, I’d have a double on there.

It certainly is a nice looking bike!!
I wouldnt bother with any cross races though. Did one once obviously some very fast blokes at the front and the rest were a load of men old enough to know better throwing themselves at the scenery in increasingly more inventive ways as they got tired.
Filed next to time trials in “things not for me”.

Kryton, I’m hoping my former life as a runner

Thats probably where my issue was, I dont run. Ever.

men old enough to know better throwing themselves at the scenery in increasingly more inventive ways as they got tired.

This will be me 🙂

And I don’t really like the way that if you are in the biggest sprocket and try and shift up then it actually drops you down a cog. Could be annoying on a steep climb when you try and go for an extra gear.

It shouldn’t do that. It should have an “overshift” position that allows you to shift it slightly beyond the bottom gear, and then stay in bottom gear, in order to recover from a mis-shift. Try backing off the limit screw a bit.

I do find SRAM clunky though. I’ve found that on my Force shifters, there’s a lot of cable drag within the shifter itself which leads heavy shifting, particularly in lower gears. The cable routing on the SRAM hydro levers is also rubbish, which doesn’t help.

Thanks pdw, I’ll check that out.

Beware gusset sag. Seen a number of people snag a low hanging gusset on the nose of the saddle during mounting and catapult themselves off the bike.

Top tip, I shall be sure to check for gusset sag before practicing 🙂

I missed this, welcome to the TCX club.

Thanks bikebouy. I suspect your frequent posting of TCX photos has had some subliminal impact on the decision 🙂

Raced 🙂

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/WPFURSPOD/fulcrum-racing-sport-disc-clincher-wheelset

No doubt they are more expensive and lighter wheelsets out there, but £160 for ~1890g wheels aren’t bad.

Think they are very similar to the Fulcrum Racing Sport 77s that came on my Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc.

Thanks n0b0dy0ftheg0at. Just got some Novatec CXD for £316 and sub 1500g 8)

That sounds a good deal for something so featherweight. 8)

Just got them out the box. 1503g with tape and valves already fitted. Nice.

Finally got around to cleaning post-race. Sorted out the new CXD wheels with KCNC rotors and MXP tubeless (dropping more than a half a kilo from stock wheels.) Fitted an AB direct mount chainring (need to decide what to do about the chainguide now, might just ditch it.) Replaced the jockey wheels as one was badly sized, happened to have some nice Mt Zoom ones in the spares box. Now looks like this…

Bit annoyed with the D-Fuse seat post head. Saddle got jarred while racing and went a bit nose down. Can’t adjust it back as it’s all seized up. Might pop it down to the LBS for them to have a look at it.

Finally a nice action shot from the other day’s racing 🙂

My saddle (Selle Italia SLS)moves after every ride, no amount of tightening stops it!