Forum menu
Did my usual local loop today on my cyclocross bike rather than my usual hardtail. Absolutely loved the momentum and feedback, but found the more technical bits a real challenge and put my feet down more than I would have liked.
Any tips for riding rigid offroad? Worried about breaking the bike and/or my forearms rolling over the bigger stuff, so any hints appreciated. Even if it's just from someone else that rides CX over rougher stuff to say MTFU.
Thanks.
done woodsy singletrack on my roadbike, all i can suggest, big gear fast.
Yes. Ride, or even, better race your crosser around muddy fields and use your hardtail for rooty, rocky singletrack. Although not a very fashionable view on here, it is actually what they are best suited to. 🙂
Get in the drops for any rocky descents - sry if that's obvious but I hardly use the drops at all so need to remind myself when I hit a technical bit.
Other than that probably just accept that it's going to be a fair bit slower on anything really rough and ride accordingly. I went over the bars on mine yesterday trying to ride a fiddly bit of singletrack at Glentress like I'd ride it on my MTB; if I'd just minced down it would have been better.
Relax more... The looser you are on the bike, the more it can react. I know that sounds basic and everyone knows to stay loose on the bike but for any sort of rigid it's a much bigger deal.
Although I'm no expert, all good advice above. I've found the best suspension are your arms and legs, so stay loose, and let the bike move up and down under you, so it rolls over obstacles. Ride light and pick your lines. Can't really drive and weight a rigid bike through obstacles as you would a front or full suspension bike.
I didn't realise there was [i]any[/i] technique involved in CX, I thought it just boiled down to holding on for grim death until you puncture or make it to the bottom of the trail. Has worked fine for me so far...
make sure brakes work
hands on hoods
stay very loose
be ready to 'hoist'/ unweight front wheel over roots if need be
look forward to where you're going, not at roots
works for me anyway
Relax, it will not break, just ride faster
hands on hoods
You gotta be kidding me...brakes don't work and you're not actually gripping anything properly. Use the drops, put a higher stem on if necessary.
Accept their limitations, but try lower pressures and perhaps gel or double tape. Higher rise stem?
Is it a race crosser or one of the newer breed of trail crossers?
>>>hands on hoodsYou gotta be kidding me...brakes don't work and you're not actually gripping anything properly. Use the drops, put a higher stem on if necessary.
Seconded, down on the drops for anything requiring control, be it singletrack or traffic
what tyre pressure are you running?
I find that if I have them up around 80psi for a mainly road commute then it's almost impossible off road.
Drop to around 60psi and it becomes surprisingly capable on rocky and rooty stuff.
Just remember back to when all MTB's were rigid with 1.9 inch tyres and 150mm, zero rise stems
thanks for the response.
[b]Oldgit[/b] - it's one of the new [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/rossbreadmore/5171441153/ ]Focus Mares - AX2[/url]. Not sure what category of crosser it would fall into. It's super light and feels properly solid so I think it will take a lot more than I'm capable of to break it.
[b]chriswilk[/b] - not sure about tyre pressure - I'm fairly neanderthal when it comes to bike maintenance but from what you've said I'd guess they're at the higher end as the bike feels incredible on the road but a bit skittish on mud/roots etc.
I think my main issue is being too heavy on the bike; will also try using the drops more - so far I've been grabbing the main bar as it's feels safest.
Thanks again.
What is the collective view on using the secondary levers for the technical stuff? Surely that gives the benefit of an upright position and increased brake function?
What is the collective view on using the secondary levers for the technical stuff?
Not fitted on my bike so not something I've dealt with. I did once do a descent with Crazy Legs following me shouting "encouragement", he changed his tune when he realised I'd done it on the drops while he was on the bar-top levers.
I don't have a 'crosser, but I have ridden my road bike offroad a fair bit... The thing about hoods vs drops is a tricky one, because the ever present problem with general riding offroad is being way too far over the front and not being easily able to get back on to your feet, rather than riding on your hands. Braking from the hoods isn't as good as in the drops, sure, but that only becomes a problem every now and then, whereas riding too much in the front of the bike is a problem all the time. So my preference is for weaker braking but better weight distribution front/back.
So - very loose on the 'bars and let the bike jiggle through, and think way ahead 'cos you don't have the brakes for last gasp situations.
I would also "double wrap" your bars, makes a definate difference.