Let me see your Cross Checks, Croix De Fer's or Similar

They are like those, and look like they’ll hang some bags a little low / narrow, got some to try out but few people I know use such old fuddy stuff. I can’t sit on a Brooks tho so wanted to try them.
Bagmans seem to do a good job but at that point I’d be looking for a small bikepack-style seatpack. The Velo Orange one looks nice – http://freshtripe.co.uk/Freshtripe/Bags%20&%20Clothing_files/VO%20Croissant%20Bag-3.jpg
http://freshtripe.co.uk/Freshtripe/Bags%20%26%20Clothing.html

wish I’d seen that Velo Orange baguette one before ordering the Carradice at £12 more 🙁

Great link jameso and I MUST have those hammered mud guards. 8)

wish I’d seen that Velo Orange baguette one before ordering the Carradice at £12 more

It’s noice, and seems to have an additional fixing point?

I am now on a personal crusade to find a roll type saddle bag, 25cm width, that will fit to a non-brooks saddle and not cost a million quid for the whole setup.

It’s noice, and seems to have an additional fixing point?

yeah, looks good. I’m after one for the bars, but needs to get in between STI’s and cables. I’ll see how the Caraadice fits and if not ideal poss get the Velo one instead

wish I’d seen that Velo Orange baguette one before ordering the Carradice at £12 more

The VO bag in the pic below the Carradice I linked earlier : ) sorry if not clearer. The Carradice kit is said to be nicer quality though.

My Kite.

Need to add my Ortlieb bar bag & sort out something for the back.

Easy fit a 23.5cm pump in a roll. But fek me £40 notes is a bit steep for a pencil case, swear I only paid half that when I got it.

I use the bagman QR but with a bit of an alu strip bodge rather than big wire pictured above, but I already had one for a camper bag.

You can also get seat post adapters for klickfix barbags, they work pretty well at the back.

On the cheap you could knock something together using a gas mask bag from an army surplus?

Carradice bag arrived – looks ideal. Straps are a bit short for oversized bars, but I phoned them up and they are sending me longer ones.

Fits a treat, doesn’t mess with STi cables, looks decent.

A question for Jamie – what tyres and width are you using and how do you find them both on road and off road? Thank you. 🙂

35mm Schwalbe Smart Sams. Cheap and cheerful, bit sketchy in the mud, but then any skinny tyre will be.

I bought them, as they seemed a good mix of price and all-round grip. Always going to be a compromise, but so far it seems like a decent one. Wire bead, but come of my Kinesis CXd wheels with one tyre lever, as quite supple.

CG – I researched the tyres to death and my top 2 were the schwalbe smart sams as per Jamie and the conti cross speed, also 35. The conti is faster on road but less good in gloop. I also got a pair of conti cyclo x kings 35’s for proper muddy stuff.

Jamie – thank you, I’m trying to work out whether it’s worth attempting to go off road with a cx bike. On the one hand I like the idea of being able to do both but worried about the drag on the road. Bike came with Conti CX Speed 35’s but have put 32mm Conti Gatorskins on.

iainc – OK, thanks. Very much a compromise. I had intended to only ride on the road but after today where there was a difficult to avoid flood on the road, an off road alternative was close by. Ended up with soaking wet feet and shoes despite wearing the wrong length Sealskinz!

Really pleased with the CdF – today saw it making light work of the very minor damaged roads with those bomb-proof wheels. No way would I ride a roadie along them!

Oops, still haven’t taken any pics cos I know I’ll be ridiculed!

Cinnamon: I killed a set of those Contis in about 6 weeks flat when I got my X last year. Been running Razes since. The Contis were awesome off road but wore far to fast as a ‘one tyre for all’ for my taste.

Mine is equally happy commuting around Sheffield and playing around the Dark Peak. I took it on a 100 mile road run last summer.

Basically I run much lower pressures if I’m playing in mud and rocks than if I’m riding Tarmac or fire road/bridle way… Obviously I don’t stop to adjust at the gate… :). As to the offroad, around Christmas I very nearly fitted a dropper and still might…

I’ve had my Cdf for two weeks and managed 200 miles on and off road. Im amazed how comfy it is too ride and have been taking it out on road rides with my works mates and not been dropped. It seems pretty quick and assured on corners and I’ve even managed a few off road KOM’s on strava. 🙂 . The one thing is dosen’t do well is descend rough rocky fire roads but really this is what mtb’s are for. All in all It’s a great bike and I got It for a steal .

Here’s a girlie one:

I’ve taken her down some really rattly unclassified roads and she feels absolutely stable. Do get a tad concerned where there is gravel as that’s what caused my roadie accident.

looks good with black and grey vs. the normal brown too

In similar vein I’ve taken my Peregrine round the borders of our county – Moray – on the Moray Way – basically three linked walking paths – majority of that off road in one form or another, near 110 miles, still going fine, hardest part was passing the pub near the end of the ride and not stopping.

Raze here at the moment, had been Smart Sams. Happy blasting round local woods, nothing too extreme but remarkable what can be done. I love the mix and match approach – either trails linked by road stretches, or road mostly with link sections of fire road or sturdy paths.

looks good with black and grey vs. the normal brown too

Thanks Iain. 🙂 It’s a lovely shade, dove grey with a suede-like feel.

a 2008 Roadrat with the original roadhog forks (still a bit brutal)

I could probably fit inside CG’s saddle bag.

😆 @ Jamie. Only holds 2 inner tubes, multi tool, zip ties and my reading glasses. Plenty of room left! You haven’t noticed what’s been changed, apart from the bar tape. 🙂

Peregrine. Cowbell bars (44cm, a bit wide on road, feel right off road and 42cm just feels constrained).

niiice thread guys. oldgit, how did you get those hydraulic brakes onto the droppy bars? Im pretty sure i prefer flat bars (fleegles at least) but drops do look prettier (and i’m secretly a tart)

853 Reynolds tubed Genesis Fugio. Lovely to ride.

Soma Double Cross DC from the nice people at Keep Pedalling in Manchester –

Skinny steel tubes:

Built up with BB7s, the Soma fork and Crest 29ers with Hope hubs and various bits of Shimano drivetrain with a compact up from and 9-speed mountain bike 11-32 cassette at the back. Not light, think about 25lb, but rides very nicely on and off road.

I’m running Bontrager CX0s tubeless converted and they’ve been great on and off road in the Peak. They’re effectively lightly treaded semi-slicks, but round here where it’s mostly rock or sludge rather than pure mud or wet grass they cope with most stuff just fine. I used to run Maxxis Raze and they were good all round on the same sort of terrain.

Use it for mixed-up back lanes and bridleways, bad weather winter road rides, and stupid things. We did a 55-mile loop over Cut Gate on cross bikes last summer and it was deceptively effective.

Nowhere near as fast as a road bike if you’re with someone of equal fitness, but quite happy and brisk enough for solo stuff. Doesn’t like rocky descents or climbing on rubble where it simply spits traction.

Soma also does a Triple Cross version made from stainless which looks lovely until you see the price…

This is my do it all – a Chinese carbon frame with some fairly stock kit – a mix of Campag ergos with Shimano drivetrain including 96 XTR rear mech which is still going strong. BB7 road calipers though I have some TRP Spyres waiting to be fitted if I can ever find time.

Maybe worth noting is the Stans Arch Ex wheels run tubeless with CX tyres for offroad which work brilliantly.

Offroad setup

Road

Is the colour balance setting on your camera broken?

Well… 🙂

The frame actually changed (warranty replacement) and they’re taken 6 months apart. But basically the same bike (Trigger!).

CdF owners – anyone changed their fork to carbon? Been getting a tad beaten up on the rough old, roadie free, roads.

Have you tried bigger tyres? Way cheaper than buying carbon forks!

I’m running 32’s, Conti. Just curious as to whether it would make much difference.

cinnamon_girl – Member

CdF owners – anyone changed their fork to carbon? Been getting a tad beaten up on the rough old, roadie free, roads.

Only because already had them. Make the front a bit lighter but bigger tyres for more shock absorbsion IMO

CdF owners – anyone changed to hydraulic brakes? If so, what did you go for and why?

Thanks. 🙂

I find the stock Hayes CX experts lock both wheels with ease. So am quite happy with them. Only negative is that they are a bit ‘tingy’ noisy on release, but I suspect that’s more the rotor.

Just back from a week of riding it on Arran and the braking ability on big road hills compared to roadies was phenomenal !

Built my Fargo up…
Yup.
Love this one too…

Last week I bought a Whyte King’s Cross (2013 model) from Winstanleys, put some Conti 35c X king tyres on it and must admit it’s been awesome. Took rough stuff in it’s stride and now struggling to find reasons to ride my Genesis Fortitude Race 29er..

Here’s mine ready for its first overnighter.

Bumpity bump. 🙂

Does anyone know the weight of the CdF Alex XD-Lite Disc wheelset?

Thanks!