No commuters or general purpose CX bikes (unless you also race on them!) Thinking of getting one to use for training and racing. Is there a general consensus about canti vs disc for a race bike? I think I’d want disc but many of the racey builds still come with cantis.

UCI have banned discs from next season but I dont know if thats just for top level racing or across the board

Wasn’t that an April 1st story…?

Yeah it was an April 1st joke, bloody funny one though, well written.

edit:
Canti’s all the way, don’t know of any team mates switching to disks, but do know of two are are moving back to cantis after trying them for a season.

Ah well I fell for it then !It would fit in with many of the daft rule changes made by them over the years Graeme O`bree had fun with them in the days of his hour record attempts

only white because they were cheaper!

race mode

canti’s absolutely fine for racing.

It would fit in with many of the daft rule changes made by them over the years

Indeed. You’re not the only one who found it perfectly credible 🙂

Recently retired this and its twin sister. Waiting for new plastic frames to arrive for the coming season. I won’t be switching to discs for a long time.

Nice. Is that a Ti frame with a Kinesis fork? Headtube looks very long but it’s probably the skinny tubes.

What’s braking like on carbon rims in CX race conditions?

Yes, Ti and Kinesis Pure forks. Braking’s fine, well, as good as you need it to be. Shorty Ultimates are the best cantis I’ve used and they’re very tunable, in that you can set them up exactly how you like them.

The headtube’s long, 22cm, as that’s what I asked for. I’m tall and don’t like spacers!

What’s braking like on carbon rims in CX race conditions?

Really good! i’ve got yellow swiss top and personally think they are better than alloy rims in the dry.. wet is fine too

then again.. i’m running V brakes with travel adjusts

Any opinions on mini v’s? Most people seem to go canti so assume they aren’t that great.

Mini Vs work well, much better than cantis (I’ve got them on my training bike) but there’s next to no mud clearance so I wouldn’t want to race on them.

before discs, I used standard v-brakes with travel agents which worked really well. Same power as discs just maybe a bit less modulation and obviously still rim wear. Most CX race courses probably don’t need that much braking, mind.

Old bike had cantis, then mini-v with Travel Agents; current bike is cantis; next bike will be plastic and have discs. I tend to focus my cross racing/training on 3 Peaks though so power, modulation and durability are important – went through a complete set of v pads on last year’s event and ended up braking by suicidal riding in to the verges on the way down Pen-y-Ghent Lane and then had to unclip and drag my feet to get back in to Helwith Bridge and the finish…

ended up braking by suicidal riding in to the verges on the way down Pen-y-Ghent Lane and then had to unclip and drag my feet

😯 😀

ended up braking by suicidal riding in to the verges on the way down Pen-y-Ghent Lane and then had to unclip and drag my feet

The braking was getting mushier and mushier despite continually adjusting the barrel adjusters on the TAs, so I stopped to check what the grinding noise was, only to find out is was down to the metal carriers front and rear. It was quite tough last year you know…

😉

Budget racer ebay special.
Weigh frame, ITM forks, Campag 1×10, Shimano CX50 brakes.
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cross by bmclynskey1, on Flickr[/img]
rc by bmclynskey1, on Flickr

Still undecided on canti v disc. Won’t be doing any epic races so thinking canti.

Any Chinese CX frame builds out there?

Hopefully getting one of these, will possibly enter a race if I think I’ll have the time to get fit enough. Cranks are wrong in the pic, it will have SRAM force 22 groupset. As for brakes? If you want to go faster you don’t need brakes 😀 I can see why commuter/nodders would like disks but for cross they are not essential

Any Chinese CX frame builds out there?

ask clubber.. think he’s got one on order

Not a racer but curious: are there any actual disadvantages to disc brakes, other than the style/purist element?

Is the difference in weight or aero performance that much of an issue in CX races?

well, they’re heavier and there’s probably less choice of frame out there.

Also, in some particular muddy conditions, discs have been eating pads to the point of no braking – more so than cantis – though a solution is apparently to use discs without holes drilled in them (though this adds more weight) but again, there aren’t many available yet.

Also, in some particular muddy conditions, discs have been eating pads to the point of no braking – more so than cantis – though a solution is apparently to use discs without holes drilled in them (though this adds more weight) but again, there aren’t many available yet.

Curious how this would be different to a muddy XC race. Is it just the quality of brakes available or something to do with power/modulation being not as good hence more dragging?

Clubber, you got a Chinese CX bike? Would be great to see photos.

Chinese CX – yes, I have one – I got an MC098 from Miracle/Icann via Alibaba.

It’s fantastic BUT and this is quite a big but, it has a crack in it. I’m 99% sure (because of location and the lack of further growth after the initial ride, not to mention that the bike still rides fine and it’s done some pretty bumpy rides now) it’s just a filler crack (so cosmetic only) but it is there and I’d have preferred that it wasn’t.

It’s basically a Fuji Altamira Disc (review)

click for full size

click for full size

Curious how this would be different to a muddy XC race

I don’t know. Maybe it’s just BS but there have definitely been races in the US (where disc uptake is higher than Europe) where the bikes with discs had real problems while those without didn’t.

EDIT: http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/01/news/bright-future-for-disc-brakes-fades-briefly-under-a-coating-of-verona-mud_271112

It’s possibly just an issue with using non-sintered pads. I know that at Mountain Mayhem, some people have had similar ish problems.

Shame its a matt finish clubber, that would have been easy enough to tart up if it was gloss.

I specifically asked for (and paid about £20 more for!) matt – a shiny CX bike would look crap very quickly was my thinking.

Besides, I’ll soon (once I’m happy that it’s definitely not getting any bigger) be putting a sticker over it 🙂 Problem solved!

And you would be correct, cracks aside 😉

I use swisstop race pro yellows and have never found myself wanting for more stopping power.

The discs vs cantis is a tough one. I fancy discs for my next cross bike, one because I also use it as a commuter and I think they’ll work better for this, and two I like the security that better brakes give.

Having said that, there are some many reasons to stay with cantis. My wheels are all cantis and having a lot of spare wheels is very helpful. I don’t feel my brakes are holding me back in races(if you get what I mean).

If top euro guys are staying with cantis and you can be sure they’ve tested both and won’t be fussed about fasion if they’re faster with discs.

MM what’s the TCX like? Lbs does them and I’d quite like to get something from them.

MM what’s the TCX like?

I love it and it’s very light. Mine is the 2nd tier with carbon forks. It has a different stem, seatpost, saddle and wheels now as the standard ones are heavy.

If you’re about on the 13th June for the Newbury CX then pop along and have a look/ go on it.

Thanks, I may well do. Is it the Alu one? Did you buy it as a frame only?

It’s the Alu one with carbon fork. I bought it as a whole bike but have changed a few things. Groupset is Sram Rival.

SS and canti’s 🙂

It’s basically a Fuji Altamira Disc (review)

Sorry for your problems but I wouldnt touch anything from FUJI as they are bobbins, I hope your bike isnt as bad as the ones my mate has to put up with as part of the NetApp-Endura team.

they are shocking, the worst frames we have ever seen, just weak bendy junk.

Well as I said it rides nicely so I’ve got no issue there.

Perhaps you are just used to riding weak bendy junk? 😉

Could be. I find though that any bendiness quickly makes itself apparent to a gentleman of my erm… strength 🙂