cyclocross

Pizzaz

Likes Dirt
Cross ride at wingello tomorrow morning... Meet 8am at the bicycle cafe and then we'll drive to wingello. PM me if you're keen and we'll know to wait. Probably aiming for roughly 2-3hrs of riding.

Wombat now updated with quarq crank and shorty ultimates - seems like it actually stops now!
 

Pizzaz

Likes Dirt
Damn that bike looks like some fun. Seriously considering one of these.
Nice pics too. At least it wasn't 'tubular' fail :)
The rear held up just fine... I rolled the front off the bead on the '661' descent trying to make a sharp turn at the bottom and it swallowed a beadfull of fine dirt. Fine dirt + stans = paste = poor seal at the bead = failure on the first set of bumps!

Helpful advice from the stans site (read after the race) 'if using alpha 340 rims for cyclocross racing then we recommend running a rim strip or the tire may burp air'... No sh*t Sherlock!

Damm fun though... and pretty fast all things considered - my best lap on the 29er was a 27... the non-running lap on the crosser was a 31 and I reckon I could have gotten into the 28s by just getting off and running the rock garden and 661 (shows that my descending skills on the 29er need work more than anything else though....)
 

harmonix1234

Eats Squid
What width bars do you run? And do you find the drops feel safe and secure on the descents compared to flat or riser bars? I always wondered if they would be a little twitchy... Damn, I WANT ONE!

The local has a beautiful merida CX I have been eyeing off.
 

Pizzaz

Likes Dirt
What width bars do you run? And do you find the drops feel safe and secure on the descents compared to flat or riser bars? I always wondered if they would be a little twitchy... Damn, I WANT ONE!

The local has a beautiful merida CX I have been eyeing off.
Descending in the drops is fantastic - as secure as (if not more so) flat bars... descending on the hoods is ok... you just can't brake as well (or at least I can't). I probably need to run the bars a little higher to make riding in the drops a bit more comfortable. I run about the same bar width as I do on the roadie (44cm I think)
 

harmonix1234

Eats Squid
^^^ Unreal. That's just like the merida I am looking at. Any feedback on the bike would be awesome. Looks sweet as.

Is that near Nowra mayhap? New to the area and been doing a little exploring and looks like the local bush I've been exploring. Great pics mate :)
 

struggles

Likes Dirt
Yeah mate its out the back of Albatross for the first 2 then at Husky for the last one.

The bike is great. So far I have done 450kms on it. Not a lot slower than a road bike and fun in the bush as long as you don't go too crazy. Its not real light, but then neither I am.

Did Paul build up the one he had out the back?

If you get one we should go for a ride. Shoally Heads is only 20kms from my place if I go across Comerong Island.
 

harmonix1234

Eats Squid
Yeah mate its out the back of Albatross for the first 2 then at Husky for the last one.

The bike is great. So far I have done 450kms on it. Not a lot slower than a road bike and fun in the bush as long as you don't go too crazy. Its not real light, but then neither I am.

Did Paul build up the one he had out the back?

If you get one we should go for a ride. Shoally Heads is only 20kms from my place if I go across Comerong Island.
Yeah, it's the one Paul built up at Berry. Just gotta get the $ together.
I'll be up for a ride round the bush when I get one for sure. Thanks mate.
 

nikcee

Squid
Pffft it is way too early in the year for the cross season to be starting. That said if there was anything happening in Melbourne I would be getting into it too. If only i could attend one of the Melbourne Gravel Grinders
One more month!

The dates for Dirty Deeds have been posted:
Friday, 3rd June (Prologue) - Harrison St Velodrome, Brunswick
Sunday, 19th June - Darebin Parklands, Alphington
Sunday, 17th July - Jackson Reserve, Coburg North
Sunday, 21st August - Harrison St Velodrome, Brunswick

There's a lot of pretty new 'cross rides surfacing in Melbourne, but that doesn't mean you can't raid the spares bin and build up something fun.

Keep an eye on the blog for some long-talked-about pre-work 'preparation' rides to remind you how to not trip on barriers.

EDIT: Our northern vic correspondent would like you all to know that July 17th looks like it will be the date for this.
 
Last edited:

tumble_downs

Likes Dirt
Dirty Deeds

Hey Nikcee, can first timers/old folks have a go at this? I built up a cross bike recently and wouldn't mind racing if it's not too serious.
 

Pizzaz

Likes Dirt
Hmmm....

[FONT=&quot]MEDIA RELEASE
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The only event of its kind in the southern hemisphere – the 2011 Kona Mawson MTB Marathon, opens registrations. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]​
The 2011 Kona Mawson MTB Marathon will add Cyclocross and two age categories to expand the event for the second running of the Kona Mawson MTB Marathon.

Be a great course for a crosser...
 

thelankyman

Likes Dirt
Hey Nikcee, can first timers/old folks have a go at this? I built up a cross bike recently and wouldn't mind racing if it's not too serious.
Tumbles - it is definately for newbies, after all there has only been 5 CX races in recent memory so we are all new to it. It is pretty easy going so there is no need to stress out. Just rock up and participate. Unlike US CX races lapped riders will not be pulled from the track except after the 40min timeframe.
 

uhuforrest

Likes Dirt
Hmmm....

[FONT=&quot]MEDIA RELEASE
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The only event of its kind in the southern hemisphere – the 2011 Kona Mawson MTB Marathon, opens registrations. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]​
The 2011 Kona Mawson MTB Marathon will add Cyclocross and two age categories to expand the event for the second running of the Kona Mawson MTB Marathon.

Be a great course for a crosser...
Hmmm......

SWMBO did for a few minutes consider entering last year.

She was going to use the cross bike!

Roland
 

tomacropod

Likes Dirt
Hmmm....

[FONT=&quot]MEDIA RELEASE
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The only event of its kind in the southern hemisphere – the 2011 Kona Mawson MTB Marathon, opens registrations. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]​
The 2011 Kona Mawson MTB Marathon will add Cyclocross and two age categories to expand the event for the second running of the Kona Mawson MTB Marathon.

Be a great course for a crosser...
Prizes are not clear though - are the cross bikes their own pairs category with no prizes, or a subcategory which is eligible for the overall placings?

- Joel
 

thelankyman

Likes Dirt
I have screwed the pedal thread on my Cross bike. Yay. So it looks like I am up for a new crankset. My question is does anyone have any recommendations? I currently run a Tiagra 175mm triple and I was also thinking of moving away from square BB to something with some larger bearings ie Isis, Ocatlink BB32 whatever is cheap and works in poor conditions. I am assuming that Cross bikes typically run with road cranks rather than MTBs? Anyone got some opinions. Need to do it soon so I dont miss out on the Dirty Deeds prologue.

Cheers Al
 

leftieant

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I have screwed the pedal thread on my Cross bike. Yay. So it looks like I am up for a new crankset. My question is does anyone have any recommendations? I currently run a Tiagra 175mm triple and I was also thinking of moving away from square BB to something with some larger bearings ie Isis, Ocatlink BB32 whatever is cheap and works in poor conditions. I am assuming that Cross bikes typically run with road cranks rather than MTBs? Anyone got some opinions. Need to do it soon so I dont miss out on the Dirty Deeds prologue.

Cheers Al
I have absolutely no CX experience at all - but would a set of XT touring cranks (48/38/28 I think) be any good? Get the XT outboard bearings and retain a decent silly climbing gear if you need it.
 
Top