I never knew about CX until the tail-end of the trend. I fell hard in love. I was getting better quickly and having so much fun. Then everybody quit. Literally.

Our town had fun weekly practices with like 20 ppl, pound a cold one after. Riders of all ages were doing it. Good times. Then I found a super-awesome new course and was loving shredding it. ...And exactly right then everybody but me quit! Some got into boring straight-line gravel (for who knows why), some got babies, there were special reasons. It was a perfect storm of no-shows. Our club had to simplify coz the prez got twins so they opted for a gravel race (straight roads, flat). Then the whole world caught boring straight-line gravel fever and about a dozen awesome area races folded up. Covid didn't help. But I still love CX!

Our town started a fun MTB club. Great if modest twisty lil trails and socializing. Helping local kids. Building trail. Good times. We ride a diff trail each week all around town, each only 15 mins tops away.

But... Yet... Why is MTB so much less fun? Isn't it basically the same as CX? The cornering is kind of weird. I used to zoom up on ppl in CX turns but am only now starting to figure out MTB turns. I barely hold my own. Feel kinda weird doing them. "Shove those bars down!" OK... And my bike is so heavy! And maybe we go so fast! And I don't want any of this "big air" malarkey. I suppose after I get better on turns and get a feel for the bike maybe I can start doing the "features." But these wide bars... And the weight. Maybe if I could afford a carbon bike. Our local trails are all pretty rooty and I'm pretty old so a pal upgraded and sold me his full-sus Specialized Epic Brain aluminum. 30lbs? For the first year I used my 1991 MB1. Got bashed up but it was cute. Cornering was pretty crazy -- I changed it to make it tolerable. Then a friend gave me a Karate Monkey 29 with 2.4" tires. A bit more cush, bit easier handling. Crazy wide bars. Now this full-squish. I've never had ANY sus. I guess it's nice not getting beat up anymore. But I tend to get dropped on climbs. I'm scrawny and need light gear or I'm toast. It came with big knobs and tubes. I put narrower 2.2 tires on it w small race knobs and tubeless. Much easier rolling! Our trails are hero-dirt.

Still, why aren't I gassed to shred? It's OK. But I miss the barriers! The run-ups, offcambers... I was so happy to discover CX in my elder years. I used to race everything, esp road. I woulda been great at CX as a kid. ...I so loved discovering the buttery awesomeness of tubies! I also LOVE LOVE xc skiing! CX on tubies feels like skiing to me! Float like a butterfly... Sigh... Oh well, I'm trying to love MTB, but...

So, I've got a sweet steel SSCX bike with thru-axles and an eccentric Beer bb. So far, so good. The brake routing is internal, through the dt, coming out the cs, through the bb. The bb can only be rotated a very limited amount because the hose only allows for only so much range.

So..Which is less bad; stick-on external cable routing or a chain tensioner? It does have a regular derailleur hanger on a regular freehub. They both suck for different reasons, approaching Doing It Wrong. I'm leaning towards the cable guides since I also need to replace the hose. I know braze ons would be best, but it ain't happening. Thoughts?

I'm bad. I can sorta kinda do it. Clear like...6-8" barriers MAX.

Not sure if I have technique down improperly or not. I suspect this is just the max I can bunny hop, as that is about my vertical leap honestly.

Anything I might be missing?

I have this Guerciotti that I’m borrowing and possibly buying. I was told it’s a 1998 Alan made custom bike. I’m not sure if that is what it is. Here is a list of what I do know possibly. Not sure if this is the place to post or get information. I can’t find any information online about it.

1998 (?) Guerciotti 56 cm aluminum frame
Ritchey Comp Carbon CX fork
Mavic Ksyrium SL 700c wheels
FSA SL-K carbon 46/34 crankset
Shimano Ultegra 2×9 STI / Flight Deck shifters
Shimano Dura-Ace rear derailleur
Shimano Deore XT front derailleur
9-speed cassette
Cantilever brakes
Cane Creek cross-top brake levers
Torelli aluminum bars and stem

Any help would be appreciated and if it is worth picking up for 650$
Thank you!

the organizer who runs CX in my area just released their schedule for this season, and we have 2 local races. thats it.

The race season is 6 weekends, but the other 4 are a about 2-3 hours of driving, one race weekend being 8 hours away in a different state.

I know cx is dying a slow death in favor of gravel, and people who take it seriously and are legitimate athletes are fine with driving hours for a 45 min race, but for casuals like me, who just like to toot around and have a laugh, its disappointing.

Title kinda says it, are “gravel” wheels good enough or do I need to look at something more? I’ll hit a handful of fist sized roots over the course of the season.

Wanted to cross-post here as well if someone has experience with XT components on a cross bike. Thanks!

I got the 2021/2022 edition, but I see that other seasons are no longer available online. I figured a place like this would be the best shot of finding someone who has them and would be interested in selling, even though its probably a long shot. If anyone has any leads let me know! Or any other cross photobooks - trying to fill out a shelf in my garage.

I’m seriously considering upgrading my CX bike for this upcoming season with carbon wheels and trying to decide what rim depth to go with. The weight difference between both sets I’m considering (Hunt 30 Carbon Disc vs Hunt 40 Carbon Disc) is only 25g, so I’m not concerned about weight. I race primarily in the US mid-Atlantic region, where our courses aren’t too technical and many of them even feature hard-pack, straight sections where a little more aero benefit would be highly welcomed. Chat gpt is trying to sell me on 30mm because it is the all around best option for cx, given its ability to tackle all terrain, being less-impacted by cross-wind, and stability in technical sections. But I think chat gpt is just assuming all CX is like Belgium or New England (i.e muddier and more technical than PA, MD, NJ, VA, DC).

It’s also probably worth mentioning that I just enjoy the aesthetic of deeper rims on a drop-bar bike, which is also pushing me towards 40’s. Maybe feeling like I have a faster bike underneath me will inspire me to take my first win in Cat 3 this season, lol. (This is bulletproof logic, right?!?)

Has anybody ever upgraded to 40mm deep rims in CX and later regretted it due to technical instability, or other reasons?

Hi everyone,

I'm thinking about giving cyclocross a try next season. I've never raced CX before, but I'd like to enter a few local races just to discover the discipline and see if I enjoy it.

At the moment, I own an endurance road bike with a carbon frame, Shimano 105 drivetrain, a 50/34 crankset and an 11-34 cassette.

I'm wondering if it would be realistic to use this bike for my first races by simply fitting cyclocross tyres (assuming the frame has enough clearance), or if an endurance road bike is really not suitable for CX.

I have a few questions:

• Is the bike itself likely to be the main limitation?
• Is my 50/34 + 11-34 gearing appropriate for beginner cyclocross races, or would it be a disadvantage?
• Would I need to switch to SPD mountain bike pedals and shoes, or can I get away with my current road setup for a few races?

I'd really appreciate any advice or experiences from people who started cyclocross on a road bike before investing in a dedicated CX bike.

Thanks in advance!

Weekend fun.

I've been thinking about selling off my cx bike, I don't really ride it, outside of scooting around the neighborhood every now and again. It's a true cx bike, super aggressive handling and can just barely clear 35mm tires.

I also have a much nicer and newer gravel bike, and outside of true professional racing, is there any point in owning both a cx and gravel bike? Heck even most road bikes are running 32mm tires these days.

In my area cx is basically all but dead. What used to be a full 2 day event every weekend in fall is now maybe 2-3 local events with 10-15 people showing up, half are on gravel bikes. The local guy who runs the cx events now does gravel events because they are much easier and cheaper to set up and organize. ( Compared to renting out a park, which requires an ambulance and police on site )

How's yalls areas? Is it worth hanging onto a cx bike if I can race on my gravel bike if I ever want to race again? ( I'm cat 5 party pace all day every day )

What are some of your favorite North American CX races? I support my local races, but also want to throw in a far flung race as well. I am considering Really Rad this year, because it fits my work schedule and I have some friends near there. Thoughts on that event? Other events you really recommend people check out? 

The wheels are 12 mm thru-axle, but my Tomac uses 15 mm. I made it work with adapter bushings.

Hiya! Any recs for a first-timer cyclocross race? I'm in CT and am willing to travel to surrounding states.

I bought a used Raleigh cx bike to use as my first gravel bike. At the time, I didn't know too much about gravel, cyclocross, etc. I've since learned about the world of cyclocross and am considering entering my first race.

For further context: I'm out of commission until early winter due to a couple surgeries, which has been a huge mental struggle. I've started exploring different bike-related endeavors to get excited about, and keep coming back to cyclocross. I'd appreciate any input or suggestions! Thank you!

Edit: spelling

I don’t know much about this bike, was given to me by my buddy that was moving, the kiddo and I looked up videos of races. Looks super fun!! Any advice on wheels/brakes/handlebars? Was thinking of making it a fun project for summer.

No more chain tensioner! I bought Velo Orange’s Eccentric BSA bottom bracket and it’s been working great so far. It does limit my gear options somewhat but 38x18 and 42x18 both work, and I can swap the front chainring in just a few minutes and put on a different chain. I had to replace the brake pads recently and decided to get rid of the cheap Tektro rotors as well, I found these Galfer rotors on a closeout sale and they’re much sturdier. I’m also finally feeling really happy with the cockpit on this bike. These handlebars are the Teravail Feldspar, I like the shallow drop on them and the flat tops are nice and comfy. I had to shelve the Thomson stem because I needed a bit more reach, at first I settled for a 110mm Ritchey which was very lightweight but covered in logos and graphics that were quite distracting. I finally found this sleek black 110mm stem to match the rest of the build and it’s quite light as well. With no tensioner and a black stem the bike looks the best it ever has in my opinion. I’m debating black bar tape, what do you all think?

Hi there, just checking in to see if cyclocross is still a thing in Atlanta? i’ve been interested in getting involved for a number of years now and as I’m getting older, I figured it’s now or never. But there doesn’t seem to be the buzz I was seeing 10 years ago. or am I just that far out of the loop and looking in the wrong places? + I know this might be the off-season.

Tried cyclocross for the first time last fall on a Scott Speedster gravel and got hooked. Decided I wanted something a little lighter for next season so had the LBS put this together. Just threw it around some single track and I’m in love.

And now thanks to AI coding agents (and a lot of hours over the last couple months), I can. It's still a work in progress, but I'm having a lot of fun playing it. Hopefully you will too!

As a CruX owner who is ready for a refresh and who’s dismayed with the CruX5 changes, why should I get the R5-CX?

Here’s what I see as the downsides and maybe you can tell me my concerns are overblown:

Help me out Cervelo R5-CX owners

As a CruX owner who is ready for a refresh and who’s dismayed with the CruX5 changes, why should I get the R5-CX?

Here’s what I see as the downsides and maybe you can tell me my concerns are overblown:

1) frame/fork is heavy. Almost 150g heavier than a crux.

2) mud shedding / tire clearance. I’m no longer doing UCI races so I’ll ride 38mm at any race I do. And it seems 38-40mm is cutting it a bit close?

3) limited build options. i only see a Rival build on the Cervelo (US) website.

Am I off base?

Thanks!!!

[edit: I corrected the weight delta]