New American Cyclocross DVD

[Todd Atkin]

I got this new cross DVD called TRANSITION: AN AMERICAN CYCLOCROSS SEASON. Check it out, its really good. Click here to see a preview: http://www.filmbaby.com/product_info.php?products_id=339&SID=5d05mol2ufke4fhocasjnf9bi1
then pick broadband or dialup.

I'm converting my Bilenky cross bike from down tube shifters (ugh) to one used Ultegra STI on the right side and keeping the dt shifter on the left. Good idea?......or what?

[mgwadz]

I got this new cross DVD called TRANSITION: AN AMERICAN CYCLOCROSS SEASON. Check it out, its really good.

I'm converting my Bilenky cross bike from down tube shifters (ugh) to one used Ultegra STI on the right side and keeping the dt shifter on the left. Good idea?......or what?

I would say use a bar end (bar-con) shifter for the front derailleur with that sort of set-up, so you don't have to take your hands away from the bar

marc

[islenska]

are you planning to race?

[Todd Atkin]

I raced a little a few years ago, but have only been riding on the road since then. I'm upgrading my bike to use it at least for training. I live on a farm and have a bit of a course set up. Cyclocross is a great way to stay in shape.

By the way, I have watched the movie I mentioned above a few times and it's great. I recommend it to anyone interested in 'cross, you will learn alot and see very cool race footage.

[islenska]

the reason i asked is because in a 'cross race situation i would think that bar-cons would be really difficult to deal with. i spend most of my time on the hoods, and the ability to shift from the hoods (without having to change my hand position) is invaluable. plus, bar-cons seem like they would get in the way when shouldering the bike -- and you may even end up dry-shifting unintentionally, only to find out that you are in the wrong gear or your chain is f'd up when you put the bike back down and start to pedal.

as for the movie, i have it on order and cant wait to see it. i raced gloucester last year. it was great fun. cant wait to see it on film!

[ZenNMotion]

Barcons are fine for racing- one of my cross bikes is set up this way (the other 2 are STI...) For gooey mud, the barcons are more reliable, and then that's the one I go for first. All my cross bikes are set up with the bars higher so that I ride in the drops nearly all the time, except when climbing the barely rideable uphills. Shifting is just not an issue from the drops, which is where you should be in a cyclocross race most of the time anyway. Riding in my drops on the cross bikes has the same feel as riding on the hoods on my road race bike. Just my opinion, but STI/Ergo is over-rated for cyclocross. It works, but it's expensive, and heavy, and vulnerable to crashes, and sometimes just sucks in mud or when something goes out of whack after a tumble. So I'd say go with STI if you have it already or are transferring old parts from your roadie. But if you are buying new, and want to stay inexpensive without any real sacrifice in performance, go with barcons. You could just forget the left shifter altogether with just a single up front, you don't lose much there either, and dropping your chain is much less frequent. Plus, you can use any wheel (like neutral or a team mates wheels in a race) with any type or number of cogs by switching to friction, which believe it or not is very easy to get used to. Tip- it's common for bar-con users to cut off a cm or 2 off the ends of your drop bars so you don't hit the shifters with your knees.

[islenska]

...Plus, you can use any wheel (like neutral or a team mates wheels in a race) with any type or number of cogs by switching to friction, which believe it or not is very easy to get used to...

sorry if this is a dumb question...i'm not sure what you mean by "switching to friction," can you explain? thanks.

[jim-bob]

sorry if this is a dumb question...i'm not sure what you mean by "switching to friction," can you explain? thanks.

Before there was indexed shifting, you just moved the lever until you thought you were in the next gear. If you were wrong, you found out pretty quickly and fine-tuned it until it was right. This was called 'friction shifting'.

Barcons still have a friction option, unlike those funny brake levers that click from side to side.

[lunacycle]

Barcons are fine for racing- one of my cross bikes is set up this way (the other 2 are STI...) For gooey mud, the barcons are more reliable, and then that's the one I go for first. All my cross bikes are set up with the bars higher so that I ride in the drops nearly all the time, except when climbing the barely rideable uphills. Shifting is just not an issue from the drops, which is where you should be in a cyclocross race most of the time anyway. Riding in my drops on the cross bikes has the same feel as riding on the hoods on my road race bike. Just my opinion, but STI/Ergo is over-rated for cyclocross. It works, but it's expensive, and heavy, and vulnerable to crashes, and sometimes just sucks in mud or when something goes out of whack after a tumble. So I'd say go with STI if you have it already or are transferring old parts from your roadie. But if you are buying new, and want to stay inexpensive without any real sacrifice in performance, go with barcons. You could just forget the left shifter altogether with just a single up front, you don't lose much there either, and dropping your chain is much less frequent. Plus, you can use any wheel (like neutral or a team mates wheels in a race) with any type or number of cogs by switching to friction, which believe it or not is very easy to get used to. Tip- it's common for bar-con users to cut off a cm or 2 off the ends of your drop bars so you don't hit the shifters with your knees.

My sentiments exactly! Barcons are more reliable, and less prone to destruction than STI's for cyclocross racing. I've found them to work much better in the mud. I've also noticed that I plan my shifts more during a race, so I don't shift gears as much as I used to, which I believe has actually improved my speed and efficiency, and has forced me to concentrate more on the course. Another benefit is the cost. You can find Dura Ace barcons online for about $50 a set, including cables. I'm also a big advocate of the single chainring setup.

[Todd Atkin]

I went with the STI on the right, and the down tube on the left. For now, I'm liking it. Probably because I'm so used to the dt's on both sides. I'll think about using the barcons in the next incarnation of this bike. Right now, I'm mostly using it for commuting. I think I will be doing some cx training, anyway, in the fall and winter. Thanks for all the input.

[Todd Atkin]

Getting back to my original topic, has anyone else seen the movie TRANSITION: AN AMERICAN CYCLOCROSS SEASON yet? If so, what did you think about it?

[islenska]

Getting back to my original topic, has anyone else seen the movie TRANSITION: AN AMERICAN CYCLOCROSS SEASON yet? If so, what did you think about it?

yes, i just saw it. i think its mostly entertaining and i really like the music, but the editing is terrible. also, it gets a little repetitive and i wish that it showed more actual race footage. all in all i liked it, and its a good way to study how the pros dismount / remount.

[Todd Atkin]

I agree, the music is great, but what didn't you like about the editing? I thought it was well done.

[islenska]

i found the editing to be a bit clunky and amateurish, especially with regard to the sound. it seemed more like a rough cut than a polished final cut. the storyline was completely linear (and therefore a bit predictable, boring, repetetive), so the cross cutting seemed unnecessary. that said, the trailer was very well done. if the entire film was as tight as the trailer, i think it would have been more entertaining to watch.

also, as an aside, i would have liked to see some of the women racers. the movie was all dudes and sometimes i found their commentary to be just plain stupid and crude. i think the women would have been a bit more eloquent. the likes of turner and wicks immediately located the film within the genre of a skate or ski video -- where you see lots of dudes acting stupid for the camera. personally, i would have liked to hear more from mccormack, page, and gully.

still, i liked it...mostly because i love cyclocross...

the dvd menu / scene index was very cool. not sure about the "word with wiley" extra though -- that was perhaps the most painful thing i've ever had to watch.

[cyclintom]

I would suggest bar-end shifters for all of it.

There's nothing WRONG with STI but it's another point of failure and I've seen about a half dozen Ultegra STI levers fail now. I've heard about one bar-end failing but never seen one.

[pinky]

You don't want to hear more from McCormack islenska, nice guy but when he's talking bikes with any chance of being getting publicity he sounds like a human commercial. The whole thing about Transitions is that is a movie about American 'cross which typically the closest thing to a cycling circus the US will ever see. It is goofy and can be very crude and stupid-but thats the point. Its the winding down of whats typically a very serious road or mountain bike season (note how essentially every single US pro crosser is simply a roadie or a mountain biker who does that sport on the side). Guys like Page and McCormack are nice and all but but they bring an air of seriousness which simply doesn't feel right (hehe and thats why the Euro's kick our asses continually).

[Todd Atkin]

Right on, Pinky. The American cross scene is unique and often quirky. It attracts straight arrows like McCormack, nuts like Wickes and Kabush, and everything in between. Transition did a good job of portraying all sides of it. I'm glad that the filmmaker spent more time with the nuts for the entertainment value they provide, but the commentary of the straight arrows was pretty interesting too.

[whatdoyouride]

i just recieved my Transition yesterday. watched it.
looking for a place to write some review, and found this site.

all in all, i think it's an excellent documentary.
i think all the cycling fans (read, not just CX fans but cycling fans) should support this kind of effort by purchasing it. it's not a 30 min rip-off DVD, but a full hour!

editings could be better. editing on the preview was really good, so that expectation had to come down. i thought there's too much "Adam". i can see where he's coming from and what not, but too much is too much.

i wish they included more NoCal racers. if they had some WA footages, they should have NoCal footages as well. it's another CX-central in US afterall. it was nice to see Ben J-M, but where's Andy? how about Justine Robinson? Larry Hibbard? Alan Coats?


about CX bike set up.
if you are thinking of getting into CS, you really need to buy Burney's book. you can get it at:
http://www.store.yahoo.com/cyclocrossworld/cyctrainandt.html

like a lot of experienced racers here are suggesting, go with the Bar-con. i have bar cons on both of my CX bikes (original Jake-da-Snakes). and go with 8spds instead of 9spds.

you suppose to bob the drop, so you really shouldn't have any issue hitting your legs and miss-shifting the bar-con.

now, those people w/ money or w/ pit mechanic are the one running STI or Ergo.
but for most of regular people, bar-cons are the way to go. benefits are cheap, difficult to break (you will Crash on CX, over and over........), can go to friction when mud-crogged, light, flexibility of running different rear wheels, easy to maintain, etc.....

now it's about time i start dismounting practice......

[nad45]

Saw transition over the weekend. I thought it was fantastic. Another good one is Pure Sweet Hell. I haven't been able to find it on DVD yet but I saw it in the Theatre last February. Watching those just gets me psyched for racing this year.

[cyclintom]

I REALLY liked the movie and recommend it to cyclocross fans.

However:

1) The photography runs from absolutely awful to barely adequate. I suppose they used home-level cameras. That doesn't bother me but it certainly is noticeable.

2) The color rendition runs all over the place. This is because the editing software they use is inadequate for real commercial purposes. And because the cameraman doesn't have much control over the light controls in the camera.

3) The naration is pretty good but a bit spotty.

4) The Menu is a work of absolute genius and you can easily miss it unless you're sharp. I think that this should have been patented but it's too late now.

Jamie Paolinetti filmed "The Hard Road" and "Pro" and you can see his advancement from one film to the next. I think that the "Transition" crew will improve with their (hopefully) next feature and with any luck at all they could become another World Cycling Video's team for Cyclocross racing.

[Todd Atkin]

Check out the review of Transition in the latest Velonews. It's the one with Heras on the cover.

[Todd Atkin]

It looks like the maker of Transition is working on another movie about Americans racing in Belgium after the US season is over. See reference in this Velonews article: http://www.velonews.com/diaries/rider/articles/9309.0.html