Cyclocross - about to drop some money - opinions?

hi all... this is my first post in the cyclocross forum. just hoping for some opinions before i order everything. i have a surly cross-check i had setup to tour i am about to convert into my urban commuter/assault vehicle/ss-cyclocross bike. i'm not positive that i'm gonna race it, but i want it to be an option...

so i'm not completely decided on rims but i was thinking velocity dyad (i think i want something a little wider and it is still pretty light and hopefully very strong). i'm lacing them (36 hole, 3X) to dimension track hubs b/c my part time job is bicycle delivery and i want them to fit on my older steel conversion, and they are cheap. and for a new crank i was thinking sugino rd w/165mm arms b/c i like the fixie thing also (i'm planning on making it a ss).

do you think these wheels will be strong; and the wheels and cranks could be raced (singlespeed of course)?

many thanks

Dyads with 36 spokes sounds plenty strong, assuming you build them well, of course. (Just curious, why not Deep Vs?)

Why 165mm crankarms?

If you're going to flip-flop between fixed and free, remember that a freewheel sticks out more than a fixed cog, so you might have to mess with a couple spacers and possibly dish the wheel a hair to get good chainline and have the rim centered on both free or fixed.

i'm racing this season on formula/deep v and 165mm bulletproof cranks. not because they're ideal but because they're what i got.

i'll let you know how it works on monday.

Dyads with 36 spokes sounds plenty strong, assuming you build them well, of course. (Just curious, why not Deep Vs?)

Why 165mm crankarms?

If you're going to flip-flop between fixed and free, remember that a freewheel sticks out more than a fixed cog, so you might have to mess with a couple spacers and possibly dish the wheel a hair to get good chainline and have the rim centered on both free or fixed.


165mm b/c i'll run fixed probably as much as free, so it is to avoid pedal bite when cornering, and to make it easy to spin fast on downhills. not deep v's b/c they are an extra 40 grams per wheel, slightly more expensive, everyone and their brother has them where i live, and the dyad is 5mm wider - which means more room for fatties.

also, does it make a difference if i put the freewheel on fixed/fixed hub, or does it still stick out more? i just compared my roommates san jose to my fixed commuter and there seems to be a very minimal difference (like 2mm). i think it will be pretty close...

165mm b/c i'll run fixed probably as much as free, so it is to avoid pedal bite when cornering, and to make it easy to spin fast on downhills.I recently switched from 165 to 175 on my fixed gear, because I have 175 on my cross bike and 165 started feeling really small. I think your first reason is overrated--we are talking about a centimeter difference. I also think your second reason is also a bit off; if you really want to, increase your gear-inches by 6% to account for the difference in crank length. I am much happier with the two bikes having the same crankarm length.not deep v's b/c they are an extra 40 grams per wheel, slightly more expensive, everyone and their brother has them where i live, and the dyad is 5mm wider - which means more room for fatties.Seems reasonable.also, does it make a difference if i put the freewheel on fixed/fixed hub, or does it still stick out more? i just compared my roommates san jose to my fixed commuter and there seems to be a very minimal difference (like 2mm). i think it will be pretty close...Even with fixed/fixed hub there will be a difference, but not huge. I have two spacers on the freewheel side and chainline is within 1mm of perfect on both free and fixed.

Depending on how much gearing range you want, you could use a double chainring in front so you could use the same chain for either setup. For example, you could run 44/15 fixed and 40/19 free.

165mm b/c i'll run fixed probably as much as free, so it is to avoid pedal bite when cornering, and to make it easy to spin fast on downhills. not deep v's b/c they are an extra 40 grams per wheel, slightly more expensive, everyone and their brother has them where i live, and the dyad is 5mm wider - which means more room for fatties.

also, does it make a difference if i put the freewheel on fixed/fixed hub, or does it still stick out more? i just compared my roommates san jose to my fixed commuter and there seems to be a very minimal difference (like 2mm). i think it will be pretty close...

If this is your first time doing cross I'd say away from fixed cx. Learning to get on and off your bike the right way is hard enough when you can coast.