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Unfortunately my only bike at the moment is a Bianchi Pista which can take up to 28c tires. I can gear down and raise my bars... that's the extent to which I can make my bike more CX worthy. Does this sounds feasible? Yes I have cross experience. I want to get in on the Portland cross season but I don't want to spend money on a cross bike.
Deathwish?
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I think the bullhorns would be disallowed, because they point forward (aero bars and mtn bar-ends are disallowed in mass-start races for the same reason).
I suppose that technically you could CX with a tricycle if you wanted. ;) I would think that you may want/have to invest a bit in tires of course, and you may want a smaller chainring. The only issue that I could think of that would stop you is that you only have one brake, which may or may not be in compliance with regs, and it will also get awfully clogged with mud I would think, which may make it virtually inoperable if you needed it.
I dont think a lot of races will let you start with bullhorns
I would get drop bars with dummy hoods and gear down to 42x18T or so. I can't run a rear brake (no holes) but if I ran it fixed then it wouldn't be a problem. The only issue is mud..... I would have 5mm clearance in the front and rear with a 28c tire setup, which is a thin tire to start with.
I really want to cross but I don't want to buy a cross bike.
I want to get in on the Portland cross season but I don't want to spend money on a cross bike.
One of the great things about racing in OBRA is you don't have to worry about those pesky handlebar/bar ends/bullhorns rules you hear about elsewhere. If I were you, I'd head down to the Veloshop and ask Molly or the other wrench if you can run any cross tires on that thing.
You won't be the first to race a fixed gear in the Crusade. I do, however, have a few suggestions: 1) Don't race it in the A race. Those dudes are serious and will run you over if you mess around with a fixie in that race. 2) Don't line up on the front row. 3) Probably the best place to race would be the SS cat. 4) figure out how to dismount and remount before race day.
^ Are you in Portland? Is the Cross Crusades the best series here?
Go for it! I'm going to my first cyclocross race in a month, and am planning on taking my fixed gear as a backup bike, but after I see the course, I may decide to use it as my primary bike. I'm not sure yet how difficult they are going to make it.
Just throwing this idea out there...
... have you thought about getting a cheap CX fork? You'd have room for a fatter front tire, and goop clearance. Sure, axle to crown would change, and your head angle would get shallower, but that might even be a good thing, since the pista is what, 74 HA?
Just throwing this idea out there...
... have you thought about getting a cheap CX fork? You'd have room for a fatter front tire, and goop clearance. Sure, axle to crown would change, and your head angle would get shallower, but that might even be a good thing, since the pista is what, 74 HA?
Might be worth a shot but the limiting factor is the limited clearance in the rear, which is the more important wheel for traction. I think I'm going flip my stem up, get some 28C tires and just give it a shot.
Go for it! I'm going to my first cyclocross race in a month, and am planning on taking my fixed gear as a backup bike, but after I see the course, I may decide to use it as my primary bike. I'm not sure yet how difficult they are going to make it.
The think the real difficulty will be dismounting at speed. Flying dismounts are key.
Only in Portland, kids, only in Portland . . .
btw John Galt is my tax preparer.
This is an interesting question thread for me because I'm also itching to try the cyclocross thing (I've put my deposit on the Rob Roy but that's obviously not going to get here until this winter sometime).
Anyway, I've got an old Trek 660 that I've been riding as a FG conversion. I wonder if it would work to get a cheap steel CX fork. I could put some canti brakes from an old MTB on them and leave the caliper brakes on the back wheel. Would this work?
^ Are you in Portland? Is the Cross Crusades the best series here?
vanwacx = Vancouver, WA cyclocross
The Cross Crusade is the ONLY series around here. There are a handful of indi races in the pdx area plus some races in Eugene and Bend ... and Seattle. The Cross Crusade (http://www.crosscrusade.com) is the biggest (participation) cyclocross series in the world. To see it is to believe it.
Check out the OBRA site (http://www.obra.org) for more races.
Seriously, you should be able to get some tires to fit that thing. Maybe you'll be constrained to dry weather races but at least you can get out and race.
Somewhere on the web there's a video of a fixie going over the barriers.
Edit: found it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2gwN_kDLmA
Sure, try it out. I saw a guy (try) ride a fixed cross bike in the SS category in Seattle. From my perspective, it didn't go so well. But then again, I don't go as well as I'd like with 9 speeds and two brakes. You would be a crowd favorite if had some humility about it.
fwiw you might be able to get a few extra mms in the back by adding a link/halflink to your chain so the axle is all the way at the rear of the dropout.
I really want to cross but I don't want to buy a cross bike.
Pony up 15 bucks or so for some garage sale beater, put some Kenda 27" cross tires on it, tweaky here, tweaky there...poof.
Or borrow a mountain bike.
That's my SS/ pit bike in a nutshell, except that it was free.
Good luck with your ride.
Here in Ohio people would flip if you brought that to a race, but out in CX dreamland, there's a category for unicycles so I don't think anyone will bat an eye if you enter the SS category race or even a category C. Whatever you do, sandbag the **** out of yourself especially if you haven't practiced (dis)mounting.
Here in Ohio people would flip if you brought that to a race, but out in CX dreamland, there's a category for unicycles so I don't think anyone will bat an eye if you enter the SS category race or even a category C. Whatever you do, sandbag the **** out of yourself especially if you haven't practiced (dis)mounting.
I practiced dismounts last night on the fixed gear. Wow, this is going to be difficult or I am going to suck. Or both. And I will love it.
on the fixed gear i like to dismount by unclipping, pedaling on my instep and then letting the pedal lift me up out of the saddle (kinda like kevin bacon in quicksilver but not as flashy).
trying a cross race fixed sounds like fun, but i'm gonna see what it's like singlespeed first.
on the fixed gear i like to dismount by unclipping, pedaling on my instep and then letting the pedal lift me up out of the saddle (kinda like kevin bacon in quicksilver but not as flashy).
trying a cross race fixed sounds like fun, but i'm gonna see what it's like singlespeed first.
I have a flip flop hub so I could run it SS but due to my lack of a rear brake, I don't know if that would be the best. Using front only in muddy conditions = wipe-out.
For me, the first order of business is raising my bars. The 6.5" saddle to bar drop is not conducive to good bike handling due to the forward weight bias.
I think the CX fork idea is a good one. You can run a decent brake, and have a nice wide knobby front tire. You mentioned rear tire clearance for traction. I've heard from others and have had great luck myself running a thinner rear than front. I'm light, so a thinner rear tends to sink down in the mud and grab the dirt underneath. So, a narrow rear tire might not be a terrible problem. Mud buildup will stink though. Maybe you can rig up some kind of mud scraper?
the longer i read this thread the more i am convinced the best solution is to sell it and find a used or cheap cyclocross bike.
No way dude, I love the track bike. I am thinking about buying a used cross bike but I do want to give it a shot on the fixed gear. For tits and giggles.
FYI, I have an '05 Pista, and I run 700x32 Continental Twisters on it in the spring. They seem to fit just fine.
A fixed-gear bike is entirely the wrong tool for modern cyclocross races, which is precisely why you must race it! Just don't expect to be competitive by any stretch of the imagination, unless the entire race course is one big mud bog, in which case you might have the advantage.
Good luck!
FYI, I have an '05 Pista, and I run 700x32 Continental Twisters on it in the spring. They seem to fit just fine.
A fixed-gear bike is entirely the wrong tool for modern cyclocross races, which is precisely why you must race it! Just don't expect to be competitive by any stretch of the imagination, unless the entire race course is one big mud bog, in which case you might have the advantage.
Good luck!
Thanks man... that's great info.
Anyway, I've got an old Trek 660 that I've been riding as a FG conversion. I wonder if it would work to get a cheap steel CX fork. I could put some canti brakes from an old MTB on them and leave the caliper brakes on the back wheel. Would this work?
You could run a set of Mafac racers or similar centerpulls and not bother with the fork. Good clearance and great performance.
You could run a set of Mafac racers or similar centerpulls and not bother with the fork. Good clearance and great performance.
Great idea! Thanks very much.
I turned my Redline 925 into my FG/CX bike. I had me some fun.
on the fixed gear i like to dismount by unclipping, pedaling on my instep and then letting the pedal lift me up out of the saddle (kinda like kevin bacon in quicksilver but not as flashy).
+1 on the kevin baconator styles. :)
I turned my Redline 925 into my FG/CX bike. I had me some fun.
Picture request.
Would it be better to run a freewheel SS for a CX newb?
Picture request.
I'll try and find some at the house for ya. I just put some 30cc cross tires on it and off I went. LOADS of fun. Try and get your skills down riding a singlespeed if needed.
I'm stoked to see someone turn a Pista into a cx machine.
Would it be better to run a freewheel SS for a CX newb?
IMO, yes.
If you're using a fixed on a Cycleops Fluid, you should be able to handle any hills...:) Ditch the water bottle holder, get a messenger bag, some big gaudy sunglasses, and you'll at least look hip doing CX (though they'll make you wear a helmet, which kills the urban trendiness).
Unfortunately my only bike at the moment is a Bianchi Pista which can take up to 28c tires. I can gear down and raise my bars... that's the extent to which I can make my bike more CX worthy. Does this sounds feasible? Yes I have cross experience. I want to get in on the Portland cross season but I don't want to spend money on a cross bike.
Deathwish?
you will definately want to swap your front fork out for a cross fork and change to drops or risers and will need at least interleave (cross) levers.
riding fixed isn't so bad as mikeb in the cross and ss/fg forums mentioned to me. He is running a SURLY crosscheck with 35c tires and a fg. Mind you he has front AND back cantilever brakes as insurance from what I can see.
mind you with a Bianchi Pista it might be a bit tougher as from what I have heard track hubs are not made for cross. Maybe a SURLY fg hub or something more durable. your deep Vs are said to be bulletproof rims so it isn't that bad. You would be looking at a good 250$ conversion... at that price if you really want to beat the sh*t out of your PISTA go throw it against a wall and drop 250$ in the sewers and you might question yourself...
Others have mentioned getting a cheap beater bike and maybe putting some coin in that to try cross racing out or to just buy a low end cross bike or frame and put a mtb crank on it with whatever fg you want on the back.
as I have been told numerous times and am slowly realizing is that the gears are well merited unless your race co-ordinator is a sadist and likes making people run as much as ride. Mind you in muddy, or snowy conditions... SS/FG can be your greatest weapon against your opponents.
Good luck and hope you make the right choice...
Also talk to mikeB here and ask him about running FG on a cross bike.
EDIT: oh yah... no way your pista would be able to handle 30s for cross tires i doubt even 28s in cross tires and you'd be lucky to find nice tires in a 25 or 23.
Update -
I went to see about getting some CX tires for my bike. Bontrager (35), Maxxis Mimo (35c), WTB (32c) and Michelin Mud2 (30c) all didn't fit. The issue was height clearance with most tires. The WTB actually didn't fit in the width department either, despite being 32c. Keep in mind I have an aftermarket carbon road fork.
It seems that I should scrap this idea. I don't think 28C is offered in clinchers, only tubulars. At this point, I will try to run some "city tires" in 28c and hope to be a fair-weather CX rider this season.
dude, you can get smaller cx tires but it will be harder to find...
Switch your bullhorns out for risers or a flat bar and ride it. Saw a guy in the Chi Cross Cup race yesterday on a fixed-gear and he was absolutely smoking. He had to take his corners wide, but since he was pretty damn good at his dismounts and running, he made up for the disadvantages of his bike in his technique.
Just practice your dismounts and remounts and have fun. If you can run bigger tires, even lightly-treaded city tires, do it.
Update 2-
I put some chopped risers on my bike (using a beer can shim) along with road 25C tires with a *slight* tread pattern. I ran the tires at 65 psi and took it for a loop on the Leif Ericsson Trail in Forest Park, Portland (the largest city park in the US, if I'm not mistaken.)
15 miles on double-track and hardpack gravel + dirt trails and I'm happy to report that I hauled ass with no pinch flats. The light tires made me super nimble (by necessity due to the thin tires) and I passed people like they were standing still. I found my self pedalling while hovering over the saddle to soak up bumps and stay more fluid - but not full-on standing.
I raced downhills bike for 3 years and it is interesting to apply weight transfer techniques to a track bike ridden off road. Things just happen faster because of the geometry of the bike. Now I need to work on dismount/mounting techniques.
*stoked*
For the record, a 2007 Bianchi Pista can only accomodate tires up to 28C, & no larger. I am screwed in mud.
http://www.bikesomewhere.com/bikesomewhere.cfm/productLarge/44/244/515?i=default
might be what you wan't, not exactlya cross tire but the slight tread should help some in semi-wet/dry conditions...
dzinehaus- thanks. That is actually the tire I ended up with. Mine is 25c however.
np, good luck and have fun racing
For the record, a 2007 Bianchi Pista can only accomodate tires up to 28C, & no larger. I am screwed in mud.
That's weird. Did you try the Conti Twisters? Was it the front or back tires that had clearance issues? I'm running an Easton EC30 carbon road fork up front instead of the stock unicrown steel fork. Maybe that's why the 700x32 Conti Twisters fit on my '05 Pista. Sorry, I should have mentioned that in my previous post.
[Edit] Oh, and my frame size is 57cm. That might have something to do with it as well.
Are these what you are talking about?
http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/cyclocrossworld_1965_1787699
I have a Nashbar carbon road fork on my bike. In the front, the bottleneck was height clearance and in the rear, the issue was width.
I didn't try the Conti Twisters, to answer your question. Different tires have different dimension despite their nominal size (e.g. 700x32c). I tried other brands of 32c so maybe I should try to find some of your suggested tires locally...
I love this thread, because I am thinking of riding my group buy IRO in a cross race this season, though I'll almost certainly run it as a single speed, not fixed. All of this is very enlightening!
As a long time fixed gear and single speed rider, I feel pretty confident in my skills, though I doubt I'll do well.
^^ the roby roy is meant for cross / commuting if you got a rob roy then race it :)
think he means the mark v/ angus one, since the rob roy won;t be here til February.
sandwich the seatstays and bridge between two plates and bolt a brake to that.
Now you can run ss.
If you are going to race fixed be careful and respectful of other riders. Noone wants to get taken out or even delayed because a fixie can't make it through an off camber turn. I'm thinking about trying it in one race this season but I will line up at the back and only pass those I know I can stay ahead of after it thins out.
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