Cyclocross - higher clearance brakes for road bike?

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adam_mac84
09-15-10, 06:02 PM
My wife got her first road bike. However, we'd like to get on some gravel road rides this fall, and she is interested in cyclocross, but her mtn bike is SOOO heavy for her, it kind of defeats her.

Is the best option getting cantilever studs brazed on? or is there a brand of caliper that has more clearance?

I have seen some long reach calipers, but kind of assumed this was for reaching LOWER to a smaller rim (27"?) or could these give enough clearance to run a 32c tire or something similar

fietsbob
09-15-10, 07:08 PM
If there are Road short reach brakes on there the fork Blades are too short to be longer ..
You proposing to move the fork crown further away from the dropouts?
Perhaps more shopping is in order , a new bike for the fleet..
Chris_W
09-16-10, 03:54 AM
What fietsbob is trying to say is that the brakes are probably not the limiting factor here, it is the frame clearance that is the problem. The brakes should be bought to match the frame - the frame determines everything. Changing the brakes probably won't help. However, if you post a picture of the bike, with close-up on the brake area, then it will be possible to confirm this for certain.

flargle
09-16-10, 05:12 AM
There's an off chance a 650B conversion would work, but you'd need new wheels and brakes, and IIRC it usually won't work with a contemporary road frame.

I'm assuming the current tires are 23mm, can she fit 28mm tires under it? That might be enough to make smoother gravel roads tolerable for her.
screaminDOHC
09-16-10, 05:57 AM
You can check out my thread here: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?679849-Junkyard-CX-Build......

I replaced the brakes, which gave me tons of clearance, but ultimately I was limited by the frame. The largest tire I could fit in the rear (where clearance was an issue) was a 700x30. A 300x32 with aggressive tread fit in the front, but not on the rear. You might be able to find some longer reach brakes, or go retro like me and use some old centerpull (better centerpull calipers can be had, i.e. Mafac Racers, etc)...It works just fine. I'll have to get out and ride it this weekend and see how it works. It is possible to use a road frame for CX, but ultimately it's a band-aid. I figured I'd ride mine for a season or two and see how I like it. If I totally dig it, I'll get a CX specific frameset, and if not, I'll turn it back into a road bike.

:-)

Good luck!