Why road bars (always)?
01-20-12, 04:03 PM
#1
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Why road bars (always)?
Just an observation/question from a new guy... seems some go to great lengths to find brakes they are happy with due to the fact they they need road levers to go with their road bars. I understand the positioning of the rider on faster courses favors road bars in those circumstances. Also, from personal experience the more upright ride of flat bars allows better control in technical (usually slower) situations. That might be due to most of my experience being on more upright bikes though.
I am aware that there is a width limit on bars but are flat bars not allowed as well?
Thanks
I am aware that there is a width limit on bars but are flat bars not allowed as well?
Thanks
01-20-12, 04:47 PM
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UCI specifically requires road bars for cross. USAC does not.
Almost all cross bikes are designed around road bars, meaning the geometry gets funky when you switch to flat bars.
Thomas Frischknecht road to a silver medal in the 1997 (?) CX Worlds on flat bars, before the UCI specifically forbade them.
Almost all cross bikes are designed around road bars, meaning the geometry gets funky when you switch to flat bars.
Thomas Frischknecht road to a silver medal in the 1997 (?) CX Worlds on flat bars, before the UCI specifically forbade them.
01-20-12, 04:52 PM
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Like most things in cyclocross, this is as much about tradition as it is about functionality. There are definitely times when flat bars would be an advantage, but course designers generally try to avoid that. When they are successful, you hear a lot of slow mountain bikers complain about how non-technical the course was.
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01-20-12, 05:01 PM
#5
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I'd say a Mix, UCI regs is what the top Pros must follow, and so folks with those racers as their model
and that includes the product managers speccing out the consumer bikes,
for the contracts with the assembly factories .. build around drop bar setups.
No one says you have to use the bike, left as it comes out of the carton.
and that includes the product managers speccing out the consumer bikes,
for the contracts with the assembly factories .. build around drop bar setups.
No one says you have to use the bike, left as it comes out of the carton.
01-20-12, 05:23 PM
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Flat bars are silly for CX. Road bars make you look fast :-) and besides when your fighting your way from 8 throw in a field of 125 who the hell wants hanglider on the front of their bike. Find a hole go and through it!!
01-20-12, 06:46 PM
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Cyclocross is traditionally the domain of cold-weather road cyclist training, so most bikes have drop bars, as the vast majority of road cyclists use those, and are most used to them. imo, if you have your fit right, and have the proper bar, drops are fine in technical stuff. It just takes practice. Also, drops provide more hand posistions, and bar-ends are illegal in USAC-sanctioned races. I have seen some cool flat-bar cyclocross bikes, though they were cutom or cobbled together, and if I was coming from a mountain bike background, I would look into it. In fact, the U19 Women's leader in the MAC series rode a flat-bar Jamis conversion. It's really personal preference, and if you're staying in USAC, there's really no downside. In fact, it greatly expands your braking/shifting options.
01-20-12, 11:38 PM
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Well road bar allows different positioning much more than those of flat bars. Also, not all cyclocross races are just mud-sand-snow and other technical grounds, they also have roads so Road handle should be good in cases where you have to have more aerial dynamic position.
01-21-12, 12:57 AM
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Road bars? Is there something else?
01-21-12, 11:22 PM
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Yeah, for what it is worth, flat bars on mountain bikes are like stupid ergonomically. You might come up with something different than road bars for Mtn bikes, but flat bars are simply stupid in any case. So given the alternative, drops bars are where it is at. Some pioneering Mtn Bike dudes had the same idea btw.
01-23-12, 01:35 PM
#11
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I always thought that roadies put CX bars on their bikes to look cool. Did I get something backwards?
01-26-12, 07:29 PM
#13
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The Races are only :45 , so run whatever bar works for you,
if there it not a sanctioning body like UCI writing the requirements.
if there it not a sanctioning body like UCI writing the requirements.
01-27-12, 08:40 AM
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A significant number of guys in the SS field, including myself, run mtb bars on their race bikes. I have my stem slammed so my position is reasonably aggressive. Still I feel I have better control in more technical sections than I would with drops. The lack of hand positions doesn't seem to be an issue as cross isn't supposed to be comfortable. Not saying risers are better for everyone, but they do suit me.
03-02-12, 02:54 PM
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03-05-12, 08:53 AM
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Drop bars come in many shapes and sizes;
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03-05-12, 08:56 AM
#18
You gonna eat that?
How do you "road" on flat bars?
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03-07-12, 10:27 AM
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It seems to me that cyclocross with a flatbar gets a bit close to XC mountainbike racing. I'm sure it depends on the course, but just speaking in general. Maybe that's the big reason for the UCI's ruling.
03-07-12, 10:54 AM
#20
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Saw a picture of the Cross bike Keith Bontrager built for himself,
in the home shop garage,
before he sold his name to Trek,
and became an Ex Santa Cruz Bike builder,
& fully owned brand name, applied to almost everything.
His bike had flat bars.
in the home shop garage,
before he sold his name to Trek,
and became an Ex Santa Cruz Bike builder,
& fully owned brand name, applied to almost everything.
His bike had flat bars.
