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So are the days of our lives...

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Old 10-03-15, 10:05 AM
  #11601  
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Originally Posted by tetonrider
any thoughts (enabling)?
I think it's funny that you're acting like this isn't a done deal. The fact that you are even thinking about it tells me that it will soon be.

I only race hipster Oregon cross races. This is the land of USAC hate so I don't get any points and I'd start last row at nats but I still bring 2 bikes to the races.

I like having 2 bikes. I pull up in my pimped out Sprinter and unload my ebay bikes and wheels.

This what what I packed for last weekend's race.


The silver bike is a raw finished VooDoo that makes a perfect pit bike. I don't use these for anything other than cross so a slightly worse/different ride is no big deal. The bike keeps me in the race. All my races are 60min (Masters As are on the course with the As in OR) so having a pit bike can really make a difference. I also travel about 3 hours, each way, to most of my races. Having a mechanical, not finishing and driving home would suck - wasted day. For me it's worth it.

A couple of weeks ago I went to the local race without spares and flatted in the first 1/2 lap. Oh well, race over. At least I was able to get out for a nice road still.
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Old 10-03-15, 10:16 AM
  #11602  
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Originally Posted by Andy STi
I think it's funny that you're acting like this isn't a done deal. The fact that you are even thinking about it tells me that it will soon be.
haha....you know me!

this is the kind of response i was looking for. in a single post you (a) pushed me toward doing the project, (b) lowered my price by reminding me that the bike is just to keep me racing, or to take some warm-up laps, and (c) in the process pushed me toward the color scheme i prefer anyway.

sanctioned/unsanctioned, As/Cs, cat 1/cat 4...only a handful are getting paid and for the rest of us it's just about fun, and maybe pretending to be pro.

you're at the sharp end of those A races, though!

question: are you doing your warm-up laps on the pit bike?
i can see an argument for having the same tires on pit & race bike's wheels, but i can also see the other side and have different tires so one has options. any preference if it was the IDEAL world?

i also have a practical situation that makes me think about a pit bike. a while back i got some sick HED stinger disc (brake) wheels. they rock. the hubs are center lock. all my other wheels, are 6-bolt. i set up my primary bike's calipers so that they work with most of my wheels, but it's an either-or thing. there is no way to adjust the spacing of center lock rotors, so either i set it up for no rub on the HEDs or set it up for no rub on all the other wheels. i chose the latter.

if i had a pit bike i could leave the HEDs on it and be good.

or i could sell the HEDs (would kind of like to do that just to not have this issue and have everything be easily swappable....but they have really nice tires and i hate to part with them).


Originally Posted by Andy STi

I only race hipster Oregon cross races. This is the land of USAC hate so I don't get any points and I'd start last row at nats but I still bring 2 bikes to the races.

I like having 2 bikes. I pull up in my pimped out Sprinter and unload my ebay bikes and wheels.

This what what I packed for last weekend's race.


The silver bike is a raw finished VooDoo that makes a perfect pit bike. I don't use these for anything other than cross so a slightly worse/different ride is no big deal. The bike keeps me in the race. All my races are 60min (Masters As are on the course with the As in OR) so having a pit bike can really make a difference. I also travel about 3 hours, each way, to most of my races. Having a mechanical, not finishing and driving home would suck - wasted day. For me it's worth it.

A couple of weeks ago I went to the local race without spares and flatted in the first 1/2 lap. Oh well, race over. At least I was able to get out for a nice road still.
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Old 10-03-15, 10:23 AM
  #11603  
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Originally Posted by Andy STi
I think it's funny that you're acting like this isn't a done deal. The fact that you are even thinking about it tells me that it will soon be.
ps.....nordic racing this year? coming out to the BMT? they gave me my wave 1 start, so i'm committed.

just last night realized that even with a broken pole (raced 2/3 with one pole!) @ west yellowstone last year, i just missed out on a wave 1 start at the birkie. i had been told you HAVE to have raced it previously to get out of wave 9, but that's not true at all. if i qualify for wave 1 i might have to do it in 2017.

join me for a race? book a room for the family in SV? come to jackson for moose chase?

got a stack of skis headed my way...back from fresh grinds. i zero'ed out a few pair and am going to test in nov/dec/early jan. toying with the idea of classic for off days.
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Old 10-03-15, 10:29 AM
  #11604  
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Originally Posted by tetonrider
question: are you doing your warm-up laps on the pit bike?
i can see an argument for having the same tires on pit & race bike's wheels, but i can also see the other side and have different tires so one has options. any preference if it was the IDEAL world?

i also have a practical situation that makes me think about a pit bike. a while back i got some sick HED stinger disc (brake) wheels. they rock. the hubs are center lock. all my other wheels, are 6-bolt. i set up my primary bike's calipers so that they work with most of my wheels, but it's an either-or thing. there is no way to adjust the spacing of center lock rotors, so either i set it up for no rub on the HEDs or set it up for no rub on all the other wheels. i chose the latter.

if i had a pit bike i could leave the HEDs on it and be good.

or i could sell the HEDs (would kind of like to do that just to not have this issue and have everything be easily swappable....but they have really nice tires and i hate to part with them).
I warm up on my pit bike. I bring a trainer and a trainer wheel and put that on the pit bike. Don't want to "mess with" the main bike.

In an ideal world we would have the same tires on both bikes but I think an intermediate mud tire is best otherwise. I just keep PDXs on that bike and use PDXs or Fangos on my other bike. I think I may be the only person who likes Fangos, but I really think they're a good all rounder. I'm too cheap for any of those Frenchie tires.

What is the point of centerlock rotors. Other than DT and White Industries, and apparently HED, no one else makes then. 6 bolt seems so much better. I didn't know there were spacing differences too. I'd say use the HEDs, especially if you have tires. They will keep in in the race. I feel pressure makes more of a difference than tread pattern anyway for most tires.

Thanks for reminding me - I need to send my skis of to get ground!!
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Old 10-03-15, 10:34 AM
  #11605  
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Originally Posted by tetonrider
ps.....nordic racing this year? coming out to the BMT? they gave me my wave 1 start, so i'm committed.

just last night realized that even with a broken pole (raced 2/3 with one pole!) @ west yellowstone last year, i just missed out on a wave 1 start at the birkie. i had been told you HAVE to have raced it previously to get out of wave 9, but that's not true at all. if i qualify for wave 1 i might have to do it in 2017.

join me for a race? book a room for the family in SV? come to jackson for moose chase?

got a stack of skis headed my way...back from fresh grinds. i zero'ed out a few pair and am going to test in nov/dec/early jan. toying with the idea of classic for off days.
Everything is up in the air right now. I'm not opposed to anything. I should do Boulder. I think I was 77th last time I did it, maybe they could put me in wave 1. Of course the Birkie is awesome, been a long time since I've done it.
I am think of heading out to West Yellowstone for thanksgiving....
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Old 10-03-15, 10:39 AM
  #11606  
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Originally Posted by Andy STi
What is the point of centerlock rotors. Other than DT and White Industries, and apparently HED, no one else makes then. 6 bolt seems so much better. I didn't know there were spacing differences too.
Shimano makes them (I think they originated the spec) and Roval too. I don't think there is a designed in spacing difference, I think TR is just saying it's less straightforward (not impossible though, just a matter of finding the right diameter spacer) to shim the centerlock rotor in or out to avoid the caliper rubbing when you switch wheels.
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Old 10-03-15, 10:43 AM
  #11607  
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Originally Posted by Andy STi
I warm up on my pit bike. I bring a trainer and a trainer wheel and put that on the pit bike. Don't want to "mess with" the main bike.
thanks! good to know what a good racer does. i typically do laps on the course when i can to dial in features & tire pressure, and then warm up on local roads. i actually don't own a clincher disc wheel at all, much less one with slicks, but i could still ride on the trainer, i suppose.

Originally Posted by Andy STi
In an ideal world we would have the same tires on both bikes but I think an intermediate mud tire is best otherwise. I just keep PDXs on that bike and use PDXs or Fangos on my other bike. I think I may be the only person who likes Fangos, but I really think they're a good all rounder. I'm too cheap for any of those Frenchie tires.
yeah. i guess then to do it right you need 2x the # of wheel setups.

tires are so region-dependent, of course. i think a good, neutral mud tire is probably the best choice for a backup. i like the super mud. it may be a little overkill in terms of traction for a rear tire, but how often do you hear people complain they had too MUCH traction, esp for a pit bike? i generally like it as a front even on dry days. i'll ride something like a slalom or sprint (if grass) for the rear.

i happen to like the slalom or super mud over the fango, myself, but the fangos are a nice intermediate mud tread.

here is the super mud.


Originally Posted by Andy STi
What is the point of centerlock rotors. Other than DT and White Industries, and apparently HED, no one else makes then. 6 bolt seems so much better. I didn't know there were spacing differences too. I'd say use the HEDs, especially if you have tires. They will keep in in the race. I feel pressure makes more of a difference than tread pattern anyway for most tires.
center lock brakes are nice, in theory, because there is only ONE thing to tighten/loosen, instead of 6 bolts, so installation/removal is easier/faster. that is rare, though.

also, via an adaptor they allow you to use ANY rotor in existence, but not like that is a big problem if you have 6-bolt hubs.

i think the hub can be a bit lighter, though the whole setup weighs the same.

in summary: not much of an advantage.

shimano hubs use it, too.

the nasty secret of disc wheels (and why it would be an issue in the pro peloton) is that every hub and every rotor has slightly different thicknesses. even 0.25mm matters in terms of getting rub vs no rub. so....mixing zipp and mavic wheels (both 6-bolt)? you could have rub with the same rotor, even. with 6-bolt rotors one can use micro shims to set things up perfectly, but that's for ONE bike/ONE rider.

Originally Posted by Andy STi
Thanks for reminding me - I need to send my skis of to get ground!!
not sure if you are actually sending them out or are going to use the local guys, but if you are OK to ship, send them to my boy zach in vermont. he is AMAZING....he's a tech on the world cup at times but pretty much has a business focused exclusively on grinding.

serious. if you want i can put you in touch. he's grinding 4 pairs for me this fall!
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Old 10-03-15, 10:45 AM
  #11608  
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Originally Posted by globecanvas
Shimano makes them (I think they originated the spec) and Roval too. I don't think there is a designed in spacing difference, I think TR is just saying it's less straightforward (not impossible though, just a matter of finding the right diameter spacer) to shim the centerlock rotor in or out to avoid the caliper rubbing when you switch wheels.
Forgot about Shimano, duh! I agree, I think they developed it. Roval also does 6 bolt, at least my Control SLs are 6 bolt (love those wheels.)
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Old 10-03-15, 10:45 AM
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Originally Posted by globecanvas
Shimano makes them (I think they originated the spec) and Roval too. I don't think there is a designed in spacing difference, I think TR is just saying it's less straightforward (not impossible though, just a matter of finding the right diameter spacer) to shim the centerlock rotor in or out to avoid the caliper rubbing when you switch wheels.
yeah, no DESIGNED difference, but every hub fits in every frame just a bit different. it could be that the center lock rotor sits in the same spot relative to the center of the hub on DT, roval (i think they're using DT internals now), shimano...but they end caps are just a bit off. and like i said above, 0.25mm matters when mixing and matching. it's unfortunate.
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Old 10-03-15, 10:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Andy STi
Everything is up in the air right now. I'm not opposed to anything. I should do Boulder. I think I was 77th last time I did it, maybe they could put me in wave 1. Of course the Birkie is awesome, been a long time since I've done it.
I am think of heading out to West Yellowstone for thanksgiving....
seriously? we booked a hotel room for the family at west for thanksgiving. not sure of what days we're booked. you should come!

also, for the BMT i'm not certain how far back they'll go for prior results. something tells me you'd have to have done it int he past 2 years (maybe they'd make an exception for 2013 due to last year's $hitshow). i faked my way into the elite/wave 1 start last year, so you probably could do it more easily than me!

might be worth booking a refundable room for either. i can tell you what hotel we're in for each....so you can either make sure to be int he same one or avoid.

maybe you, me and @globecanvas should be on a party-line this morning, or whatever they used to call it 30 years ago.
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Old 10-03-15, 11:01 AM
  #11611  
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I'm trying to up my post count - want to be accepted around here!
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Old 10-03-15, 11:05 AM
  #11612  
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You're from Oregon. You'll need to appeal to the other west coast people.
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Old 10-03-15, 11:08 AM
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Originally Posted by gsteinb
You're from Oregon. You'll need to appeal to the other west coast people.
i'm from the intermountain region. i have no one to appeal to.

so kind of back to @globecanvas ... if you were thinking about the e5 frame (again, with the same carbon fork as all the others in the line-up), would you be fine with it as a warm-up/pit bike, all else equal (drivetrain, wheels, tires, cockpit)?

did nothing else change in UMD's switch (or yours)...ie not canti to disc? i remember a while back UMD was on a ti-cross, or some other bike that really was a compromise.
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Old 10-03-15, 11:18 AM
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Originally Posted by gsteinb
You're from Oregon. You'll need to appeal to the other west coast people.
I'm doomed
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Old 10-03-15, 11:25 AM
  #11615  
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Originally Posted by tetonrider
if you were thinking about the e5 frame (again, with the same carbon fork as all the others in the line-up), would you be fine with it as a warm-up/pit bike, all else equal (drivetrain, wheels, tires, cockpit)?
Sure. I have that bike, after all, and if I wanted a pit bike, that would be my pit bike. I'm just letting you know that it's not the same as your current bike plus a half pound or whatever.

Originally Posted by tetonrider
did nothing else change in UMD's switch (or yours)...ie not canti to disc? i remember a while back UMD was on a ti-cross, or some other bike that really was a compromise.
In my case I literally switched the wheels, bars, and all components* over to the new frame and it was instant magic. I've since upgraded just about everything, but that's just how it works; talk yourself into a new frame because you already have all the components, then talk yourself into upgrading all the components. The bike now has CX1 on it.

Coincidentally umd and I both did exactly the same frame upgrade, 2012 e5 disc to 2015 pro disc. Well, it was a coincidence that we both had the same 2012 e5; the upgrade was so striking to me that I talked him into doing the same thing, so that's not so much of a coincidence.



* after looking at the photos I realize the only thing I didn't swap was the seatpost, because the pro came with the pretty nice but unfortunately named "cobble gobbler" post. I did have a carbon post on the other bike though. I doubt the seat post is 100% responsible for how different the bikes feel (or even 10% responsible really) but hey, you never know.

Last edited by globecanvas; 10-03-15 at 11:38 AM.
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Old 10-03-15, 11:29 AM
  #11616  
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old:




new:

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Old 10-03-15, 11:46 AM
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globe--can't thank you enough for this perspective. haven't seen much on the e5 that i trust, and nothing at all on an e5->carbon comparison.

our current frames are pretty similar (yours and mine), so the comparison is meaningful.

right now i'm riding a SW crux (i get specialized deals but this was a further deal on a prior year frame) with a 1x hydraulic setup (i feel hydraulics are a huge upgrade over mechanical disc; think i'd rather have cantis, esp if dry, than mechanical discs having used both). the whole package is better than i deserve, especially for actual CROSS races....though i can say i rode the piss out of it in that gravel race and pushed it hard.


Originally Posted by globecanvas
Sure. I have that bike, after all, and if I wanted a pit bike, that would be my pit bike. I'm just letting you know that it's not the same as your current bike plus a half pound or whatever.
this is very good to know.

any more specifics you can share on the differences? it was tough to find info, but one place suggested the frame difference is 500g; another suggested 1kg. i'm basing that on 2 quotes weights of the e5 vs my SW measured weight. since the fork is the same i find it a bit hard to believe that it is 1kg.

some parameters i'd be curious about:
* cornering/handling (mainly front-end stiffness)
* compliance (comfort/forgiveness)
* accelerating (meaningful for me....this was the data from my last cross race!) other guys are probably better/smoother.


Originally Posted by globecanvas
In my case I literally switched the wheels, bars, and all components over to the new frame and it was instant magic. I've since upgraded just about everything, but that's just how it works; talk yourself into a new frame because you already have all the components, then talk yourself into upgrading all the components. The bike now has CX1 on it.

Coincidentally umd and I both did exactly the same frame upgrade, 2012 e5 disc to 2015 pro disc. Well, it was a coincidence that we both had the same 2012 e5; the upgrade was so striking to me that I talked him into doing the same thing, so that's not so much of a coincidence.
again, good to know.

like @Andy STi, sometimes i travel 5, 6h for a race or 2 in a weekend. if i were to blow up a bike, it could end the weekend. a buddy last year had TWO separate crashes during warm-up a few years back and (bad luck or Sram?) broke 2 shifters. they were local races, but without a pit bike he was hosed. had i traveled 5h....??
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Old 10-03-15, 11:51 AM
  #11618  
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Originally Posted by globecanvas
old:




new:

damn. that looks f-ing SHARP.

when i got my current rig last year i was debating the prior year's SW vs the current year's pro (yours). was a tough call but i went with the green (SW) v yellow for the same deal to me. photos of a built-up bike in green tipped things in favor of that, whereas i couldn't really envision how a built-up pro would look.

now, your photo does exactly that for me -- built up it looks amazing.

i was thinking i like the current year's pro paint-job vs your 14/15, but the 15/16 SW and pro are thru axle. i actually have 2 wheelsets that could be adapted to that, but they're my better wheels....and i'd kind of prefer to avoid having some wheels that are set up thru (even if it's an easy swap) and others that are set up QR.

so...i'm kind of in EXACTLY the same position as i was last year, looking at a current year's bike (e5) vs the prior year (pro, in this case).

your feedback + that photo = damn.

still think i like the current year pro's paint job, all else equal. if that was on the pro it would be a done deal!

i'll check tomorrow to see if they have any 14/15 pros in my size left.

the thing is, i just got a new bike late summer. i was expecting to sell a road bike when i got it but lately am thinking i don't want to do that. adding another bike wasn't in the plan...and that color scheme for sure will get noticed. prior to my crux every bike i had was matte black, so NBD. slipping in a bright ORANGE bike...not so easy!

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Old 10-03-15, 11:58 AM
  #11619  
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this is one of my favorite photos of all time, but also shows the built bike. nothing like getting heckled by your young kid...never too early to teach him to have a beer & be a cyclocross/euro-style hooligan, right?!

@Andy STi ... you are a much better racer, but i actually was leading a cross race at one point! if only it were 45" instead of 45'...... *le sigh*

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Old 10-03-15, 12:07 PM
  #11620  
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Originally Posted by tetonrider
any more specifics you can share on the differences? it was tough to find info, but one place suggested the frame difference is 500g; another suggested 1kg. i'm basing that on 2 quotes weights of the e5 vs my SW measured weight. since the fork is the same i find it a bit hard to believe that it is 1kg.

some parameters i'd be curious about:
* cornering/handling (mainly front-end stiffness)
* compliance (comfort/forgiveness)
* accelerating (meaningful for me....this was the data from my last cross race!) other guys are probably better/smoother.

No idea on the weight difference. I can't really give you bullet points on the other stuff -- can anybody actually do that apart from magazine reviewers who are just making it all up anyway? All I can say is, from day one I felt like I was fighting the aluminum bike somewhat, all the time, whether up a hill, tight corners, fast on the flats, whatever. Those are the words that always came to mind, like I was fighting against the bike. At first I thought it was a draggy BB, then the wheels, RD, etc. I upgraded every single component one by one until I had changed everything. Then the sponsor shop offered a bro deal on the carbon frameset, I swapped everything over, and it was like night and day. If the frames are really 1kg different that would explain a lot, I would not have thought the difference was that extreme.


Originally Posted by tetonrider
slipping in a bright ORANGE bike...not so easy!

For years my buddy only bought white bikes for camouflage-from-the-wife reasons. The last bike he bought was pink. His wife was like "whaaat?" and went out to the shed and totally busted him for the other 8 white bikes. Sometimes that n+1 can be disproportionately costly.
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Old 10-03-15, 12:08 PM
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Originally Posted by tetonrider
after being on vacation for a while, i got back home and found out our local 'cross kick-off race was happening that night. i found myself being a bit of a pansy: my cx bike wasn't even built (i typically pull some parts from another bike), and i hadn't done a single dismount/remount. i kept thinking "if i just had one day to practice, i'd be OK." realized the advice i'd give to anyone else is that you never feel ready, so just buck up. so i did.

other than hitting myself in the nuts on my very first remount, which meant i, uh, lost a bit of concentration for a minute or so, things were uneventful, but it leads me to my question for @grolby, @mikey868y, @Andy STi, @globecanvas, and others who race cross......

i wound up flatting deep into the race. it was just a local/silly thing, but i was battling for 2nd/3rd at the time. i rode for 1.5 laps basically on my rim (and was still moving up...love tubulars!) before realizing i HAD to pit. took about 45" (dead spot in my data file)--probably could be done faster but in race mode and with aligning a disc, not having the bike in the right gear, etc. (my fault) it took me out of the battle-within-the-battle. a full pit BIKE would have been a 5" swap, maybe 10, and i'm still in the hunt.

i've been racing this guy, a specialized carbon crux.


i was poking around and realized i could get another frame pretty cheap (e5 crux)...and i have most of the parts to throw together a build, already have additional wheels....

it's ridiculous, right? cross season is pretty short here--pretty much nonexistent. it's not like the big stuff in portland, boston, etc. i'm just a mediocre cross racer. the backup bike wouldn't get used much at all--i really don't RIDE the cross bike other than to race it and for occasional skills practice

and yet i find that i'm seriously thinking about getting the e5.....or even THIS (pro) frame. that is crazy. talk me out of (into?) it.

the e5 would cost me less than a small pile of tires. the pro would be about 2x that. anyone have experience on the Alu crux? i *really* like the crux i'm on. the marketing is 'a tarmac for the dirt' and i find that to be true w/r/t handling. i'm not a huge fan of the euro/tall BB thing.

e5:


pro:



any thoughts (enabling)?
I'm a little behind on this (slept all morning, cause I'm sick as a dog this weekend), and I don't have much to add on the details of pit bike selection, use, etc. But my take is, if you can swing the extra cash and you want a pit bike, just do it. If you think having a basic pit bike is silly, you haven't seen what some of the Masters racers around here do. Pit bikes with Di2, now THAT is ridiculous. But being able to just change bikes, if you care about results, can make a world of difference. Even if you have spare wheels in the pit, a wheel change will take 35-40 seconds, easily. A bike change takes a fraction of the time, even without someone to catch the old bike and hand you the new one. That's not counting the time you lose on the way to the pits, of course. And if you're passing people on a flat tubular on the way to the pit... surely you're starting from pretty far back, aren't you?
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Old 10-03-15, 12:17 PM
  #11622  
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Originally Posted by grolby
And if you're passing people on a flat tubular on the way to the pit... surely you're starting from pretty far back, aren't you?
@tetonrider is racing in Wyoming, only 10 people live there anyway, how many could be racing?
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Old 10-03-15, 12:19 PM
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Originally Posted by globecanvas
No idea on the weight difference. I can't really give you bullet points on the other stuff -- can anybody actually do that apart from magazine reviewers who are just making it all up anyway? All I can say is, from day one I felt like I was fighting the aluminum bike somewhat, all the time, whether up a hill, tight corners, fast on the flats, whatever. Those are the words that always came to mind, like I was fighting against the bike. At first I thought it was a draggy BB, then the wheels, RD, etc. I upgraded every single component one by one until I had changed everything. Then the sponsor shop offered a bro deal on the carbon frameset, I swapped everything over, and it was like night and day. If the frames are really 1kg different that would explain a lot, I would not have thought the difference was that extreme.
an SW 56 is ~1250 for the frame (that THICK paint job adds at least 100g, i figure) and the fork is >500. i saw some online #s that said the e5 frameset is ~1600; i'm thinking they mean frame-only, so that would imply <500g difference. actually, i've read the pro is 100g heavier than the SW (i believe that), so it would mean an even smaller weight difference. hm.

another site said the e5 frameset was ~2600 (frame + fork + not sure what else, eg. bb cups). if that is true, then we've got 900-1000g.

which do you believe?

Originally Posted by globecanvas

For years my buddy only bought white bikes for camouflage-from-the-wife reasons. The last bike he bought was pink. His wife was like "whaaat?" and went out to the shed and totally busted him for the other 8 white bikes. Sometimes that n+1 can be disproportionately costly.
haha.

it's not so much to hide anything from my wife (she doesn't care) as it was my style was just as low-key as possible. somewhere along the way that shifted to EVERYTHINGNEON!!!!111!!!! definitely more noticeable at home, though.
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Old 10-03-15, 12:20 PM
  #11624  
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Originally Posted by Andy STi
@tetonrider is racing in Wyoming, only 10 people live there anyway, how many could be racing?
dude...i'm the #1-ranked racer in the state! how many people can say that? hahah!

(last i checked i am the ONLY racer in the state cat 2 & up.)

you're not far off from the truth.
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Old 10-03-15, 12:20 PM
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Originally Posted by tetonrider
dude...i'm the #1-ranked racer in the state! how many people can say that*? hahah!

(last i checked i am the ONLY racer in the state cat 2 & up.)

you're not far off from the truth.
* answer: 50. or maybe 51 or 52 if DC & PR and norcal/socal are USAC "states."
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