So after my ride today, I was sitting out on the deck with my laptop and recovery beverage(s) (Fat Tire - a buddy went to Indiana last weekend & brought back several cases), and got an email from the LBS that they're doing a cx skills clinic in town in a few weeks.
My fitness is still terrible, I'm a few thousand miles short of where I should be training/fitness base-wise, but what the heck...
I've been practicing mounts and dismounts for something to mix it up while riding to/from cheerleading practice with my daughter-she thinks there's something wrong with me when I go running past her carrying the bike: 'People are watching, daddy'.
Short term plan is to get a set of 32-35c cx tires on the Volpe and go embarrass myself. If I don't die during the clinic, I'll try a race & see if that kills me.
I figure it's a win/win- if I embarrass myself, it's the bike's fault for being so old; if I actually finish anything other than DFL, it's an uber-win. Either way I have more motivation to train, lose weight, and watch the diet, so that makes it a win no matter what.

Sounds like fun

Just make sure you leave the rear rack on the bike when you race.......

Do it!

You won't be the oldest. You won't be the least fit. You won't have the oldest bike. But you will have fun. I did my first CX race on a 89 Trek 660 that I jammed knobby tires into. Oh, and it was a single speed. I had a blast. You will too.

Good on ya! Sounds awesome. I've been considering setting up my early 70s Atala Grand Prix with cross tires and a 1x5-7 setup and giving it a go.

There's a big USGP of CX event here in November. I'm looking forward to checking that out.

I remember that blue 660. Great setup.

Do the cheerleading workout that your daughter does and eat the same diet.
Believe me, you'll lose weight and be in the best shape of your entire life.

Short term plan is to get a set of 32-35c cx tires on the Volpe and go embarrass myself.

your actually going to take your Volpe off road? shame on you

Thanks! I'm bringing it back: this time with orange paint and centerpulls, which I hope will help with muddy conditions. (The brakes, not the paint. Duh.)

I have similar plans for my Peugeot Nice. At least in terms of set up. The people I ride with are on cross bikes and go on trails quite a bit. I'm stuck with road bikes and mountain bikes which can't hang on gearing. Post some pictures as you go so I can steal ideas...

You are going to have so much fun at your clinic. I just did one at Rutgers and had a blast. It's hard as Hell, but well worth it. I intended on taking my (new) Masi CXSS, but it ended up taking my 25YO "Vintage" Peugeot MTB. I strapped on skinny tires, and went for it. Although heavier than I wanted, it did great. It also ended up being an ice breaker when people started asking where my rear brake was. (CS mounted U-brake).

There were all types of bikes represented there from fully suspended MTB, to high end CX. There was even a couple doing the clinic with a tandem. I know I'm excited to start the season no matter what bike I end up riding.

Don't worry about your fitness. It'll come. Again all levels of fitness were represented and it didn't matter. They broke us into groups on the second day for those who wanted a slower pace or wanted more work on skills and for those who wanted more race pace experience. At the end we rejoined and did the course three times to get practical experience on the skills we learned.

Enjoy your clinic, now get out and ride!

Isn't that what it was designed for ? It came with 700x35 knobbies when I got it. Plus after all the winter riding, crashing, and commuting on crappy Cleveland roads that it used to do, it's still straight.
(Don't worry, N+1 theorem mandates that something more appropriate will be smuggled into the garage if I like it)

Glad this started a good discussion!!

Seems as if the volpe started life in mid 80's as an early road/offroad hybrid. Not exactly a full race CX bike but more of a hybrid before there were upright hybrids. Later volpe models morphed into more of a touring bike. What year is yours, have any pictures?

What SS gearing are you using?

And we do need photos of CX bikes and conversions.

yes it did. the idea was you had a nice road bike that you can take a detour down a dirt road if you wanted, or maybe do some light touring.


glad to oblige.

here is my '86 Volpe is sexxy Sizzling Peach. the 'original hybrid' as Bianchi called it a few years later.



here is my '89 Equinox a few steps up from the Volpe. a real cross bike but on the heavy side



and my '90ish Boarala cross frame currently set up with IGH

I'm going to start with 39x17 because that's what I have laying around. It's a bit higher than conventional wisdom calls for (2:1), but the first race of the season is pancake flat and dry. I will probably go lower as the season goes on and my spin gets better.

Go all out, do the race in 80's neon lycra, fingerless neon gloves, and some rec-spec's. Even if you DFL, it'll be obvious your there for the fun, and everybody wins

This is a 1021 steel 83model Ricardo I did up awhile ago.
I has 700x35c cross tires fitted, I think any frame built for 27 inch wheels will take a 700x35 wheel and tire.
Its brilliant to ride with this setup.

I built a recreational cyclocross bike a few years back. By recreational I mean … non-competitive. I ride it off-road around parks and the like. It's a single speed.

More pics here: https://gallery.me.com/stephen.ogden#...r=white&sel=30

this is great looking. I love the 'shorty' fender in the rear

Some very interesting coversions. Especially the oggypop one is very unconventional. Looks like a very creative approach. Chapeau.

Not a conversion, but born for the purpose is my team Batavus-Gonso Batavus Professional. The pic is taken in another season and I can tel the bike behaved well in the conditions. I do not know how wide the tires are, but they are still the original tubulars

Here are a couple more -- 1995 Land Shark X Shark and my recently converted 1988 Fisher Procaliber MTB to SS trail bomber:

She's only 7, so I'd probably end up on some kind of watchlist for that. I did do a few days of football conditioning last year with a couple other dads. Nothing like having 10y/o kids heckle you as they bear crawl past you with shoulder pads & helmet on.... punks...This year some of them are almost as big as me and outweigh their moms. Scary.
I'm going full monte - rack, miserable boat anchor crank with riveted on steel chainrings (pulled off my MTB), and Fat Tire bell . I heard boat anchor cranks are worth like 30 sec a lap .
Beautiful collection of C&V cross bikes, everybody!!
Oggypop - that thing is great- very elegant!! What frame & fork is that?
BG - your bikes put mine to shame. The 87 definitely has great build details, especially the fork.

OK, you all have inspired me. It so happens that I have two 1989 Trek 660's -- my original gray and blue in primo stock condition and another white that has been raced hard but is in good condition and set up as an SS.

Now, the question is, how should I set it up as a CX bike -- SS or geared? DTs or barends? One or two chainrings?