divtag

I posted the other day about a CL Cross Check: https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/557158-help-used-cross-check.html. Well you guys convinced me. I just picked it up this morning. Not a scratch on it. I like the color so much more than the '09 beefy gravy and wasn't so thrilled about the black.











The owner purchased a Specialized Allez instead because it is lighter. He transferred the wheels and seat over. The tires are super skinny, I am not a roadie and I do not about the wheels, Mavic CXP 22. It doesn't look like I can run fatter tires on them.

Are the wheels worth anything if I try to sell them and buy some more commuter/light touring friendly? It seems set up more for riding fast, so I think I need to fix the gearing, too. Hopefully that isn't too expensive.

I just got back into riding a few months ago. I hadn't ridden much in 15 years since I was a kid. I have never ridden anything with drops. I rode a few blocks around. It feels very weird, nothing like my Rockhopper. It is going to take some getting used to. I assume the fit is right. The guy was a couple inches taller than me with a two inch taller inseam. It seemed kind of small, but I think that is just because of the difference in geometry from a MTB. He said he tried a 52 cm, but it was a little too stretched out.

The front end seems a little squirmy/shaky. I stood up to pump and it wasn't like the Rockhopper or the BMX bikes I rode growing up.

Any suggestions on tweaks? I am thinking a Brooks B17, MKS Touring Platform Pedals, and I already have Topeak Explorer rack that I can put on.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot: $800. They guy didn't even hesitate. I should have said $700.

JeffS

The wheels aren't worth much. If you want some wider tires, I'd just mount them to these and be done with it - unless, of course, you're ready to spend considerably more money for something noticeably better.

The front-end squirm is probably just you adjusting to the narrower bar width. You get used to it.

HardyWeinberg

15mm rims you can easily go out to 32mm tires. I don't know how hard you'd have to push a fatter tire to make it roll off one of those rims. I hear that's a risk, I have no idea how much it's a 'risk' vs 'certainty'

mihlbach

Normal cyclocross bikes use road rims with 32mm tires. Those wheels will easily take a wider tire. Given the frame size, I presume you are not a clyde. In that case, those are fairly heavy duty wheels.

divtag

Obviously I don't know much about bikes. I am just starting the learning process. I guess having a proper "road" bike for the first time is going to take a lot of getting used to and a lot to learn. I test road a Randonee at REI. It was the first time I had ridden road tires, but they were at least twice as fat as these. These are like the Karen Carpenter of tires. What size do you guys recommend?

Also, could I throw on some fat off road tires on the rims and ride beginner off road trails?

mihlbach

Your brake levers appear to be in the quick release position. You need to pull the lever a bit and push the little silver pin inward. Then you won't have to reach so far to pull the brake. You may need to adjust your cable tension.

Learning about bikes is fun.

HardyWeinberg

I think the stock randonee has 32mm tires. Yours should give their width on the sidewall, 700xwhatever (or 622-whatever).

divtag

Yeah I was having trouble braking. I want to get the Cyclocross brakes up top. What do I do, look for, ask for in regards to gearing for hills? Besides commuting and rides along the bike trail, I am going to do some touring at some point. Maybe not until next Spring, but that is the plan. I have read about double, triple, different numbers, but I don't know what any of it means. The only thing I figured out is this bike doesn't have it. Also, after only using thumb shifters, the barcons are going to take some getting used to.

How hard is it to swap out the handlebars? When I was at the LBS talking about ordering a CC new, I saw Salsa Moto Ace Bell-Lap that I liked and Nitto Noodle Bars.

Bearsong

First of all, congratulations. You got a great bike at a great price.

As for tires I would try some 32's and see how you like them. They seem to be a favorite around here, give some more traction (depending on tread) and stability, take out some of the bumps and jars that you would take with skinner or higher pressure tires yet still let you zip.

A cyclocross bike is not a mountain bike and there are very different feels. There are some resources for self-fitting a bike such as sheldon brown's (which I can't find right now) or see if your LBS has a good reputation for doing fits and how much they charge.

I am still learning about gearing so this is what I know. A double and triple "crank" is the number of rings/cogs attached to your pedals. This system (cogs and arms) is the crank. Double cranks have become more popular as far as I know in recent years, although they have been around a long time. I have a double crank with the large cog having 50 teeth and the smaller has 34 teeth (50/34 is the short hand). This is also called a compact double and why that is I don't exactly know.

My rear cassette has cogs ranging from 11-28 teeth. I do a lot on my bike, its a cyclocross like yours. I commute 15-20 miles roundtrip with hilly terrain. I ride some singletrack and go up muddy inclines and over roots. I feel confident that I could go on a weekend tour with this system as well and plan to by the end of the summer. So for what its worth there it is.

I have been told that changing either my crank or rear cassette might benefit me in some conditions, what those conditions exactly are I'm not sure yet as the bike has done everything I have wanted it to do and well.

As for your additions of "Brooks B17, MKS Touring Platform Pedals, and I already have Topeak Explorer rack" I think those are great and you can't go wrong with what you have chosen.

I suggest either finding some trusted on-line or local knowledge and getting your fit dialed in. Then ride the bike a lot, then see what you want to start swapping and changing out besides your ideas for a saddle and pedals. I've found that things I initially thought I wanted to change are not what I want now after riding my bike 500 miles or so. Pay particular attention to pain! Fix those problems first.

making

It looks like you got a great bike. Congrats.

adaminlc

Don't shoot your bike, ride it. jk. You will be pleased, I think. Great price for a great bike.

Jonahhobbes

As JeffS said it you will adjust, took me about 3 months getting used to the feel when I switched my main commuter MTB to my Salsa cross bike.

One thing to look out for is tight corner, due to the wheels feeling way bigger, give yourself more space and time and try break the line, (sort of go outside the obvious imaginary line you would normally follow to go around a corner).

I had a "timber!" moment when I navigated a tight MUP switchback and did not give myself enough room and fell over. This video I found might explain what I mean even though it's an MTB vid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF9ef...eature=channel

After a few months riding the Cross Check, if you jump on your MTB it will feel really unresponsive and feels like you are turning an oil tanker.

Quel

Seems a bit odd to me to have dura-ace/ultegra components and still be using bar end shifters. Seems like the guy was trying to be a roadie with his cross check, but not sure what he was going for with that one. They got rid of the "fff-fatties fit fine" on the 2009 model, which makes me a bit sad to have that one. Nice ride. It's about $200 less than a new complete, just one year older, and with better components. Not bad.

skinny matt

What size is the bike? How tall are you, and whats your inseam?

divtag

The bike is 50 cm. I am 5'6" - 5'7" with a 27" pant inseam. I just got back from a short 4 mile test ride to Del Taco. I am going to take it out tomorrow morning on the trail along the PCH from HB to Newport and give it a better test run. The geometry isn't so bad, I am not "hunched" over as much as I thought. Not like a proper roadie racer bike. If the LHT is even more relaxed it has to be like a MTB.

I am not liking the brakes. My hands are small and it is hard to brake. Plus, they don't seem to be stopping well, but that may be due to my small hands getting a grip. I also hit the bar ends with my knees three times as I started from a stop.

I don't like the wheels/tires. Too skinny, I could really feel the bumps. They are 700 x 23. The Rockhopper that I have been riding has 26 x 2.00. Which were too far in the other direction for pavement riding. Also, how do I tell what the gearing is?

I need to find some panniers. I teach, so no commuting until the end of August, but then I am going to need to take in my laptop, lunch, etc. Also, some groceries. I am thinking I'll do some groceries runs this summer to get a feel for panniers and the extra weight. So, any suggestions? Do I need fenders in SoCal? I don't plan on riding in the two weeks of rain.

Tabor

Those wheels are nothing special, but they aren't trash either. Those are nice components too, btw. I suggest 700x28c or 700x32c Continental Ultra Gatorskins.

EDIT- A good cheap rack is the Delta Megarack. I personally think you should splurge and gets to Ortlieb panniers, they are worth every penny.

divtag

I checked the Mavic CXP 22 on Mavic's site. They can only handle up to 228 mm. So, looks like new wheels. Any recommendations? I'd like to be to run 32 - 38.

Bearsong

For wheelsets, a friend was just singing the praises of these, https://www.neuvationcycling.com/index.html I mean he is deeply in love with them. They were on sale last I looked too. Reviews on various forums have always been good too.

exile

Congratulations on your bike divtag. It looks like you've got a very nice bike for a very nice price (I like the color also).

I really can't contribute much as far as gearing or tires go. If you are in Socal I don't think you would need fenders, but I don't know the weather conditions their either. I also hear fenders do more than just keep rain from splattering on you, but can also keep the drivetrain fairly clean. Right now it's raining outside and I am glad I keep fenders on my LHT however.

It sounds like the bike is the right fit but you can do minor things to adjust it if needed (possibly shorter stem, setback seatpost, etc.). It looks like the person you bought it from made some alterations to it so you might need to make changes yourself.

I just got a brooks flyer (pre-aged) and rode it into work. It felt really comfortable, but I think I had the nose pointed up a little to much. After I get some miles under my belt and some minor adjustments I will know better how it is.

Otherwise, congrats again on your new ride .

kelvinbatista

hey divtag, I also have small hands and purchased Tektro r100 levers, they are road levers designed for people like us who might have reach problems. Considering you have the dura-ace setup i would not exclude brifters from your list. good luck

cheers

Kelvin

TheDL

What's your budget for a wheelset?

If your needs are more bombproof commuting rather than serious road riding I'd say it's a better option to have a wheelsett handbuilt. Get a set of Shimano mountain bike hubs laced to some road Sun-Ringle CR18 rims and you'd have a burly set of wheels for cheap.

On average it's around $30/labor per wheel built + the cost of parts (hubs, spokes, nipples, rims)

sjauch

That's a great bike and you got it for a nice price. I'm a big fan of that frame color. Wish they still had it when I got my black CC this year.

If I were you I'd hold off a bit on a wheelset and any major changes/upgrades till you get some more miles on it. The wheelset you have now is good. For tires, I'd recommend a set of Panaracer Pasela TG's - 700x28c they are not as wide as your looking for but have a great ride feel to them.

Also sounds like you might benefit from going to a good bike shop and having a fit and some adjustments done. Maybe shorter reach levers - Tektro R100, a shorter stem may also be recommended or even bars with a shorter reach/drop. There are quite a few variables.

Anyway, enjoy the ride, it's a great bike.

buck65

Congrats on the purchase. Give it another 20 miles (aka 5 HellTaco trips and you'll be much more used to the bike). The easiest way to tell what kind of gearing you have is to look for the numbers on the chainring and cogs. You'll probably see a 50 or 52 on the big ring near your pedals...and maybe a 34 or 36 on the smaller ring. If the numbers are not there, just start counting the teeth. Unless you have massive hills (like in Seattle), you should be fine with your existing setup. Just keep riding and you'll get in better shape.

While you don't really need the fenders in SoCal, they are helpful in keeping road debris off of you. As stated above, they'll keep the drivetrain clean and they'll be helpful during those occasional times that it rains.

I agree with sjaunch's suggestion on size 28 Panaracer tires. Get something like that an fill up to 90psi--I'll be surprised if you're not pleased.

You're mentioning things about new tires, wheels, saddles, brakes, possibly drivetrain parts, shifters....this can all really add up quickly ($500ish). BE CAREFUL. If I were you, I'd pick up some wider tires, some cross brakes, and some panniers. If you stick to it and ride regularly, you're going to have a great time and will save a lot of money.


EDIT: If you sell the wheels, PM me.

TheDL

Ride your route to school a couple times this summer so you can get an idea on how long it takes to travel, what traffic is like, etc.

modernjess

I run 25mm slicks in summer 35mm Nokian studded tires on my cxp22's in the winter. They're fine. You can run 32's on those, although I can't think of a good reason to run 32's but hey it's your bike, and it's a nice find. Ride the hell out of it.