xthugmurderx

don't overthink this. just curious. don't ask why. but what sort of things would you be looking for in a cross frame? materials, special features, etc. Hesitant to ask a group like this, but hell, why not? just curious. lets see what happens...

M_S

If purely for racing, I guess aluminum, scandium if price isn't an issue. Generous clearance for mud while racing or possibly wider tires if so inclined (but not for racing of course). Semi-sloping top tube in case of sloppy remount, but not so sloping as to make shouldering difficult.

Geometrically I'm a noob so stability is nice, but really, somehwere that allows for quick handling but good control.

I guess I'm basically describing a Major Jake?

xthugmurderx

that depends. I feel that running the cables under the BB is a bad idea. I think that is a flawed design. so that is already something that I think should be changed about that bike in particular.

PDXJeff

I like steel frames. Wheels and forks are important too, but everyone has there favorites.
Carbon forks are common now, as well as carbon wheels if you can afford them. Personally, I like reliability over weight. Steel fork, steel frame, mavic wheels. 105 group (cheap enough to replace if need be)

Aluminum is the choice of the big production companies. Carbon and Titanium is more common with the top end companies, and lugged or brazed steel seems to be popular with the custom boutique builders.

Pick your poison and/or price. If you like it, it's available.

Any good cyclocross manufacturer is going to have all sorts of reasons why there frames are superior.

flargle

M_S

Well my dream bike is a titanium cross bike wih disc brakes. Not sure If I'd want a carbon or steel fork. But that's because I'd be using it for a lot more than just cross. When we're talking a bike purely for cross racing, I think a nice, stiff aluminum frame (cannondale maybe?) with a carbon or steel fork is the way to go. Cross races are short, and while I love steel, its finer qualities probably aren't well appreciated in a one hour race (same with titanium). And a carbon frame, while light...well, maybe, if price isn't an issue. A carbon frame with a steel fork ould be fun to see .

I have no opinion on cable routing. There are proponents of top tube and downtube.

shapelike

Something that actually fits me ... like a 54cm ett and a 150mm headtube. I'm all legs.

p4nh4ndle

something light, supple, and easily replaceable.

jpearl

I second that. Anyone who's raced 'cross knows that frames get manhandled during the race, and the downtoube in particular gets grabbed in a very rough manner on run-ups. With downtube cables, the cables get squeezed and pinned against the frame, with the drawbacks being that not only is the frame getting scratched up, but you might even be throwing undue strain on the cables themselves and affecting how your derailleurs shift during a race.

Things I look for are the same as anyone; light and strong with a good ride, but I also take pedigree into account, and some companies are better at what they do than others. Anyone can make an aluminum frame, but not many make one better than Cannondale. Not that it makes me a better racer, but I like to know that there are pros riding the same bike as me. Enrico Franzio rode the same Cannondale CX aluminum frame and carbon fork as me (yes, he's the Italian national champion and I'm a Cat. 4 midfielder). His bike, even while decked out in some hot Campy bling, still had braze ons for touring racks and waterbottles. Pointless as those may be, I like to know that people like Franzio trust Cannondale's bike for racing at the highest levels of Cyclocross.

'nother

Something with a motor?

My ideal bike would have a geometry that is as open as possible for carries, be extremely light (duh), and inexpensive to repair/replace. Not too fussy about the specific materials as long as it meets those desires.

One thing regarding top-tube routing: I have an older Trek XO-1 which has cable stops for all 3 cables along the top. Nice, but as a practical matter, I can really only run the rear brake and RD cables there; the FD cable needs to go along the downtube because of the FD being bottom pull design (as pretty much all road FDs are). So I guess something I would like to see is a top-pull FD that works with road shifters and chainrings. Or a frame with those pulley thingies built in, so you don't have to add extra crap to your seat tube in order to run a regular FD with top routing. I heard that the Bianchis have this built-in, maybe some others.

Something else that would be useful is some kind of built-in anti-chain-drop device, maybe a braze-on mounting with a replaceable face or something like that.

recneps

A redline pro, that weighed 800grams but was just as strong. They seriously got everything right on that bike, except for the weight.

flargle

This is equally true for the top tube, if not more.

dirtyphotons

it's not an issue for either one if you run full housing and secure it with some electrical tape.

edit: or full housing cable guides. that's what i'd suggest to you thugmurder.

sfcrossrider

How so? My arm isn't rubbing on the tt on a long run up like it is on the dt. I've raced both, and I'll take tt cables any day (IMO).

Kris Flatlander

I like a bike with pretty steep geometry. Fast angles that, when I think "I want to turn right" the bike already has. Lightweight because I'm gonna be shouldering it. Not sure about the hydroformed top tubes lately, no experience but I'm sure they'd be nice. Scandium or Carbon Fiber so that's it's stiff and light. High BB in case I do some singletracking too. Oh and of course cable routing that isn't under the top tube

xthugmurderx

DP: thought about full housing, but i think that it would result in terribly decreased feel. I.E.too much friction will make it brake/shift like crap. steeper geometry is a good idea. as are a hair shorter chainstays.

my Alan has the pulley for the FD. i would have assumed that most did.

so do we think that a really good steel (OX Platinum or 853) is more or less preferable than a nice aluminum frame? Do we think that there would be a market for carbon cross bikes? i don't think people that have to pay for them necessarily trust them.

edit: a chain watcher would be awesome, but hard to pull off, because some people run different width bb's and different size chainrings, so you couldn't have anything fixed. might as well go buy a $10 dog fang.

sfcrossrider

If my frame was custom, it would be 853, or ti. My current rig is scandium/carbon.

M_S

If I were ever to actually drop a bunch of money on a frame though, it would probably be titanium or 853 like sfcrossrider said, even with (gasp) disc mounts. Lots of clearance so I could do some singletrack...kind of a "last bike I'd ever need."

Basicaly something a bit like a Poprad. I'm not good enough to need a bike that is extremely geared towards racing, and I don't race enough to be able to justify a bike that is really only good for racing. So while when I'm in a race it might be nice to think, "gee, I wish this frame was super stiff" that isn't really something I'd want at any other time.

Likewise I'd go to a single front chainring in a heartbeat, except that that would make the bike not so great on the road, and I wouldn't be able to get up some of the cross country trails around here.