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Convert this CX to Road?
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I am toying with the idea of either putting road tires on this Colnago or buying a dedicated disc wheel set. Just wondering if anyone has done either and what bike weight might be with either option. I know I CAN do this easily. Just wondering what other's results might have been before I choose my option. TIA.
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Should have noted that as pictured this bike currently weighs 22 lb 15 oz w/Speedplay Frogs
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There are certainly light disc wheel sets that you could put on and lighten it up. I ride my CX with road tires in the winter, only issue if things get fast going downhill the 46T spins out pretty quick. Having a spare set of wheels for the pit if you race isn't a bad thing either.
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I've never weighed either bike, but I've had dedicated "road" wheels for both the Haanjo and the Domane. Both feel considerably more responsive with the lighter wheels (300g+ lighter) and lighter, skinnier tires (probably another few hundred grams). Going the dedicated wheel route is nice in terms of flexibility - I tend to keep the skinnies on there 90% of the time, but can swap out to the nobbies at a moments notice. In your position, I'd simply pop some skinny tires on to your existing wheels to test the waters.
Oh, of note in my case, I've kind of rebounded a bit in terms of tire size - after moving down to 25s I've gone up slightly to 30s (Schwalbe G-One Speed) - at ~70psi they tend to take the edge off the crappy roads and leave me feeling less fatigued after long rides. They're also pretty fast-rolling and still relatively light - I'd call them a happy medium, but that'd undersell them a bit, as I don't think that there's much concession. |
Oh, if you do end up getting another wheelset, think about your gearing - with the smaller circumference tires, your effective gearing will change and you probably won't want/need as wide/tall of a cassette.
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
(Post 20281781)
Oh, if you do end up getting another wheelset, think about your gearing - with the smaller circumference tires, your effective gearing will change and you probably won't want/need as wide/tall of a cassette.
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I did the 2-wheelset thing, but not with disk brakes. Cx tires for off-road and cx races...road tires with lighter wheels for the road. Get a 2nd cassette, and in your case, the exact same disk rotor, and your golden...might be more tricky with disk brakes to make sure the brakes line up right. For me, I can switch wheels without making any derrailer or brake adjustments.
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Any idea what the weight difference is? I went on-line and did some research on spec weights of my existing CX tires (Kenda 700x32) and compared them to some Vittoria Rubino Pro tires. Just using that rough data it looks like a 1 lb saving.
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Also, just my perspective, but I think this set-up is the best balance of function, cost, and versatility for most people who want to do both road and gravel/cx.
Get a bike with good tire clearance, get two complete, interchangeable wheel/tire/cassette set-ups, and for the VAST majority of people, the frame of a good gravel or cx bike is not going to negativly affect your road performance vs a similarly priced road bike, not enough to matter. |
Are you also going to use less sturdy wheels (fewer spokes, less overbuilt) that don't need to survive as much abuse? Are you going to counteract that buy going with more aero wheels? Lots of variables. Sweet looking bike by the way.
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Originally Posted by 12strings
(Post 20282014)
Also, just my perspective, but I think this set-up is the best balance of function, cost, and versatility for most people who want to do both road and gravel/cx.
Get a bike with good tire clearance, get two complete, interchangeable wheel/tire/cassette set-ups, and for the VAST majority of people, the frame of a good gravel or cx bike is not going to negativly affect your road performance vs a similarly priced road bike, not enough to matter. |
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Originally Posted by himespau
(Post 20282029)
Are you also going to use less sturdy wheels (fewer spokes, less overbuilt) that don't need to survive as much abuse? Are you going to counteract that buy going with more aero wheels? Lots of variables. Sweet looking bike by the way.
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My niece races as a cat 3 with a cx bike, she just changes wheels. When she was a 4/5 she used to just put on slicks.
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they make shims for disk rotors so you can make wheels swaps easy.
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My Niner RLT9 looks a little funny with 700x28s on it.
Runs fine though. |
Originally Posted by bruce19
(Post 20281709)
I am toying with the idea of either putting road tires on this Colnago or buying a dedicated disc wheel set. Just wondering if anyone has done either and what bike weight might be with either option. I know I CAN do this easily. Just wondering what other's results might have been before I choose my option. TIA.
given your tastes and budget check out compass bikes tires.. they're pricey but fast and still comfy wide due to supple casings.. and have an extra light range. bike I got was steel and its fine,... for slicks I got the 'Jack Brown' 33mm wide ones Merry Sales imports* and Riv Bike sells.. *any shop with that company account can get them.. ;) .. |
Real CX Racing you bring 2+ bikes and a guy in the pits to wash the heavy mud off, swap wheels when you puncture . fix broke stuff etc..
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Originally Posted by Abe_Froman
(Post 20282269)
That's my thinking. Looking around at CX bikes right now...leaning towards a Focus Mares 105.
https://scontent.fzty1-1.fna.fbcdn.n...2f&oe=5B2B6EBF |
No idea what your budget is, but I'm drooling hard over these right now:
https://novemberbicycles.com/collections/rcg36-wheels If only I had a disc brake bike to put them on. |
I got a raleigh rx 1.0 over the fall during cross season for a heck of a deal ($700) Raleigh Bikes, 2017 RX 1.0 and I have extra wheels I could use for road. I've thought of using it for road racing, as it's objectively better (lighter, more gearing, etc.) compared to my 23 year old raleigh road bike, and probably a better geometry for me (higher stack). My only dilemma is I use a powertap wheel, which requires switching cassettes between 8 and 11, and I'm so OCD that I can't ride without power lol
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Originally Posted by hubcyclist
(Post 20283483)
I got a raleigh rx 1.0 over the fall during cross season for a heck of a deal ($700) Raleigh Bikes, 2017 RX 1.0 and I have extra wheels I could use for road. I've thought of using it for road racing, as it's objectively better (lighter, more gearing, etc.) compared to my 23 year old raleigh road bike, and probably a better geometry for me (higher stack). My only dilemma is I use a powertap wheel, which requires switching cassettes between 8 and 11, and I'm so OCD that I can't ride without power lol
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Originally Posted by bruce19
(Post 20282008)
Any idea what the weight difference is? I went on-line and did some research on spec weights of my existing CX tires (Kenda 700x32) and compared them to some Vittoria Rubino Pro tires. Just using that rough data it looks like a 1 lb saving.
As far as the question of tires/wheels vs just tires.. depends. The dedicated wheel set will allow a quick change for any occasion, so that’s what I’d do. ‘Tires only’ will require a tire swap which will eventually grow tiresome if you’re doing it ever couple weekends. Performance wise, your CX wheels aren’t holding you back much at all, it’s just a matter of convenience. For tires, I’d consider rolling resistance first, weight not at all. I’m currently rolling on 24mm Turbo Cottons and they roll SUPER fast and SUPER plush. On your frame you can fit their 28’s so that’s what I’d recommend. The wider road tires have less rolling resistance and offer a super plush ride at the cost of maybe 50g per. If your roads aren’t nice enough for the somewhat fragile Turbo Cottons, Contenental GP4000’s will do the trick.
Originally Posted by 12strings
(Post 20282014)
Also, just my perspective, but I think this set-up is the best balance of function, cost, and versatility for most people who want to do both road and gravel/cx.
Get a bike with good tire clearance, get two complete, interchangeable wheel/tire/cassette set-ups, and for the VAST majority of people, the frame of a good gravel or cx bike is not going to negativly affect your road performance vs a similarly priced road bike, not enough to matter. |
Originally Posted by RobotGuy
(Post 20285009)
That’s about it really. Most decent road tires are 200-250g each. If you really go after some weight-weenie rims, you can get the pair under 1200g, but 1400-1500g might be the range for a more durable set. That said, on wheels and tires, weight is second importance.
As far as the question of tires/wheels vs just tires.. depends. The dedicated wheel set will allow a quick change for any occasion, so that’s what I’d do. ‘Tires only’ will require a tire swap which will eventually grow tiresome if you’re doing it ever couple weekends. Performance wise, your CX wheels aren’t holding you back much at all, it’s just a matter of convenience. For tires, I’d consider rolling resistance first, weight not at all. I’m currently rolling on 24mm Turbo Cottons and they roll SUPER fast and SUPER plush. On your frame you can fit their 28’s so that’s what I’d recommend. The wider road tires have less rolling resistance and offer a super plush ride at the cost of maybe 50g per. If your roads aren’t nice enough for the somewhat fragile Turbo Cottons, Contenental GP4000’s will do the trick. Yeah agreed. A well setup CX bike with a couple set of wheels can roll on almost any surface your likely to encounter. |
I use a CX for road and non-road. I have 50/34 rings up front. I have two wheelsets, with different tires, similar discs, and two different cassettes. Really, you only need the tire difference with something like an 11-28 cassette.
Otherwise, the CX bike will have a bit more harsh ride,which you can moderate with tire pressure and seatposts. Like has been said in other threads, with different wheelsets, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between a proper road bike and a CX bike. |
Originally Posted by bruce19
(Post 20285427)
How can one Jersey boy ignore the advice of another Jersey boy? :) Gonna try some tire swaps and see what happens. Thanks. A good place to start. FWIW once the tires are swapped, the bike will be used on the road and decent roads at that.
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