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The Secret Set Up Part 3:
The Little Details
There are many different ways to build or set up a cyclo-cross bike.
Most are related to personal preference. No matter how a bike is set up,
the basic principles that should be adhered to are that the bike should
be light, simple, and reliable. Of course, reliability is infinitely more
important than light weight, because there's nothing slower than a broken
bike.
'Cross riders tend to be fanatical about their equipment, hoarding caches
of dated components that often work better than anything currently available.
We'll go through each aspect of the bike piece by piece and talk about
what works best and why. In the past two articles, we've talked about
the big things like how to fit your bike, and how to select wheels and
tires. In this article, we'll tie together all the little details to make
the picture complete, like shifters, brakes, and drivetrain.
Shifters
There're no two ways about it; integrated brake/shift levers like STI
and Ergopower are by far the fastest, easiest way to shift your 'cross
bike. You don't have to take your hands off the hoods, they shift with
a small, precise movement, and the levers themselves are big and comfortable.
But they have their drawbacks. For starters, they are expensive. 'Cross
is hard on your equipment, which is a concern if you're paying for it.
Since most of us are, it's a drag to have an STI lever fill up with mud
and never work right again, or have a cable freeze, pop out of the STI
slot inside the lever, and jam permanently when the derailler does finally
drop (both of which have happened to me). They are also considerably heavier
than standard brake levers and bar-end shifters.
Like all equipment considerations, this one is also a matter of personal
preference. I've used both STI and standard brake levers and bar-end shifters.
If you are paying for you parts, I prefer the light weight, simplicity,
and reliability of bar-ends over integrated shifters. Bar-ends last forever,
and if you're buying your equipment, that's important. If you race in
conditions that aren't going to be hard on your equipment, or money is
less of an issue, integrated shifter are the way to go.
Brakes
Any kind of cantilever brake will work, but some better than others. Avoid
V-style brakes at all costs. Mountain bike brake levers are able to pull
more cable than a road lever. This means when you use MTB specific brakes
with road levers, because the road levers don't pull enough cable to make
the brake arms come in fast enough you have to set the pads much closer
to the rim to get them to hit. This becomes a problem if the race is muddy
or if your wheel comes slightly out of true.
The best brakes for 'cross are ones that have the most mechanical action.
That is, the arms move the farthest with the least amount of cable pull.
The old Weineman cantilevers are the standard if you can still find them,
but there are many new versions that emulate them while being much lighter.
Spooky, Empella, SRP, and Paul's Components make brakes in that style,
while Ritchey, Redline and Avid make modern, non-V-brake canti's that
work very well.
Gearing and Cranks
There are a number of gearing extremes, the most dramatic of which is
the use of one or two front chainrings. With the advent of 9-speed and
10-speed shifters and cogs, it's possible to accommodate the speed changes
of cyclo-cross with a single front chainring. A single ring means no front
derailler, no front shifter, and no dropped chains, and has become my
standard set up. As a result of the popularity of single-speed mountain
bikes, companies like Spot Brand make excellent single-ring guards and
ramp-less rings.
If you decide to go with a single ring, the first step is to figure out
what size chainring to use. You could go as small as a 30 or 40, but a
42 tends to be the most versatile. A 42 X 25 or 27 will get you over most
hills in 'cross race, and 42 X 12 or 11 will handle any sprint. A 42 is
also good because between two equal gear inches, it's easier to accelerate
the one with the smaller front chainring. The largest you should go is
a 44. Richard Groenendaal uses a 45, so a 44 is likely enough for us mortals.
To set it up, mount the inside guard on the little ring position, the
gear you're riding on the big ring position, and the outer guard to the
right of that. You do this by using longer, 15 mm chainring bolts, and
4 mm chainring spacers between the ring and the outer chainguard.
If you're using two chainrings, your little ring can be anywhere from
38-40, and your big ring should be 46-48. You're looking for about an
8-tooth difference. Of course, Frankie McCormack uses a 42/50, but we
can't all be Frankie, can we?
In the back, I like to use a 12 x 25. With a single-chainring set up,
you'll find yourself using both ends of the cogset, whereas with a double
ring you'll stay more in the median. The smallest gear I would recommend
in the back would be a 27. At the other end, I feel that a 13 is enough
for most situations if you're using two chainrings. If you're using a
single chainring, you need a wider range in back, so an 11 or 12 X 25
or 27 is a good call.
Cranks should ideally be road cranks, since you don't need the third chainring
slot. Length should be the same as your road bike. The old trend of going
2.5 millimeters longer on your 'cross cranks vs. your road cranks has
died as courses have gotten faster in the more modern races. The emphasis
has switched from a slow grind to a fast, punchy race, and so the shorter
crank length preference reflects that.
With the information from this series of set up articles, you should have
all the information you need to make educated equipment choices for cyclo-cross.
Hopefully, I've demystified some of the lore and legend associated with
'cross, and helped make the sport more accessible for those of you getting
started, and even those of you with some experience.
In the articles to some, I'll turn my attention to training, racing, and
technique. Again, if there any items in particular you'd like me to address
in those areas, feel free to drop me a line at <adam@cycle-smart.com>.
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