ROADBIKE CX:
So last week it was finally time to test my new CX conversion bike project! Actually, it had been raining for a day or so, so it wasn’t THAT great of timing, but whatever.
Late last fall I happily realized that my old 28mm sewup CX tires will fit the clearances of my ’00 Giant TCR Aluxx gofast frame! I slapped em on and they worked! The bike weighs 19 lbs.
Dudes said it wouldn’t work, said it would break, said the mud would clog the brakes, said the tires wouldn’t clear. Ha!
I rode it around my 1.5 mile yard trail and had a blast. It was spritely and zippy. I flopped the stem, too, so the position was quite tolerable. It might work like a rocket in dry smooth race conditions. The 28’s did sink into the soft trail a fair bit but still the ride was nice.
So now my TCR is like their TCX! Actually, the TCX weighs 21 lbs (since it comes stock with clinchers, I suppose). Also, I really shouldn’t get too excited about it all: it won’t make THAT good of a CX bike. The clearances are TIGHT. So the wheels need to be well and true. Cross courses are known for untruing wheels. So we’ll see. Our local course is pretty smooth, though. It’ll be my fast, smooth course bike! Also, I guess I *could* try to be both fast and nice to it. I can do that. I don’t tend to untrue wheels ever anyway.
I compared it to my ’76 Nishiki Comp sport-tour conversion with 30’s. That bike was funner and more nimble at the low speeds and floated better on the soft. But it seems pretty clear the TCR/X will have a much higher top end on a dry smooth course (they exist).
I’ve been cautioned about using a modern roadbike (alum/crabon) in the old roadie>CX seasonal conversion mode, but it’s not THAT light of a bike. I wonder how different the TCR frame in ’00 was compared to a TCX frame anyway. I see many CX bikes have carbon forks. Seems like it won’t be a big deal. Just a fast one!
Local dudes tell me not to upgrade my tourbike too much. I think they’ll be tickled to see me on a roadbike! It’s what the dudes used to do all the time back in the day. I like paying my respects. …Plus, at 5 lbs lighter I should move up a few more places yet. Now I’m truly psyched to try out my new 19-lb crossbike next season! C-Class should be scared! Why, I might even upgrade!
Last weekend at the Worlds I even learned (from OYB cohort Robert) that Jon Page first made his big splash in Europe by racing a carbon road bike to several victories. Cool! If he can cross a modern roadbike, so can I! : ) He was the first guy to race carbon, and a roadbike, no less. Now they’re all on carbon and he’s back around 17th but still having fun.
TUFO SURGERY:
They said it couldn’t be done…
Last fall I rolled a tire and tore off the valve stem. Dead tire, right?
Well, I spliced in a new valve stem 3″ section of tube and fixed an unfixable Tufo. So far it seems to be holding! It stood up to my test ride, anyway. I’ve also had it inflated for a month now. There’s about 10″ of sewing on it — on the otherwise seamless casing. I just cut ‘er open. Surgery! I used car tube vulcanizing fluid on the tube. It took a few tries to get it to stick good. I used an old hanky strip as my tube-protecting liner. Fun!
So, between the bike and the tire I played the naysayers false in about 6 different ways!
