Cyclocross

74 Main Street Middlebury Vermont (802) 388-6666

All 'cross bikes on sale! See our stock highlights for models and sizes

Selecting a 'Cross Bike

We offer a score of different options for 'cross bikes, stock and custom, and we make an effort to stock a decent selection of 'cross bikes. Here are some guidelines if you're picking out your first 'cross bike:

	If you already have a road bike built by the company whose 'cross bike you are considering, you will generally want to go one size smaller for 'cross.
	Shorter wheelbase is more nimble, longer wheelbase is more stable.
	Wheels are one of your most important components. Don't make them an afterthought. We regularly do wheel upgrades.
	For competition, keep the gap between chain rings fairly small. A 10- to 12-tooth jump, such as 46-36, 48-38, 46-34, or 48-36, means less chance of dropping your chain. Triples have their place in 'cross, but for the casual user, not the competitor.
	Shimano 10spd mountain derailleurs are not compatible with Shimano 10spd shifters, so the biggest cog you can use on the back with Shimano is a 28.
	*SRAM* road shifters are compatible with SRAM 10spd mountain derailleurs. SRAM also makes medium cage road derailleurs that work with a 32 tooth cog. So with SRAM medium cage rear derailleur you can run a 32, or, with SRAM mountain derailleur, a 34 or even a 36 on the back.
	See Roadbikereview.Com for customer reviews of 'cross equipment, and also check out Cross Bike Review.

The Casual User

Some of our customers like to take advantage 'cross bikes on the vast network of back-country dirt roads in Addison County. You can ride from Goshen to Ripton, and then Ripton to Lincoln, over twenty-five miles of some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere, with less than three miles paved. If you want to hit the woods on the T.A.M.* trail, you don't need a mountain bike if you have a 'cross bike. What does a 'cross bike offer to the casual user?

	Tire clearance -- 'cross bikes allow the use of wider, "knobby" tires for traction on unpaved roads.
	Braking -- 'cross bikes use mountain-bike style V-brakes, more powerful than the typical dual-pivot brakes on regular road bikes -- and disc brakes are coming.
	Road bike performance when you're on pavement.

Disc Brakes for 'Cross

In 2010, the International Cycling Union (UCI) made disc brakes legal for cyclocross competition. The ruling came too late for bigger companies to react for the '11 season, but smaller companies like Lynskey Performance were in a better position to make the transition more immediate. All Lynskey 'cross frames are now disc-specific.

We'll see how much the market goes disc in '12, which, since the bike industry operates on the fiscal year, begins July 1. Keep in mind that current road shifters will only work with mechanical (cable-actuated) disc brakes, not hydraulic.

Look to see disc brake 'cross bikes by major companies in '12, but keep in mind, it's not just the bicycle manufacturers that need to catch up. Currently, there are few if any 'cross-specific disc wheels out there, and no one is manufacturing 'cross-specific disc hubs. It'll be interesting to see how (and how quickly) companies like Mavic will react to this. We'd love to see 'cross-specific Ksyrium Elites for the '12 season!

Deep Rims for 'Cross Competition

You've all seen them in 'cross events, so what's the big deal? Aerodynamics don't play much of a role in a 45-minute event that involves running as well as cycling, right?

	Deep rims cut through loose sand like butter, so it's easier to hold your speed through the course sandbox. These are conditions under which box rims tend to get bogged down.
	Lighter -- especially in tubular version, lighter than alloy rims.
	Stiffer -- combine this with light weight, and you have faster acceleration
	Stronger -- most companies that work with both alloy and carbon rims will tell you their carbon rims are stronger.

* T.A.M. stands for Trail Around Middlebury