Interbike CX Report
OK, I wasn't there ... but maybe some of you were. So post your favorite 'cross products from the show in the comments here.
Here's a link to start you off: Velonews (Patrick O'Grady)
Here's a link to start you off: Velonews (Patrick O'Grady)
posted by Dave Carr at 3:21 PM
6 Comments:
I saw this photo on cyclingnew from the EICMA show of a nice looking Wilier cross frame - except for the routing of that rear brake cable.
What were they thinking? Wouldn't that cable stop on the top tube gouge the crap out of your shoulder/collarbone?
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/tech/shows/?id=/photos/2006/tech/shows/eicma06/eicma0617/EMil06-Wilier4
I just returned from "Lost Wages" and iBike, and I did see much CX stuff. Seems like everyone has an off the shelf 'cross bike, and many of them are pretty decent. Not much in the way of inovation, but pleanty of "bling". All the big players in 'cross have really sweet bikes, but most folks I know won't pony-up for a for a full carbon Ridley with carbon wheels, Dugast or Tufo tubulars, and Dura Ace components any time soon.
Other notables: Salsa, Indy Fab (always), Van Dessel, Challenge (tires), Maxxis (tires), carbon forks from Ritchey, Reynolds and of course Alpha Q's new fork was super 'pimp', but nearly $500, ouch!
But, you can get a really nice mid-level bike for about $1500-$2200 from a number of companies (Bianchi, Redline, Jamis, Felt, Trek, etc.). I will post some pics on the yahoo 'cross group soon.
Se ya at the races!
Yep, I saw the photo of that Willier cross frame's rear brake cable stop under the top tube.
lame...........very lame.
Sorta like designing/building sloping top tubes on small to mid sized cross frames. And people buy this crap !! That's usually a tip off about the owner's IQ.
Of course the coolest cx thing at Interbike were my riding britches!
Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see that cable stop as a big deal, nor do I think sloping frames are that big of a deal, at least on medium sized frames. I have a 54 cm IRD Crossfire, and the slight slope of the top tube does not interfere with shouldering the bike. I'm 6' tall but have very short legs, so the sloping design gives me standover clearance on a frame large enough to accomodate my long torso.
Also, my shoulder hits the top tube in the middle of the frame, so I'd never come anywhere near that cable stop. So for some of us, that frame design would not present any issue whatsoever. For others, it might not work.
Maybe the fact that I've got more upper body muscle than most bike racers plays into this (I am, alas, built more like a rugby player than a cyclist), but getting the bike shouldered quickly and smoothly has never been an issue, and I've never understood how something like a flattened top tube, etc. really allows someone to get around a 'cross course any faster.
Racers riding frames w/flattened top tubes have been known to use dope.
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