CX bike vs 29er

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DaveOZ
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CX bike vs 29er

Postby DaveOZ » Tue Dec 27, 2011 8:53 am

Well Santa didn't bring me the mountain bike I was hoping for so I'm going to improvise for the holidays. There are some really nice fire trails near here which I want to explore over the holidays like Meryla to Fitzroy Falls. I have some Maxxis Raze CX tyres which came with my Lynskey Cooper CX bike so I'm going to take the mudguards off and fit the CX tyres to the Stans wheels and see how it goes.

Will report back.

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DaveOZ
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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby DaveOZ » Tue Dec 27, 2011 10:49 am

I must be too bored.... I managed to fit the CX tyres with my mudguards in place.

I may have the gayest bike on the trails but it will be the fastest. :P

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gordy
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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby gordy » Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:25 pm

Hey Dave, CX tyres are great off road, but can I suggest you remove your mudguards when on dirt.
One errant stick between tyre and mudguard could rip your guards off or cause a stack.
Either option can spoil your ride.
-Gordy

*EDIT* - just re-read your original post and see you plan on taking them off.

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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby alchemist » Tue Dec 27, 2011 3:47 pm

I've ridden down McPhails and up Merayla on my cross bike. It's not too bad a ride for a CX, would have been good to have disc brakes like yours on the way down. Up Merayla on cx gearing is hard work.

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DaveOZ
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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby DaveOZ » Tue Dec 27, 2011 5:32 pm

Just home from a 60km return ride to the lookout at Meralya. Wow, the bike was perfect for this type of track. 40km of bitumen and 20km of dirt. The track was very wet from overnight rain but the bike was stable all the way even in the deep sand.

Strava link http://app.strava.com/activities/2905089

The mudguards came off because they just did not work with the 35mm tyres.

I took off to the local water hole then heading into the Meralya State Forest. I stopped at the top of the pass and headed home. There was no way I was going to venture down the pass today.

The gearing was perfect and it was a buzz to be doing 35-40 in the drops on the hard packed sections of the road.

Not sure I need a mountain bike now, in fact if you count the 40km of bitumen I'm not sure I could find a better bike for this sort of work :mrgreen:

Even got a nice Christmas email from Lynskey bike on the way home which was kind of spooky.

Only saw 2 cars the whole way in the forest which was nice. Just me and the lyre birds.

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Even rode the bike down the rocks to the Bundanoon Creek dam. Carried it back up CX style.

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Lynskey at edge of the valley.

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toolonglegs
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CX bike vs 29er

Postby toolonglegs » Tue Dec 27, 2011 7:20 pm

They are big 35 mm tyres... What are they?.
I am running 32mm at the moment but there is no restrictions on what I can race in at my level so I would like to try bigger.

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Mugglechops
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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby Mugglechops » Tue Dec 27, 2011 9:12 pm

I had those on my bike when I got it. No issue ripping down dirt hills at 70km/h.

I think my CX bike may have been a better choice for todays 140km ride than my Giant Reign.

Only a few more weeks till I get a 29er hardtail.

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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby alchemist » Tue Dec 27, 2011 9:29 pm

toolonglegs wrote:They are big 35 mm tyres... What are they?..
Maxxis Raze. Not too bad in mud, OK on hardpack.

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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby trailgumby » Tue Dec 27, 2011 9:40 pm

You did 140km in a day on a Giant Reign? :shock:

I'm impressed.

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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby Mugglechops » Tue Dec 27, 2011 9:51 pm

trailgumby wrote:You did 140km in a day on a Giant Reign? :shock:

I'm impressed.

My legs aren't. Garmin went flat with about 20kms to go.

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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby toolonglegs » Tue Dec 27, 2011 9:59 pm

alchemist wrote:
toolonglegs wrote:They are big 35 mm tyres... What are they?..
Maxxis Raze. Not too bad in mud, OK on hardpack.
Might try and find some... they look big :D .

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DaveOZ
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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby DaveOZ » Sat Jan 07, 2012 6:27 pm

My LBS has lent me a Trek 29er hard tail for the weekend and I off to the trails tomorrow. Very excited to see how it goes.

But I have been thinking, for the sort of riding I want to do, could I just fit flat bars to the CX bike?

I'm not a dare devil down hill guy I just like cruising the fire trails and like riding on the road to get there. It seems to me that the CX bike is perfect for this but the riding position hurts my hands after some time off road. I know CX regs require drops but is there any reason I can't fit flat bars? Can I get shifters and brake levers that will work with the SRAM Apex 2x10 gear set?

This might compromise my commuting bike a little but I think I can live with that. Bear in mind I have another carbon road bike for longer weekend rides.

All thoughts welcome.

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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby alchemist » Sat Jan 07, 2012 8:00 pm

If you can get the flat bars in a position that works for you, no reason why you can't. The SRAM road stuff works with the 10sp mountain bike shifters.

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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby Mugglechops » Sat Jan 07, 2012 8:22 pm

I think it will work well. Get a set of carbon bars and some ergon bar end grips and you will have comfort and lots of hand positions.

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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby trailgumby » Sat Jan 07, 2012 8:37 pm

DaveOZ wrote:I'm not a dare devil down hill guy I just like cruising the fire trails and like riding on the road to get there. It seems to me that the CX bike is perfect for this but the riding position hurts my hands after some time off road. I know CX regs require drops but is there any reason I can't fit flat bars? Can I get shifters and brake levers that will work with the SRAM Apex 2x10 gear set?
29ers rock for that kind of riding. They handle moderately technical stuff too, but they really get up and boogie in conditions whre momentum is king. I love the way the bigger wheels smooth out the ride on the rocky stuff, as they don't fall into the holes as much as 26ers and maintain momentum better. A 4" travel 29er feels smoother (just) than my 5.25" trvel 26er. Pretty sure my current bike will be my last 26er.

Some are more racy in geometry than others - my mate Hans went with the Santa Cruz Tallboy becasue he wanted the more upright riding position it offered, but the Spesh Epic 29er is more stretched out if that is more your thing. It's a matter of riding a few different brands and seeing which one you like best. I wouldn't judge all 29ers on the basis of one; same for the CXers.

Will be interested in hearing your thoughts after the test ride.

Thumbs up for the bike shop by the way, that's what customer service *should* be like.

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simonn
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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby simonn » Sat Jan 07, 2012 10:45 pm

DaveOZ wrote: I'm not a dare devil down hill guy I just like cruising the fire trails and like riding on the road to get there. It seems to me that the CX bike is perfect for this but the riding position hurts my hands after some time off road.
Could this be a fit and/or no front suspension thing?

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sblack
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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby sblack » Sun Jan 08, 2012 10:57 am

There's nothing to stop you putting a flat bar on the Lynskey and it should work quite well on many trails. As others have mentioned the shifters are not an issue as SRAM road and MTB shifters and derailleurs are compatible (as long as you don't mix 9 and 10 speed). Be careful with the brakes though. It's likely you have road based discs to match the pull ratio of the SRAM brifters. This is a different pull ratio to most flat bar levers so you'll need to sus that out and make sure you get the correct ones.

On the plus side it should give you a bike that is better on well surfaced trails and singletrack than a 29er as well as being the better bike on the road. The limiting factors I see with doing this over getting a 29er are limited tyre choice/width. I'm not sure what the biggest tyre you can fit on the Lynskey is but it's unlikely to be as big as typical 29er tyres which means a rougher ride and less traction available. Won't matter on all trails but there will be some where you'll wish you had it. Another is the lack of suspension. There are definitely sections of firetrail around that I wouldn't want to be riding on a rigid bike, not saying it can't be done, just I'm glad I have the suspension fork to take some of the roughness out of it. Third is the gearing. While CX gearing will be fine for a lot of the trails, if you want to try anything like the climb out of Yalwal you'll really want the smaller chainring.The final thing is the risk of damaging something off road is a fair bit greater than on road. Considering the Lynskey is your commuter what impact would it have for you if during an off road adventure a stick was to get lodged in somewhere and damage the derailleur or spokes or something? If you had a 29er for these rides then the commuter is sitting at home ready to do it's commuting duties regardless of what happens on the ride. If you convert the commuter and it does double duty then are you happy to swap the Cervelo in for commuting duties until the Lynskey is running again?

Anyway, enough for pondering these thoughts for now, hope you're out enjoying the Trek, looking forward to hearing how it goes.
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DaveOZ
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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby DaveOZ » Sun Jan 08, 2012 11:22 am

Just back from a 60km ride on the Trek 29er. Man am I tired. I was raining the whole way and I am covered in mud.

http://app.strava.com/activities/3165621

I really enjoyed it but apart from about 1km of harsh single track there is no doubt the Lynskey would have been faster and less draining. The 29er was real hard work on the road. I'm off to drop the bike back now and chat to them about putting a flat bar on my Lynskey. Will give a detailed report and some videos later.

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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby Mugglechops » Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:26 pm

If you go flat bar you should put some hydro discs on too. That way you when you remove the drop bars everything can come off in one go and the flat bars and brakes can go on. Will make it quick and easy to chop and change between the 2.

My CX bike would not be faster on the MTB tracks I ride.

Waht 29er did you test?

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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby DaveOZ » Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 pm

It was a Trek Superfly Elite Aluminium. Nice bike, thanks to McGees for lending it to me.

I just can't afford a 3rd bike right now so I'm thinking by doing this I can still enjoy the trails and commute on the same bike. This will also let me practice my MTB skills which I have not used for 20years. In time I will buy a 29er for sure.

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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby Mugglechops » Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:39 pm

Thats the one up from what I am buying, The Superfly Al.

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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby queequeg » Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:56 pm

DaveOZ wrote:It was a Trek Superfly Elite Aluminium. Nice bike, thanks to McGees for lending it to me.

I just can't afford a 3rd bike right now so I'm thinking by doing this I can still enjoy the trails and commute on the same bike. This will also let me practice my MTB skills which I have not used for 20years. In time I will buy a 29er for sure.
I finally got a chance to attempt fitting the Cyclocross Tyres to my Stans ZTR wheels that came with my Lynskey Cooper CX. Even with the super floppy Michelin Crossmax Jet tyres (700x30c) that they gave me, it was extremely difficult getting them onto the rims. I did not use tyre levers, but used the same technique I use for the Marathon Plus tyres. Anyway, i got the tyre on and inflated it and the beads seated themselves nicely and it looked like all was sweet. I came back an hour later and the tyre was completely deflated :-( I must have somehow pinched the tube during the fitting process, or the small gap in the rim tape (left by the lbs) might have been enough to puncture the tube.
The tyres looked like thety would be ok to fit under my mudguards (I bought P45s, so a 700x30c Cycloscross tyre should be ok. Just the height might be a bit too close). Removing the mudguards and rack every time I want to use the bike offorad is going to be a pain. My guards are bolted to the Disc Calipaer mounts on one side (to avoid going around the calipers), so it is not a "quick" process.

Anyway, it took me a good 30 minutes to get the tyre on. I can't imagine having to go through this pain on the side of a trail. My main conclusion is that if you have Stans NoTubes rims, then you really should use them as intended as a tubeless wheelset. The end result is I have two choices. 1) sell the wheelset as surplus to needs, 2) keep the wheelset and buy a 29er to put them on (N+1)

Since I own the wheelset and don't desperately need the cash, I am thinking that just storing the wheels is the best option. I can look at doing a 29er build next year (40th birthday maybe), and can save some cash by not needing a wheelset.
'11 Lynskey Cooper CX, '00 Hillbrick Steel Racing (Total Rebuild '10), '16 Cervelo R5, '18 Mason BokekTi

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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby Mugglechops » Sun Jan 08, 2012 2:11 pm

Can you run the CX tyres tubeless?

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Re: CX bike vs 29er

Postby queequeg » Sun Jan 08, 2012 2:33 pm

Mugglechops wrote:Can you run the CX tyres tubeless?
Maybe is the simple answer, but you have to then ensure you follow the max psi guidelines on the rims and not on the tyres, otherwise you'll end up blowing the bead off the tyre!
The CX tyres I have are pretty flimsy. Looks like a piece of straw would be enough to puncture. They seemed to be designed for riding on grass and mud, not on rocky and litter covered trails.

I am thinking that I'll look into a proper 29er build (I am loving the Lynskey Cooper CX, so I might look at a Lynskey Ridgeline 29er) and then just spec the wheels with MTB 29er Tubeless. All a distant fantasy at the moment of course :-) The wheels are about $500 worth of gear (based on c r c prices), so they are certainly not "junk".
'11 Lynskey Cooper CX, '00 Hillbrick Steel Racing (Total Rebuild '10), '16 Cervelo R5, '18 Mason BokekTi

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CX bike vs 29er

Postby toolonglegs » Sun Jan 08, 2012 5:13 pm

Yes you can run them tubeless easily... Max pressure guidelines are not important as you run them at pretty low pressures.
It worked well for me until I started racing... Then they burped all too often. But for general riding tubeless is pretty good... But you need to set them up well and careful of rim tyre choices.
I ended up going tubed... Michelin makes a monster 700 c square tube that works really well. So far I have been running down to 28/30 psi with them at 100kgs.
Got to get out of bed... Have a race in 3 hours and the rain is pouring!

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