New Cross Bike

I’ve been looking for a cyclo-cross bike for some time. I found a used one through the local online classifieds. It is a 2010 61cm Cannondale CAAD 8. A “cross” bike is essentially a road bike with more clearance for semi-fat tires. This model features an all aluminum frame with carbon forks and Shimano 105 20-speed components, excepting the cantilever brakes, which are Tektro. The unpainted aluminum makes it look like a titanium frame, so I have nicknamed this my “fake Ti bike.” The top tube is about the same length as my regular carbon road bike, so the fit is similar. The wheels are Cannondale’s in-house Maddux DRX 6000 model.

Upgrades…
I replaced the smaller 36 chainring with a smaller 34. The larger ring is a 46, which is typical for cross bikes (unlike the 50 on my carbon bike). I also replaced the stem with an adjustable model to get the bars higher. The head tube height on cross bikes are always short. I plan to use this bike as a trainer bike for local training rides, especially in the off season when the roads are wetter. The canti brakes don’t get as gunked up as regular road brakes. I use this bike for my daily run to the post office (except on most cold winter days — it is just too much work to get enough clothes on for the 4.4-mile round trip).

Here’s a quick review of the Topeak beam rack: The basket (Rack Top Basket) and rack (MTX Beam Rack) are from Topeak and remove quickly if needed. Before I purchased this combo, I suspected the basket might be a slight problem as there really isn’t enough clearance for my butt. I ended up taking a pair of ChannelLocks and bending the upper part of the basket back so it doesn’t rub while riding. I called Topeak customer service to see if there was an adjustment that I overlooked and they said no, but that the engineers/designers were aware of this clearance problem. If I wasn’t so tall, with the seat post extended up so far, the basket would never fit the average-Joe bike, as it has to go underneath the rear of the seat. The basket locks in place and will not stay on the rack, unless it is shoved all the way forward as shown. I then added some custom long straps to hold the packages in tight. The basket slips into place with their MTX QuickTrack system which is fast to use, but the basket to rack connection does have some wobble while riding. The rack itself does connect tightly to the seat post however and is a decent design. Occasionally, my inside leg touches or lightly rubs against the quick-release lever however. All-in-all, the rack is a good product, but the basket design needs an overhaul.

In the photo I have 28c semi-slick touring tires on it, but I also have a couple pair of 32 and 35c knobbies for off road use (they came with the purchase). For the pedals, I have used the Shimano A530, which has SPD on one side and platforms (for regular shoes) on the other. These are similar to the A520 pair I have on my road bike as they use SPD clips but are designed for road “touring” use. I have not purchased fenders, but plan to do so, thereby I can train on rainy days too. Or on rainy brevets I may use this bike.

I have found that riding an aluminum frame bike with wider 28c tires, although stiffer than a carbon bike, is about the same “discomfort level” as a carbon road bike with 25c tires. Instead of inflating to 100 to 105 lbs. as with my 25s, I only inflate these to 90 PSI. The longest ride I have take thus far is 2.5 hours or about 45 miles. As the weather warms, I will be doing longer training rides, and possibly do a 200k using the bike. Locally we have several rural dirt roads, that are not too steep. With this bike, it will increase my options for training rides. Or I may head to the west desert in Utah and attempt some long distance dirt road endurance rides. This last fall I helped pace a group of friends on a 100-mile relay race on the Pony Express Trail. I used my full-suspension mountain bike, but a cross bike would have been better for such a task.

Stay tuned as the season progresses. Safe riding to you all!

Author: Rando Richard

I’m an old guy (age 69 in 2023) who enjoys aerobic, endurance sports. I call myself a cardio-junkie. Perhaps the more appropriate term would be “ultra” endurance sports. Since I was a teenager I have always enjoyed “slow twitch” outdoor sports like backpacking, ice climbing, running, mountaineering, hiking, alpine skiing and randonnée skiing (alpine touring, backcountry skiing or skimo). In 2005 I starting running with more regularity — except this time it was not for the intent of getting ready for a mountaineering trip, but as an end to itself. From 2005 to 2007 I managed to eek out two seasons of ultramarathons — that is competitive trail runs up to 50 or 100 miles. Due to a nagging ankle injury from the 80s (an accident while ice climbing in the 1980s where my lower tib and fib were badly broken), I had to cease that grueling, but rewarding activity. I then migrated into ultra distance road cycling or randonneuring. The rides are called brevets (pronounced bruh-VAY, it’s French) and are minimally supported — they are similar to ultrarunning and backpacking where one must be self reliant. Although brevets are non-competitive, they do have have cut off times to qualify as a finisher. They are usually are done in groups, which can have a competitive slant to them. Today, I continue to participate in long distance cycling including some ultra-racing, randonnée skiing (a blend of cross country and downhill disciplines) and still get out on an occasional mountaineering trip. Since 1996 I have been designing, manufacturing and selling camera bags. That is Kinesis Photo Gear (kgear.com). In 2005 I started selling cycling bags under the Kinesis label and eventually expanded it to including other sports like SUP (stand-up paddle boarding and some skimo). Consequently, it become eoGEAR — the “eo” stands for endurance outdoor. My wife and I are empty-nesters now and we live and work out in the boondocks of central Utah, half way between Salt Lake City (great powder) and Moab (great red rocks). Well, I guess that is all for now. Safe travels mate! Perhaps I’ll see you on the road or trail. — Richard Stum View all posts by Rando Richard