Haven't told my husband, but...
rides4sanity
Posts: 1,269 Member
I think I need another bike... Something I can ride on trails. I love my Madone 5.2, but Roxy does not like gravel, sand or mud. I do have an old steel hybrid I ride with the family, but we all know I wanna go faster...
Not sure whether to go straight mountain or go CX...
I live in WV where mountain biking rules, but I've never really done it. CX racing is pretty big around here and I think I'd like that.
I don't have the room or the $ to get both, what are your thoughts?
I have considered converting my old road bike (LeMond 1987??) into a CX... Then I wouldn't have to choose. A friend said I could change it over pretty easily. What all would that entail other than new wheels?
Thanks in advance y'all!
Not sure whether to go straight mountain or go CX...
I live in WV where mountain biking rules, but I've never really done it. CX racing is pretty big around here and I think I'd like that.
I don't have the room or the $ to get both, what are your thoughts?
I have considered converting my old road bike (LeMond 1987??) into a CX... Then I wouldn't have to choose. A friend said I could change it over pretty easily. What all would that entail other than new wheels?
Thanks in advance y'all!
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Go for both - you know you want to
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Yes, first you'll have to see if one more bike will still keep you at s-1.
I'd go straight for the mountain bike and take a clinic, but then again I pretty much only mountain bike.0 -
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Sorry, no....a 1987 LeMond is not suitable for CX. Wrong drivetrain and poor cable routing, wrong brakes, wrong wheels and tires....and the contact points / fit for CX riding would need to be revisited as well. Whether you consider an MTB or a CX bike, both will start at about $1,000 for entry level and a competitive bike will cost about $2,000 or more. In an MTB, look for a Shimano Deore XT drivetrain. In a CX bike, look for a Shimano 105 or SRAM Rival drivetrain as your baseline spec.
If you've never run a Tough Mudder competition, you should try it once before deciding which bike to buy. With CX racing, you will be running and carrying your bike.... perhaps quite a bit. If you don't LOVE the Tough Mudder competition, then CX is probably not going to be for you. A Tough Mudder run should serve you really well as your decision criteria, as it is very similar to CX.... without the bike.0 -
You can convert any road bike to CX duty as long it has the tire clearance, brake and frame, although it might not be a ride that one may find comfortable. If your lucky, it's just the brake calipers that is limiting the tire size which can be changed out. You best luck is to find an older touring frame that has center pull or canti (better) brakes and move what you can to it. They tend to have longer wheel base which is needed for trail/dirt riding for stability and wide tire clearance. You could do it with a 27" wheel bikes but parts are generally low end and need more modifications. I converted a 27" wheel touring into 700c dirt use long ago and was fun until it was stolen. Check on the gearing and if the wheel can handle the additional stress. You need high gearing and you current rear derailleurs may not be able to bridge it.
1997? LeMond Bicycle was founded in 1990 and was acquired by Trek in 1995. Pre-Trek LeMond bikes are generally top end road racing and they tend to have a tighter geometry (vs CX) which makes it hairy when using it on loose dirt, although I believe he have a few specialized setup for Paris–Roubaix. There was more varieties with the Trek lineup. See http://www.vintage-trek.com/trek-fisher-klein-lemond.htm for Trek versions and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeMond_Racing_Cycles. Good luck.0 -
If I were in your shoes - and I'm not, as my wife has nipped n+1 in the bud in our house - I'd get the CX bike first.
Yes, I said it - FIRST.
As I see it, CX riding and racing is just huge around these parts, so I'd suppose it's a big thing where you are, also. Although that may be a big assumption... I DO know your need for speed - and racing. And every cycling friend I know who's tried CX begs for the leaves to start changing so he/she can get back out there and CX race again.
So I believe to my bones a CX bike, and CX racing, is your best bet for now.
Then, in a year or two, after the family has absorbed that expenditure, you can work on hubs for that sassy little MTB you saw in the bike shop window...
And I wouldn't be surprised if hubs has already picked up on this, at least a little. My hunch is when you break it to him, he'll jump in with something like, "Well now that that's finally out in the open..."
My 2 cents.0 -
Nikki,
I just read about the Specialized Diverge online and will go and look at one next week. It seems to have a fascinating design spec. Here's a video I opposed on my feed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5sJg05BJXw 0 -
CX FTW. :bigsmile:0
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CX FTW. :bigsmile:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^0 -
Nikki,
I just read about the Specialized Diverge online and will go and look at one next week. It seems to have a fascinating design spec. Here's a video I opposed on my feed.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5sJg05BJXw
This looks awesome!0 -
Nikki,
I just read about the Specialized Diverge online and will go and look at one next week. It seems to have a fascinating design spec. Here's a video I opposed on my feed.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5sJg05BJXw
This looks awesome!
Clive, I went to have a butcher's at the local spec dealer. They only had a lower level alloy bike in stock but I took it around the block. I very much liked the geometry, quite similar to my Cervelo. Very comfy ride and nice balance. They have a carbon frame on order and will call me to come and give it a proper test ride.
I reckon it looks very, very promising though ????0 -
Nikki,
I just read about the Specialized Diverge online and will go and look at one next week. It seems to have a fascinating design spec. Here's a video I opposed on my feed.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5sJg05BJXw
This looks awesome!
Clive, I went to have a butcher's at the local spec dealer. They only had a lower level alloy bike in stock but I took it around the block. I very much liked the geometry, quite similar to my Cervelo. Very comfy ride and nice balance. They have a carbon frame on order and will call me to come and give it a proper test ride.
I reckon it looks very, very promising though ????
Y'all have me drooling...0 -
I guess my question would be "what do you mean when you say 'trails?'" If you're talking gravel or greenways, that sort of thing, the 'cross bike is the way to go. If you mean singletrack, the MTB.
Personally, I have 4 bikes: road, mountain, TT/aero, and 'cross. Of the 4, the 'cross gets ridden more than anything but the road bike by a WIDE margin, just because it's so versatile (and here lately it's even getting ridden more than the road bike). I'm racing it now (and 'cross racing is a BLAST) but I also use it for riding the local rails-to-trails route, the uber-climby gravel roads in one of the nearby parks, and all the area greenways in addition to 'cross race courses.
So, from a purely bang-for-your-buck sense, I'd say 'cross is a better choice but it really just depends on what/where you want to ride.0 -
Not sure what I want to ride... We have a lot of single track trails around here, but there are also trails that aren't so tough... I've been strictly road for the past 3 years. Looking to add some variety.0
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Tough decision, whatever you go with there will be times when you wish you had gone for the other! (I can't decide if I want a carbon road bike or a CX bike... next).0
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Mountain bike!!! I have ridden a few trails in WV and if you get into it a road bike or CX won't last. If you are riding off road don't do it with anything else than a MTB IMO0
