NJ Cross Official Stuff and Stuff That Looks & Sounds Official

Norm

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Can be found here:
http://www.njbikeracing.com/wp/cx-cup/

All you care about:

9/20 Mill Creek Willingboro
9/26 Hippo Crossing Lambertville
10/3 Cooper River Cross Camden
10/4 Caffeinated Cross Mullica Hill
10/25 Marty's Cross Chester
11/1/14 Bubble Cross West Milford
11/8/14 Westwood Cross (NJ State Championship) Anthony Wayne State Park, Stony Point, NY
TBD Sussex Augusta
TBD Waterloo Village (tentative) Allamuchy
 
Yeah, I don't really get that either but it is what it is. Or isn't.
 
BiknBen said:
Cyclocross skills clinic is on BikeReg for Aug 15th. It is official too. It's even in NJ.
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BiknBen:
SteveCnj here, from that other forum. Just registered on this board. Came for the CX, will stay for the rest. Anyway, missed bringing my 14 y.o. to your 8/15 clinic, but hoping to bring him to your 9/27 Halter's clinic. Missed CX'ing the past few years for a variety of reasons, but planning a few races this year.

SteveCnj
 
Ben:

Thanks, it was good to find you posting here. I'm definitely planning on attending on 9/27 with my son, I'll register as we get closer to the date.
Steve
 
Is there really a point in having a CX bike if you don't race? I understand the gravel grinder paths, but a CX bike just for that. If you aren't preparing to race any reason to "practice" cyclocross.

I have a CX bike and since I don't race, kind of on the fence on whether to keep it
 
qclabrat said:
Is there really a point in having a CX bike if you don't race? I understand the gravel grinder paths, but a CX bike just for that. If you aren't preparing to race any reason to "practice" cyclocross.

I have a CX bike and since I don't race, kind of on the fence on whether to keep it
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I used to have one, but when I found out that I didn't want to race CX and found that I always keep road tires on it and I can ride all of the gravel stuff on my 23 road tires anyway and my steel road bike was much better ride on both gravel and road than my aluminum CX bike with road tires, I finally decided to toss it.

On a side note, I did ride it a lot during the winter as my "bad-weather-bike". But now I just ride my regular road bike during the winter and clean it in the spring (sometimes). If I had to do it all over again, I would probably get some kind of steel touring bike where I can mount racks and panniers and fenders and stuff and slap some 25 or 28 tires on it.
 
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qclabrat said:
Is there really a point in having a CX bike if you don't race? I understand the gravel grinder paths, but a CX bike just for that. If you aren't preparing to race any reason to "practice" cyclocross.

I have a CX bike and since I don't race, kind of on the fence on whether to keep it
Click to expand...

Cyclocross is a weird thing. People don't ride cyclocross, people practice and race cyclocross. The idea of cyclocross basically slaps XC, road, and gravel all together into a circuit race with obstacles. One might call it a circuit style steeple chase on wheels.

With that said the cyclocross bike is incredibly versatile. If you were to own one drop bar bike the CX bike is the one. You can easily mount 23s or 42s, often have fender eyelets available. The geometry is capable for on and off road, including some trail riding. Like any multitool it's not really the best at anything with exception to cyclocross where nothing else will do, partly because the rules say you can't use anything else and partly because it's actually well designed for the rigors of a CX course.

@sounds has it right in saying you should have a frame capable of racking up for light touring duty if you need to justify the frame.

After society crumbles I would still reach for a 26" rim brake 9 speed rigid mountain bike.
 
qclabrat said:
Is there really a point in having a CX bike if you don't race? I understand the gravel grinder paths, but a CX bike just for that. If you aren't preparing to race any reason to "practice" cyclocross.

I have a CX bike and since I don't race, kind of on the fence on whether to keep it
Click to expand...

My situation:

Current Cross Bike #1 - Ritchey Breakaway. I didn't even intend to ever put cross tires on it when I bought it. Thought it would be an awesome frame for plane trips and being the cross version gave me the option of touring on it. In an ideal world I'd have both travel versions but I don't live in that world. Glad I have it even if I don't get to use it enough. It's comfortable enough with road tires/wheels I'd consider getting rid of my normal road bike.

Current Cross Bike #2 - Race Bike. Turns out it's the bike I grab whenever I go out lately for a quick ride somewhere. Comfortable upright position, very nimble, disk brakes, 1x10 gears cover most situations. I find it much more enjoyable than my touring bike which would seem like the ideal around town choice but that bike is so lazy when not loaded up and my road bike is too racy and uncomfortable if I'm just fooling around.

That being said, when I only had mountain bikes and thought about getting a road bike I thought a CX bike would be the way to go. Was a mistake at the time and ended up selling the frame and building the road bike. Kind of dumb having a *crappy* CX bike with road tires for road rides with other people.

The only way I'd suggest a cross bike for a normal person is if you're looking for a do-all urban bike. And if that was the case I'd be looking at the CrossChecks of the world and you're not throwing overly knobby rubber on those on the pavement. If you put 23c tires on and never look back, then what's the point of it being a cross bike?

-Steve
 
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