Posts in category cyclocross tech

new cyclocross products, reviews, and mechanic tips


Gabby Day's Raleigh RXC Pro
Featuredpro bike profiles

Pro Bike Profile – Gabby Day’s Raleigh RXC Pro Carbon

With Gabby Day stateside for the start of her normally European-based season, it seemed like a perfect chance to get an up-close and personal look at her new Raleigh RXC Pro Carbon bikes with Ritchey and SRAM Red componentry. Since we’re the same size, it’s been a huge temptation for me, seeing the new carbon Raleigh frames with their stealth matte black appeal. Day is stylish on her own, and the new bikes perfectly compliment to her new team, The Chainstay and RENNER Clothing Team. Day is racing on the East Coast for the next month, from Baltimore to Vermont, and spent some time this week talking with me about her race plans, thoughts on the US, and thoughts on being a woman in racing.

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Meridia showcased their Cyclocross Carbon Team – D bike. Featuring SRAM/Avid disc brakes, the all-carbon rig utilizes internal cable routing and sports a 7.7 kilogram weight. © Jeff Lockwood
Featurednew products

Cyclocross at Eurobike, Part Two: More Disc Brake Bikes, New Tires, Tools and Gear

Here at Eurobike, among the fancy carbon mountain bikes, quirky commuter rigs, sexy road bikes, latest cycling fashions and the most diverse group of bike-nerds in the world, is the newest collection of cyclocross rigs and components. Just about every bicycle manufacturer, large an small, has some sort of cyclocross offering here at the 2011 Eurobike bicycle trade show in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

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Shunning what they refer to as “the flashy-ness of the modern carbon fiber” cyclocross scene…meaning both materials and graphic aesthetic, Hispania (out of Spain) is offering a couple unique options for cyclocross bikes in Europe. The Barrizal is built with Columbus XLR8R Scandium and Zirconium Triple Butted. The more bling-ready Cross is a titanium rig with custom chainstays and seatstays. © Jeff Lockwood
Featuredgear and bike reviewsnews

Eurobike Trade Show Highlights New Cyclocross Gear

A simple stroll through the Eurobike trade show in Friedrichshafen, Germany is impossible. It’s the largest bicycle trade show in the world, and such a distinction means it’s a sensory overload of all things bicycle. Two-wheeled (and three- and four- and one-wheeled) eye candy of all shapes, sizes colors and versions assault the visitor’s senses on several levels.

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Will your cleats survive the season? Kenton Berg
Featuredhow-to

Mechanical Mondays: When To Repair Your Cleats

OK people, it’s August, races are coming up quick, and ’cross prep is happening around the country. Now that you’ve dialed in the bike parts, shaved some weight off of your frame (bike or otherwise), gotten the tubies set to roll, what’s left? Well, its time to work on the shoes, two of the key contact points with your bike, and remove the opportunity for dirt, sticks, mud, rocks or other debris to get caught up between the shoe sole and your cleat. Face it, you just can’t go as fast or crush your competitors without being clipped in fully.

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Featurednew products

New Product Spotlight: Clement’s Cyclocross Tubular Tire Technology and Upcoming MXP, USH Tires

Clement’s Donn Kellogg has spent a good part of his life around tires, and after relaunching the Clement brand and bringing cyclocrossers the PDX and LAS cyclocross clinchers in 2010, he’s been focused on expanding his tire line-up with both additional treads and tubular tires.

The result of his efforts? A tubeless, seamless cyclocross tubular that eschews the hand-made construction of cyclocross tubular tires like Dugast, FMB, Challenge and Vittoria, and instead adopts Tufo-like technology but promises a more supple casing.

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How much glue should you leave on the rim when cleaning? Kenton Berg
Featuredhow-to

Mechanical Mondays: Gluing Tubies, How Clean Is Clean Enough?

Gluing tubulars can be stressful enough, and there are so many different “best ways” of getting the job done. This week, we wanted to look at one question that we hear a lot when talking about gluing up tubulars: when gluing new tires on a wheel that’s been used and glued before, what kind of prep should you be doing? And more specifically, how clean do you want your rims to be before gluing on new tires?

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issue 13 cyclocross magazine
cyclocross techFeaturedprint mag

Are Deep Section Rims Really Better in Mud? CXM Labs Puts Them to the Test

In Issue 13, we take a look at some “Mud Myths” that, as racers, you’ve surely heard from coaches, old racers, mechanics and spectators. In particular, myths exist about deep carbon rims and their effectiveness when the terrain gets soggy. One of three myths lined up to be confirmed or busted in this issue was, “Does a carbon rim really track better in mud?” We wanted answers, so we took some time in the “CXM Lab” (read: muddy course) with these myths and some serious gear in mind, all for science’s sake.

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bike shop
Featuredhow-to

Mechanical Mondays: Upgrade Your Bike For Under $100

It’s that time of year again: time to pull your cyclocross bike out of storage, take a good, long look at it and think, “Well, now what does it need?” Because we’re bike racers. And our bikes always need something, preferably something shiny and new. However, if you’re on a strict bike budget, there are some sneaky ways to upgrade or update your bike for the season, there’s an easy solution: accessories. (And yes, we realize that this piece reads like a fashion magazine article on making that Little Black Dress look brand-new by simply adding new jewelry or shoes.) Still, if you’ve been racing on — or just bought — a stock bike, we have some suggestions for how to dress it up so it stands out in the field (hopefully because you snagged the hole shot.)

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Stage 1 of the Tour De France
cyclocross tire reviewsFeatured

Tour de Tires Stage 21: Finish Strong With The Clement LAS Cyclocross Clinchers

As the Tour de France continues, so does our Tour De Tires! For every stage of the Tour, we’ll be bringing you a review of a tire. Since it’s just about time to start gluing up tubulars or deciding what type of clinchers you’ll be riding this season, the timing couldn’t be better.

Ideally, the tires we feature will be tires deemed advantageous to an off-road version of the stage of the Tour De France, though we’re more interested in the dirt than the roads of France!

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A bent derailleur is easy to miss but can hurt your race results. © Jason Gardner
cyclocross techFeaturedhow-to

Mechanical Mondays: Avoiding The Dreaded DNF

The sad reality is that most catastrophic failures in cross racing result from very simple factors. I have compiled a small list of race ending mechanical problems that could have been avoided with a small dose of precaution and a dash of extra care. These are not all or even the most common mechanical issues in cross racing but these all have two things in common: 1. They can absolutely end your race, giving you a regrettable DNF. 2. They can easily be prevented.

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Specialized Tracer Cyclocross Tubular Tire, 700x33c © Cyclocross Magazine
cyclocross tire reviewsFeatured

Tire Review: Specialized Tracer Cyclocross Tubular, 700x33c

Specialized has been working on a new line of cyclocross tubular tires for several years now, and with input from riders like 2010 National Champion Todd Wells, it developed several prototypes last season. The Specialized Tracer cyclocross tire comes in three configurations: the 290tpi, 423g Tracer Tubular, the folding 282g Tracer Pro clincher, and the Tracer Sport wire bead clincher (weights are average of early prototypes, as measured by Cyclocross Magazine) . All three models are listed at 33c to fall within UCI regulations. Our early tubular versions measured out at 32c, and Specialized informed us that the production versions will have slightly larger casings.

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