Messages

1

Gear Talk / Re: Tri-Cross

« on: March 15, 2010, 11:35:07 am »

I've been riding my tricross comp for about a year now. I think it rides very well when loaded down and it's very comfortable for me. I think it has a slightly more upright riding position compared to other cross bikes. My foot rubbed my panniers a little until I made some fine adjustments but it was no big deal. For touring you have to make sure you get it configured with a triple! If you get it with a double chain ring in front and a 12-27 in back you can forget about heavy touring. Also, if you're going to carry 60 pounds (sounds like a lot) you'll want to change out the wheels. The Tricross Comp comes with 24 spoke Roval wheels. Some might say the Roval wheels can handle it but most would say better safe than sorry. The brakes might be an issue too considering the weight you want to carry. The conventional wisdom is disc brakes will give you a little more stopping power. To the best of my knowledge this is not something that you can change on the tricorss, but check with a profiessional about that.  People on this forum also debate using STI shifters vs. bar end shifters while touring, bar end being the more reliable of the two and they perform a little better with triple chain rings. After about 2000 miles one of my STI shifters broke while I was on a weekend ride. It was still under warranty but that wouldn't have made my day any better if I were on a tour, espesially considering that my local bike shop didn't have the new parts in stock. If you're looking at a bike in that price range you have other options. So you have to ask yourself if you will be doing any other type of riding with this bike. If you're going to be doing weekend rides and commutes, as well as tours, I would recommend the tricross b/c it's very versatile. If you're going to be using it mostly for long touring I think you should look into bikes that are designed specifically for touring...especially considering the load you want to carry. I hope this helped.

2

Gear Talk / Re: Specialized Tricross Comp 2010

« on: March 15, 2010, 10:48:38 am »

If, and only if, you could get a Tricross Comp with a triple it makes an great touring bike. I've been riding mine for about a year now and I think it handles very well when loaded down, it's very comfortable (as the geometry is a little more upright than other cyclocross bikes), and I have only a little trouble with pannier clearance. You're right to think twice about the wheels, but given your build I don't think it would be a problem. I had to change the brakes but Specialized has started shipping the Tricross with better brakes since I bought mine.

3

Gear Talk / Re: New 520 - setup questions

« on: March 15, 2010, 10:30:26 am »

With regard to the Brooks Champion, keep in mind that any seat with springs will give you a little bit of lateral movement. It bothers me but that just a matter of personal preference.

4

Gear Talk / Re: 10 speed vs 9 speed for touring

« on: March 15, 2010, 10:15:25 am »

Tom,
I have been using the IRD wide range 10 speed cassette for a few months with the XT derailleur. I can't say I'm confident about taking in on a tour. The best I can say is that, although it skip gears when I try to shift, it'll get me through my commute (50 miles round trip) when it's tuned perfectly. But it's difficult to keep it tuned, and when it's not tuned it's striaght up bad! Ghost shifting and slipping gets out of control very quickly. It almost caused me to fall over my handlebars a couple times while cranking up hill out of the saddle. I was hoping for better results. I'm going to explore other options. When it comes to this sort of thing there is no substitue for trying it but that costs money, and what I've learned is that if something is a little too odd-ball there's probably a reason why.

Mike