noheadwind
new member
Reged: 12/27/03
Posts: 13
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as campy is the best and there were no other posters. 
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Jeff_Nichols
journeyman
Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 73
Loc: San Jose
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well, i guess i'll have to be the first to go public with my opinion that what is best is a personal thing. i own one road bike and it has recent campy record (not 2004). i love the group and really have no issues with it. having said that, i think that whether shimano or campy is best for someone depends on what their component "values" are. for me, it's currently campy - but the last shimano road group i had was 7 speed down tube indexed dura ace - so i'm planning on trying out more recent shimano gear - maybe on the cross bike i'm building.
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RDP
captain
Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 245
Loc: Kansas
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Jeff,
FWIW - My cross bike was built up w/ a Ritchey cross crank (48/38) and the rest Chorus 9 speed (13-26)(w/ Avid shorty brakes). The Ritchey crank and campy cassette worked really well for racing and for general riding.
Happy New Year!
Richard
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It is about the bike.....BikeFanClub Forums
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noheadwind
new member
Reged: 12/27/03
Posts: 13
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I agree its all personal choice. 
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Jeff_Nichols
journeyman
Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 73
Loc: San Jose
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I was leaning toward an ultegra group with avid shorty 6s, a 34/48 TA crank and a 12-27 cassette. Now I'm considering going for 10 speed campy (Centaur) with the TA crank and a 13-29 cassette.
I was at one time thinking of a 9 speed campy setup but the selection of campy cassettes is abysmal. I took my mountain bike on some of the rides I'd like to do with my cross bike and the 34/28 was barely enough for the steep parts. I think 34/26 wouldn't be less than ideal.
My only reservation about 10 speed campy is that the drivetrain tolerances (rear shifting) are so high that riding in the muck (which I plan to do a lot of with this bike) might be an exercise in poor shifting performance if you know what I mean.
Any thoughts?
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RDP
captain
Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 245
Loc: Kansas
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Well if you are going to ride in serious bogs you may end up carrying your cross bike anyway.  I went on a short forest trail ride w/ some local mountain bikers a few weeks ago and it was so muddy that my forks and stays clogged so badly that I had to walk it out. The shifting was unaffected...just couldn't turn the wheels.
I personally do not care for Shimano shifters so I would favor Campy but you should be ok with either Ultegra or Centaur....what kind of wheels are you getting? If I had to do it again, I would probably get tubular wheels, especially for riding w/low pressure and better handling. Just my $.02
R
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It is about the bike.....BikeFanClub Forums
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Jeff_Nichols
journeyman
Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 73
Loc: San Jose
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thanks for the feedback. i've been considering tubs for this bike but am trying to make the initial purchase as low-impact as possible. because of this i'm going to use my "commuter" wheels from my road bike. they're speed dream wheels with velocity rims (fusion front and offset aerohead rear). i think they'd actually be pretty good cross wheels - i just wouldn't want to go bouncing over any rock gardens at high speed...
i'm about 180 right now and have been a bit worried about running lower pressure off-road with a 30-35c cross tire. when i used to run lower pressure on my mtb i was a sucker for pinch flats... maybe some tufo clincher/tubulars with sealant???
these are, by the way, the same wheels i linked to in the parlee/new wheels thread of yours.
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Check out my Strong cross bike in the photo gallery. I'm running Chorus 10 with TA cranks. Haven't had 1 problem with muck and mud, shifts like a champ. And nobody can grab my spare wheel from the wheel pit cause it's 10 spd.
Take care,
Tony
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Jeff_Nichols
journeyman
Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 73
Loc: San Jose
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That is a great looking bike. Strong was on my list of possible builders but due to a recent unexpected financial issue, I'm scaling way back on this project.
Could you answer a couple of questions about that bike?
I'm wondering about the geometry - in particular, head tube length, top tube slope, virtual top tube length (level from top/head tube intersection back to center of post).
What rings and cassette do you have on there and what is the front derailleur (if a bottom pull, is the pulley a clamp on or is it attached to a braze-on on the seat tube)?
What brakes are you running? This is the hardest decision for me. I'd like to go with cantis - have heard the avids can be difficult to keep quiet - and am generally wondering if any canti will be good enough for really long trail and road descents in the wet.
I definitely appreciate your feedback on the 10 speed in the muck.
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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I love my cross bike. I also have a Spectrum Super Ti (picture in the Spectrum gallery by the way) and prefer the feel of a steel frame with a steel fork. Call me old school I guess.
There's only a 3 degree slope in the top tube (57cm). Carl told me that the top tube being a little lower would be easier to grab for shouldering and lifting, he was right. The seat tube angle is 72. The head tube is 13.7 cm's. It's the exact same geometry as my Spectrum. Only the top tube on my Spectrum has a 10 degree slope.
The ft derailleur is a Chorus bottom pull and it clamps on. Carl added a pulley to the back of the seat tube. It all works like a champ!
The chainrings in the picture are 46/36 TA's and the rear is a 12/25.
My brakes are Avid Ti 6's and they will stop you on a dime! I was hesitant about the brakes at first and I'm happy with them. But Paul makes a really good brake too! Either one is good option.
On a side note. My last race was the muddiest, most wet, and coldest race I have ever competed in. I also race mountain bikes, and there isn't a mtn. bike race that came close to the cross race. The Campy 10spd performed flawlessly! I thought it worked better than Shimano. At least it sounded better during the race. Everybody around me couldn't keep their bike in gear.
Take care and let me know if you have any other questions.
Tony Welborn
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