Cross is coming - Hold Fast Cycling

It may be March, but I can’t wait for September.

With all the cross bikes rapidly turning themselves into gravel bikes I was hunting for something that was CX specific. I did not want a quiver killer do it all bike. I wanted a race bike! After some self inflicted bad decisions, I was turned on to Low Bicycles in San Francisco. This thing is a pure CX race bike. Sure it has clearance for larger tires, but the geo is set up for those who worry about their Cross-Results points and pinning on numbers.

Some of the parts were carried over from my old bike, and some are new to the build. The pictures say it all, but if you really want to know what I picked and why I did, the check out the details on the bottom of this post.

For a build kit, I still prefer 11 speed Di2. Especially for CX. I prefer mineral oil brakes, and the smaller hoods of Shimano. Plus when you set up older 11 speed Di2 as a 1x, you can use the MTB rear derailleurs (XT on this one). I also like to set up the levers to shift differently. On my left shifter, both the paddles do the same thing and shift up the cassette. The right do the inverse. This has been great when it’s freezing and I’m wearing thick gloves. I never miss a shift. With the XT rear derailleur, I have plenty of options for cassette range. Race day will be 11-28, but if I ever venture into gravel, a quick swap to something wide won’t be an issue.

The little details are where things started to get nice. SRAM Red Crank with a Quarq (gotta have all the data). As soon as I got the crank, I ripped off that cheap plastic preload collar and swapped for the metal version from Cane Creek. I went with a 40t Wolf Tooth ring and a Paul Chain Guard. Of all the chain guards out there, Paul’s was by far the most aesthetically pleasing. Plus it was super easy to set up.

Obviously I went with Maples wheels. These are actually a now retired model, The XCX. I was going to go with the new CXGs, but these XCXs won’t die, so they carry on for another season. All they got were some new red valves to match the theme and a pair of most new Kenda Alluviums. One the other set of XCXs are a set of Kenda Boosters. If you haven’t tried the Booster and are looking for a mixed conditions tire, I highly recommend them. Plus they come in a 37mm for you masters looking for the widest tire that you can legally use at Nationals.

For years I’ve been on XTR pedals. But I was tired of the Shimano Squeak and decided to try something new. I figured if Nino uses HTs, then they are good enough for me. Besides coming in a sea of colors, the have readily available rebuild kits. They definitely have a different feel, but I’m digging them so far.