Some More Details

Intent Revisited

To continue where I left off on my first post, I’m building two bikes with an eye towards a third... 

The first machine (which this blog is really about) will be my cyclocross bike that I intend to race this season.   This bike will also serve as a training and off-road ride throughout the year.

The second bike will be an all-purpose urban assault vehicle of sorts, based on a cyclocross frame with flat bars and disc brakes for my wife.  The third bike is my dream cyclocross rig (Ridley X-Fire) which really won’t present itself much in this blog other than errant ramblings on how much I lust for one.

Dissection of My Cheap CX Bike

So, I’m building a cheap cyclocross bike.  The word ‘cheap’ is being relegated to the final build cost and should not reflect the overall quality of the bike build (think: inexpensive, affordable, and reliable).  I will include the caveat that some components will likely be a compromise, but I will only make sacrifices on parts which are easily replaced later on (i.e. stem, seat post, brakes, and wheels).  I will avoid compromising on parts which are really keys to the reliability and performance of the bike (i.e. drivetrain, headset, shifters/brake levers).

Cyclocross Bike Targets

My intention is for the finished bike to meet the following criteria:

-         Built from all new components

-         Uses a modern 2x10 drivetrain

-         Easily built with basic bike tools

-         Weighs under 23 pounds

-         Total cost of $900 or less

The first three are a given, but I’ll be happy if I am within 10% of meeting the bottom two criteria.  Next post is the frame I have chosen, how I determined a size, and why I bought what I did.  Yes, I have already bought it and will reveal all next time.  Stay tuned.

-Chris

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