I just realised that there is a name for the capacity to use Big tyres on a cross bike - sorry I'm a bit slow.
does anyone have any recommendations for frames that will cope tyres of the larger variety?
in mind i have a soma double cross disc. was thinking also about a transition rapture. and a salsa la cruz. suggestions would be great.
cheers

You're gonna struggle getting really fat tyres into any proper cross bike simply because of chainstay clearance, and for that reason I would suggest mainly looking at steel frames (cos narrower stays).

Transition Rapture has poor tyre clearance - the rear is tight @ around 40c IIRC. Same goes for the Colossi Rambler CX and the Salsa Warbird. Can't speak for the Doublecross or La Cruz tho'.

The Surly Straggler will take up to 45c depending on the tread - the dropouts are a bit weird but other than that I can wholeheartedly recommend it as a good bike for all day any road riding. I have a Crosscheck and I love it (Canti's - yeah boi!).

If you want real big tyres then look at a drop-bar 29er like the the Salsa Fargo. Of course you're then limited to running MTB cranks (wider) and smaller chainrings... and the frame geometry changes a lot too. I guess its just a matter of working out what you want it for. I've never felt the need to ride anything bigger than 40c on gravel (but if I was riding in some of those gnarly roads in the wops down South I'd be taking my 29er).

Oli wrote:http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=724320707

Hawt!

I've got a Soma Doublecross disc. Awesome bike and I love it. It won't do properly wide tyres in the back unless they have changed the clearance on the latest frame. Mine is a 2012 model. I can get a 42mm in the back and a 50mm touring tyre in the front. I would like to get a 50mm in the back at times but there isn't quite enough room. The Singular Peregrine can handle wider tyres on the back, to name but one.

ringo wrote:I've got a Soma Doublecross disc. Awesome bike and I love it. It won't do properly wide tyres in the back unless they have changed the clearance on the latest frame. Mine is a 2012 model. I can get a 42mm in the back and a 50mm touring tyre in the front. I would like to get a 50mm in the back at times but there isn't quite enough room. The Singular Peregrine can handle wider tyres on the back, to name but one.

thanks for that
I have been tending toward the soma.
feel free to name more though . . . . .

Very nice!

I want to know about the logistics of using those shifters with an XT rear and wide range cassette. There seems to be a bit of confusion on t'internet about this.

Also why are brifters so frigging expensive?

That is baller. I wanna run challenge gumwalls on mine but apparently they don't work tubeless

Cheers guys. Yup I'm pretty stoked with the setup. Running a Raceface NW ring and with the clutched RD its so quiet - like riding a singlespeed.

ChumlyPogward wrote:I want to know about the logistics of using those shifters with an XT rear and wide range cassette. There seems to be a bit of confusion on t'internet about this.

hmmm... I don't think they will work. SRAM 10-speed - RD + MTB both run 1:1 actuation. Shimano runs 2:1. You can't run Shimano brifters with with their MTB RDs either (different pull ratio). Here's some links re compatibility.

http://www.bikeforums.net/recreational-cyclocross-gravelbiking/626793-sram-doubletap-shimano-mtn-derailleurs.html
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Bicycles/Maintenance_and_Repair/Gear-changing_Dimensions
Have a search around Shimergo, Sramano and hubbub hacks. Either that or just buy an X7/X9 type2 RD.

ChumlyPogward wrote:Also why are brifters so frigging expensive?

Cos roadie.

JensonUSA tends to have them the cheapest: http://www.jensonusa.com/SRAM-Rival-ShiftBrake-Lever-Set
That or eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-SRAM-Apex-Double-Tap-Road-Bike-Gear-Brake-Levers-Black-/400499545210?pt=AU_Sport_Cycling_Parts&hash=item5d3fa2147a

wachtourak wrote:That is baller. I wanna run challenge gumwalls on mine but apparently they don't work tubeless

Just run latex tubes instead - they feel so friggin nice.

Chur that is good info, I like the look of the SRAM shifters anyway.

So this http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/nz/en/sram-x7-type-2-10-speed-rear-mech/rp-prod108852

and this http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/nz/en/sram-x7-2x10sp-high-clamp-front-mech/rp-prod55249

will be happily actuated by these? http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/nz/en/sram-rival-10-speed-shift-brake-lever-set/rp-prod31539

Plus a SRAM 11-36 cassette, and whatever dirty old crankset i have lying around....?

ChumlyPogward wrote:Chur that is good info, I like the look of the SRAM shifters anyway.

So this http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/nz/en/sram-x7-type-2-10-speed-rear-mech/rp-prod108852

and this http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/nz/en/sram-x7-2x10sp-high-clamp-front-mech/rp-prod55249

will be happily actuated by these? http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/nz/en/sram-rival-10-speed-shift-brake-lever-set/rp-prod31539

Plus a SRAM 11-36 cassette, and whatever dirty old crankset i have lying around....?

SRAM shifters are way nicer than Shimano ...and Campy Ergos are nicer still.

Yup, a SRAM 10-speed mtn RD will work perfectly with Sram brifters. And to the best of my knowledge any 2-speed mtn FD will also work (9 or 10-speed - dunno about 8-speed). Its more important to match the FD with the crankset you're using (mtn for mtn, rd for rd). And which crankset you use should be determined by the frame you're using. RD cranksets are narrower so can hit on mtn frames with their wide chainstays.

Use either Sram or Shimano cassettes. Doesn't matter. I have some PG1070s which I'm very happy with but SRAM's cheaper offerings aren't much chop, PG1050 or anything lower aren't spidered so will munch an alloy carrier quite bit. I tend to buy XT/Ultegra cassetttes instead as their performance is better for less cost.

Ditto goes for chains. I run KMC chains cos they are cheap and good.

Just out of interest why are you looking at running a double on the front? I mean one of the beautiful things about 1x10 clutched is its stealthiness and the range from a 1x10 - 40>11-36 - setup is that it offers a range that covers most of the gearing of a std rd double - read about it here: http://www.wolftoothcycling.com/pages/1x-gravel-setup

The only reason I'd want to run a double (esp if MTN) is if I was using it loaded touring / bikepacking, and if I was doing that I would probably run barcon shifters instead (as they are simpler and easier to fix on the fly).

If you're wanting 1x10 brifters I'd buy them as a single right hand Apex lever and a left hand S500 lever (they match):
http://www.bikewagon.com/sram-apex-doubletap-right-lever#29068
http://www.bikewagon.com/sram-s500-left-road-brake-lever-black-alloy#6562

and also 'untapping' the left lever is bit of a heart in mouth - don''t fkn break it - type untertaking, and once done pretty much irreversible( or so I was told by a mate who is a SRAM tech):

Lastly, Raceface, Wolftooth and Absolute black all make 110 and 130BCD NW chainrings. Not sure about local boys Revolution Components.

I have absolutely no idea what untapping the lever is - TBH I have only ever ridden a bike with brifters once for about 250m and my ignorance is surpassed only by my inherent stupidity.

The reason for the 2 up front is that I am the wrong side of 40, a big boy, and a bit late to the serious cycling game for it to be a breeze getting up hills. Having said that i have a 1x10 on my fatbike which (with a 42T cassette hack) has enough range for what that does, but maybe not enough to suit a do everything CX/commuter.

I have a disc trucker with 3x9 gearing which has all the range in the world, but it also has bar end shifters. I don't actually mind them too much but around town they can be a pain, so I think going to brifters is the next logical step.

All of this is pretty open as i will be building the frame, and the only potential difficulty with chainlines etc will be that it will be able to take 2.5" tyres