Cyclocross and Interbike

I didn't see and do all things cyclocross at Interbike. I used the opportunity to explore some other cycling disciplines. I rode some time trial bikes, road bikes, cross bikes, mountain bikes, but no unicycles (there were some to sample). Cyclocross Magazine has some great shots and write ups of many of the cyclocross offerings to be had there www.cxmagazine.com. Here are my impressions of the various cyclocross bikes I rode, starting from worst and going to first.

Salsa - Chili Con Crosso: A big disappointment here. I've loved this bike for a year or so and would have bought the frame if I had $900 to spend on a frame and fork. I'm really glad I didn't now. The bike felt really heavy and sluggish. Sadly I don't remember the specs other than I liked the Salsa Bell Lap handlebar. It was wide and the drops were flared which should help when navigating tricky spots while in the drops.

Van Dessel - Gin and Trombones: Not too bad, but nothing really standout on this bike. This is another bike I considered buying at one point. It had good reviews but having the chance at Interbike to ride a lot of bikes back to back really showed the differences. This bike, like all of the others I test rode had TRP Eurox cantilever brakes. I became a big fan of them, but that's not hard considering I hate my Avid Shorty 4 brakes.

Felt- F15X: This was the biggest surprise for me. I've always considered Felt to be a decent brand but nothing to get excited about. This frame was aluminum like the others. This one had been spec'd with SRAM Red. The bike felt light and responsive. It was fun to ride and my only complaint was a fairly severe fork shudder. I'm not sure if this is due to the Easton EC70 carbon fork or if the headset needed to be tightened up a bit. Either way it was distracting and irritating. I would definitely recommend this bike as a good budget buy. Felt has 3 'cross bikes and the frames appear to all be the same, just different builds; wheels, components, etc. Get it with the SRAM Rival build and you'll be looking at about $1500 for a great bike.

Stevens - Carbon Cross: Not sure if this is the actual name of the bike/frame, but most of their literature is in German so it was the best I could come up with. I had read a good review of this bike in Cyclocross Magazine a few months ago but since it was carbon and had fairly road bike like geometry I didn't think it would be a bike I'd like to ride or could afford anyway. I immediately loved this bike. First off I found I liked the new Shimano Ultegra 6700 better than my 6600, who knew a year could make that much difference. I believe the bike had Fulcrum 5 wheels, a decent choice. The TRP Eurox magnesium brakes were great. The Michelin Mud 2 tires did great in the loose stuff. The bike just felt great both on and off road. It struck me as a bike I could easily throw slicks on and use for longer road rides. This bike was so great it converted my triathlon buddy and now he wants to do some 'cross races.

Aside from the fun of getting ride a bunch of different bikes at Interbike was the chance to try out all of the component groups. I was able to use: SRAM Red, Force, and Rival, Shimano Ultegra 6700, Dura-Ace, Dura-ace Di2 (Electronic shifting) on a time trial bike, and Campagnolo Super Record. The Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 shifting was beyond incredible. I would have never thought I could get that much pleasure from shifting. It would even shift up to the big ring while putting some decent power to the pedals, no hesitation, no chain lock up, just quick, precise shifting. SRAM Red was my next favorite, though I suspect I'll go with Force on my next bike. The shifting is just as precise, it's just not quite as light as Red. Plus, the group looks great!

Some non cyclocross tidbits: I rode a Moots titanium 29er hardtail and loved it. It handled corners great and mellowed out a lot of the trail chatter bumps and rocks. I was able to ride a Ellsworth Moment for about 1/2 mile before my companion got a flat and we hiked back out to catch the shuttle truck. It was a great bike, the 6" felt like much more as it swallowed up BIG rocks and bumps. I also rode the Look 985 road bike. I was the first to ride the 58 cm size so they cut the integrated seat mast to fit me. I was cool seeing an expensive road bike made to fit me, even if I was only going to ride it for 30 min. I also rode the Argon E-114 time trial bike with Shimano Di2 push button shifting. I'm still not sure if I loved the bike because of the bike or the component group, either way it was fun. It's amazing how much faster you can go on a TT bike compared to a road bike. It's not as comfortable to ride but it sure is fast.