Talbot Cyclocross Race Bike #1 & #2.1

A couple of years ago Matt made me a rather nice 853 cyclocross frame.

I went to Matt because nobody was making the frame I wanted at the time - discs weren't being used by the proteams and the aluminium semi-race options from Cannondale / Spesh / whatever were a bit meh, especially in the paint department. There were some nice crabon bikes around from Ridley etc but dollarbills.

So Matt made me a trad geo disc 853 frame with swapouts spaced at 132.5mm. It took BSA bottom bracket and a 1 1/8th fork from Wound-Up. The clearance at the rear end was meant to be UK proof. It was a labour of love. It looked a bit like this when together:

A mix of SRAM XO, S950 cranks, Rival and S500 leavers, and single Thorn front ring driving an 11-36 SRAM cassette for running gear and TRP Spyre brakes, Hope headset, FSA steatpost, 3T stem & bars with a Fizik crabon seat. Wheels were tubeless Iron Cross on Novatec 28/24 made up by Arup which were as light as feather, but I also used some crabonz from china and some Major Toms tubulars from time to time.

After a couple of years racing and generally being battered - I also rode Roubaix, cyclocross sportives, XC races and for while ran it as a single speed fun bike and in every guise it was crashed at least once and also it was hit by a car - it's gone back to Matt for some TLC and a respray.

Also on the cards is Talbot Cyclocross Race Bike #2.1. The .1 is in references to an abortive #2 that happened a year ago that wasn't quite right - a victim of a glitch in bike caad.

#2.1 is going to be a bit of a different animal. The trad geo is out, as is the old-school headtube and a Press-fit 30 bottom bracket is taking the place of BSA. The top tube is going to be slightly profiled for easier shouldering, and the cable routing is going to be internal. An Enve disc fork will do the work up front. No idea what equipment is going on it. Just wish the SRAM disc hoods weren't so fugly.

At the moment it looks like this:

1 Attachment

So will mark 1 become your pit spare now?

Yeah. Might get some bottle bosses put on it and use it more as a gravel & long distance off-road mile muncher. It's always been super poised and comfy.

This is very much in my interest, sub'd

Interesting, you might like to ask Matt to show you my frame later next week.

An Enve disc fork will do the work up front

You going for a 15mm maxle version? ( assuming there is one )

Nah - it would mean doing some kind of home-brew conversion of my front hubs. If you bash the axle out, the bearing IDs are 15mm, but you'd need to machine your own end-caps.

Ah yeah, nice to keep your wheels as cross* compatible as possible.

#nopunintended

It is odd that novatec don't do converters for them to get them working in the same was as Hope Pro 2s though. The axle seems kinda pointless when you could plug in some QR converters directly into the bearing, like Pro 2s.

You can swap the end caps on Novatec's more recent D771SB '3 in 1' front hubs easily enough. No idea if those ones would work?

Still, the ENVE fork will already be pretty darned stiff and I'm not sure that you'd see much benefit of a thru-axle on a CX course.

Do like. Why the os head tube and pf30 though? To be fair, the head tube I kinda get (although I question if the extra stiffness is needed for a rider of your stature) but the press fit bb shell is confusing - you were always a champion of bsa with external cups for British muddiness.

Why the os head tube

I expect most decent crabon CX forks will come with tapered steerers now.

Ah yeah, good point.

subbed

Yeah - it's pretty difficult to find good 1 1/8th forks now. BB wise, you are right in that the direct press fit standards are less appropriate than the better protected screw in variety. I got a couple of seasons out of some BB30 bearings in the past though so I'm not too worried.

Sure, but why not spec a BSA shell then. Talbot's preference for fabrication?

I have sexy 30mm cranks, yo.

Ah ha, that changes everything!

I may be tempted to go custom next time I'm in the market for a cross frame, if just to specify a rear triangle with ridiculous mud clearance. Other than that I think I'm a traditionalist so it'd be pretty much mk. 1 with cantilevers.

Just picked up a wound up cross fork from eBay. Those things are not light - it weighs the same as the budget, alloy steerer(ed?) Ritchey fork it is replacing. Nice ride though.

Those things are not light - it weighs the same as the budget, alloy steerer(ed?) Ritchey fork it is replacing.

One does not buy Wound-Ups for their weight :)

They are hefty because of their six peice bonded construction.

Here's #1 on her way home a few weeks ago. Before leaving, I noticed that engine case bolts (!) used to hold the swapouts in place were seized completely. Drill tiem!

Those bolts O.o

Can't wait to see this with mud on it.

Doesn't mud clearance become less of an issue with disc brakes?

Full hydro disc brakes are pretty awesome.