Cyclocross - CX and SSCX races and training

The plural of anecdote is not data.

Which means?

That drawing the conclusion that disc brakes have no future in cyclocross on the evidence of a couple of US riders experience is maybe a step too many.

The MTB experience would suggest that they are inevitable.

I'm assuming they - in the US - were running cable pull discs.

I'd expect the problem is not to do with the use of disc brakes, rather that the cable pull brakes they used are not self adjusting.

Meaning as the pads wear down, the gap between the rotor and the pads grows. The inside pad can wear enough so that when the outside pad pushes against the rotor, the rotor no longer contacts the inside pad, but the caliper body instead. At this point the brake simply ceases to function.

It's possible to remedy this by stopping and dialing in the inside pad. The outside can be dialed in using a handlebar barrel adjuster.

This has happened to me in two races this year. In both the conditions were utterly extreme. It didn't really matter, guess I'm too slow to need brakes.

Could this happen with hydraulics?

Yes. But you'd have to be riding your bike for a lot longer than an hour; I've had complete brake failure at Swinley after about two hours riding with some heavy braking. But the riding isn't really comparable to a cross race.

TL;DR - hydraulics will work just fine, cable pulls suffer because they don't self adjust.

And who turns up at the US Nationals with the wrong brake pads?!

UCI are streaming the World Champ races on Youtube in HD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jev4Z4KdQAA

not in my country they don't :-(

but then again I get the Belgian coverage. Dutch national TV does not give a shit about CX even with at least 2 possible world champs

Matthieu vd Poel (Juniors) already did his thing, winning his 25th out of 25 races he did this season. What a champ.

Ah just saw that caveat about not available in countries with live broadcast.

Womens race will be here in 20 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy77AyB5M2Q

U23 mens at 5pm approx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S6G6-rwTFk

Mens at 7pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL3oXSTWQTY

Excellent performance by Vos, and some interesting racing further back there. Pity GB didn't really put in much of a showing. Could have done without Day stacking it on the first lap though.

@adoubletap

yes, glad I have the Belgian coverage, UCI might think the NL covers all races but that's far from the truth

So... 4 medals for the Dutch still possible! the oldest of the vdPoel brothers + Teunissen + v Kessel in the under 23 and vd Haar in the Elite class.... excited!

Funny medal ceremony; Pat McQuaid getting booed by the whole crowd

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ueYO40lQQQ

From the Condor blog a 1993 bike they built with some upstarts called Hope
edit they went for the near solid motorbike style discs to begin with

Nice early effort, just shows how slow the journey to disc adoption has been.

There were apparently solid discs out yesterday. http://www.cxmagazine.com/ryan-trebons-solid-disc-brake-rotors-spy-photos

TRP have some cable operated hydraulic brakes with a master cylinder in/on the caliper coming in 2013 which is what Hayes did BITD too.

That looks quite interesting, both pads have the self adjusting float synonymous with hydraulics. They look good for cross but I'm not sure having the master cylinder so close to the disc will be good for heat dissipation on a long road descent.

I still like cross tops so want cable into secondary levers housing the master cylinder.

John Mx has some video footage of the new TRP brakes here;

http://ukcyclesport.com/all-news/gear-news/item/8330-trp-brakes-2013

The Spyre looks very interesting.

Nice early effort, just shows how slow the journey to disc adoption has been.

There were apparently solid discs out yesterday. http://www.cxmagazine.com/ryan-trebons-solid-disc-brake-rotors-spy-photos

The size of Trebon's SuperX never ceases to amuse me.

Getting my first "proper" full race licence at the end of the week in preparation to race on February 26th. Yep, middle of summer evening CX race. Bring on the dust (and I may have to wear a sweatband under my helmet). I raced three races last year on a permit, so I bit the bullet for this year. Lookign forward to it... got a few weeks to learn how to dismount again...

Another CX Sportive I'll probably ride if transport isn't too difficult;

http://www.cxsportive.com/events/south-downs-cx-mar-2013/

More and more and more :]

Right, got this last week, thinking it'll be good for a fatty winter bike, but realised that it might actually be pretty good fun to have a CX bike.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RETRO-CYCLO-CROSS-FRAME-AND-FORKS-531-COMPETITION-TUBING-/251222223955?item=251222223955&ViewItem=&nma=true&si=0%252F8D6IhjvTGeBNwP4O23i2LzNyM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
As I'm totally new to the CX thing, can anyone give me any tips about decent places to go round South East? Really, really looking forward to getting down the woods. Hopefully the seller's going to be able to send me the wheels as well (he included the bits he said were collection only in the box, top gent!)

Nice. I've no doubt someone with proper bike handling skills could ride any of the MTB trails in the southeast - it just depends on what you are comfortable with.

Dorking, Swinley, Peaslake, Leith, Biggin Hill are all fun, but everything is pretty darn muddy at the moment though.

I did a bit of MTB in my youth (growing up in North Wales, I didn't really have any other choice) so I reckon my handling is pretty good.
When it gets here on Tuesday I'll see what tyres I have lying around and take it down the Green Chain walk maybe.
I'll have a look into those places as well.

Cool. A lot of Swinley is closed at the moment, and what's left isn't massively ridable, but when it re-opens in May it should be pretty good fun on a crosser.

Another great course today

Some of the leagues have got their races up on BC website. Not sure if all complete or not, e.g. Wessex only has their Rnd1 and Thanksgiving special.