Best cyclocross bike under £1000 and other CX chat

I'm guessing I would need the inline version of Travel Agent to improve my Sram Apex/Road BB5 set up?

Before you go down that route a couple of things you can check:

are you using full length cable housing?
is it compressionless?
is it any good?
have you flattened off the cut ends of the cable housing with a dremel or equivilent tool so that there cannot be any compression in the housing at all?

If the answer to any of the above is no, it's probably better to sort that out before trying the travel agent kludge.

Yep, it make it feel like a normal Caliper brakes, even with the notorious BB5.

The only reason the BB5 is 'notorious' is because many nodders buy boardman CXs poorly set up by Halfords and wonder why they don't stop.

It's mainly because it's not very easy to set up as there's only one adjustment dial as oppose to both side like the BB7.

Je suis une nodder.

I tried the following to get mine to work:

• Removed the cross top levers
  
• Replaced all housing with compressionless Goodridge outer
  
• All cuts made with a Dremel at bang on 90%, then deburred
  
• Cables replaced with Goodridge ones
  
• Endless, ENDLESS fiddling
  
• I even replaced the fucking handlebars to try to give more lever throw
  
• Buy travel agent
  
• Get annoyed at power loss to travel agent
  
• Buy Hope V-Twin
  
• Sorted
  
  

Howard- are you using Shimano levers with yours?

It's mainly because it's not very easy to set up as there's only one adjustment dial as oppose to both side like the BB7.

Not true. The BB7 has two adjustment dials and no cable stop adjuster. The BB5 has one dial and...a cable stop adjuster that performs the same job as the BB7's outboard dial adjuster. It makes no difference to set up at all.

^^ Sound like the same amount of effort I put in mine before resorting to the Cane Creek.

Howard, surely having two adjustments dials would be a better idea than just having the one?

as for the lack of cable stop adjuster, I use one of those;

The braking performance of this was awesome:

I have to say I regret selling that bike.

I've been getting Road Rat lust recently.

I just realised that I was basically putting together a new bike in my head that was almost identical to that Road Rat.

Quick question, is it worth getting an aftermarket brake pads, such as the Koolstop disc? or the standard Avid one is enough for some?

Howard, surely having two adjustments dials would be a better idea than just having the one?

as for the lack of cable stop adjuster, I use one of those;

For pure user-friendlyness I agree - the second dial is fucking obvious in it's purpose. It screams 'turn me to tune your brakes'. The cable stop adjuster does not. But they both do the same job.

Neither brake needs an additional in-line adjuster for day to day use. If you race and you need to swap a wheel out then it makes sense to be able to adjust the brake from the bars, if only the outboard pad.

Who wants to stop when your racing cross anyway?

the person who don't want to crash into a tree I reckon.

well that rules me out

anyone want to buy some brakes, rarely used?

The braking performance of this was awesome:

How come you got rid of it?

How did I compare with your langster or any other frames you've had?

It always appealed as I used to walk past on and it just looked so versatile.

I got rid of it as I just didn't ride it.

As pictured it was a great bike to bomb around on, pretty heavy though.

Hard to compare with the Langster as a large part of each bikes character is in the wheels- 22mm tubs on deep carbon vs. 32mm Rando's on 29er rims.

Guess which span up faster and encouraged you to rip round like a lunatic?

Who can tell me what those levers are? Tektro "somethings" is all I can think.

look like RL520 because of the arch of the actuator

That would make a lot of sense- the RL520 is a V-Brake lever, no wonder it worked well with the BB5.

indeed, it got a longer pull, did not like the hood as it was an uncomfortable shape sadly.

I liked them, cheap too.

On the list they go.

Alloy cross frame with a disc mount?