Way back in 2007 I was a triathlete, century rider and mountain biker who heard about this thing called cyclocross and was intrigued. Cyclocross is the steeplechase of bike racing, with barricades where you dismount and run, steep run-ups where you shoulder your bike, and loose corners, sand pits, and soul-sucking grass to keep you on the ragged edge. And in our local scene, doing all this in costume for bragging rights.
I had both skinny tire and basic dirt skills, I could run (not fast) and loved costumes and the irreverent attitude that comes with it. Races are 30-45 minutes of all-out effort I felt I could manage since the pain may be intense, but it’s mercifully short. So I bought a steel Lemond Poprad cyclocross bike and raced it. It was a blast.
The Poprad was replaced by a lighter steed who stole her drivetrain and her place at the starting line. Retired from racing and outfitted with low gears, she has been reborn as Liberty, the ultimate all-terrain touring machine.
Faster than my mountain bike but hardier than my road bike, Liberty is made for the dirt trails and gravel roads that criss-cross the hills around San Francisco Bay. She’s no stranger to off-road rides and has hauled overnight gear, but I have yet to fully test her strength. Where should we go? How deep into the wild can she take me?
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- Unlike most cyclocross bikes of her vintage, her disc brakes were standard.
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- No racing gears here. It’s all about low gears for long climbs: 46-36-26×12-36.
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- I was lucky to find a set of 9-speed road levers. They’re out of production.
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- The super lightweight rack doesn’t need eyelets for mounting.
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- It mounts directly on the rear skewer.
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- The carbon fork absorbs the bumps.
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- The in-line brake levers are handy when you’re riding the top of the bars on unpredictable dirt.
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- I stole this saddle from Dick’s unused parts box. Narrow profile, a little cush for the dirt.
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- The chain keeper means no chain dropping even under rough shifting conditions.
Configuring the gearing on this bike was no easy task since I wanted low mountain bike gears with road levers. So I took it to Charles at Passion Trail Bikes. He and his staff found the right front derailer (Tiagra, no less) that would shift properly for this unconventional setup. Thanks, Charles, for doing what Sheldon said was impossible!
georgie
March 12, 2013 at 2:08 pm
Oooh she looks mucho mucho fun! Envious of those trails – I suspect you get slightly less rain there than here. Looking forward to seeing pics of your trips out on her
the other Hilary
March 13, 2013 at 12:19 pm
Very nice. If I did my bike purchases over, I’d have gotten a cyclocross rather than a touring bike. Not that I don’t love my Sherpa, I just wish it was a little more responsive, sometimes! What are you using for tires?
ladyfleur
March 13, 2013 at 12:40 pm
The tires are the Bontragers that came with the bike. When I raced, I threw on Kenda Small Block 8s. We have a lot of hard pack dirt, little mud and no snow where I live in the San Francisco area.
I’ve used both this bike and a Trek 520 for overnight trips. The shorter wheelbase on the cross bike made the bike too twitchy under load, especially while standing. And there’s no room for fenders with the toe overlap. So I wouldn’t want this to be my only tour-capable bike.
the other Hilary
March 13, 2013 at 12:44 pm
Ah, I see. I’m currently using my touring bike as a commuter so it’s a bit overqualified for that job. I’m so inspired by your bike posts – I’ll have to start doing some of my own.
maria
March 25, 2013 at 3:33 pm
I’ve been riding a cyclocross (Bianchi Zurigo) wondering how to make it more stable on dirt, as I just ventured off-road with it around some of the easier grades on Mt. Tam, so this looks inspiring. By the way, the link to Passion Trail Bikes is not working.
ladyfleur
March 25, 2013 at 3:40 pm
Hi Maria, thanks for letting me know I had a broken link. It’s fixed now.
If your cross bike feels unstable on the dirt, you may have too much air in the tires. I don’t like to run my tires over 40 psi on dirt. I’ve even gone so far as pumping to 60 for the road portion of the ride, then letting air out at the trailhead.
I’ve never ridden up Mt Tam on the old railroad trail but it’s on my list. I’ve done the paved road and aside from heavy traffic at the bottom, it’s a great ride. http://ladyfleur.wordpress.com/2012/07/11/peak-of-the-month-club-tourists-on-mt-tamalpais/
maria
March 26, 2013 at 11:19 am
Thanks for that tip… That’s probably it, since I’ve had the tires pumped with air for the road.