Quote:
Originally Posted by Table 5
So I went for a bike fitting at Campione last week, and at this point, it looks like I'll be going forward with a Ritchey Swiss Cross. I was also considering the Road Logic, but I like the idea of having a bit more flexibility with wheel width, and I feel like a cross bike may be a bit more suited to urban conditions.
I'm looking at the build specs and I have a few decisions to make that I was hoping I could get a bit of insight on from you much more experienced riders. Keep in mind that this bike will be almost exclusively used for pathway/street use, during 3 seasons (I'm just not that hardcore). My goal is to have something that has the light weight/agility of a road bike, but be a bit more forgiving on crappy roads.
1) Any thoughts on a disc vs canti brakes for pathway/urban use? I know that discs are better for crappy weather, rim life...but also heavier and require a bit more maintenance. Is it overkill, or good future proofing?
2)At the moment, I'm looking to spec with Shimano 105s. However I'm also intrigued by the X1 setups from SRAM. Any thoughts on those? I like the idea of simplifying...both mechanically and aesthetically. I do prefer the aesthetics of Shimanos though over the busier SRAM graphics, ha.
3) What width and/or type of tire do you recommend? I've ridden on 25mm road bikes, and maybe because I'm coming off a mountain bike, I felt they get a bit squirrelly on roads that aren't full cleaned. Would 30-35mm slicks make more sense?
Here's the Swiss Cross btw...in the Disc frame with the SRAM x1.
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Wow, that's a beaut. My thoughts, based on me.
1) Go disc. Future proof. I find maintenance to be minimal
2) I prefer x1 myself for my mountain bikes and a cross bike. For a road bike, I like more range, although you can get pretty close now a days. Make sure it's 11 speed. My only thing is I much prefer shimano shifters to sram. Just personal preference. Sram makes good stuff.
3) I really like the shwalbe marathon plus in a 28 for an all around tire...it also comes in a 32 and 35. It's bomb proof. Not as fast a a continental gp4000, but it's strong and will last. I use the GP4000 on my road bike, and the marathons on my cross/commuter. Continental does make a gp 4000 all season that is supposed to be awesome, but I have no experience with them. It too comes in multiple sizes like 28 and 32.