[SpinWheelz]

I don't think it's a MTB any longer. I don't think it qualifies as a cyclocross bike. Some of you who have seen this bike before are probably sick to death of me posting every time I build up some new version of it. Here's the latest:

Older lugged steel Trek 950 MTB. I've built it up with 700c wheels and road slicks before, but I'd never tried putting knobbies on with the 700c wheels. I messed around with a variety of tires. The biggest slicks that fit nicely were the WTB Slickaraurus 700x37c tires. So I thought that some Kenda Kross Supreme 700x35c tires might fit nicely in there. They fit great in the rear.

In the front, the Kenda tires wouldn't fit - severe rubbing under arch of the fork as well as the brake. I tried the much-skinnier Kenda Kwick 700x31c tires, but they were way too skinny. So I tried the WTB Cross Wolf 700x32c tires. Like buttah. Great tread, great fit. Despite what the picture may indicate, I've got enough clearance in the front.

And of course, the business end of the bike - On*One Midge bars with Cane Creek SCR-5 levers. I'd used Dia-Compe 287V levers when this bike sported 26" wheels, so by comparison, these new brake levers feel like large potatoes in my hands - it's gonna take a bit of getting used to. The feel of the blades is great, though. No cable friction issued with the standard routing in front of the bar.

Clearly, this ride is going to take a bit of getting used to - the skinny tires, the handlebars, the taller-than-normal gearing (44x20), but for a bit of fireroad action, this just might be the ticket.

Sorry for continually banging on about this silly bike. But what would you call this monstrosity?

 

[FrontRanger]

Man, that is a perfect SS cross bike. Now go race it. Of course you may need to wait till fall.

 

[Boe]

Monster Cross!
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?p=1869557

 

[DiDaDunlop]

Damn that looks perty..... As I have an old 26-er frame lying around it may be built up that way. This afternoon I'll be looking at some constructional details..

 

[SpinWheelz]

I dunno of this bike qualifies for that 'monster cross' category of bikes. If I could fit my Panaracer Fire Cross 700x45c tires in there, it might be.

I do have a question about the tires, though. The tires - Kenda Kross Supreme and WTB Cross Wolf - both have a tire pressure range between 50 and 80. I've pumped them up to about 50psi. Any inherent risks if I were to run this at around 40psi or thereabouts?

 

[logbiter]

I'd just call her 'sshweety'

those the nashbar brakes from before? What stem ya running?

 

[SpinWheelz]

Cheers. Those are Nashbar long-reach road brakes. Somehow, all the stars and planets aligned so that they could be bolted to the fender mounts of the frame and fork (with a bit of drilling to make the holes larger to fit the brake bolt) and reach the rim walls and allow for some decent tires to the stuffed in there.

Stem is a 40-degree stem I picked up off ebay from this one seller, CYCLE4LESSCOM. Pretty cheap.

 

[disco]

Des - I never get tired of looking at this bike. The first incarnation is what inspired me to rip apart my 930. Mine is currently set up as a 1x7 road going trainer/townie, but I'm stripping it back to 1x1 and now possibly looking for one of those stems to go with a set of midge's!! damn you!!

would it still qualify as a cross bike with hybrid tires on 26" wheels?? or is that just lame? I just realized there are some fun little off road jaunts near me that would be fun to fly through on a bike like this