Here's our guide to setting up your cyclocross bike if you're just getting into it.
The first thing to look at is your position. Your saddle height and setback should be the
same as on your road bike. Some people say that perhaps you should lower it by about
5mm - the theory being that when you're riding over rough terrain, you're naturally going
to be slightly out of the saddle anyway to control the bike. That's absolutely fine.
Personally I want it exactly the same as my road bike so that it feels the same when I'm
pedalling. But if you are struggling a bit with bike handling, it's perhaps something
to bear in mind.
If you're measuring your saddle height accurately, one thing you really should think about is
the stack height - the difference between your off-road pedals and shoes and your road
pedals and shoes. Stack height is the gap between your foot and the pedal axle. Different
pedals and shoes will have different thicknesses and it can actually vary quite significantly.
There are tables online where you can find out how much. It is quite pernickety, but
there we go.
While we're on the subject of pedals, it's a good idea to play around with the release
tension. In really muddy conditions, it can sometimes be quite difficult to get your foot
in and out, so backing off the release tension is quite a good idea, just to make sure you
don't get stuck in. Having said that, on really rough terrain you put quite a bit of pressure
on the pedals so you want to stay clipped in, in which case you want to dial up the
retention. It kind of suggests that you want somewhere in the middle, but have a play around,
it does depend on personal preference.
The fundamental difference in your position between road bike and cyclocross bike comes
at the front end up here. As a general rule you should be looking to have your handlebars
1-2cm higher on your cross bike and about 1cm closer to the saddle. That's because you're
in a much more controlled position when you're a little bit higher and a little bit further
back. So when you're tackling rough, technical terrain it's much easier to handle the bike.
Although it looks like this bike is quite long and low, it is actually 2cm higher than
my road bike and 1cm shorter. But the fact that I've still got a 120mm stem on and the
stem is still slammed is entirely down to the manufacturer, Trek in this case. They've
taken into consideration 'cross position when they've designed the frame. The frame itself
is shorter and higher. As a general rule, although manufacturers do vary, you probably
don't want to size down your cyclocross bike to get it shorter, you pretty much want to
look at the same size bike as you ride on the road. It's not a given, but as a general
rule that's what you should look for.
Another benefit with having your bars slightly higher is that your drops are much more usable
and they're a great place to be when you're hitting fast and technical terrain. The other
thing to think about is your brake hoods as well - a lot of people find that they like
theirs a little further up, which gives you a much more controlled position when tackling
rough terrain.
Away from bike fit, what else should we look at? Tyres are absolutely crucial, far more
important in fact than they are on the road. It's worth bearing in mind that if you're
going to race, the UCI have a limit on the width of tyres - 33mm. Unfortunately it's
a bit more complicated than that, because although all tyre manufacturers put the width
of the tyre on the sidewall, that does vary. It's your responsibility as a rider to make
sure that if the UCI did come along with a tape measure, it'd come up as 33s. These tyres
are 33mm, but they're on really wide rims, so I suspect if I tried to race on them and
someone was really picky, they probably wouldn't let me start. However, for general riding
and training I always use 33-35mm tyres. You get more traction that way and they're far
more comfortable as well.
If you're really into racing, you'll probably be running tubular tyres. For the un-initiated,
a tubular tyre is one which is stitched closed around an inner tube and then the whole thing
is glued onto a tubular-specific rim. They're a bit more expensive and complex, but there
are many advantages. The main one is you can run lower pressures to get more traction while
still feeling fast in a straight line. Most pro cross riders use them - they're the racer's choice.
Whether you decide to run tubulars or standard clinchers, tyre pressure is really important.
As I've just said, lower pressures mean more traction but there is also a greater risk
of punctures. In order to find your perfect tyre pressure, you'll have to vary it quite
a bit, depending on your weight and where you ride.
For tubulars - For a 70kg rider, I'd suggest something around 25psi. Top riders can go
lower depending on the course, and if it's faster or more bumpy you might want to go
slightly higher.
For clinchers you're always going to have to put a bit more pressure in, they're more
susceptible to punctures generally, so I'd say 35psi is probably the lowest limit. For
general riding, a light and skilful rider will probably want at least 40psi in, and
if you're heavier or you ride in much rockier terrain, then at least 60psi. The trade-off
being that you get less traction and it's much less comfortable.
Just to throw another option into the mix, tubeless tyres are also great for cyclocross.
That's where you put sealant inside the tyres, which means you can use them without inner
tubes. The main reason being puncture protection is absolutely brilliant, so you can run lower
pressures without the risk of pinch flats. They're not as good for racing as a tubular
tyre and until recently the range was really limited, so you had to make do with trying
to make standard tyres work using a conversion kit. Now the range is better and we have done
a video showing you exactly how to convert your current setup to tubeless. It's a bit
of grief, but I think it's worth it.
Wheels are generally standard lightweight road ones, but but if you're a heavier rider
you might want to consider something more sturdy. If you have a choice, looking for
something with a wider rim is great, as a wider profile supports larger cyclocross tyres
much better, and it does really improve your handling.
The other thing to talk about is gearing. Most pro cross riders will use a 46-39 chainring,
but most cross bikes are sold with a compact chainset - 46-36. That's probably better suited
for normal riding. Personally I prefer a 39 inner chainring - my theory is that if I'm
going too slowly to push a 39 I'm probably better off running. That's kind of race-specific
At the back, you need a broad range on your cassette. This is an 11-28, which is perfect.
If you're running older Shimano, you're probably limited to 12-27, but that's fine as well.
If you do use a bigger cassette, you might find that you need a long cage rear mech,
which is cool, but they are sometimes slightly more prone to mishaps in thick mud. That could
become costly as your rear mech can get torn off. As an aside, it's always important to
keep on top of maintenance around here, particularly your rear mech, so you can do everything you
can to prevent that happening.
Finally, it's a small point but - water bottles. Most people for most cross conditions won't
race with a water bottle. However, if you are in unseasonably warm conditions or you
do just live somewhere nice, pop your water bottle on the seat tube here. It means you
can actually life the bike onto your shoulder much more easily. If the bottle is on the
down tube it can obstruct it, particularly on small frames. That's also true if you're
just out training or just using your 'cross bike as a normal bike - that is the best place
to put your bottle.
Five main things you should look at.
Number 1 - your saddle height should be the same as on your road bike.
Number 2 - your handlebars should be 1-2 centimetres higher and 1cm closer to the seat than on
your road bike.
Number 3 - tyres. If you're going to race, you're limited to 32 or 33mm wide tyres, but
do check they're the right width. Generally you want a higher volume tyre for general
riding, 33-35. It's much more comfortable and you get much more grip.
Number 4 - your gearing. Look at a wide range cassette at the back, 11-28 and 46-39 or 46-36 chainrings.
Finally, number 5 - your water bottle. If you've got a choice stick it on your seat
tube, not on your down tube.