kmor-@hdcampbell.com
Thanks for all the answers on & off list. It sounds like my idea of a
rigid mountain bike with somewhat narrow tires is OK for us beginers!
Selwood, Community Cycling Center, Craigslist - here I come! :D
Ken
eri-@fusium.com wrote:
Howdy, welcome to the race scene. My opinion on the matter follows:
For dry races, you could just get some narrower cross clinchers and put
them
on your son's road bike. There are usually dry races during the first
month
of the season.
When it gets wet out, that's not going to work very well because the mud
will probably stick to the tires and jam up at the bottom bracket from
the
lack of extra space between the tire and the frame. The brakes will
also
get gummed up with a mud/grass mixture.
Nobody would laugh if he rode a mt bike, just like nobody would laugh at
the
person riding a carbon fiber bike as your son passes on his mt bike.
Perhaps he could borrow one. I wouldn't buy one just for this unless it
was
used and way cheap. A mt bike is a great way to go when you're just
starting out.
My opinion is don't focus on equipment to much for cross. Just get out
and
have fun. When the conditions get nasty, most racer's bikes don't work
100%
correctly anyway. When/if cross becomes a passion, it will be a lot
easier
to justify spending money on a cross specific rig.
Hope that helps.
___
Erik Voldengen 2037 NW Lovejoy 503-226-7099
Fusium, Inc. Portland, OR 97209 www.fusium.com