Thoughts on Ritchey swiss cross

So im thinking of building a cx bike yet again but would like something a little different.
Im thinking one of these
Swiss Cross Frame

Pro’s: Looks amazing,
Pretty nice tubing and design
Plenty of sizing options
Pretty good value

Con’s: weird rear brake cable guide (makes it hard to run mini v’s) may be a step down ferule would work? i think its too high for a seat post mounted cable stop?

     Geo is a bit hard to work out a similar fit to my roadie.
     I have read a few reports of fork shudder with canti's.

Has any one ridden or worked on one?

Mini vee front, Tektro CR710 / Paul Touring rear.

Or use this for the cable stop, or a single from an oz ebayer

Nice frames, there’s a guy at Velo Cycles who owns one, go chat to him about his and measure the stop perhaps.

Question: Why not just wait for the disc version which is being released later this year? Run with a set of TRP Spyres and some Hope Pro2Evos x Light Bicycle carbon rims - Ballin’.

If not I can vouch for the Paul Touring Cantis. I would have no qualms running them F&R on a cross bike personally. Have run both the Touring and Neo-retro on the front and I’ll be buggered if I can tell the difference in power. Have also ridden a couple of bikes running Shorty Ultimates and when run in “short stance” with good pads they are probably even more powerful than the Pauls.

Death shudder, could that be corrected by pad toe-in and increased headset preload?

Lovely looking frame that Swisscross.

If that does eventuate, you’d be crazy not to get shimano hydros now, either di2 or mech. You could even get 5800 plus the hydro shakes.

The disc version is set for release around october, a bit of a wait and i prefer the red but the other thing is i run campy and like the option of swapping wheels around.

Campy is set to release a hydro group they are working on with brembo in 2016 but that’s an eternity away.

So i either go campy with cable or take a plunge to the dark side and go Shimano either way i’m thinking build this real budget and work out what i do next year as far as hydro.

Put a single cable Problem Solver on my Sona DC as the stop is welded to the seat tube.
Couldn’t get a decent radius to run mini-Vs. Clamp on stop works a treat but looks a bit naff.

When will you know about these framesets?

I agree with blakey, do a mullet.

Seen quite a few racers setup this way.

Unless the canti stud placement is right the rear mini-v feels really mushy and bad as it did one my frame, plus you get all the modulation and rim clearance out back.

Your welcome to test ride my mullet setup, TRP 8.4 on the front, tektro canti out back from Campag 11spd levers.

Wait, you live in melburn and don’t own a CX bike?!

Give him a break, he just moved here. #freshmeat

That Disc cross is very very nice. But god those Ritchey wheel decals are awful!

If I were buying a CX bike today, I’d definitely get a disc capable frame.

If you have your roadie set up slammed (or long’n’low) you dont want to recreate your fit for a cx bike that closely. it’ll handle badly off road.

go with the mullet (as much as aesthetically i dislike it) as its a good functional option. you can get some pretty good looking, powerful low profile cantis for the rear.

stick with campy too… being able to swap wheels is good.

For the conditions you’ll be riding in I really don’t think the disc vs. canti/mini-v debate is a real deal breaker… Shorty Ultimates are SO GOOD and will match a red frame nicely.
I’ve never set them up with Campy levers, but I’d assume modulation is still good? Blakey/NikceeX to confirm?

personally, i have gone BACK from 8.4s to Ultimates as i find the feel better, and is worth the loss of total overall power.

felt the 8.4s were too on/off, especially for racing. the overall power is great - and well and truly enough to only need fingers to stop the bike on commans - but for me the better modulation of the Ultimates is the win.

will 100% go disc next bike. As for what Nik says, being able to swap gear from bike to bike is nice… so change everything to Sram 11 speed!!!

i’ve only ever run them with campy. rode that bike a few times (in anger) recently and its still awesome.
the adjustment is so good you can make them work with anything i’d say.

So I should be receiving my 1999 Swiss cross today,
Need brakes and tyres sorted I will only run gum walls cos vain,
What’s the go should I go grifo’s ?

Now M Dee, Nick C and Blakey are probably over this but thinking 8.4 front revox rear or Paul mini moto front and tour rear,
Do they sell 8.4 single and does any one have any of the above brakes in black?
I dont mind spending a bit more to save the hassle of up specing all the bits on tektros.

Why not run mini-moto front and rear and just forget about hangers and stops all together? …and actually have good braking power and adjustability? I have motos on my CX and they’ve been great (except the springs losing tension over time).

I’ve also given up on my CX gumwalls. After riding it in the rain/hail/shine on my commute every day, they are black with road grime anyway.

Mini moto doesnt work all that well with the Campag lever pull on the rear…

Ah i glossed over the campy bit. Bummer.

I gots a pair of black TRP 8.4s for sale right now :wink: