I've been lusting over this frame since it came out in 2012. Its a good thing that I work in the bike industry, the frame was available for a special EP price from Ritchey. I decided to move the Campy parts on my Gravity frame and put it on the Swiss Cross. I ordered some Paul Neo Retro cantilever brakes, a set of CX chainrings from FSA, and a 13-29 cassette. The whole build took me about a week to complete. I'm still waiting on the Thomson Elite 27.2 seatpost. Now all I need is to put some Michelin Mud2 CX tires and this bike is ready to rip some trails. So far I've been riding this bike on the road and the first thing I noticed was the fantastic cornering abilities of this frame. I am itching to get this bike on some switchbacks and see how it performs on dirt.
Frame:
2014 Ritchey Swiss Cross 53
Fork/Headset:
Ritchey WCS Carbon fork, Ritchey WCS headset
Crankset/Bottom Bracket:
FSA Gossamer cranks, MegaExo BB
Pedals:
Shimano XT M780 XC
Drivetrain/Cog/Chainring/Chain:
Campagnolo Veloce 13-29 Cassette, FSA 46/36 chainrings, KMC X10SL chain
Derailleurs/Shifters:
Campagnolo Veloce shifters and derailleurs
Saddle/Seatpost:
WTB Volt saddle, Thomson Elite seatpost
Brakes:
Paul Neo Retro
Front Wheel/Hub/Tire:
Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels, Soma Cazadero 700x42
Rear Wheel/Hub/Tire:
Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels, Soma Cazadero 700x42
Bike History
Click a link below to see past stages of this bike.
Current Stage Info:
Five days before a race, I put on some narrow 700x32 CX tires on my bike and went on a fast training ride. While crossing a bridge, my narrow ass tires got stuck in a bridge and I ate shit pretty badly. After the crash, I tried to keep up with the full suspension guys like I did the week before but couldn't. That's when I experienced the limitations of narrow ass tires. The next day, I found out that my injuries were worse than I though. I messed up my shoulder and I wasn't able to race.
Since I won't be racing anytime soon, I decided to pull the trigger and get some decent all-around tires that can do road rides, trails, and everything in between. Soma Cazadero fit the bill. It was cheaper than Bruce Gordon's Rock n' Road and it has a better center pattern for road riding. I rode it recently and it handles great off-road.
Added by retroawesomeness. Last updated almost 10 years ago.
As of almost 10 years ago, retroawesomeness has indicated that they no longer own this bike.
3 Comments
How do you like the Veloce Groupset?
Posted about 10 years ago
It shifts faster than Shimano 105 5600 but not as smooth. I like it better. It's very finicky to set up, but once its done it holds its adjustment pretty well. The shifters are very comfy but its a bit of a pain to shift from the drops. It's doable, but not as convenient as Shimano.
Posted about 10 years ago
Photos
bom says:
How are the brakes? i tried a sc today but the shimano cantis were pretty bad.
Posted over 7 years ago