# Anyone fit CX tires into their track frame?



## CaliBuddha (Jan 3, 2007)

I've got a '12 Motobecane Track bike and it currently has 700x25 tires. It has a good bit of space remaining. I've looked at some tires and the smallest I could find are 700x30. Seems like I've seen smaller...

Either way, I'm sure I could get a CX fork and the front would be fine but has anyone fit them in the rear?


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## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

I've raced on a Surly Steamroller with 32mm file treads.

Kenda makes a tire called Karvs which comes in 28mm and might work for CX.


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## mudrock (Jun 4, 2008)

Cross forks have much taller axle-to-crown heights than track forks. It would raise you front end and give you much shallower head tube angle. The offset of the cross fork would be wrong for the resulting head tube angle and give you poor steering.


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## kbiker3111 (Nov 7, 2006)

Just get a caliper and measure. Some frames certainly have enough space, especially when the wheel is back in the dropouts; I'm not sure that your Motobecane is one of them. 

Out of curiosity, why? I doubt you're going to have a lot of luck racing cross on a fixie...


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## krisdrum (Oct 29, 2007)

kbiker3111 said:


> Out of curiosity, why? I doubt you're going to have a lot of luck racing cross on a fixie...


Wow, that seems short sighted. Nevermind the SS craze over the last few years, I've seen plenty of folks hold their own just fine on SS and fixie in local races, going up against geared competitors. A few years back, I saw a guy on a fixie with riser bars and skinny tires (not even sure they had a tread, I wasn't able to see them up close), finish above mid-pack in a pretty solid local 3's field. So it can certainly be done with success. Is a fixie going to put you on the podium? Probably not. But I bet it sure is alot of fun and a good challenge.


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## VeldrijdenAddict (Apr 29, 2008)

krisdrum said:


> Wow, that seems short sighted. Nevermind the SS craze over the last few years, I've seen plenty of folks hold their own just fine on SS and fixie in local races, going up against geared competitors. A few years back, I saw a guy on a fixie with riser bars and skinny tires (not even sure they had a tread, I wasn't able to see them up close), finish above mid-pack in a pretty solid local 3's field. So it can certainly be done with success. Is a fixie going to put you on the podium? Probably not. But I bet it sure is alot of fun and a good challenge.


A fixed gear bike? Or a single speed? Big difference.


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## krisdrum (Oct 29, 2007)

VeldrijdenAddict said:


> A fixed gear bike? Or a single speed? Big difference.


Well aware of the differences, thanks. Fixed. He timed his dismounts so he had one last power stroke and then hopped off. It was great to watch and he made it look easy. I'm sure there are others out there. I seem to remember hearing of a fixie tandem at SICX (Staten Island) a few years back.


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## kbiker3111 (Nov 7, 2006)

krisdrum said:


> Well aware of the differences, thanks. Fixed. He timed his dismounts so he had one last power stroke and then hopped off. It was great to watch and he made it look easy. I'm sure there are others out there. I seem to remember hearing of a fixie tandem at SICX (Staten Island) a few years back.


Interesting. I would have thought the dismount would be too hard to maintain speed. 

To the OP: My 2006ish Langster would fit 30s pretty easily but you wouldn't have much room for mud clearance and you'd have to run long reach sidepull brakes. Seems like a SS cx bike with a Surly hub is the best bet for fixed gear.


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## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

I've never raced fixed but I've practiced dismounts and remounts while training on a fixed. There's a certain timing you need to learn and obviously you can't match the speed of dismounting while coasting. (Maybe that's a good thing e.g. Joey.)

IMO racing singlespeed is a minor handicap and on certain courses might even be able to match gears pretty closely (and is a valid category unto itself if there are enough racing it), but racing fixed will always be on the novelty side of things.

FWIW USA Cycling rules require a freewheel for cyclocross, road, and mtb.


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## CaliBuddha (Jan 3, 2007)

I guess I should have mentioned... I'm not going to be racing CX with it. Mainly just singletrack, gravel roads and the like. Just something different to mess around on. Nothing competitive.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

a real 'track bike' wouldn't have the clearance in most cases. Also, the geometry of an actual track bike isn't suited well for street use, let alone off road.
Some fixed gear street bikes may have room for cross tires but if that is your goal, buy a SS Cross frame and build up a fixed cx wheel. You will have geometry designed for your intention and room for bigger tires. For many years here in SoCal we had a guy who finished top 5 in the elites racing a fixed Kelly cross bike. The guy was former world and national 24hr Single Speed MTB champ as well, he had a ridiculous motor and amazing skill set. His fixed dismounts were amazing to watch, plus watching him brake and deliver power through tight turns was inspiring


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## mudrock (Jun 4, 2008)

The tightest clearance on most road bikes is behind the bottom bracket, between the chainstays, and especially so for a track bike. those Motos use 120mm rear spacing and have a correspondingly short bottom bracket to give it good chainline (unless it's the WT model), so NO. Besides just look back there and you'll see. This thread is a stupid exercise.


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## Erik_A (Sep 14, 2008)

I would hate to drop a chain on a fixed CX bike: downhill, off-camber, no brakes...


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

mudrock said:


> The tightest clearance on most road bikes is behind the bottom bracket, between the chainstays, and especially so for a track bike. those Motos use 120mm rear spacing and have a correspondingly short bottom bracket to give it good chainline (unless it's the WT model), so NO. Besides just look back there and you'll see. This thread is a stupid exercise.


agreed, and the thing would handle like crap as well


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## Local Hero (Jul 8, 2010)

mudrock said:


> The tightest clearance on most road bikes is behind the bottom bracket, between the chainstays, and especially so for a track bike.


With that in mind, a smaller chainring or a few extra links in the chain will put the wheel further back in the track drops and free up space for taller _and_ wider tires. 










If the primary concern is fitting larger tires, the further back the better. The trade off will be a longer wheelbase. But handling will already be compromised by the CX fork and track geometry.


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