Hi Jim,

Here are some photos of my cool cyclocross creation. It's a 2006 Salsa Ala Carte, designed for use with 26" MTB tires. I loved the ride of the True Temper OX Platinum steel fame so much as a trail bike, I thought I'd attempt to reincarnate it as a cyclocross bike. It worked out pretty well with 700c wheels and 32mm cross tires - the head tube and seat tube angles aren't really affected but the bottom bracket clearance is a little higher now. The wheelbase is a bit long, but I'm a tall guy so it seems to work out OK. At least there's not much threat of toe overlap. Also, since the chain stays are wide enough for MTB tires, I used a longer spindle meant for a triple crankset (118mm) to allow enough clearance for the ends of the 175mm crank arms. The 160mm disc brakes, though not allowed in UCI events, are a real advantage when conditions are soggy. It does have braze ons for cantilever brakes, but the White Industries / Stan's ZTR Arch wheel set I was able to donate to the project were disc only. Now that the 'cross season is over I plan to tour with it this spring and buy a proper 'cross bike for next season. Just a little innovation, in lieu of a big investment, to get in some race training over the fall/winter.

Andy VonSeggen
Greensboro, NC

sixfootfuji@gmail.com