1999 Specialized Crossroads Sport

[wvoldguy]

The big white toy delivery truck dropped off my steel 1999 Specialized Crossroads Sport frame this morning. It just needs a good cleaning, but it's in fine shape. Not so good is that the rear won't hold the fat 700x50 tires my other hybrid frame holds. Not even close. Oops. I knew the frame was spec'd at 700x38, but I planned to over-tire, so to speak. The bigger tires fit fine on the fork, but not the back. I could probably squeeze 700x55 in my Trek hybrid frame. Bummer.

I really don't want to go as narrow as 700x38, so I'm going to look into 650B/27.5 options. Biggest issue will be the brake location. There are adapters that will allow moving the brake bosses. Another possibility is running with a larger front tire. That's a thought. I'm going to mull over my options.

By the way, that's my NOS BMX brake levers laying next to the "U" on the box. Although this bike isn't truly vintage, I'm aiming for that look.

Tony

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Lovely. I'll be following

 

[us56456712]

The big white toy delivery truck dropped off my steel 1999 Specialized Crossroads Sport frame this morning. It just needs a good cleaning, but it's in fine shape. Not so good is that the rear won't hold the fat 700x50 tires my other hybrid frame holds. Not even close. Oops. I knew the frame was spec'd at 700x38, but I planned to over-tire, so to speak. The bigger tires fit fine on the fork, but not the back. I could probably squeeze 700x55 in my Trek hybrid frame. Bummer.

I really don't want to go as narrow as 700x38, so I'm going to look into 650B/27.5 options. Biggest issue will be the brake location. There are adapters that will allow moving the brake bosses. Another possibility is running with a larger front tire. That's a thought. I'm going to mull over my options.

By the way, that's my NOS BMX brake levers laying next to the "U" on the box. Although this bike isn't truly vintage, I'm aiming for that look.

Tony

View attachment 150986

I’m thinking a 650B x 42 would fit. Use a tape measure and digital calipers. What are you going to use it for? 42 is plenty wide for gravel. I use 700C x 38 and it works great for gravel, two track and some single track. Of course you may want the look of wide tires. If the frame is aluminum it will be heat treated and there is nothing that you can do to widen the frame, if you try it will weaken and form micro cracks, that become real cracks. I have cracked aluminum frames just riding. Aluminum frames work but have a shelf life, as do aluminum bars, they both crack and fail pretty spectacularly. Danny MacCaskil has snapped aluminum bars in his videos. Your supposed to replace carbon bars every year, aluminum and titanium bars every two years and chrome moly when it bends. I wonder if 650B x 2.6 would fit, that’s a nice size, pretty big, bigger than 42. 26 x 2.8 with small knobies but what about brakes? Seems like a real challenge. Let us know what works.

 

[wvoldguy]

I’m thinking a 650B x 42 would fit. Use a tape measure and digital calipers. What are you going to use it for? 42 is plenty wide for gravel. I use 700C x 38 and it works great for gravel, two track and some single track. Of course you may want the look of wide tires. If the frame is aluminum it will be heat treated and there is nothing that you can do to widen the frame, if you try it will weaken and form micro cracks, that become real cracks. I have cracked aluminum frames just riding. Aluminum frames work but have a shelf life, as do aluminum bars, they both crack and fail pretty spectacularly. Danny MacCaskil has snapped aluminum bars in his videos. Your supposed to replace carbon bars every year, aluminum and titanium bars every two years and chrome moly when it bends. I wonder if 650B x 2.6 would fit, that’s a nice size, pretty big, bigger than 42. 26 x 2.8 with small knobies but what about brakes? Seems like a real challenge. Let us know what works.

It's a steel frame. I'm not going to try any frame modification; I'd just mess it up if I tried it myself, and it's not an important enough issue to pay someone to do it. I'll just have to live with whatever tires will fit in 700C. I'm going to take it to the LBS for some size comparison.

 

[wvoldguy]

A bit of work yesterday afternoon, using parts raided from my meager stash of leftovers from other projects.

 

[us56456712]

It's a steel frame. I'm not going to try any frame modification; I'd just mess it up if I tried it myself, and it's not an important enough issue to pay someone to do it. I'll just have to live with whatever tires will fit in 700C. I'm going to take it to the LBS for some size comparison.

I have dimpled steel frames before. It’s easy on old mild steel cruisers and very difficult on high quality 1970 - 80 s frames. The high quality steel really resets dimpling. I cut a circle from an old piece of hardwood and ground it on opposite sides to fit in the chainstays. I bolted in an old hub to keep the drops from spreading. If the stays start to flatten they get a little weaker so I used vice grips on them to keep the tubes from popping up and getting more oval. I pounded in the hardwood disc but nothing much happened until I used a four foot section of 1.5 inch well pipe for a hammer. This really didn’t fit, and neither did a sledge hammer. I messes up the paint on the inside of the chain stays but it opened a total of 11 mm with a little unintended flattening. The flattening probably was caused by the pipe banging and trying to fit between the stays. I must say it has worked very well for hundreds of miles of gravel touring. The wood block kept coming out and the vice grips kept popping off, frustrating me. I have a dimpling tool made from vice grips but that only works on old cruiser frames, high quality frames are too tough. It’s physically pretty difficult. There is probably an easier way and one not so frustrating.

 

[wvoldguy]

I thought I had posted pics of the finished bike, but I guess not. I finished it and set it up SS with a 36:20 ratio. It's a bit too easy on level streets, but just about right when climbing mild hills. By the way, there's not supposed to be water visible in that last image; extensive rain last weekend turned a bottomland into a lake several miles long and at least 10 feet deep along the creek bed.

 

[wvoldguy]

Update: I changed the gearing to 36:18 so I wouldn't be spinning out as much, and swapped the tires to Panaracer Gravelking SS 700 x 43. Much nicer ride now.

 

[us56456712]

Update: I changed the gearing to 36:18 so I wouldn't be spinning out as much, and swapped the tires to Panaracer Gravelking SS 700 x 43. Much nicer ride now.

That is a massive tire and tall. If that fits it is really good. If it’s a tight fit it might not fit in 4 or 5 years as tires expand as they get older. I’ve had tight fitting tires not fit anymore after five years. Gravel kings are much fatter and taller than normal road tires of the same size. My set of 35 mm commuter tires are much narrower and not nearly as tall as my 35 Gravel Kings. Gravel Kings are really good tires and come in many sizes and tread styles. I’ve yet to have a flat with them.

 

[Dr. Tankenstein]

All I know is, that’s one ‘adult sized’ water bottle!
It looks HUGE! How many gallons does it hold? Hahahahaha!

In all seriousness, great looking bike bud, hope you ride the tires off of it, no matter what size they grow to. [emoji1363]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wvoldguy]

That is a massive tire and tall. If that fits it is really good. If it’s a tight fit it might not fit in 4 or 5 years as tires expand as they get older. I’ve had tight fitting tires not fit anymore after five years. Gravel kings are much fatter and taller than normal road tires of the same size. My set of 35 mm commuter tires are much narrower and not nearly as tall as my 35 Gravel Kings. Gravel Kings are really good tires and come in many sizes and tread styles. I’ve yet to have a flat with them.

They do fit, with plenty of room. I was actually riding it for a short while with Bontrager 700x45, and they were a lot closer to the chain stays. The Gravel Kings have more room, and are also a lot lighter. I've read reviews that claim Panaracer has started listing their tire sizes as the actual width.