Reliability Tips

I have been really enjoying Plus One Lap's weight tip posts.  Being a heavier guy (195 lbs), I would not do half of these things, but they are very interesting to read.

These tips got me thinking about how I chose my current bike setup.  For me, It's all about reliability.  Obviously, breaking things is a concern.  But I also want to finish a race on the same bike I start on.  I know that's definitely not PRO, but neither am I.  Here are a few suggestions to make your cyclocross bike more reliable on the race course:

1. Use Metal. 
   In a day and age when everything comes in a carbon fiber option, I often stay away from it.   When metal bends beyond it's modulus of elasticity, it stays bent, but intact.  Carbon doesn't.  So when in doubt, I choose metal.
2. Less gears.
   I run a nine speed drivetrain.  I would rather run eight speed, but the performance is way better on nine.  The chains are weaker with 10spd, and the gears are closer together (I am convinced the drivetrain will get gummed up easier).  If I had a pit person to clean my bike and hand me a spare whenever needed, okay...but I don't.
3. Single Chainring.
   I run a single chainring up front, with two chain guards.  My chain doesn't fall off anymore, and there's one less thing to break on a muddy day.  This also allows a shorter chain, which is lighter, shifts better, and slaps the frame less.
4. Fat Brakes.
   Low profile brakes (e.g. Avid Shorty) work great, until they get clogged with grass or mud.  The pads ride too close to the rim for ultra muddy conditions.  For more clearance, I chose a pair of high profile brakes, and they work very well.  I'll never go back.
5. Mud clearing pedals.
   It's no fun when your pedals get clogged with mud.  There are a lot of good options out there, so make sure you choose one that works for cyclocross.
6. Tires.
   This is huge in cyclocross.  You can run clinchers, and go high with the pressure to help avoid pinch flats.  But then it's going to be an awfully rough (and sometimes squirmy) ride.  Tubulars are the easiest way to avoid most pinch flats.  Tufo tubulars are all one piece, meaning there is no inner tube sewn in to the tire.  This further prevents pinch flats, and allows you to run sealant inside your tire for even more protection.  If you decide to use tubulars, make sure you glue them on right.  It's a 3-4 day process when done right.  From experience, shortcuts may result in tires rolling off the rim.  I've taken it a step further and gone tubeless clincher, as I've posted on numerous times before.  I guess the point is this - no innertube = no pinch flats.  You'll dent your rim before flatting on something like a concrete curb.  Wouldn't that be nice?

Example photos:

		I use campy shifters because they seem to keep the mud out a little better than Shimano (at least for me).  This is a Campy 10 speed shifter, but the rest of the drivetrain is Shimano 9spd. Campy's best levers are carbon fiber.  I figure a good crash could break a carbon lever, so I got the best metal one I could find, instead.
		Wide profile brakes.  There's lots of clearance here, and they stop the bike just fine.  There are lots of options to choose from.  These are Empella Froglegs.
		Double chainring guards keep the chain on all the time.  You can buy carbon fiber guards, but then what would happen if you bashed them against a big log or something?  I went with metal again (Salsa Crossing Guard).
		My seat post is nothing special, but it is strong. I'm pretty sure it's not going to snap off on a botched remount. In fact, I bet it wouldn't even break if I drove my car into my garage with the bike on the roof rack ;)