If I put road tires or a new wheel set on my cyclo-cross bike will I get the

[Matthew]

same speed/feel as a road bike? So last year I moved and when I got here I had no one to ride with and didn't feel safe on my road bike in this new urban setting. I let the guys at the local bike shop sell me a cyclo-cross bike. It's a 2008 Specialized tricross comp. It's a nice bike but I found a few people to ride with on a 50-mile road ride and really struggled to keep up. I love to ride but am a novice with mechanics and specs so can anyone shine some light on this..can I get that road feel on this bike with a road tire or a wheel set? Thanks for your help!

 

[bob a]

Cyclocross bikes are made to be lightweight so a proper set of tires and some gearing changes are all you need. Some people convert their bike over to be used on the road for training. I would change the tires first and not worry about the gearing unless you are running out of top end speed. Tires will make a huge difference.

 

[MASTER]

Are you running your tires at max pressure? Checking them before every ride?

Is your chain clean and properly lubricated? You should be cleaning and lubricating every other ride.

Are you using bike shoes and clip-less pedals?

If you answered yes to all these questions, then you are simply riding with persons that are in better shape than yourself.

With 50x12 gearing you should have plenty of top end gear.

The stock Specialized Borough CX Pro, 700x32C tires look pretty smooth and are reasonably narrow.