This is probably a mistake, but...
I thought I would give it a go. Looking at the profile of the Moser Farm, race it looked like it could be really slow in some parts, and really fast in others.
So...think, think, think...how does one gear for a course with very slow spots and very fast spots? Very fast flat spots.
With mtb I never really have the "what if?" running in the back of my head when I race singlespeed. It is what it is, and I'm happy with that. That's not to say I'll rule out gears someday, maybe even someday soon, but cross is different.
There is limited elevation change, and one of the major factors I've seen in my brief cross career has been the consistency of the course surface, or lack there of. Sand, grass, mud, hard pack, and tarmac all can be part of one 1.5-2.5 mile loop with only 50' of elevation change.
So how do you gear for that? Rather how do I gear for that?
Wednesday I bit the bullet, dug out an old Campagnolo Daytona shifter, stole the derailleur off the Sunday Princess and did the deed.
God invented parts bins for a reason
But then Thursday, I went for a mtb ride. My second since I started cross. I was feeling super strong on the climbs. My time didn't really reflect this, because I also spent a good deal of time crashing on leaf covered rocks. But I felt real strong crashing.
This got me thinking. Maybe sscx was having the desired effect? Maybe it was making me stronger on the ssmtb? Maybe I jumped the gun with the shifty bits?
Well they're on there now, so I guess I'll give them a shot.
Campy levers don't play nice with v-brakes
An old derailleur makes a great chain guide. Notice the chainstay protector. Like my old buddy Bongway (RIP) would say when he bought ribbed condoms, "Because I care".