Cobbles-Tech: Skil-Shimano’s Koga Cobble Crosser

Jered Gruber - jeredgruber.com

The guys at Skil-Shimano have brought back the Koga Cobble Crosser for another year. The cobbles-tuned, cantilever equipped frames first made an appearance in 2010’s cobbled classics. Evidently a success, they’re back for 2011.

Jered Gruber - jeredgruber.com

The Cobble Crosser is, to further abuse a cliche, a little bit country, and a little bit rock and roll. The frame is extremely similar to the Koga CrossWinner cyclocross frame, sporting old technology like cantilever brakes, top tube cable routing, and a provision for a top-pull front derailleur, all on a Scandium frame. Contrast that to the Di2 controls that Skil-Shimano has equipped these bikes with. There’s a certain wisdom to the decision – with discs still banned for road racing, the cantilevers allows the team to select whatever tire is appropriate for race day, without concern for whether or not they’ll get sufficient clearance or cause mud-shedding issues. With a lack of cables to get muddy, Di2 may actually provide a little extra assurance that the drivetrain can handle whatever is thrown at it – successful campaigns by Shimano sponsored teams in the nastiest of conditions can only quiet the handful of remaining naysayers who question the reliability of the system, despite its largely positive performance in 2010/2011’s cyclocross season.

The Cobble Crosser looks like a fun bike, and one thats more than a little unique to both the team and the terrain they’ll be tackling this weekend