Ellsworth Roots provides a great canvas on which to build your next ‘cross bike

January 21st, 2010 by Ron Callahan View Comments

The Ellsworth Roots provides a great canvas for ‘cross riders wishing to build up their first lightweight CX masterpiece. Handmade in Ramona, California, the frame is constructed with TIG welded aluminum and includes full carbon seat and chain stays. Paired with a full carbon Easton fork the complete frame comes in at a miniscule 2 kg.

As the temperature increased into the forties over the past week, a five inch blanket of snow became a wet, swampy muck that yrfthflsrvnt and two ‘crossers from QCW encountered on an early Saturday morning. Add thick swaths of fog to the mix and these were the perfect conditions in which to test the new Ellsworth Roots Cyclocross bike.

At first glance, with its tapered tubes and carbon rear triangle, we couldn’t help to notice the beauty in the craftsmanship. The stout appearance gave way to an extremely light weight package and even though this model was built with SRAM Rival, the weight, or lack thereof, was noticeable.

Once on the bike, the snappiness allowed quick and easy acceleration out of corners. When the bike began to slide, a slight adjustment in weight puts the ride in its place, building confidence with each turn. As I went into the drops and put the hammer down, the torque from each pedal stroke drove the rear wheel to spin in the gunk, but a slight backwards shift in the saddle made the tires bite. The frame felt like a single cohesive and durable unit under the rider but provided an amazingly smooth ride.

We felt that with its comfortable ride, this bike could make any rider faster. The set-up would also work very well for longer road trips and even commuting, but its behavior begs to be taken out and beaten in local cyclocross races.

All of the testers liked the shape of the top-tube. A well–thought-out design, it let the bike cradle in your hand for the run-ups and took less grip to hold the bike securely over hurdles. The weight, again, was noticeable, and helped to conserve energy.

The only adjustment recommended was tire selection. The Kenda tires didn’t have much side grip and were very skinny, slicing into the mud. These would, however, be great for those hard packed, dry or paved conditions. Moving into a tubular combo or something a little wider with greater grip for the wet conditions would have made a difference, reducing the sliding.

The value-priced SRAM group worked well, but for the performance level of the frame, stepping up one level to the Force package would be appropriate, not to mention the accompanying weight reduction.

We also noted that mud clearance between the rear wheel and the seat tube could become a challenge for riders running larger tires in extreme mud conditions. The TRP EuroX Brakes complimented the lightweight Ellsworth wheel package perfectly providing smooth, confident braking under classic wet and muddy cross conditions. Finished off with a beautiful pearl white paint scheme it seems almost a shame to get the Ellsworth Roots all dirty.

Pros:

Lightweight
Durable
Smooth and responsive in muddy conditions

Cons:

Price
We’re going to hate to send this one back

Reviewers Note: This goes without saying but overall riding experience of this (and any frame) is highly dependant on the complimentary components (tires, drive train, etc.). Choose components wisely when building up this investment to maximize their experience.