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Review: Foundry Cycles’ Disc Brake, Thru Axle Equipped Harrow B3 CX Race Bike

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Foundry Harrow Disc CX race bike cyclocross review766

Cyclocross season is over. That means it’s time to start planning and training for the upcoming cyclocross season, right? A sport of tradition, cyclocross is seeing a number of newer technologies try to take hold like disc brakes and even thru axles. The Foundry Harrow has them both. What are they like to race with? Foundry sent over a Harrow B3 cyclocross race bike for me to find out.

As many of you already know, cyclocross often doesn’t go as planned. See what I mean after the break.

Foundry Harrow Disc CX race bike cyclocross review764
Thanks to the flat top tube, the Harrow is easy to shoulder or grab depending on your style.

I’m sure by now you’re wondering what the hell I’m doing riding cross in so many clothes. These photos were taken after cyclocross season had ended, so it was pretty cold and we had ridden to the course, so we were really dressed for the road, not for cross. Why not take photos during an actual cross race? Well, that was the plan, until I took an unexpected digger on a different bike that resulted in a fracture of my radial head in my right arm just before the season. That meant not only no cyclocross season, but no riding, period.

Fortunately, I was able to race a few CX time trials before the crash, and got back on the bike just before the course got buried under snow. This review will have to include the caveat of only racing the Harrow in CX TTs, but there was plenty of riding to get a feel for the bike. I will be back for cross next season, hopefully with all my bones intact.

Foundry Harrow Disc CX race bike cyclocross review769

Foundry Harrow Disc CX race bike cyclocross review767 Foundry Harrow Disc CX race bike cyclocross review768

I know there are going to be people that roll their eyes when I say this, but the thru axle on the front of the bike is a nice touch. It’s really noticeable when riding off camber sections, or through frozen ruts with pinpoint accuracy. It also makes for perfect disc rotor alignment, every time. Combined with the tapered steerer, it’s as precise a front end as you’ll find on a cross bike, or even most mountain bikes.

With that said, if you are taking your racing *ahem* seriously, there is no doubt that a perfectly set up quick release will be quicker than the Maxxle style thru axle when changing front wheels. However, properly set up meaning open the QR and the wheel simply falls out past the lawyer tabs without having to unscrew the nut – pretty rare these days, especially with disc brakes. In an effort to keep disc brake wheels with QRs from ejecting from the fork under heavy braking, most forks have huge lawyer tabs that can’t really be filed off. Apples to apples, they probably each take just as long to change. As far as I can tell, the potential for added seconds changing a flat and maybe a few extra grams are the only draw backs. If you push it hard into the corners, you will appreciate the thru axle. If not, then you can probably take it or leave it.

Foundry Harrow Disc CX race bike cyclocross review770

Foundry Harrow Disc CX race bike cyclocross review775 Foundry Harrow Disc CX race bike cyclocross review771

Missing the heart of the season meant missing out on the mud CX is known for. Luckily for us, the day we decided to go take some pictures was super wet – but cold enough that the slop was freezing to the bike. The Harrow handled the mud quite well, and even after building up to the point that you could hear the rear tire rubbing on the frozen mud it kept rolling easily. If you take your cross seriously, then you’ll have a pit bike waiting for you, but its nice to know you could keep riding the Harrow lap after lap if you don’t. Without brake posts for the mud to catch on, it only accumulates on the top of the fork and CS/SS where it seems to clear itself pretty well.

In spite of the front derailleur cable exiting from the frozen muck of the rear tire, front shifting remained unaffected. You’d certainly want to clean and lube this area well after muddy races though.

Foundry Harrow Disc CX race bike cyclocross review773

Foundry Harrow Disc CX race bike cyclocross review772

One of my biggest disappointments with my review is not getting a real chance to test out the disc brakes in a race situation. They certainly worked like a champ in the TTs – I was able to out brake (and late brake) just about anyone on cantis, which was a big advantage for the course thanks to a number of tight, technical single track sections. When riding solo, it’s amazing how clean the brakes stay, when the rest of the bike is caked in mud. In a race situation this would probably change thanks to spray from other riders’ wheels, but since the brakes are centered at the hubs the seem to be mostly out of the path of any mud from the tires. I’m also happy to report that I didn’t notice my heels ever clipping the chainstays or the rear brake caliper.

Performance of the Hayes CX Pro mechanicals was never an issue. In fact, they were fantastic offering plenty of confidence inspiring, easily modulated stopping power even with 140mm rotors front and rear. Full disclosure, I’ve never been a fan of the cantilever, even when I was running some high end stoppers with aggressive pads, so it should come as no surprise that I really like discs for cross. It might be a little heavier still, but for much improved braking I’ll take it. Just remember not all disc brake hubs place the rotor in the exact same spot, so you may need to get some rotor shims to fine tune them if you have multiple sets of wheels. Yes, this is a step that isn’t needed for rim brakes, but if you have multiple sets of wheels with different rim widths, you’ll need to adjust the brakes each time you change – at least with discs once you set it up, you’re done.

For those unfamiliar with disc brakes considering it for cross, it’s important to note that there are different brake pads available for discs, just like cantis. If you race in wet, muddy conditions you’re going to want to run sintered metallic brake pads which perform much better in wet conditions, last longer, and have more bite.

Foundry Harrow Disc CX race bike cyclocross review776 copy

Built with a 67mm bottom bracket drop for the 52cm frame size, the low BB added to the bike’s stability and I never found clipping pedals in corners to be an issue, even when riding singletrack. The 71.5° head tube angle, and 74.5° seat tube angle create a fairly aggressive seating position that is perfect for racing, but the HTA keeps the front tire out of way preventing any toe overlap – not always the case with smaller cross bikes.

Overall, the $2850 Foundry Harrow B3 is exactly what you want out of a cross bike. It’s light (even with the cheaper B3 build – 19.6lbs), it’s stiff, steers like its on rails, and still manages to eke out as much comfort as possible from the 40 ton carbon frame. While I’m super disappointed that I didn’t get to race the Harrow B3 this season, it was still a blast to ride. It’s hard to fault the Harrow, though based on comments from the first look, the blacked out paint job might be getting old for some – though covered in mud I think it still looks pretty good.

 

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16 Comments
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Ilikeicedtea
Ilikeicedtea
10 years ago

I can be the first Hung Fu comment?

Neat!

Matt
Matt
10 years ago

Dear ENVE,

Please make a thru-axle. Your forks are so much sexier than the Whiskey’s spec’d on this bike. Thru-axle is going to happen and I want my first time to be with you.

Regards,
Gravel/trail/all-road/cx rider

Champs
Champs
10 years ago

To Zach, and anyone else who’s just starting to train for the next CX season: you lose. What chance do you have against the guys who are already “tuning up for the 2015 road season” or “switching disciplines” and definitely not sandbagging at all?

ZachOverholt
ZachOverholt
10 years ago

Champs, you know by “training” I mean riding mountain bikes and drinking beer/whiskey, right?
Psi squared, um thanks? Ha.

MarkV
10 years ago

Zach, I hope you are healed and well now! The abuse you take from being one of the editors/testers on this site is funny, everyones a critic. I look forward to crossing paths with you soon and doing some training (whiskey and beer plus MTB’s!!).
BTW- Is being short a negative in cycling…..hmmm?

mudrock
mudrock
10 years ago

That POC helmet actually looks good with the black kit.

Psi Squared
Psi Squared
10 years ago

I was kidding. I thought it was obvious.

Dan
Dan
10 years ago

Zack, You’re training regimen sounds like mine…good form. Cheers!

matt
matt
10 years ago

Being short is clearly a disadvantage – Quintana only came second in the Tour, Purito didn’t win the worlds.

Obvious, really.

😉

Milessio
Milessio
10 years ago

Matt, who cares about road – Lars van de Haar could very well win this year’s Worlds at 5′ 7″, though Sven at 5’11” & Niels at 6′ might get there first!

lonefrontranger
lonefrontranger
10 years ago

oh a question I can answer! At 5’4″ with short legs, YES being short is especially difficult in ‘cross. Smaller bikes (as per the toe overlap comment) are frequently poorly thought out on the smaller end. It was 2010 before I found a non-custom frame that actually fit and rode properly for CX; everything prior to that was basically a compromise. Toe overlap in tight 180° corners can be positively lethal. I have a Civilian 48cm singlespeed that is virtually unrideable for this reason and I’m probably going to sell it and take a loss after only 4 months of trying to make it work and failing. Last but not least, anywhere you have to dismount and run, particularly barriers on an uphill slope, especially 40cm max height barriers, you’re at a steep disadvantage to your longer legged peers. The 5280 steps at Valmont are not properly spaced for a smaller rider’s stride length. I have to shoulder my bike over *every.single* obstacle or risk hitting wheels because I’m so short. And so on. But we do fly uphill pretty well, so there is that. And it is also focusing me towards working just that much harder on bunny hopping skills because if I can limit the amount I have to dismount, it’ll be that much more of an advantage.

Champs
Champs
10 years ago

For all of my “training” over the past year I keep getting fatter and slower. Maybe I need to train HARDER?

Ajax
Ajax
10 years ago

Dear editor,
There appears to be a very misleading, and some would say incorrect, statement in the 1st paragraph of this article regarding thru axles on this bike.

The editor is quoted as writing, “cyclocross is seeing a number of newer technologies try to take hold like disc brakes and even thru axles. The Foundry Harrow has them both.” Nope. This bike only has a thru-axle front fork. The rear specs indicate that the rear is a 135mm quick release, NOT thru axle.

Other companies, most notably Giant, are rolling out bikes with both front and rear thru axles.

Grind
Grind
10 years ago

@ Ajax. WRONG. Giant’s TCX cross bike uses ONLY a front Thru Axle.
And when he said the Foundry has them both, he was referring to Disc and Thru Axle, not Double Thru Axle.

@ Matt. Enve makes some of the best rims, true. But there forks are no different than other quality forks manufactured in Asia. Our CX team has raced both Whisky and Enve, and I can say with confidence that they are nearly identical ride and finish quality.

Nice work Foundry! Way to be the first to the ThruAxle game in Cross.

Rob
Rob
10 years ago

Disc brakes are easier to set up if you have multiple wheel sets than rim breaks, just shim the disks to make them all the same, makes life real easy and you only have to do it once, shim stock is available at any good engineering supplier.

dislivello
dislivello
10 years ago

I wantThruaxle 9 front 10 rear, or 12mm front rear.absolutly not15mm front and 12 rear for cx or road bike. And 131old read db hub.this is perfect
Hub

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