Haibike Noon SL Cyclocross Bike
Haibike Noon SL Cyclocross Bike
Paul Horta-Hopkins
Preview of the Haibike Noon SL ‘cross bike we have to play with
Haibikes produce bikes for almost every occasion, including an impressive line of ebikes, but it’s no modern German motorised bike I’ll be testing. No, with the temperature soaring and the ground baked hard, it’s the aluminium framed Haibike Noon SL, a disc braked crosser that I’ll be showing around the roads and tracks of Sussex, with the odd summer series race thrown in for good measure.
The Haibike Noon SL
The Noon SL has a 7005 double butted aluminium frame at it’s heart and a carbon fiber fork with a tapered 1 1/8″ – 1 1/4″ steerer upfront. The frame has a full complement of bottle, rack and mudguard fixings, making it a useful all-rounder.
Smooth welds look good on the Noon SL. Adjustable stops for the front and rear mechs are always appreciated
Groupset comes courtesy of Shimano and is a mix of mainly 105 with a few Tiagra parts. The chainset comes with a 46-35 tooth set up, which may be a little low for fast road riding, but should be fine for commuting and perfect for cyclo-cross.
The Shimano CX50 chainset with 46-36 teeth should get you around most cross courses
Braking duties on the Noon SL are performed by Shimanos CX75 disc brakes, which will be a first for me on a ‘cross bike. Set up and adjustment looks straightforward as they are a simple cable operated brake, so thankfully no faffing around with hydraulics.
Shimano provide the stopping power on the Noon SL courtesy of their cable operated CX75 disc brakes
While the Noon’s SRAM 306 hubs, Rodi Stylus rims and plain black DT Swiss spokes aren’t going to set the pulse of any weight weenies racing, they shouldn’t let you down, and importantly are nicely colour co-ordinated. Tyre’s are Schwalbe’s excellent Racing Ralph which should see you through all but the muddiest of ‘cross races.
A muscular looking carbon fork with tapered steerer up front. Schwalbe Racing Ralph tyres are a reliable choice
With the exception of the Selle San Marco ERA Dynamic saddle, other parts are provided by XLC and with their blue highlights nicely complementing the look of the Noon SL.
Everything is nicely colour co-ordinated on the Noon SL
With the Noon SL un-packed there will be a night of furious spannering to get it set up ready for it’s first competitive outing, the exotically titled Omloop van der Drie Dorpen. The Omloop is a LVRC race that features 40% gravel track in it’s parcours, a perfect test for the versatility of a bike like the Noon SL…
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