Roadie looking at CX. What size?

[roadbuzz]

Like the subject says. If I ride a 54 or 55 cm frame on the road, what size CX frame should I be looking for? Do I want about the same, or something a little smaller. (Specifically, I'm looking at a C'dale, if that matters.)

Thanks in advance,
R'buzz

[cs1]

Like the subject says. If I ride a 54 or 55 cm frame on the road, what size CX frame should I be looking for? Do I want about the same, or something a little smaller. (Specifically, I'm looking at a C'dale, if that matters.)

Thanks in advance,
R'buzz

Cross specific bikes seem to have smaller seat tubes for their respective tt length. Example, if you ride a road bike with a 55CM ST it usuall has a 55CM TT. A Cross Bike might have a 53 or 54CM ST but a 55CM TT. This gives you more "Crotch clearance" like a MTB. I wouldn't buy a small frame and try to compensate by using longer seat and stem, it never works well.


Tim

[amahana1]

Cross specific bikes seem to have smaller seat tubes for their respective tt length. Example, if you ride a road bike with a 55CM ST it usuall has a 55CM TT. A Cross Bike might have a 53 or 54CM ST but a 55CM TT. This gives you more "Crotch clearance" like a MTB. I wouldn't buy a small frame and try to compensate by using longer seat and stem, it never works well.


Tim
I will second that. I bought a cross frame two cm's smaller than the road bike i ride as per advice, the frame was too small, and no matter what stem or seat combo i used, i still felt cramped on it. Best advice is to get fitted to one. I can adjust a bike that is slightly too big to make it comfortable, but I had no success in making a frame that was too small work.

[Surferbruce]

from what i understand the traditional way was to go down a size but more recently the trend is more towards the same as you roadie. sizing down the st measurement was to compensate for the higher bb of trad cross frames.

[roadbuzz]

Thanks all for the input, you helped keep me from making an expensive mistake. The bike I was looking at had the same size frame as my road bike, but I guess with the higher BB, it was just too big... I kill myself on the dismounts/remounts.