New cross bike - how much smaller than my roadie?

[socalrider]

I have a chance to get a Surly Crosscheck in great shape, it is a 58cm and I normally ride a 60cm road bike. How much smaller should I buy, is the 58 just fine or should I go with a 60cm.. This is a used bike with a nice component mix and a decent deal at 600.00..

Any info would be appreciated..

[cs1]

I have a chance to get a Surly Crosscheck in great shape, it is a 58cm and I normally ride a 60cm road bike. How much smaller should I buy, is the 58 just fine or should I go with a 60cm.. This is a used bike with a nice component mix and a decent deal at 600.00..

Any info would be appreciated..

True cross bikes fit differently than a road bike. Measure the TT lengths not the seat tube. Lets say your 60cm bike has 60cm TT. The cross bike might have a 60cm TT and a 58cm seat tube because the BB is 2cm higher. That shrinks the seat tube by 2cm. Confused, I was too. Real cross bikes need more ground clearance, so the BB is moved up a few centimeters. If the seat tube wasn't shrunk by an equal amount then it would raise the standover height.

$600 is a good price if the bike is in good shape. Good luck



Tim

[nowheels]

General rule of thumb is one size down. I ride a 56 in a road frame and ride a 54 in a cross bike.....maybe a 55, but that was only in a Proprad because they sis not offer a 54.

[socalrider]

Bought the bike.. It fits pretty well.. I am going to have to get a longer stem but it seems like a good fit.. I went for a short ride yesterday.. The bike was 4 years old but only had a few hundred miles on it.. I looked the bike over and it does not even have a single scratch.. The guy I bought it from was a Business Executive who I think had it just for fun. He had to move back east but didn't want to take any of his bikes..

[onelibra]

Never met a Crosscheck owner (including myself) that wasn't madly in love with it. If you decide to sell, I'd love to know why...besides the fact that someone told you to.

[socalrider]

I went for a short ride today and was surprised how quick the bike was.. I was expecting it to be a bit sluggish by many peoples reviews.. It wasn't as quick and responsive as my litespeed but that is to be expected.. I just need a little longer stem and it will be perfect..