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08-19-08, 09:44 AM
If anyone would care to give me an opinion on this I'd be appreciative:
I'm about to buy my first cross bike and I'm trying to decide between two sizes (buying online). I have an out of whack inseam compared to my height: I'm 6' but my inseam (measured with the tape/book method) is 33". So I always ride road bikes in 55cm and use a long stem -- usually 140mm. This usually translates into a top tube around 55cm.
Okay so here's the dilemma. My bike cross bike selection is between a 54 and a 56. I'd be okay with standover height on either, but I am really wondering what the wise cyclocrossers will say about fit. Basically if I get the 54, the top tube will almost the same as my road bike and if I use a 120 stem I should be significantly more upright than on my road bike (which is what you want, no?). If I get the 56, I get a cm of top tube length, a bit more standover, a shorter stem, and I'm leaned over a bit more.
So the question boils down to what would be better for cross: a little smaller than normal or a little bigger? To complicate things, the paint I'd rather is only available in 54, and I'll probably use the bike for my bad weather training bike as well (which would seem to lend itself to going slightly bigger).
I'm about to buy my first cross bike and I'm trying to decide between two sizes (buying online). I have an out of whack inseam compared to my height: I'm 6' but my inseam (measured with the tape/book method) is 33". So I always ride road bikes in 55cm and use a long stem -- usually 140mm. This usually translates into a top tube around 55cm.
Okay so here's the dilemma. My bike cross bike selection is between a 54 and a 56. I'd be okay with standover height on either, but I am really wondering what the wise cyclocrossers will say about fit. Basically if I get the 54, the top tube will almost the same as my road bike and if I use a 120 stem I should be significantly more upright than on my road bike (which is what you want, no?). If I get the 56, I get a cm of top tube length, a bit more standover, a shorter stem, and I'm leaned over a bit more.
So the question boils down to what would be better for cross: a little smaller than normal or a little bigger? To complicate things, the paint I'd rather is only available in 54, and I'll probably use the bike for my bad weather training bike as well (which would seem to lend itself to going slightly bigger).