Cyclocross - 6'5" and 300 lbs

as the title says, I'm a big boy. I currently ride a Giant Sedona hybrid XL frame. I really like my bike. I tend to ride 20-30 miles at a time, done some 40's. I test rode a tricross XXL and really liked it. Granted, it was out for about 15 minutes all street. I sprained my lower back a few years ago and occasionally reaggravate it, though never from riding. I'm very comfortable on my hybrid. (LBS told me my Giant was actually too small for me) I'm nervous about riding in an aggressive position for hours. (I rode an old schwinn in my teens, I'm mid 30's now.) Assuming this won't be an issue, I heard CX bikes are much better for the riding I do over the traditional hybrid. I don't curb hop, but do still go into grass, gravel ( I think that's what "fire" trails are?). And as I said, I'm quite a bit of weight, and terrified of road bikes and skinny tires. LBS said I'd get a much more efficient ride and would go much farther with a CX and actually ride more.

basically, should I be on a CX?

fireroads are basicly roads in the woods... dirt, gravel, sand or whatever it turns to in your area...

most use it as a generalization of any dirt road.
usually talking about the roads cut into the woods to facilitate fire fighting though.

as for a cx bike... prob not a bad way to go... although you can get very aggressive cx bike setups also... you may consider looking at a touring bike also...

I went with the old steel lugged road frame with some more modern parts... I can run 32c tires (possibly larger but haven't tried)...

Yes, but you might need a 61cm or larger frame size. I'm 6 foot even, own a Cypress large that fits and I use a Soma Double Cross in a 60cm size. This bike was professionally fitted by Chicago's best (or one of the best) fitters. Soma makes a 62cm frame size that might fit a person your size. http://www.somafab.com/frames.html

Soma also makes a touring frame, the Smoothie ES in a 62, 64 & 66cm size.

Also consider the Surly Long Haul Trucker in a 62cm: http://www.surlybikes.com/lht_comp.html

Michael

I'm nervous about riding in an aggressive position for hours.

Then don't. Just mount your handlebars high and then even the drops will be positioned pretty high.

On my first road bike with the handlebars mounted low, riding in the drops was awkward and uncomfortable but on my current cross bike, I have the bars mounted pretty high via a 90mm stem positioned at 28* of rise- it's the Specialized Comp Set stem- and now, I like riding in the drops most of the time because even though they're the lowest position, they also offer the shortest reach.



basically, should I be on a CX?

Yes, or what you have now. As you said yourself, you're very comfortable.

Unless your current bike's handlebars are giving you hand/wrist/arm/shoulder problems from offering too few hand positions on longer rides, you could just stay with that bike.

The Tricross will be very similar to your hybrid in many ways- long wheelbase, wide tires, v-brakes- with the only significant difference being the handlebar type.

I suggest you stay with what you have now and if you want a cross bike, start browsing craigslist and buy used if you can. That way, if you buy used and don't like what you end up with, you won't take much of a loss, if any, when you resell it.

However, if you browse CL for several weeks or a couple of months to no avail, I wouldn't blame you for just going ahead and getting a new cross bike.