Cyclocross - any help for a young newbie?

Im new to cycling and im looking for some advice on my first serious bike... I plan to use it for commuting and fitness training... I found a 2007 XO2 54cm for $800 at my LBS and i was wandering if this would be a good bike for me.... Im 6'0" 145 lbs and have blue eyes. HELP ME!!!

sounds smallish for a six footer of standard dimensions

The bike sounds like might be the right size for you but the LBS can verify that. I'm 5'11 1/2" and ride a 54. I can give you generic advice on commuting. A bike that has eyelets for a rack and fenders will be the best bet for commuting in the long run. If you think you will carry a lot of stuff, and if you live in a very hilly area, a bike with a triple front crank would be better. However if you will travel light and it's not too hilly it should be ok.

That's a great price for the bike. Unfortunately, when you're looking at an old stock bike like that some LBS's have a tendency to get, shall we say, flexible in their ideas of what fits...espcially if they sense you're a newbie. But like I said, it's a great price and it very well may fit you (the blue eyes could give you problems). Press them on the fit question and see if they'll give you a fit guarantee or something like that (meaning basically they'd sell you a stem to improve the fit down the road, but not charge you for the fit session).

I am 5'9" and ride a 54 kona major jake. I love the fit (although it definitely is bigger feeling than a 54 in a normal road bike). I tend to think that a 54 trek X0 would be a little small for you.

To the point, your cycling inseam would be a far more useful bit of info than the fact that you have blue eyes.

I'm 5' 10" and sometimes ride a 53 Felt F1x with a pretty honking long stem, because that's all I can stand over and the bike shop I purchased from used that as the only test of fit.
As a first bike smallish sizing may not matter all that much, you'll just be very upright but be aware of that going in.

An intern at work just picked up an XO something from a pretty reliable local shop I can ask what size he's on and how tall he is and the color of his eyes if that would help.

I'm 5' 10" and sometimes ride a 53 Felt F1x with a pretty honking long stem, because that's all I can stand over and the bike shop I purchased from used that as the only test of fit.
As a first bike smallish sizing may not matter all that much, you'll just be very upright but be aware of that going in.

As another point of comparison, I'm 5'9" and ride a 52cm Kona Jake with a ridiculously steep stem angle, which has the effect of a short stem mounted higher. I feel like the top tube on the 54cm would have been too long for me.

What this means, of course, is that one person's 5'9" is not the same as the next person's 5'9". Some people have short legs and a long torso. Others have long legs and a short torso. So, like ErikB was saying, inseam is an important measurement.

Or, far better, get on the bike and see. :thumb:

sounds smallish for a six footer of standard dimensions
+1

You probably need a 56/57 cm

I'm 5'11 1/2" and ride a 54.
My mistake, I believe I have a 56, so the others may be right that the bike might be a tad small.

Im new to cycling and im looking for some advice on my first serious bike... I plan to use it for commuting and fitness training... I found a 2007 XO2 54cm for $800 at my LBS and i was wandering if this would be a good bike for me.... Im 6'0" 145 lbs and have blue eyes. HELP ME!!!

Well, dark blue or light blue? These facts have serious ramifications on appropriate frame color.