Commuting - Crosscheck and heelstrike

Need help. I am going to start commuting, and definitely want panniers for food and clothing, etc. I wear a 47-48 shoe/cleat and ride a 58. I am considering building up a Crosscheck with Rival. Are there certain brands of panniers on which I can ride a Crosscheck and still clear my heels? Otherwise I will get a LHT, but would prefer the Crosscheck as I plan to hammer on the way home several times a week and would like the snappier ride. FWIW besides racks, I will want front and rear full fenders.

Thanks for the advice. If you have any other frame/fork options I am all ears. My new job starts in about 3-4weeks.

Thanks again. :thumb:

If you dont already have the Crosscheck, think about hte LHT. I think the fram is longer to allow for panniers. By the way, I have a crosscheck and love it. My favorite bike ever.

I'm using this rack. As you can see the bracket at the bottom of the rack moves it rearward about 2 to 2.5 inches. Gave me just enough room on my fixed gear bike which is very track geo (short/steep seat stays).

http://www.axiomgear.com/products/gear/racks/rear-racks/streamliner-road/

Shop around and you can find it for 25 bucks or so, not including shipping. Good luck on yer build!

I ride a 58cm cross check. I'm 5' 11" and I wear a 47 shoe. I use ortliebs in the back with a cheapo rack and I have no problems. If you have a problem you could always get a rack like the Jannd expedition, that is extra long.

Also I've had both a cross check and an LHT, I prefer the cross check, it feels zippier.

My shoe is 49/50, also rode a 58 CrossCheck with the Delta rack. I have tried a couple different
combinations of bags/panniers. The Lone Peak model 99 [i think that was the number- it is their
smaller pannier] would barely clear my heel. I also used a Nelson lowsaddle long flap saddlebag,
which sat nicely on top of the rack and was my favorite way to go- only used the panniers if I needed
to more room, like to get groceries. A gallon milk jug fit nicely in each one along with other stuff. My teenage son now uses the CrossCheck around school/campus, sans rack.

Wayne from the touring store can probably answer your questions pretty specifically. He really seems to know how the combination of racks and panniers and frames will shake out. He's very helpful and responsive.

http://www.thetouringstore.com/

That said I ride a 58cm Cross check with a tubus fly rack and Arkel commuter, size 46 shoe. No heel strike, but it's very close.

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the support. :)

+1 on the Jandd Expedition. It is about 3" longer than most racks so you can shove the bags farther back and give yourself clearance. I have the same issue on one bike that has pretty short chainstays, and this rack was just the ticket. It is a great rack in general.

You can always gain an inch or two by mounting your rack on extenders and/or mounting your bags further back on the rack.