Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Cyclocross for Road Riding?

Hey guys,

I'm a good sized guy (256 at 5'10" with 30" inseam and stocky build) and I purchased my first road bike in 20 years, a Fuji Roubaix Pro, from Performance. I have a long torso but short inseam and was fit with a 54cm frame. After fighting with adjustments, I went to a local pro shop and got a fitting and discovered my bike was way to small and that I needed to go to a 56.

First off, if you haven't been to a quality shop and got fitted, I HIGHLY recommend it.

Luckily, Performance has an excellent satisfaction guarantee to fix these types of mishaps.
I've been fairly comfortable on the Fuji and I've put over 500 miles on it since June (albeit with various arm and knee pains).

I have the option to exchange the bike as they can't find a Roubaix Pro in 56. Should I go with a Fuji Cyclocross with similar components (Shimano 105/Ultegra) and put on road tires or should I stay with a road bike and switch to a Scattante R-660 or even take a step down in components and go with an all carbon Scattante CFR Sport (Tiagra/105)?

I'm not sure if I will ever Cyclocross but I find it interesting. I know the cyclocross bike has a relaxed riding position but it's a little heavier. I only get in about 2 rides a week so I'm only getting in 45-60 miles in each week, typically averaging 15-17 mph. I have a mountain bike and just recently got back into mountain biking now that it's getting colder.

Would a Cyclocross bike work well as a road bike, with road tires, or am I better off with a larger road bike and raising the stem to remove the pressure off my hands and arms (my current big issue with my Fuji)?

Thanks!

Hi Billio and welcome to the forums!

What you just unfortunatly found out is the not so stellar part about ordering a bike without being fitted to it at a shop. I'm going to take a guess and wager that performance will not give you your cash back or else you would be buying your new bike from the shop that gave you the good fitting rrriiiiigggghhtt?

Yes you can ride a cross bike on the roads and quite effectively at that. Play with a gear calculator to figure out the gear inch difference you can expect going from bike A to bike B. A few notes from a recent road to cross bike owner:

The cross bike is heavier. No way around that one. It's a beefier frame and I would even wager it's slightly more clyde friendly than your average road bike. they tend to ride much smoother but this is usually due to the increased width of the tires not some magical frame design. They are slightly slower but this is fixable with road tires and a lighter wheel set. From a utility stand point they are hard to beat as they can take the big tires, have more powerful brakes, and tend to have more mounting points for racks and fenders.

I really don't know much about the bikes you are debating between, can't help you on that one. but I will say this, cross bikes fit you differently than a road bike does. Typically you will go down a size so a 54 cross bike might actually be perfect for you. I don't have an adequate explanation for why this happens, some speculation but no real set in stone answer.

Bau

Cyclocross bike set up for light touring:

http://www.dim.com/~ryoder/SomaPhotos/IMGP0014.jpg

A Cyclocross bike will be a good option. It will allow a wide range of tire sizes, I use 700 x 28 road tires on my Cyclocross bike. This provides an improvement in ride comfort over smaller tires while still providing fast, efficient travel.

The Geometry of the Fuji Roubaix Pro and Fuji Cyclocross will provide important differences. The Fuji Cyclocross has longer chain-stays, wheelbase and more relaxed angles on the seat-tube and head-tube. This is better for ride comfort and stability, but will feel less sporty. These differences are small, but worth noting.

I would ride both the 56 and 58 size, the 58 size might even fit better. Also, change the Cyclocross tires on the bike to road tires ASAP. Cyclocross tires are made for off-road travel and perform poorly on pavement.

Michael

go cyclocross!!!

street tires asap...

so many more options and your not racing anyhow right?

I use a cross bike (Surly Cross Check) as my long-distance road bike. Full fenders, 700 x 28mm tires, Carradice and Berthoud luggage, and a Brooks saddle. This year alone I've done 9 centuries, 3x 200k, a 300k and a 400k on it.

The biggest differences, aside from weight, will be a higher center of gravity because the bottom bracket drop is less on a CX bike than a road bike, and the head tube isn't usually as long as on a true roadie. You might need a shorter stem than you would on a road bike, as quite a few CX bikes have a little longer top tube than a road frame of equal size.
Honestly, there's no reason not to use one. The option to run tires up to 38mm or wider with full fenders is pretty nice.

A good cross bike doesn't really have any disadvantages on the road unless you need every possible weight advantage for climbing in races and ultra-twitchy steering for fighting for position in a peleton. It will be more comfortable, tougher, handle pot holes better, and will terrific fun off road. Premium 35mm slicks (ideally Marathon Supremes) will be fast and let you ride light off road stuff.

I really like the idea of a multipurpose bike like a Cyclocross. I could possibly return the bike (with a restocking fee and probably various $$ for wear) but the least painful and costly would be a swap with another bike in the store.

The pro shop that did my fitting doesn't have a bike in my price range, unfortunately, as most his bikes start around $3,000.

I have a Gary Fisher Tiburon that I bought a month before my Fuji and had only used to pull my daughter on a tag-a-long. I'm going to sell it and get the Cyclocross unless by some miracle they find a Roubaix Pro in 56 today.

+1 on the Cross Check.. Best to get fitted for cross bike because rule of thumb is to go for one size smaller than normal road bike.. So if you are a 56cm road bike, you may need a 54-55cm cross bike..

Cross bike have higher bb height and normally longer top tubes than similar size road bikes.. I love the cross check, solid steel frame that handle anything I throw at it. The big + is the 132.5 rear triangle which allows you to use 130mm or 135 spaced wheels which give you lot of options..

+1 on the Cross Check.. Best to get fitted for cross bike because rule of thumb is to go for one size smaller than normal road bike.. So if you are a 56cm road bike, you may need a 54-55cm cross bike..

Cross bike have higher bb height and normally longer top tubes than similar size road bikes.. I love the cross check, solid steel frame that handle anything I throw at it. The big + is the 132.5 rear triangle which allows you to use 130mm or 135 spaced wheels which give you lot of options..

The Fuji does not have the longer top-tube. It's 56cm (seat-tube center-to-top) size has a 56cm virtual top-tube length.

Do not "downsize" this frame.

Michael