Cyclocross - another which bike

not sure if this belongs here or commuter forum...i'm looking for a cyclocross frameset that i can move the components from my road bike to. i mainly ride to commute or some charity centuries so i thought a cross frame would be a good way to do both of those. my road bike is aluminum carbon fork, 105 components, only fits 25s.

so i want the cross frame to be able to fit some bigger tires and take racks preferably a front rack too. not a huge budget so i was looking at crosscheck but also looked at the performance brand cross frame. i know they are very different but any opinions on these or other frames. i'm new to panniers/racks, will i be able to put a front rack on either of these? does anyone know the rear spacing of the performance frame?

As no on seems to be answering, I'll take a very poor shot at it:

- Any crosser should take 35mm rubber, but the Cross Check goes quite a bit bigger.

- Re. front racks: the latest Cross Check will take one, but not previous years - at least not without bodging. So check carefully exactly what you are buying:

http://www.surlybikes.com/bikes/cross_check_complete/

Also: take a look at the complete cross bikes that BikesDirect sells on their internet site. You might well do better buying one of these and selling your road bike complete.

I don't have any experience with it, but the Performance frame looks good for the price. Although not pictured, it comes with a carbon fork. The only thing that jumps out at me on their geometry chart is that the two largest sizes have short chain stays. If you're tall that might mean you'll get heel strike with a pannier. The smaller sizes don't have this problem.

I do have a Cross Check, and I like it a lot. The one complaint I have about the Cross Check is that the head tube is quite short. If you like a relatively upright riding position, that means you'll need a stem with some rise. On the other hand, if you like a low riding position, this may be a plus for you.

I also have a Kona Jake. You can get it as a frameset from Kona dealers. The new Jakes are a little more race oriented than they were before the 2011 model, but if you can get an older Jake or Jake the Snake frameset, it makes a great commuter/road bike. The ride is similar to the Cross Check. The Jake is just a tiny bit lighter and slightly more nimble, but the Cross Check takes wider tires.

Other frames I would consider are the Soma Double Cross and the Specialized Tri-Cross. I'm not sure if the lower level Tri-Crosses are available as framesets.

You might also look for some used frames on Ebay - I got an old steel Bianchi that rides nicely and is serviceable in a race (if racing a Cadillac around a dirt track sounds like fun to you).

anyone know a frame that has 130 rear spacing, can take front and rear racks, fits decent sized tires, and is light/nimble enough to still enjoy road riding when i ride without the bags?

anyone know a frame that has 130 rear spacing, can take front and rear racks, fits decent sized tires, and is light/nimble enough to still enjoy road riding when i ride without the bags?

The light and nimble parts of that are fairly subjective. The front rack is probably the biggest limiter. The Specialized Tri Cross is the first thing that comes to mind.

i'm thinking about the new crosscheck or double cross just wondering if i will still enjoy it as a roadbike. i you can never get a good feel just riding around the parking lot of a bike shop.

I like my Cross Check as a road bike, but then again I've never had a nicer road bike. I think the quality of the tires you get will make a big difference.