Commuting - Nashbar Cyclocross X or Nashbar Touring

I recently came into graces with a $200 amazon gift card, and would love to spend it on a frame.

I'm mainly looking to commute & fitness ride (it would be great to go on a light tour also, but that's not what I need this frame to do best). I have a 2003 Fuji Finest that I wanted to swap components from, mainly because I cannot support fenders, tires larger than 23, or rear panniers (any of the stuff vital for everyday commuting...). Still, I want a ride that can keep up, and I'm used to the more aggressive geometry. I can't find the entire geometry on the Fuji, but I know it has 41 cm chainstays.

I was hoping to get the Nashbar X to fit the bill, but I'm afraid that I'll still have heel-strike issues with it (42.5cm chainstays). I know the Nashbar Touring would work, but I'm afraid that it's so geared toward touring that it would simply be too slow.

What do you think, should the X support my needs?

Get the touring bike. Just change the gears if needed.

I'm pretty sure I read on the BF forums (don't remember which sub-forum, though) about somebody building up a Nasbar touring frame. It looked nice and the builder really liked it.


The touring bike would make a nice commuter. If you want to go faster, then pedal faster.

I'm pretty sure I read on the BF forums (don't remember which sub-forum, though) about somebody building up a Nasbar touring frame. It looked nice and the builder really liked it.


The touring bike would make a nice commuter. If you want to go faster, then pedal faster.

I built up the aluminum Nashbar touring frame and it may be my thread you're thinking of. Here's the thread I made for the build: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/782661-Nashbar-Touring-Frame-Build?highlight=nashbar+touring+frame+build

I am still riding that build and love it.

**edit** (I think I have completely misread this whole thing. For some reason I thought the OP was looking at the complete steel touring bike. My apologies.)

The aluminum frame is excellent.

I built up the aluminum Nashbar touring frame and it may be my thread you're thinking of. Here's the thread I made for the build: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/782661-Nashbar-Touring-Frame-Build?highlight=nashbar+touring+frame+build

I am still riding that build and love it.

**edit** (I think I have completely misread this whole thing. For some reason I thought the OP was looking at the complete steel touring bike. My apologies.)

The aluminum frame is excellent.



Yes, it was your thread I was thinking of. I am glad that you are still enjoying the bike.

I read through that whole thread again! Very nice pictures and whatnot.

I built up my commuter with the Nashbar X frame and carbon fork a few years ago. Heel strike was an issue on the original build with Detours Toucan panniers and SunLite rack. I replaced the rack with a Ractime Addit and it really made a difference. Racktime racks are part of Tubus, they use aluminum and are much lower in cost ($55). The Addit rack allows panniers to be mounted lower and further back. The quality of construction (Germany) is excellent!

I happened to have some leftover hardware from SKS fenders and used a short thin stainless steel plate to ease the mounting of both rank and fenders in the lug mounting hole. It helped move the rack a little further back. But, Tubus also offers a pack of hardware separately which contains a similar bracket to help move racks back a bit.

The X frame is very sturdy and allows for disk brakes. --Cheers!!

Maybe it's just me but the geometry seems really weird on those Nashbar Steel touring frames.


explain the reason why you throw out that line?
weird is not a standard unit of measure like a MM or degree of angle.

explain the reason why you throw out that line?
weird is not a standard unit of measure like a MM or degree of angle.

You know, on second look I retract what I wrote. I think it was the first glance at the steel frame sizing chart that threw me off.

My mistake.

Just to add another data point, I built up my Nashbar X with an Axiom Journey rack. I can with Ortleib Backrollers (pushed toward the rear of the rack), Nashbar ATB, or homemade bucket panniers without heal strike issues. (Size 45 shoes, M520 pedals)

You might consider buying the complete Nashbar touring bike becasue its a pretty good deal and sell your current bike. You might be able to do that for not much more than the cost of the frame depending on a few factors like if you get the bike on sale etc.