Touring bike for SS Cross use - Prefer a larger or smaller frame?
 

I'll be using one of these for my daily commuter and then it'll be my SS Cross bike come Fall. My ideal frame size seems to be 55cmx55cm as my vintage road frame feels pretty good.
I do have a 54x54 cross bike that feels real nice too and the measurments come to 'bout the same on both after stem and saddle adjustments. Cross frame giving a slightly more heads up position due to an about even saddle and bar height.


So here's my options:

52 seat tube x 54 top tube Schwinn Voyageur
Pro - plenty of standover? full touring braze ons is cool for commuting and future options
Con - smaller frame means tall stem and tall seatpost, longer stem means touchier steering? Vertical dropouts means singleator needed

57 seat tube x 56 top tube Panasonic PT-3500
Pro - Horizontal dropouts, Fits like a vintage should (fistfull of seatpost, less stem height needed)
Cons - Standover is very close (bike shorts will rub), shorter stem might mean slower steering? No lowrider rack or third bottle cage brazeons (admittedly just a "coolness factor to me)

Both are about the same weight, the same quality and the same condition. Fairly identical components as well.

so would you frame up or frame down? I personally don't remember any crotch-meets-top-tube incidents or situations while in the few races I've been in, but do see some mention standover.

In these pics the Panasonic seat would come down and forward, while the Scwinn's stem needs another inch of height.

Probably the schwinn cause the Panasonic might be too big for you. You don't have to have canti's for an ss cross bike, I use a univega road frame meant for 27" tires. The stock brakes will clear a 700x35 fine. I think you might be happier on an old sport touring frame or road frame for cross, the long wheel base on the bikes you posted won't make for the best steering.

went with the smaller frame. Tweaked the fit and rode it to work. That pretty much cemented it for me.