Originally Posted by
Garthr
I see a potentially big difference, the seat tube angle. While I think they are both too steep, a 74 is really steep.
Uh.... 74º is very common and is not particularly aggressive.
700c bikes that use 74º include the Surly Cross Check, some of the Trek 520's, Specialized Roubaix, Surly Pacer, Cannondale Synapse, Scott CR1.
A truly steep angle would be something like a time trial bike (78º).
Plus, you're comparing a road bike to a cross bike, and the cross will have a higher BB, which will require a slightly different ST angle in order to put the saddle in the same spot relative to the crank, yes? As such I'm not sure if a direct comparison of that one spec can work.