Originally Posted by
gregf83
You probably needed to go down a size or two from your road bike. Due to the higher clearance on the front forks the effective head tube length is longer. Other than slightly wider front forks there's very little on a cross bike that could account for any speed difference other than your position. You were probably riding the Cross bike on the tops. If you bend over and keep a flat back you should be just as fast on the CX bike.
Most people underestimate the importance of aero effects and overestimate the impact of weight when comparing bikes.
haha, my CX bike is actually lighter then my road bike when weighed with the same wheelset and tires (full tapered carbon fork with carbon dropouts versus carbon w/ aluminum steerer and dropouts accounts for this). It probably feels slower because the bars are setup higher and 2 centimeters wider. I would use it for road races, but the feel of the cantilever brakes are underwhelming and the gearing is too low.