I've pretty much decided to purchase a Kona Jake the Snake CX bike. I have a couple options. I can get the 2007 bike in a size 54 or I can get the 2008 model in any size I want. I'm leaning toward the 56 in the 2008 because it has slacker angles which should effectively shorten the top tube in relation to my position over the bottom bracket ( I hope that makes sense). The LBS is steering me towards a 54 either way. I'm about 5'11 barefoot with a 86 cm inseam (roughly 33.75 inches), and I'm simply looking for opinions. The geometry on the two bikes is quite different. The top tubes are only about 1 cm different between the 54 2007 and the 56 2008. However the bike with the shorter top (54 2007) tube has 1.5 degree steeper head tube which I like. I'm testing both bikes on Friday. My road bike is a 56 top tube bike with a 120 mm stem with 73 degree angles. The road bike has 152 head tube with a traditional headset. I have 2 cm spacers under the stem with a positive 6 degree stem. I had a professional fit done and they said I should use a zero set back seat post so I do. I searched a lot of the old threads and I think generally the 56 would work no problem, but there is a lot of rhetoric in regards to sizing down. One of my riding buddies who is very capable cross racer is telling me to buy the 54. I keep arguing the 56 would work and there would be no worries that it would be too small.

I generally like the specs on both bikes. The bike will be used for racing and winter riding on dirt roads. I'm simply looking for various opinions on which size to go for. I personally feel that getting a bike that fits in the most important thing when picking a bike.