Felicity

Okay, collectively, you all have sat your butts on a lot of the CX bike offerings out there. What I want to know is in general what bike did you find to have a higher, shorter frame? I have stumped a couple of LBSs. I am not looking for a perfect fit but I moved from a 57 Poprad to a 55 because the stretch was too great even though the 57 was more seat/hb height appropriate. Yes, the hb stem was shortened (tangent: does it matter about the hb stem be significantly shorter than stock - does that make a ride 'twitchy'? One of the things about learning is that I listen to everyone and it is interesting where the opinions conflict among experts). The 57 would have to have virtually no stem and the 55 needs to have the hb set raised to match the seat height.

So, let's take all bikes into consideration. They will probably be the one that some of you found too short and put longer stems on.

Thanks for you input.

Abuckley

I am currently battling the EXACT same issue. I haven't purchased the bike yet, but I'm torn between the 57cm and 55. The 57 felt a little long even though it is close in geometry to a lot of 56cm bikes from the likes of Cannondale and Specialized. I'm 6'0", so I'm curious how tall you are and what you typically ride...that is if you have owned a bike where you have cared in the past (I haven't).

flipped4bikes

My 2-cents: LeMond geometry incorporates a longer top tube in all their frames. It's a Greg thing. If you were to simply go to another bike brand that didn't do this, it would help.

jase1

My Bianchi San Jose (52) is a bit tall (see my post regarding standover dilemma) but the reach is fine. I didn't check the next size down (49) but the guy at the LBS said that it would be too cramped. From looking at the specs and sitting on a different model 49, I felt it to be too short.

jfmckenna

A lot of cross frames have a higher BB so the seat tube measurement is not comparable to your road bike assuming you have one. If you do have a comfortable road bike then measure the TT and get a cross frame based on that dimension.

I prefer to be a bit stretched out on my cross bike because I feel as though it distributes my weight more evenly over the frame. The wheel base on a cross bike is a lot longer then road too which makes the bike feel a lot bigger. In general I think your cross bike should actually feel a little bigger then your road bike.

Mayonnaise

After looking at many bikes my guy said get the bike that’s as close as possible in geometry as your road bike. That way, when you switch back and forth between bikes you’ll feel less discomfort and capitalize on muscle memory.

Thought that made good sense.

Abuckley

Good info, thanks.

Felicity

Hi- I ended up on the Raleigh Rx 1.0 in 57. I don't remember what size my road bike was - sadly I sold it in a fit of maternal something-or-the-other about a decade ago - but my guess is it was a 57. It was a Univega which was acquired by Raleigh so who knows.... My hybrid was 22" and it was a pinch large. I am 5'10" with a 35" inseam and 32" sleeve. If I were to look at a road bike, I would seriously consider a Trek Pilot - they make a women's frame large enough for me - but I had my heart set on a cross bike and I'm glad I got the Raleigh. Fits great and I took my younger son out on a dirt road the other day and I think I have a bike maniac in the making (he is 8). The Raleigh doesn't have the component set of the LeMond I liked so now I have the opportunity ;-) to turn into a component weenie and swap out the parts over time, not to mention contributing to the bike economy. The LBS where I got it also sells Kona and he told me that the Jake the Snake is long too and the Raleigh fans are the ones built like me.