fiataccompli

I think the stumbling block for me was TT length..so, I was debating over 56cm/54cm & ended up on 54cm based on TT length...maybe I'm just used to riding bikes that folks would say are too big for me...I probably got my idea of proper fit some time in the late '70s...lol

acadiaME

Well the 52cm has a 21" TT. The 54cm has a 21.5" TT. So those are close enough that it leads me to believe I should be basing it on stand-over. If I am doing simple math right, the SO height is:

52cm size = 30.4 + 1" = 31.4" stand over
54cm size = 31 + 1" = 32" stand over

I am thinking 52cm is where I am at. I'd love to hear from other owners who might be in this size range. Thanks ya'll!

fiataccompli

hope you're patient, 'cause this thread is mostly a dead horse. It's actually less than a 0.4" difference on the TT,but not really the point. My experience has zero bearing on anyone else's WRT fit. I think you'll probably come up with what I came up with: that after you measure your other bikes & look at the geometry tables you will know what size you need. Best bet would be to find one local to you & check it out...if that's possible.

acadiaME

Good point. I realize that resurrecting an old thread isn't the best approach...I'll check out my crosscheck again and maybe a similar bike to see fit. Thanks for the replies sir.

traggatmot

I'm 5'7" and have a 30" inseam (at least that's my pant's measurement). I got a 52 cm and put it together, and have been riding it for about a week now. I kinda wish I had gotten a 54 cm. I was comparing the bike to my 53 cm KHS flite 100, and the 52cm seemed like it would be a better fit, but overall, I think I would've liked the slightly longer TT on the 54cm. The tires I have on it are the stock ones, 700 x 30, and as I change them up I might feel differently, but so far I'm wishing I had gotten the larger frame....I guess I like to be a little stretched out.

acadiaME

I ended up getting the 54cm. It should be here Monday according to UPS, so we'll see how it fits. I can't wait either way...going to throw some studded tires and fenders on it as my winter commuter.

schwinnbikelove

Those of you that have this bike and have ridden it a fair amount, do you think it'd be a good platform for light duty touring? Does it ride like a Cadillac? Would it be worthy of an internally-geared hub upgrade in the future?

Thanks guys!

BoSoxYacht

I hope you enjoy your new ride.

FWIW, I'd pitch that stem in the trash ASAP(or keep it as a paperweight). That stem is seriously wonky.

fiataccompli

in your opinion, what's wrong with the stem? Are these things a product liability type problem like breaking on folks out there or what? Just curious here based on the strong statement.

Fixter

I can comment on the stem also, its a POS. I got the 64cm frame and the stem was like 12in. Its ridiculous.

fiataccompli

I hear ya' man, but besides being 12", what is POS about it?

BoSoxYacht

it is obviously a very low cost item. The face plate is very low quality.

baldsue

The stem on mine started rusting.

fiataccompli

A steel stem? Are you serious? I was just trying to get an idea of whether these things are breaking or if it's just that they aren't "brand name" or whatever.....'Cause there are lots of cheapo, decently lightweight bike parts that work + are safe even if they look crappy for whatever reason.

BoSoxYacht

Mine was aluminum, and fairly lightweight, but the bolts are tiny(and I had a Thomson I wasn't using on anything).

axcxnj

the stem on mine has worked fine, i raced a few cyclocrosses with it and rode singletrack on the stock setup...no problems. I ended up changing it to an oversized stem when i put on wtb mountiain drop bars, but now im using that stem on my road Fixed gear...i see no problems

crossnut

Powder is a bunch more durable than even very high quality paint. And, a bicycle frame is a whole different animal than auto body, as we are dealing with rounded surfaces everywhere, so, lots of places for runs. Eastwood makes a fab powder gun for around $100, but you still need the big oven to bake it in...

acadiaME

Well, I took shipment of mine last monday, stripped it down to the frame and applied some framesaver. Let it dry for about a week and built it up this weekend. I'll post some photos tomorrow, but had some initial thoughts and a question.

First off, the 54cm fits me perfectly, glad I didn't go a size down. Second, I'd have to echo the thoughts about the stem already expressed in previous posts...it's really pretty cheap quality. Nothing I'd feel unsafe about or anything, but I had a spare hanging around so I swapped it out.

My question is this: I am experiencing a clicking sound at one point in the chain so i investigated and discovered that the masterlink is rubbing against the bash guard. It's annoying enough for me to want to remedy it, plus I'm sort of worried it could potentially throw the chain over the guard. Anybody have a solution to this short of taking the guard off (i don't want to do that if possible since I'm using this as a winter/beater bike for now.)

rotharpunc

switch out the master link to a SRAM missing link