Probably not. Nashbar claims that the bike will handle 700x38s with fenders, but they're exaggerating a bit. While I haven't tried it, clearances look tight enough that you'd be lucky to get a 700x38 to fit without fenders. When I put fenders on my bike this winter, I had to swap my 700x35 Vittoria Randonneurs for 700x32 before I was comfortable with the clearances.

With the aforementioned 700x32s, the standover height on my 54cm frame is around 31.5" at the midpoint of the top tube.

Well crap. That puts me right out of the frame then as 31.5" is already too high and the 54cm is definitely too small. Thanks.

If the new fork is the same as the cyclocross fork but with rack BOs, and that looks to be pretty close, then it has lots of room for fenders.

Clearance on the fork is fine. Clearance in the rear triangle is what worried me. With 700x35s and SKS fenders, I just didn't have as much room as I wanted between the tire and fender. Granted: I may be overly cautious about required clearance... especially with floppy plastic fenders :D

Well,
I have a standover height of 29, so should I go for the 50cm frame over the 52???

I would say neither.

1) These frames run weirdly tall. I'm not sure a 50 would drop the TT enough to allow you to straddle it
2) They have to do some weird things to fit 700c wheels under a 50 or 52 frame that result in less than ideal handling.

Not to resurrect a kind of dead thread, but...

I'm looking to upgrade from my current big box hybrid and have been thinking the Nashbar touring frame my be a cheap way to do that. I use my bike as a daily commuter and have racked up about 4,000 miles over the last year and a half. I have plans to do some overnights and hopefully some longer tours in the next year or so.

At this point so much has broken on my bike and/or been replaced that the only stock items left, literally, are the frame, the headset, the stem, and the bottom bracket. The frame is and always has been a little on the small side, and the bottom bracket is now stuck in the frame for unknown reasons (My LBS friend and I spent half an hour trying to remove it last night to no avail).

Long story short, I'm giving the Nashbar touring frame some thought as a cheap way to remedy my issues for now (with a requisite bottom bracket replacement). My biggest concern at this point would be fender and tire clearance, as I've read some posts on threads here about fenders being a tight fit. I run PB Cascadia 45mm hybrid/touring fenders. I'd only be running 35mm tires, maybe 32s, so I know the tires will fit, but the fenders would be a must for me. Anyone have experience with fitting the 45mm Cascadias on the newest incarnation of the Nashbar frame? Is it tight? Did it require any mods to the fenders?

Ultimately, I have my eyes on a Surly LHT in its complete configuration, but $1100+tax just isn't in the cards at the moment. :-( Hopefully the Nashbar frame will be a good, workable, affordable intermediate solution... Thoughts?

I don't know your budget but why not give this a look?http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/tourist.htm

Plenty of room both height and width wise.
Would you be transferring any parts over? At the minimum, you're looking at $200 for frame, fork, headset, and bottom bracket.
The Windsor is definitely the more economic choice. The pics on the links to the tourists testimonial shows the bikes with fenders.

I would be transferring parts over... everything, in fact, except for the bottom bracket, which I would be replacing. When I said the only stock items left were frame, the headset, the stem, and the bottom bracket, I meant that all the other parts have been upgraded/replaced along the way. The bike is currently functional. I commuted on it this AM.

I already have a 1-1/8" threadless fork (Cross Check) and headset, upgraded wheels (Velocity Dyad), Shimano drivetrain (Altus RD and shifters), butterfly trekking bars, etc.

What I am considering doing is buying the Nashbar touring frame for $99 sometime it's on sale (as it is now) and a new BB. I'm really just trying to milk as much as I can out of my current gear while I work to save up for an LHT. I figure $120 or so (more if with seatpost purchase) on Nashbar with sale/discount is a good deal as it would address the issues I have w/ my current frame (mostly that it's too small for me and is an advertisement for crappy bikes [all the damn Schwinn stickers on the bike]).

I've seen the Windsor Tourist online before, but I've already settled/compromised when it comes to my current bike, and I refuse to settle for less than what I want for my next bike, so it's LHT or bust in the long term for me.

Sounds like the fenders (which I also already have on my current frame) should fit fine, though. I may have a workable temporary upgarde solution here with this frame...

Thanks for the feedback.

They will... as long as you're not concerned about tight clearance. I own a 54cm Nashbar touring frame. With 700x35 Vittoria Randonneur Pro tires installed but no fenders, there's something like 0.375-0.5in of clearance between the tire and the chainstay brace. When I installed fenders last winter (SKS P45s), the lack of clearance made me nervous enough that I switched from 700x35 to 700x32 tires.

Good to know. I'd be transferring my 45mm hybrid/touring Cascadia fenders over to the new frame, so I'd probably be in the same boat as you with your SKSs. I suppose I could live w/ tight clearance for a little while. Besides, I run 35s right now, but was planning on getting some 32s for my next set of tires anyway, so my planned tire size change sounds like it would definitely be a good idea if I pick up the Nashbar frame.

I've got VeloOrange 45mm fenders mounted on my Nashbar frame and they fit with plenty of clearance. Tires are Bontrager 32's which actually measure out at just under 34mm. Your fenders should fit just fine without mod's. Go for it...............
2fer

[IMG]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k1...f/DSCN0384.jpg[/IMG]

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ff/fender2.jpg

Thanks for the reassurance 2fer!

I may have a source for an unused Nashbar touring frame in my size (I've been wavering between the 54 and the 56cm sizes) for a good price. If that works out, I may have a new 56cm frame in a few weeks to transfer everything over to...

Can somebody tell, how tall standover at a frame Nashbar double-al touring 52?
(My body height is 170...)
Thanks)