What size Cross bike?

scotth

scotth

Well-Known Member
My wife gave me the okay to get a bike for Christmas, so I'm doing a little shopping. I sat on a 52 and it felt a bit cramped, a 56 felt right. This week when the snow melts i'll give it a test ride. I'm 6ft with a 32 inch inseam. Is a 56 the right size bike for me? Thanks.


Scott
 
I think you're more like a 58 (you might get away with a 56 or 60), but it really depends on the person. Didn't the LBS size you up?
 
I was/am looking into getting a cross bike. The info I got was that most people get a cross bike that is a centimeter or two smaller than their proper road size. I guess this applies if you are going to use it for cross racing.
 
Last edited:
scotth said:
I sat on a 52 and it felt a bit cramped, a 56 felt right. This week when the snow melts i'll give it a test ride. I'm 6ft with a 32 inch inseam. Is a 56 the right size bike for me? Thanks. Scott
Click to expand...



Depends on the brand of CX bike your looking at, giving your height of 6 ft I would think the 56 would be good. I would think a 55 would be too small, a cross frame should be a size smaller than your roadie. Remember, you can always use different stem lengths if you feel cramped. Midol works well with cramping too 😛 Try different frame manufactures. If you have the money, go better components. I see alot of people at the Bicycle Depot thinking their saving money by cheaping out on the groups only to see them a month later wishing they spent a bit more.
 
walter said:
I was/am looking into getting a cross bike. The info I got was that most people get a cross bike that is a centimeter or two smaller than their proper road size. I guess this applies if you are going to use it for cross racing.
Click to expand...

you actually want to go one size bigger than your road bike. you can compensate for the longer top tube with a shorter stem, but the idea is to get a slightly larger frame so the main triangle is bigger allowing easier shouldering of the bike. also, specific cross frames are designed this way so that more of the seat tube is inside the seat post tube, making it stronger and less likely to break during mounts/dismounts.

ideally, find a frame with a top tube that's the same, or as close to without being shorter, as your road bike. if it is a cross frame, the rest of the geometry should be correct. and remember, standover height is not important here.
 
Thanks for the info. I'm going back sometime this week, to ride some bikes and get sized.

Scott
 
IROnick said:
you actually want to go one size bigger than your road bike...
Click to expand...

RacerChick said:
Huh? :hmmm:
Click to expand...

ArmyOfNone said:
Yes that defies all common wisdom. What you talking bout willis?
Click to expand...

While Nick's suggestions defies conventional wisdom, I do like his explanation.

I purchased my first CX frame small and it ended up being too small. The next one was slightly bigger than my road frame and it didn't bother me. My current CX frame is nearly identical in Geometry to my road frame. I think if your Top Tube + Stem is the same as your road bike, you will be fine. I would hesitate to go bigger than your good fitting road bike bike unless that was as close as you could get.
 
Just started cross this year and got a bike with the same top tube as my road bike and it worked fine. Ended up with the saddle further forward which I think helps with higher cadence and less drop than my road bike with the same stem length. That's what worked for me but maybe not for others.
 
scotth said:
My wife gave me the okay to get a bike for Christmas, so I'm doing a little shopping. I sat on a 52 and it felt a bit cramped, a 56 felt right. This week when the snow melts i'll give it a test ride. I'm 6ft with a 32 inch inseam. Is a 56 the right size bike for me? Thanks.


Scott
Click to expand...

I am 6ft with a 34" inseam and ride a 56 van dessel frame
 
BiknBen said:
While Nick's suggestions defies conventional wisdom, I do like his explanation.

I purchased my first CX frame small and it ended up being too small. The next one was slightly bigger than my road frame and it didn't bother me. My current CX frame is nearly identical in Geometry to my road frame. I think if your Top Tube + Stem is the same as your road bike, you will be fine. I would hesitate to go bigger than your good fitting road bike bike unless that was as close as you could get.
Click to expand...

i don't remember exactly what i said (too lazy to look!) but yes, the top tube/stem combined length should be similar to road bike. what i am sure i didn't say was that being aero really doesn't matter in cross, so you may want to tilt your bars up a little bit to make you more upright. this allows your lungs to be more open while you're turning yourself inside out, lol. if the seat tube is taller, but your saddle is lower in relation to the frame, and the distance from your saddle to your crank center is the same as your road bike, nothing is really changing on the bike except the size of the front triangle is now larger, for better shouldering. sorry for the confusion. 🙂

here is a good article about cross bike fitting:

http://eliteendurance.com/Documents/Cyclo-Cross Perfecting Position.pdf
 
Good article. I read Ken's stuff all the time. How did I miss that one?

He explained things pretty well, so that you could break down the different fit options. When I was shopping I found that measurements meant more than actual size, as some mfg vary.

I took my cross bike out yesterday on the sloppy roads, and it was great!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom