sultanofsuede

i was hoping to enter a couple races this fall, and have been browsing used bikes online for a couple months.

i typically ride a 57cm frame for road biking, but it seems like all i see are 56s and 58s. i was wondering if there is a rule of thumb for sizing a cx bike. like, would it be ideal to be a little on the smaller side with all of the on/off action in a race?

i'm about 6'1", so the large vs. medium sizing is a tough one too. i don't want to drive 4 hours to pick up a bike and then find out the size doesn't work. any tips?

thanks!

chas58

I've been using the same size. Actually, mine is a tad smaller (based on top tube length/reach). You can down size a little bit to be more nimble if you want. Probably don't want to get a large size (58 for you) that will require a shorter stem as that would make it extra responsive. Given that CX bikes have horizontal top tubes, that crotch clearance gets more critical than I'm used to.

tangerineowl

If you currently have a good fitting road bike with you, look up the frame stack and reach in its geometry chart online. Or measure yourself if its an old bike and those details aren't online.

For a CX I would do no more than 5mm shorter in the reach.

Frame stack: Same, or up to 15mm taller.

Watch the frame standover also.