Cyclocross

thesionnach

I recently got myself a Foucus Mares 2009 from Wiggle.co.uk and according to their sizing info a 54/M should be my size considering I'm 5'8 with an inside leg of 30".

Now this is the silly question: I'm a newbie to any kind of bike with drop bars having previously just had MTBs while living in Colorado and Utah so maybe it's just the ride position but is this bike too big for someone of my stature?

Just looking for advice from your experienced pool. Cos I've a week that I can test ride and then exchange for the smaller 52.

Also where would I be able to find out about cyclocross races in Ireland, cos I'd like to try something new in addition to using the bike for my commute. Cheers

scottreynolds

thesionnach wrote: »

Maybe it's just the ride position but is this bike too big for someone of my stature?

Also where would I be able to find out about cyclocross races in Ireland

Cyclocross racing is a winter sport :-) for alot of bike racers. The bike size doesn't seem to large although I would take a 54 bike and I'd be 5'10 with a similar leg size -- may be an inch longer.

When you say its uncomfortable you may mean the stretching forward of your torso. Potentially if the legs feel fine a shorter stem could be the way to go.... Possibly visit your local bike store and ask them. They are generally helpful enough. Just say your looking to get a stem.

DirkVoodoo

Yeah I'm 5'10" too with about 30 and a bit inseam, 54cm on two road frames and they fit like a glove. I had a bad experience with an "L" Giant SCR which I think is about 56.5cm, really hurt my back, knees, neck, etc. whenever I went out on it.

I would say 52 or 54 for you and personally I tend to err on the side of "smaller is better for bike setup".

thesionnach

Thanks... I'll go for a good spin tomorrow and pop into a shop, have to pick up some essentials like lights and a Lock too... Enjoying having a bike again, it's been 5 years too long.

Like a previous poster I was trying to decide what bike to get and after talking to people and taking some hybrids for a test run I settled on the Cyclocross bike... Perfect for crappier roads and someone like me who is still a little too scared to get a real road bike yet.

Drop bars definitely have advantages but it's a whole lot different to what I'm used to.

MadHatter

Your height and inside leg are the same as mine, and I ride a 54cm bike. Comparing the geometry of the two bikes, you've got a shorter top tube but a longer stem.

On the face of it, the bike should be okay for you, but it may be poorly setup, or you may just need a shorter stem as already suggested. I think a visit to a bike shop to get it checked is the best approach.

blorg

If the stem is pointing down you could try flipping it for a more upright position. IIRC Lumen has a 54cm Focus Mares and he found it much too small (he is 6ft.) I would imagine you are on the right size bike, you probably just need to get used to the position, it is different to a hardtail.

If you are cycling on the road swap the tyres out immediately for slicks, cross knobblies on the road are painful.

Plan to try cross racing myself this coming winter, I have more than one CX bike but have never used them for their intended purpose

rottenhat

If you've only ridden mountain bikes before, you will feel a bit stretched out on a road bike and it can take a while to figure out if that amounts to being too stretched out. How long have you had the bike (or how much have you ridden it)? What is it that's giving you the feeling that the bike might be too big for you?

thesionnach

Thanks for the advice guys...

Rottenhat was right in that maybe I'm just feeling a little stretched out. I got the bike a couple of weeks ago but have only been out on it a few times for no more than a couple of hours total and have lowered the saddle a little each time I've been out so I think I've that side of things sorted. Will head around the Phoenix park tomorrow as I'm off work and put it (and me) to the test.

I just feel a little less nimble on it too after having MTBs for years that I could just swing around the place... I know the function is different and I'm riding with a different purpose so maybe it's just the feel of the bike is alien to me. (Hope that doesn't sound as daft as it sounds in my head)

I need to pick up some decent pedals too as the basic ones supplied are fairly useless!! Any tips/Recommendations? I'm never had cycling shoes before either as a recreational rider I always just used toe-clips but I'd be open to suggestion.

blorg

Get entry-level SPDs, (e.g. MTB system) you can walk in the shoes and they are absolutley fine unless you are seriously racing. I have them on all my bikes and am only looking at a road system now for racing, would like to feel a little more solidly attached in a sprint.

The bike will be very different in terms of the feel, I only started with a MTB this year and found it very "flicky" in comparison to what I was used to (essential on the trails as I found out!)

DirkVoodoo

A friend of mine is a big cyclocrosser, he's been doing it for years here and now on-and-off a bit in Belgium. If you have any questions I could forward them onto him and see what he says. He emailed one or two race reports, don't think I can throw them up without his permission but they make for interesting reading. He prefers it to road biking, seems a bit more technical to me having to deal with constantly changing terrain, but I have never raced on the road either so it's only an armchair supposition.

I would like to try it also, looks wild!

thesionnach

Thanks again for the pedal advice...

Yeah blorg I think you're experiencing the opposite situation to myself. Guess it just takes getting used to.

If anyone has any info on the cyclocross season that'd be great cos hopefully I'll give it a bash when it rolls around again. I've a friend who is doing the Gael Force West next month (I think it is) but I'll be working for it. Looks like another alternative to the road racing too.

Morgan

Try posting on http://www.mtbireland.com - loads of cross fans there.

Lumen

My 54cm Focus crosser feels larger than my 54cm road bike.

A cross bike can feel larger than the equivalent size road bike because the bottom bracket is higher and the tyres are taller, so for a given saddle height you'll be further from the ground.

Fitting is much the same as a road bike.

Post a sideways pic of you sitting on it with hands on the drops, and we'll have a go at dissecting your position.

rottenhat

thesionnach wrote: »

I just feel a little less nimble on it too after having MTBs for years that I could just swing around the place... I know the function is different and I'm riding with a different purpose so maybe it's just the feel of the bike is alien to me. (Hope that doesn't sound as daft as it sounds in my head)

No, I think everyone feels like that if they're coming from riding MTBs. But you do get the compensating feeling that you're practically levitating up hills compared to dragging an MTB up them.