So I built up a beautiful Salsa Las Cruces (52cm) only to find that once built, my accursedly short legs made it too tall for me (I usually ride a 54cm road bike).

So I sold the Salsa, and armed with the money from that sale, I'm looking for another CX bike to replace it.

I understand in CX it's not popular to have sloping top-tubes because they're possibly harder to shoulder. But with somebody like me (with my stupid short legs), I pretty much need to have a short seat-tube and relatively longer top-tube (something like a 49-50cm st, paired with a 54 cm tt).

I also like to have something a little different than everybody else has.

Suggestions? If you have something like I need, do you want to sell it to me? :D

makes a sloping TT as does Bianchi (slight slope)

if ya want different, call Carl Strong and have him build you one.

look on ebay for Guerciotti's some are sloping.

have been researching this myself, you could stick with Salsa and go for the very cool chilli con crosso - lots of smaller sizes, or you might manage a gunnar crosshairs 48cm or then there's the Soma or Surly crosscheck - both offering 42/46/48 cm frames for those of us with short legs.

if you're on a 54cm road bike the Soma 48cm might be a good option as the TT seems pretty long compared to the salsa/surly/crosshairs...

if anyone's got any other ideas, i'd love to hear them too.

after ya'll fix this patient, help me, i have a silly short torso!

that's the route I decided to go...

for more 'budget-priced' builders, look @ Curtlo or Primus Mootry - either would be able to set you up w/ a frame and fork for about the same cost as the Salsa..

Redline was what I was thinking until I saw you wanted something different. Different is good, but it may cost you. I'd 2nd the Primus Mootry option, they have steel or al, and it's reasonably priced for custom. Gunnars may also fit you; I wouldn't worry about a slight sloping TT affecting shouldering, but a full slope would suck.

Standover and fit are often two unrelated items. Especially at the extremes of the sizing ranges. We are led to believe that there needs to be a certain number of inches between our crotch and the top tube for a bike to fit and it's not always so. Standover is important, but it isn't always the end all in bike fit or performance of the bike. When you build a bike you are basically connecting points in space around some fixed items like wheel size, bottom bracket drop, seat tube length, and head tube placement. Any time you change one of those variables, it starts to affect the other measurements as well. If you shorten the seatube to give you better standover, you are either going to have to slope the top tube, or shorten the headtube. If you are going sloping, the shouldering becomes more difficult. If you choose to shorten the headtube, then you run into the problem of a lower stem and stack height on a bike where you would traditionally want a higher set up. Choosing a smaller bike, only reduces wheelbase and top tube, while compounding the previous two issues. At the extremes, it is often best to go with a custom if you can afford it for two reasons. One is the builder will be able to reduce the design conflicts inherent in really small or large frames. The second is they will be the best able to help you choose which compromises are most important for you when it comes to the fit and function of the bike. Do you value standover more than headtube stack height? Is toe overlap a big issue? They'll be able to help you sort it out. There are no right answers, just what works for you. Just remember buying a bike is like picking a suit. You can have a good fit from something off the rack, or you might have to have the clothing altered at the tailors to make it right, or you might have to have something custom done to fit your body. All can be very good options if you go with the options that suits you best and fits your pocketbook.

Thanks for the advice.

I'm not exactly new at the whole fit issue. I've had 42 bikes (I keep a spreadsheet) in the last 7 years (it's a sickness), and 10 grace my garge right now. eBay and Craigslist are my addiction.

Update:

Last night, it was Craigslist to the rescue! I found a new Motobecane Fantom Pro cx frame (same as the Fuji Cross Pro) that fits me like a glove - it came with headset, fork and brakes for only $150. I know some people have issues with the new Motobecane, but the frame looks fine, and I'll be able to build this one up uber-cheap (the opposite of my Salsa build).

I can't wait to mount some cheap Spooky carbons I found and see how they work.

I wonder if I should paint it before I build it? hmmmm - a nice pearlescent orange..... :)

I have the same problem, short legs and long torso.
48-50cm bike fits my legs perfect but toptubes are way to short, would need to compensate with a 120-130mm stem and layback seatpost.
52-54cm bike is perfect toptube but standover is too tall.

I ride the 51 cm Rocky CXR.
51cm seat tube center of BB to top of seat collar.
53.5 cm toptube, slighty sloping to give a little bit more standover.
I am 5 foot 7 and 29 inch inseam, fits great with 100mm stem and no standover issues.
I don't have a lot of seatpost showing, but I run no spacers under the stem to get a good seat to bar height fit.

Good luck finding something that fits

I ride the 51 cm Rocky CXR.


I saw that bike at the LBS right before I picked up the Fantom Pro. It looks like a sweet bike.

I have the same problem, short legs and long torso.
48-50cm bike fits my legs perfect but toptubes are way to short, would need to compensate with a 120-130mm stem and layback seatpost.
52-54cm bike is perfect toptube but standover is too tall.

I ride the 51 cm Rocky CXR.
51cm seat tube center of BB to top of seat collar.
53.5 cm toptube, slighty sloping to give a little bit more standover.
I am 5 foot 7 and 29 inch inseam, fits great with 100mm stem and no standover issues.
I don't have a lot of seatpost showing, but I run no spacers under the stem to get a good seat to bar height fit.

Good luck finding something that fits

are cross frames better with horizontal oval shaped top tube, to better carry bike over the shoulder? if so, is this unavailable with custom? would weight be important when carrying bike?

are nice in theory, but if you're carrying the bike that much, you're going way to slow. Just kidding. They are okay, but you'll find your shoulder will bruise with a round or flat top tube and that by the end of the season you'll have toughened up enough that it won't matter.

Chilli,
Are you in Greater Seattle. I believe I saw the same on local CList. I offered the guy $75 as I needed monies for the build up end. I am very impressed by the frame. Congrats.

Hi RetroS - yes, Seattle area, so I'm sure it was the same frame.

I didn't mess around with the price - I see that the equivalent Fuji frame sellls for $799 brand new - so $150 with brakes seemed like a pretty good deal.

If you come on any of the local RBR rides (see PNW section of the forum) you'll possibly see it in action after it's built up.

I see that Aaron's in West Seattle offers bike painting. So now I'm struggling with the decision to either go ultra cheap, or fit good parts on it and powdercoating it a pearlescent orange.

Chilli,
Enjoy the road but prefer MTB presently. Been thinking about racing a little CX this fall, so I have been lurking here a bit. You got a good deal for sure. The Motobecane is probably the only $1500 and under CX bike I have not ridden in my present effort to find a fall ride. The orange sounds cool and will be like a Las Cruces that fits you better.

I didn't want to spend a lot, so I just ordered up some "Tangelo" paint from House of Kolor's Shimrins Pearls line. Can't wait to see how it will look....

I have short legs and long torso as well. my inseam is 29" and you can that I will have minimal to none in clearance with the top tube. I tried some of the small size bikes, but they require me to run a long stem. I rather have a 48cm with 52cm top tube than a 43cm with 50cm top tube. The choice is up to you. I also like the larger front triangle because it makes the bike-on-the-shoulder sections easier.