[chowdownca]

I have a CrossCheck that I've been using for commuting for awhile now and while it's fine for that purpose, there are some things that I would change, particularly if I intend on giving cross racing a try. First, I have longer legs and a short torso, and the CrossCheck's shortish head tube allows me to show off my spacer collection and my wife's old Profile Boa stem. I've seen the Kona JTS frames on closeout and would like to keep the rack functionality for commuting, but be able to ride the bike in races as well. I'm currently on a 54cm CC and the length of the cockpit seems to be correct. Would I be okay on a 54 JTS or would a 56 be more appropriate? I have a 31" inseam and height wise, the CC seems to be right on. If I could just make the head tube longer and slope the TT... :mad2: Any help would be appreciated.

 

[AndrwSwitch]

Well, the 56cm has a longer head tube. So you can show off fewer spacers. If you're truly happy with the cockpit length on the Cross Check, that might be the way to go. But a lot of people choose to go a little smaller for 'cross bikes because the courses can be really brutal if you're in too low or too stretched a position - a little more upright is good, and a little less aero doesn't make as much difference as it would in road racing.

Why not race your Cross Check and see what you think? You'll have a much better idea what you'd like in a racer with some experience. Are you planning a new build for the Jake, or transferring everything? It's nice not to have to add and remove a bunch of commuting gack to switch between racing and riding, but then I have a lot of crap on my commuter that you may not use.

 

[AndrwSwitch]

Well, the 56cm has a longer head tube. So you can show off fewer spacers. If you're truly happy with the cockpit length on the Cross Check, that might be the way to go - the 56cm is about half a cm longer. But a lot of people choose to go a little smaller for 'cross bikes because the courses can be really brutal if you're in too low or too stretched a position - a little more upright is good, and a little less aero doesn't make as much difference as it would in road racing. The 54 would be half a cm shorter, and you might even consider downsizing more, or going to a shorter stem.

Why not race your Cross Check and see what you think? You'll have a much better idea what you'd like in a racer with some experience. Are you planning a new build for the Jake, or transferring everything? It's nice not to have to add and remove a bunch of commuting gack to switch between racing and riding, but then I have a lot of crap on my commuter that you may not use.

 

[chowdownca]

parts swappin'

I'll be moving all the parts from my CC to the new frame. They are not the stock bits and I rather like them. As far as all the commuting stuff needing to be removed, it would only be the rack. I'm a larger guy, so any carbon tubulars, etc won't be sitting on the rack waiting to be pilfered. Also, would 40c Schwalbe marathons fit in a JTS frame? I really like the tires for commuting (I guess that would be another part that would get swapped out for racing) but don't know if they fit. I know it'll be tight. Thanks for the input!

 

[juanj]

Re: Size: check the Kona website for specs. The 54 has a 55.4cm tth, while the 52 has a 54.4cm tth, so you might be better off on a 52. This is for the 2010 models.

Edit: I just checked Surly's specs, and it looks like your current tth is 55.8cm, so the 54 size JTS might be a better fit, depending on your racing needs.

 

[AndrwSwitch]

Also, would 40c Schwalbe marathons fit in a JTS frame? I really like the tires for commuting (I guess that would be another part that would get swapped out for racing) but don't know if they fit. I know it'll be tight. Thanks for the input!

Slight grain of salt here because I'm making a couple of assumptions. I have the 2009 Jake, which I bought as a complete, including the steel P2 fork. So my big assumption is that you're talking about a 2010 or earlier JTS frame, since it looks like it got redesigned for this coming season. The smaller assumption is that the Jake and JTS share the same frame (ie the material/slight design change is at the Major Jake.)

On my bike, the tightest clearance is at the chainstays. I think a 40mm tire would fit, although it wouldn't leave clearance for mud. But the Marathon's a slick, so I don't imagine that's an issue for you. I could see it being a problem if you like wide rims, though. If you like, I can take a picture.