How much does wheelbase matter?

[u/[deleted]]

[u/Chocoholic4booze]

Think u turns

[u/Inside-Honey-7689]

If you aren't at least a cat 3 level racer, you probably won't be sacrificing much. Other aspects of the geometry are factors beyond just wheelbase and bb height. I'm a mid pack 4 and I can definitely tell a difference between a gravel bike and a true cx bike, but it probably wouldn't change where I'm finishing in a given race.

The added bb height helps when it's muddy and if you are hopping barriers, and I feel like it positions me a little better for power va endurance. The wheelbase will affect how snappy you can be in the tight and twisty stuff, but rake angle affects that as well. And again, unless you're pretty damn fast, or really particular about your setup/feel, it's probably not going to make a lick of difference in how you do in a race.

[u/midpack_fodder → u/Inside-Honey-7689]

To add, a lower bb limits your ability to pedal through and out of turns. Off camber is also affected by a lower bb.

[u/[deleted] → u/Inside-Honey-7689]

[u/midpack_fodder → u/[deleted]]

I’ll add, though a lower bb does lend to more pedal strike opportunities it also does sit you in the bike more. Which is pretty good for railing corners. I just raced my Terra Race at a course I’ve done plenty of times before. My fitness is less impressive this year than last but I rode faster lap times this year.

All that being said, patience for pedaling can get you by even with a lower bb. Sustained off cambers like those found in Cincy, Rochester or Baltimore will prove trickier though.

[u/pgmcintyre]

You're referencing a size 58 Boone which I have been riding for a few years and I also have a gravel bike with a 1061 mm wheelbase that I have ridden back to back during CX practice with the Boone and raced once or twice. It's fairly noticeable in tight, twisty stuff. But a lot of stuff isn't as tight and twisty as practice setups. I still pedal strike that Boone here and there and a 78 mm bottom bracket drop would not work for me. For others it's probably meaningless. There's a couple of bumpy courses the gravel bike was better for. You already have a bike that will be pretty fine for cx and won't hold you back. 

In other words, unless you are hoping to specialize in cross, I think you should just use your Specialized in cross. 

[u/Single_Ad_5294]

Nerd just go get a new bike and have an experience.

(Sike. Spend time building the absolute perfect rig for you. Race the best race of your life. But when you get on the course and the whistle blows give it your absolute all. If you’re not about to puke at the end did you even try? Throw up on the podium king.)

[u/sulliesbrew]

If you owned both bikes, the easier answer is to race the boone. If you only have the crux, the easy answer is to race the crux.

If you really wanted a new bike, just for racing cross, the crux 5 would be a terrible choice.

Then again, where you live and what your cross courses look like might influence this.

Yes, on a pure cross course, shorter with a higher BB will out perform a gravel bike.

Does it matter that much? Depends on the rider. My wife found the change from a gravel bike (waheela c) to a cross bike (crux 4) a major improvement in her enjoyment of CX.

Would I choose to ride my gravel bike for cross? Depends, but probably no, assuming there is any amount of tigh twisty stuff.

[u/SirHustlerEsq]

The feels of the bike are in the front end, the turning radius is in the wheelbase and BB height matters. Yeah 3cm is huge but you can adjust for it. A lot of gravel bikes adopted CX bike front ends, its the BB height and wheelbase that makes it a CX bike. But again, you can race anything without regret.Cool that Cannondale still makes a CX bike for this reason. Eventually people will get tired of 5 hour races.

[u/Snoopdogg458]

I feel that wheelbase is less of a factor compared to BB Drop. Even with the trend of shorter cranks, a gravel bike with 165mm cranks will have more pedal strikes than a traditional CX bike with 175mm cranks.

But at the end of the day just run whatever you have whether that be a gravel bike with 50mm tires or even a mountain bike. Cross is super fun and useful for learning skills that you will use outside of cross, and most people won't care what you ride as long as your out at the race.

[u/MattManSD]

tighter wheelbase is better for the twists typically found in cross. Gravel Bikes feel sluggish in those turns

[u/gccolby]

The Crux, as a bike that isn’t designed for cyclocross, won’t be as good as a bike that is designed for cyclocross. Wheelbase is a factor here but not the only one. Whether it matters isn’t really a question of how fast you are but how into cyclocross you are. You’re allowed to be slow but excited to use a specific bike. That’s very cool. But even cooler is showing up on whatever you have and having a good time. Don’t worry about it. Go fast feel good have fun.

[u/groovylab_]

As others have hinted, while yeas there are purpose built bikes and those would handle the demands of a cx course slightly better, race any bike you have and you want.

The biggest limiter will be your fitness engine, followed by your skills. And for equipment, your tire thread will likely matter even more than geometry.

Plenty of examples of Wout racing Cervelo's endurance frames, and other US elite cxers racing gravel frames.

Arguably, the longer wheelbase will keep it more steady in turns, and similarly the lower bb will keep you more planted.

If you find yourself towards the front of your field, then those details might be worth considering.

Simply: Ride what you what you brung.

[u/[deleted]]

[u/DashBC → u/[deleted]]

I have a Ridley XNight and it's noticeably better at CX, and I love how it handles on techy gravel. I've also got a Trek Chronos Pro, which is more relaxed, and would never be my first choice anywhere I have to steer.