Quote Originally Posted by Muirenn View Post
I guess how heavy a CAADX feels depends on what you are comparing it to! My CAADX with 105 components weighs less than my Pinarello Quattro with SRAM force. But the Pinas are known for being on the beefy side.

Are you petite or taller? Can't remember. Are 26 inch wheels a better size for you? Do they feel better handling wise than 700c’s?
...Ridley X-bow is supposed to be a racing bike, I think. Bethany just got one a few months ago. Don't know of anyone else who has one on here. (She is about 5'10", I know there are different sizes available, but it seems like certain bikes work better with certain body types).
I'm 5'-8" with a short torso. The 26" wheels were nothing to do with frame size; the Megatour was a mid-80s version of the "gravel grinder" bike made by a company called Boyes-Rossin. I think it was a grab-bag of left-overs put together as an experiment, for just one year. I swapped out a some of the components early on and customized it to suit myself. For a modestly priced bike with Tange 900 tubing it was a nice ride, lively yet stable with luggage.
The Cross-bow isn't an all-out racing bike, at least not the one my husband has. It has rack and fender eyelets.
I don't think I want a Surly. The top tubes are long and they seem just as heavy my present touring bike, which is made with Reynolds 725 tubing.
Quote Originally Posted by Blueberry View Post
I have a touring bike and 2 cross bikes - and ride them all almost exclusively on roads. The cross bikes definitely have a lighter "feel" to them. My Lynskey *is* lighter - but my Surly Cross Check and my touring bike are probably pretty close to the same weight (touring bike might be a little heavier because it has fenders and a rack - but there's not a huge difference). The cross check is not a light bike - but it rides a lot lighter than it is, if that makes sense (and I have boat anchor wheels).

The only real way to tell how they'll feel is to go ride one. If I were starting from scratch with all 3, I would probably just get the Straggler (a cross check with disc brakes). I love my Lynskey, but it was spendy, and I'm not sure it's worth *that* much to me.
That's what I'm planning to do. One shop here sells Opus and I like the specs on the Sekhmet. The size 54 has pretty much the same geometry as my road bike.