Help me figure something out.

[Swan]

How tall are you? Cyclocross bikes in general tend to run big (bottom bracket is up higher), so while it's probably the equivalent of a 46cm bike, it's got the measurements of a 48 or 49 cm frame otherwise. I'm also short-torsoed.
Let's just say I can get my hands easily on an extra-small (coworker has one), but a small is harder to come by. I have tried their road bike in a size small (same TT and seat tube angle measurements, IIRC) and it could work with a shorter stem, but I'd be more comfortable on their XS, probably.

I'm anywhere from 5'2 to 5'4 depending on the day and the doctor. Gosh, this buying a bike thing just gets more and more complicated, though. How disheartening. Do you know the standover height for the CFA?

edit: This blog recs the Cross Check for people under 5', and this site and this thread also list possible CX bikes for shorties.

[OakLeaf]

So test ride your co-worker's XS. You've got enough experience to get a reasonable idea of what fit tweaks might help vs. what's beyond the limits of the frame size.

[Owlie]

Tried hers--she had to cut down the seatpost a ton, so there's no way to get an accurate picture with her bike. I've tried the one in the shop (warehouse double-sent her bike). and it's comfortable length-wise, but there's that saddle-to-bar drop that the mechanic was concerned about. I would need a slightly longer stem on it, though.

I'll talk to my boss and see what he thinks, and see if I can get in touch with my fitter for the measurements.

[murielalex]

You, obviously, know best what works for you, and every body is different, but the extra small just seems too small imo.

[OakLeaf]

If the XS is comfortable length-wise, I don't know that you're really going to want a larger frame. Since you'll be ordering the frame anyway, what about getting the fork uncut? It won't be the prettiest thing if you have to leave the steerer tube ridiculously long, but it'll let you cut it to your own size rather than making compromises with the stem.

[Owlie]

I got to take the XS out today again, this time for longer, though it was a bit of a challenge staying out of the puddles.

Actually riding it, I felt a little scrunched, The other, bigger issue was that I couldn't get the saddle as far back as I needed it on that bike (didn't help that the stock saddle has relatively short rails). I talked to the mechanic about the possibility of a medium with a zero-offset seatpost, and he thinks that it's a wash as to whether it would work or not.

On the Charge vs. Surly: I didn't notice a difference in ride quality, but it might be different if you were on something like chip-seal.

[emily_in_nc]

It seems to me that if a 5'7" tall woman needs an XS, something is seriously wrong!

Then again, I don't know anything about Cross bikes. I'm only 5'2" and usually need XS in everything, so it's just unfathomable to me...

But whatever works!