Gunnar Cycles USA Message Board

Back in the saddle after a month due to straining my Coas muscle (Pelvis) doing squats in the weightroom. (Lesson: squats are bad for my back, do lunges instead.) Completed a nice, easy 10-mile ride yesterday on my trusty 1981 Trek sport/roadie. This morning, my back is unusually sore. I think that the Trek will be relegated to Commuter status, and a new bike is in my immediate future.

Thankfully, my LBS carries the Gunnar line. So stoked! Problem is the only drop-bar Gunnar bike they have constructed is a Crossharairs. Will the Crosshairs be similar-enough in its characteristics and geometry to the Sport to provide an equal comparison? I'm doubt my LBS will order and build a Sport just for me to testride - although I haven't inquired. (My LBS is River City Cycles in Portland OR.)

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

I just rode a 60cm Crossharis UT/105-equipped. The OLD Portland Cobblestone streets felt like f*&$ing butter, even compared to my steel Trek roadbike. The rear tire really kept to the road, with 1/4 the bucking of my current bike over the same road. The ride position felt too high for me (of course, I 'm 6'2"), especially with all the wind we had today. I'd like to be a bit more stretched out and lower to the ground - reviewing the geometry I think the Sport will do just that: am I correct?

I plan on test riding a few other bikes for comparison when I have more time, but that Gunnar felt very positive. Workmanship looks superior, and the bike was much lighter than I thought it would be - even with a steel fork.

Howdy,

River City is an oustanding dealer in Portland! Glad you were able to ride the Crosshairs.

You will find the Sport to be very similar in its ride with just a litle more "cush" than the Crosshairs.

Take it easy,

Hi Markus
I can't admit to running to a Crosshairs and a Sport - my wife seems to think my Sport and the world's most under-employed Rockhound are enough Gunnars for now - but I have another 'cyclo cross' bike with similar geometry to a Crosshairs.

Idle thoughts - the geometries of the Sport and Crosshairs are a fair bit different. The Sport is a lot more 'upright' in the seat tube dept. This I like - have short-ish thighs for my height, so don't like to be a long ways aft of the BB. My "X" bike has a more laid back seat tube angle and is okay for short runs, but starts to get painful after 30 miles or so. Yes, I could put on a longer stem and move the saddle forward, but that starts to involve spending on it.

The other major difference is the braking system. I find cantilever brakes to be a load of complication over the dual pivot road brakes on my Sport, for no real benefit.

The geo is all down to you - which do you reckon would suit you? (in my case, the new Roadie, but the finance dept is revolting again. ). On the brake side - despite being able to fix most things on a bike, canti's have slipped to the bottom of my list of things I care to mess with.

Interestingly enough, my Sport (2003 model) has a lower stack height, headtube length or whatever its called, than the present Roadie. Despite it being what I'd have once called more of a 'touring' frame, my Sport willingly puts up with how I sling her about and I've never been able to pin any inadequacies in my performance on my Sport.

Okay, you probably are really confused at this point. It's not even like with other bike makers - you buy model X, it comes in green, while Model Y comes in red, take it or leave it !

Good luck, you'll enjoy either.

Regards

Dereck

Markus, having just purchased a crosshairs for myself last fall and riding it almost exclusivley I would tell you a few things. The crosshairs will accept a larger tire than the sport, is a faster steering bike than the sport and with a longer top tube is a hill climbing machine, making it a great utilitarian bike. Down side is not as much clearance from the front wheel to your toe, so if you have big feet, don't ever care about running a tire bigger than 32mm then go with the sport. Having sold quite a few gunnars over the last number of years I discontinued stocking demo sports this year in favor of crosshairs cause I'm so amped about my personal crosshairs.

Just my two cents worth, one more thing though is spring for custom paint to a WPC level job you WON'T regret it, and bike shop girl or dave can give you some great styling advice to make your Gunnar "Yours"!!

Mark
Ballwin Schwinn

Hi Markus,

I happen to know that River City will be receiving in a Sport or two in the very near future. You might want to give them another call.....

Bike Shop Girl