Sizing

Hello, this is my first post here. I haven't ridden for 20 years and I'm going to get back on two wheels. I live in Japan and for my 183cm (6 feet) 95kg (210lb) body they don't sell properly fitting bikes so I have to import. I obviously don't need anything professional but I don't want to be lumbered with a *** either. I know everyone's advice is to ride a bike before you even think about buying it, but as you can see in my position that just isn't possible.

So...I have found a bike that isn't too expensive, but I've never heard of the make (Cube) so no idea if they are any good (that would be my first question). I ran my statistics through competitivecyclist.com's fit calculator and got this:



I have found this bike online (a Cube LTD CLS Pro 2009). They have 54cm and 58cm models in stock.

At the Cube website I found these measurements for the two models they have in stock:


and


Could anyone help me interpret my measurements and tell me if either of these bikes would be suitable. As you see I am doing my research, but even though I realize I'm going to be taking a chance I feel like I'm running against a brick wall.

Any help would be much appreciated from you pros.
Thanks a lot.

You are trying to apply road bike fitting standards to a hybrid bike. No wonder you're confused.

Get the 54. the 60.1 cm virtual top tube will work well with your 183 cm height and average proportions. The 58 will stretch your upper body and be difficult to stand over given the higher ground clearance of hybrid frames.

Thanks a lot for your reply. Are these measurements correct: with a seat tube of 54cm (presumably middle of bottom bracket to top of tube) plus the pedal crank of 17cm (is that right from the description?*) then it would need the seat 13cm to make up the length of my leg?

*Crankset: Shimano FC-M443-S 48x36x26T, 170mm, BB Shimnao BB-UN26, Chainguard

Yep. Accounting for foot length and shoe sole thickness, the saddle-seatpost height might go as high as 19 cm. But be careful not to over-extend.

Lots of seatpost extension is quite normal with sloping toptube frames.

OK , so I discovered another place that seems to stock bigger bikes. This time in Japan (though too far to visit)! A bit of background: when I went into a local pro shop the guy basically said they don't sell bikes in my size in Japan (unless I import, which is what the above posts are about). Period. All I could do, if I want a proper fit, is buy the largest possible (e.g. a few of the Giants are sold in L size) and add whatever it's called to make the handlebar further from the saddle. So since then I've been thinking that bikes sold in Japan are for smaller riders, even if they are the same make as sold in the West. For example, a 54cm in Japan is smaller than a 54cm in Japan. Maybe the length of the seat post is the same, but on the Japanese version my knees will hit the handlebar. That's how I've been thinking, but I could be completely wrong.

Anyway, I found this bike 2009 FELT QX70, sold in 48, 52 and 55 sizes. These are the dimensions (hope your screens are big enough ):



If you notice at the bottom it says the 55 is suitable for height 185 to 205! How does that compute? I mean, the 54cm model of the Cube above is just about my size, so how can the 55 be too big? I'm very confused...

Thanks for bearing with me folks.

"i think i'm turning japanese, i think i'm turning japanese, i really think so!"

__________________
Anything is Possible.

The Vapours.

But it doesn't help me much...

First/FWIW, IMO, I don't think a reputable dealer would sell a non-MTB with a suspension fork because the forks have dubious value in cushioning the ride unless a person likes to curb hop (generally, not a good idea, IMO) & a suspension fork on a non-MTB is therefore dead weight & an unnecessary expense ...

"Mail order" is obviously caveat emptor ...

Yet, bike shops do sell non-MTBs with suspension forks because the naive consumer thinks that s/he wants one & the shops are apparently not scrupulous enough to explain why a cyclist shouldn't buy the non-MTB which has a suspension fork.

Although it is never stated explicitely, based on the comments of people who have posted in this Forum who have planned to migrate from a Hybrid bike to a ROAD bike, 'my' impression is that the suspension fork on their HYBRID is the main reason that many riders find their bikes lugubrious at times because unless the fork has a lock-out (some do), some 'energy' (forward momentum) is lost if-or-as the front end bobs ... and, the subsequent reason that Hybrid owners often want to buy a ROAD bike ...

The particular FELT's fork has a "speedlock" which is probaby used more-often-than-not as soon as the owner realizes the advantage of NOT having the suspension fork moving unnecessarily.

BUT, the Hybrid rider whose bike has a suspension fork is riding a bike whose steering is probably tedious because the front end is at least a kilogram heavier than it would be if the bike had a "solid" fork -- and, based on comparative weights, the additional weight of the suspension fork is closer to 2.6+ kg. (~5.85 lbs.) MORE than the weight of a solid fork! Because the weights on the bikes I looked at were different brands, the difference in weight may be a little more or a little less than 2.6+ kg.

In that vein, when I had stopped by one of my LBSes several years ago, the shop's wife (which presumably makes her a co-owner) was showing a low-end GARY FISHER Hardtail MTB to a prospective buyer ... I was amazed/shocked when I saw her casually push down on the handlebars & the fork moved several inches because she could not have weighed more than about 130 lbs (59 kg) & she can't be more than 5'5" (65cm) tall!

A fork which is THAT soft on a MTB is a prescription for a future accident, IMO.

While I realize that there is a niche for some bikes with inferior suspension forks, I say "Shame on the bike manufacturers who are selling Hybrids which are hobbled with front suspension forks."

If you think you really need/want a Hybrid with a suspension fork, then you should pony up a little more money and buy a 29er with a suspension fork, and eventually swap out the FAT 29er tires with some narrower Hybrid tires to ensure that you will be getting a reasonably good suspension fork.

So, I think you should forget about the particular FELT Hybrids which have suspension forks ... and, either get a FELT CUBE or a different Hybrid which ONLY has a solid fork.



As far as the sizing, well, there is nothing definitive about bike sizing ...

After getting to within a couple of centimeters of the formulated size, ONE aspect of choosing a frame is cosmetic ...

As with a sizing a MTB (which is even more uncertain because it is based on YOUR riding skill/style & how steep/rough the terrain is), the front end height is one of the TWO dimensions you need to be concerned with.

If you are NOT particularly fit, then a bike which has a taller initial head tube height will yeild a taller initial handlebar height ... so, if a frame which is a scant 1cm longer vitual top tube has a 1cm taller head tube, then that is what you should probably choose.

If you want an even more upright position, then you need a so-called COMFORT BIKE which is a MTB frame (i.e., 26" wheels) with a shorter virtual top tube.

Sizing a HYBRID is more like sizing a ROAD bike ... but, because of the 'flat' handlebars, you should probably select a frame whose top tube is a couple of centimeters longer IF all other things about the rider were the same.

So, if you were to choose a ROAD frame with a 57cm top tube, you could certainly ride a frame with either a 56cm top tube or a 58cm top tube.

BTW. I know someone who is ~6'0" tall and a former CAT-somethingorotherracer who is currently riding a SMALL Giant ROAD frame with a 140mm stem (the longest that is typically available, As far as I know) ... in part, the smaller frame allows his 'normal' riding positions to be more aero ... nonetheless, without looking up the GIANT's frame geometry, I would guess that the length of the virtual top tube on their SMALL frames is ~54cm ... so, even with a 140mm stem, that size frame is probably still too small a frame "fit" for him; but, he is apparently making a cosmetic decision, too.


The VITUS STAG weighs less & costs less ...

The CUBE HYDE has a solid fork & a Shimano NEXUS rear hub (the NEXUS hub is a good thing, but apparently Shimano's ALFINE internally geared rear hub is even better).

Those are two bikes you may want to consider while you think about the frame size -- unless you think you will be putting drop bars on the bike in the future, you probably will be happier with a frame whose virtual top tube is 60cm or longer.

To use this chart, you will first need to get an accurate measurement of your inseam.The easiest way to get a good measurement is to hold a book between your thighs, with its spine snugly against your crotch in the same way a bike seat will be, then have a friend make a mark on a wall at the top of the (horizontally straight) spine.
Stepping away from the wall, measure the distance to the floor.This is your inseam length.A road bike frame’s height is generally thought to be ideal if it is 67 percent of your inseam length.

I hope this helps.

First, erase from your mind the idea that a frame's nominal, or advertised, seat tube length has anything to do with how the frame will fit you. There are just too many ways that manufacturers arrive at this number, especially since the advent of sloping top tubes. For example, it could represent the actual length of the seat tube, or it could represent the length at the intersection of the horizontal from the top of the head tube with the centerline of the seat tube.

The only measurements that are relevant to the buyer of a hybrid bike are the standover (L on the Japanese chart) and the virtual top tube length (C). L indicates whether you'll be able to straddle the bike safely and comfortably. It should be a number smaller than your actual inseam. C indicates whether you'll be able to reach the handlebar comfortably. On this one you'll just have to take my word. At 183 cm tall, with average proportions, your C measurement on a hybrid should be somewhere between 58 and 60 cm. If you're considering the Felt, you need to make a choice between the 52 and the 55. My guess is that the reason for the Felts' relatively shorter L measurement is because they might be fitted with longer handlebar stems. You'll have to look at the spec sheets to confirm this.

Anyway, the 52 Felt will put the bar closer in but lower, and the 55 will put it farther out and higher. Since inexperienced buyers of hybrid bikes are unlikely to experiment with $40-100 handlebar stems, I recommend trying before buying.

The first mail-order bike was much easier to size because the 58 was so unquestionably large, but in the case of the Felt you have two sizes that might work.