Fit question

The important measurement here is your inseam length, to determine the height
of the frame. Then try sitting on large frames on different mnfrs, they can differ
by one inch. See which ones your more stretched out on versus the other. You should be able to find a frame to fit you. Some bike manafacturers have 23 inch frames.

Did you test ride the bike? If not you need to, if the shop wont let you then go elsewhere. And by test ride that is more than a ride around a parking lot. If you did test ride did it feel ok or was it like a monkey humping a football one thing to check is when your hands are on the hoods if move your eyes- not your head- down does the handle bar cover the hub of the front wheel if so good, if not and it is more than 1 or 2 cm off then the frame probably doesn't fit. Also how is the saddle hight? do you have to raise it 10cm above the handlebars to get proper leg extension?

Keep this in mind, it is usually better to go with a slightly and I mean slightly smaller bike than one that is too big. I purchased a bike once that was 1 size too big and all though I loved it I had to sell it at a loss about 4 months later. And yes some dealers will " fit " you to a bike to get it out of their store instead of finding a bike that fits you.

velo711 said:

The important measurement here is your inseam length, to determine the height of the frame. ....

Click to expand...

Gotta disagree here. I used to care a lot about seat tube length but these days with all flavors of long seat posts, setback seatposts, etc. it's not hard to get the vertical height to work as long as you can straddle the frame. And that won't be a problem if the frame is a cm or so smaller than ideal. The real question is whether the reach to the bars is comfortable with a reasonably sized stem in the 12-14 cm range and to a lesser degree how much seat to bar drop you'll have which might force you to stem with a steep rise.

These days I start bike sizing by looking at the top tube or virtual top tube length, not the frame size which is based on the seat tube length. I ride a 54cm in some brands and a 56cm in other brands but it's the top tube length and the implications to stem length that matter, not how much seat post I have showing.

Test ride the 61cm bike they have on hand. Sure, make sure you can set the saddle appropriately but pay close attention to how you feel riding on the tops, brake hoods and in the drops. You'll probably feel a bit scrunched up with the stock stem. Measure the stem and if it's already pretty long like a 120 or 130mm stem then you're gonna need the bigger frame.

Good luck,
-Dave

lt1aggie said:

Are online fit calculators like this one from competitive cyclist worth a darn if I have a level and someone to help me? http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=FIT_CALCULATOR_INTRO

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Fit calculators provide a good starting point and if you're careful with your measurements should get you onto a frame that you can further dial in. Trouble is there are individual differences and preferences that are hard to calculate. But starting with the caluclator fed by good measurments will assure you that the frame you order isn't ridiculously large or small for you. But don't be surprised if you end up tweaking your position after you get the actual bike, that's pretty normal.

You'll likely make adjustments based on comfort and riding style and both of those will change over time. The good news is that most of those adjustments like the height, fore aft position, and tilt of your saddle usually don't require component changes. Others like overall stem reach and height, bar style (ergo, classic, deep drop...) might require some component swaps but again that's not too difficult these days and is pretty typical especially for someone just getting started whose riding style and preferences will evolve over time.

One hint, especially if you order the slightly smaller frame is to avoid having the steering tube cut until you've had time to ride the bike a while. Stack up spacers above or below the stem to get your initial fit and put in a few months worth of riding before deciding if you can trim the steer tube and get rid of the spacers. It'll look funny with spacers above the stem but it gives you a lot of positioning flexibility.

BTW, a couple of cm really isn't as big a deal in a very large frame as it would be for someone contemplating say a 49 vs. 51 cm frame. Think of it in terms of percentage change of seat and top tube length. And again the top tube and stem length is probably a bigger deal than seat tube length.

Good luck,
-Dave

daveryanwyoming said:

Gotta disagree here. I used to care a lot about seat tube length but these days with all flavors of long seat posts, setback seatposts, etc. it's not hard to get the vertical height to work as long as you can straddle the frame. And that won't be a problem if the frame is a cm or so smaller than ideal. The real question is whether the reach to the bars is comfortable with a reasonably sized stem in the 12-14 cm range and to a lesser degree how much seat to bar drop you'll have which might force you to stem with a steep rise.

These days I start bike sizing by looking at the top tube or virtual top tube length, not the frame size which is based on the seat tube length. I ride a 54cm in some brands and a 56cm in other brands but it's the top tube length and the implications to stem length that matter, not how much seat post I have showing.

Test ride the 61cm bike they have on hand. Sure, make sure you can set the saddle appropriately but pay close attention to how you feel riding on the tops, brake hoods and in the drops. You'll probably feel a bit scrunched up with the stock stem. Measure the stem and if it's already pretty long like a 120 or 130mm stem then you're gonna need the bigger frame.

Click to expand...

+1. The top tube length may be a better way to size a frame.

Further, although I have a multitude of frames with various seat tubes & top tube lengths, the components were chosen so they all "fit" essentially the same beneath me. My current, "normal" frame is a 52cm with ~54cm top tube + ~120mm stem (the reach on different handlebars varies). On a vintage frame which has as 57cm seat tube, the top tube is 57cm; and subsequently, the stem is a 9cm stem with "deep" drop Cinelli 66-40 handlebars which places the drops more-or-less in the same place as with my other bikes.

I think most off-the-shelf ROAD frames have a 60cm top tube length limit, with 58cm actually more common as the maximium length available.

FWIW. If you want an off-the-shelf/(non-custom) frame with a longer top tube, you can cobble up a pretty comfortable ride by using an appropriately sized MTB HARDTAIL frame + a good road fork (the road fork will drop the front end down & result in a typical ROAD headtube angle). An XL sized MTB frame's top tube should be in excess of 60cm.

See attachment of a MEDIUM hardtail frame (56cm virtual top tube) which I had that I cobbled together with a road fork and some "spare" parts. The rear has clearance for a 700x42 tire. I'm not sure what the maximum tire clearance is for the particular front fork -- maybe 700x28, but maybe not. I actually bought a steel fork intended for a tandem (which will result in a headtube a slightly slacker angle) just-in-case I feel a need to mount fenders OR a larger front tire.

The ONLY modification I made to the frame was to enlarge the forward side of the fender-mounting hole on the seat stay bridge to allow a recessed nut to fit. The rim was laced to a hub with 135mm spacing (most Shimano & older Hugi 240 hubs are easily converted to 135mm from 130mm). I was able to use a "long reach" Tektro caliper (front & rear) ... you can choose-or-need another brand (e.g., Shimano) brand, of course, since the reach from the bridge to the rim may be different.

I used a 118mm ISIS spindle so the chainring would clear the chainstay ... if I had chosen an Octalink BB, then I would also have chosen a 118mm spindle ... if I wanted to use a Hollowtech-II, MegaExo, or Ultra Torque, I would have to select a triple crank and simply remove the granny if I wanted a "standard" road double.

You can certainly do the same! You should be able to find both carbon fiber & alloy hardtail frames without too much effort in a variety of price ranges ... so, your cost will be based on the components & frame you choose.

The ride is subjectively very-good-to-great (THAT depends on your standards & expectations, of course) because the front geometry is essentially the same as on almost any other road bike AND the fork & headset are reasonably high quality (which may-or-may-not make a difference). I haven't noticed a significant difference in handling due to the slightly higher BB shell OR slightly longer wheelbase, but I may not be as discerning as other riders AND I'm certainly not racing ... the slightly longer wheelbase theoretically smooths out the uneveness of the roadway to some extent, BTW.