Commuting bike for 6'8 rider

[TheZwern]

Hi everyone!

I am new to this forum (and serious cycling in general). But I am looking for my first real, fitting bike. In college I rode one of these (don't laugh) back and forth to campus:

I believe it was literally the cheapest road bike anyone sold at the time. It wasn't even close to fitting, but I bought it off a friend for $50 and it worked.

Anyways, now I am looking for a nice steel commuting bike. I would still like to stay as cheap as possible (custom is not an option). At 6'8, 220lbs, with a 38" inseam, I've had absolutely no luck at any LBS as far as checking out a bike. One shop told me I'd fit just fine on a $1200 61 cm cannondale (the biggest bike they had in the store). So I've come to grips with the fact that I'm probably going to have to order one sight unseen. That being said, I've been doing my research and have narrowed it down to two bikes. My use case is just a simple, mostly flat commute a few miles to and from work. I like the idea of a steel bike (tough, flexible). Besides that the most important aspect to me is fit. So, let me know if you think either of the bikes below would work well, or if you have a better suggestion! Thanks!

64cm Surly Long Haul Trucker
67cm KHS 2014 Flight 747

 

[alfeng]

I believe that YOU will be most comfortable on whichever bike has a virtual TOP TUBE which is at least 64cm, or longer ...

If the Cannondale which you were shown does NOT have a 64cm top tube, then you should pass on it.

I don't know what the top tube lengths are for the bikes which you listed.​

MTB frames have longer top tubes ...

I'm not sure what the top tube length is on an XL 29er frame ...

SALSA makes a steel, hardtail 29er frame ...

You can install any narrower 700c size wheel-and-tire in a frame designed for a 29er's "fat" tires ... with the fork's tire capacity being the limiting factor (most "touring" forks can handle 700x52 tire if a fender isn't installed ... ).​

You can extend the virtual top tube & resultant forward reach by about 1cm +/- by installing a ROAD-or-"touring" fork which will (also) lower the head tube height ... for YOU, that's probably going to a good thing because a lower handlebar is effectively the same as a longer stem ...

 

[Froze]

On Craigslist I usually find quite few bikes that are extra large frames that are difficult to sell because most people are not that tall, you may want to try Craigslist, just make sure you test ride it to make sure it fits and everything is in good working order.

Due to your unusual height and inseam you may have to get a seatpost with a longer post, they do make them as long as 410mm like the Thomson, but of course you do need to know the post diameter, but don't take a standard post and raise it past the minimal insertion line or it could break. Also Nitto makes a stem called the Technomic that is also very long, about twice as long as a standard stem (60mm) so you can get the bars up higher.

 

[Froze]

Edit: the Nitto stem I mentioned above is 240mm long not 60.

 

[Tallboy1959]

I have a nicely setup 63 cm. Carbondale caad4. I can do some measurements for you. I have just upgraded so she is up for sale. I have a couple of different stems, depending on what you are looking. For.