Fixed gear frame size

[Bruce Rideout]

I've been lurking here for about a year and have learned quite a bit,
but I'm about to take the plunge on a fixed gear and I need some help
with a frame size question (I googled the archive and got some help,
but nothing definitive). I have an opportunity to buy a 2001 Bianchi
Pista for $350 from a friend back east. Seems like a good deal. The
problem is, it's a 49cm frame and I usually take a 54cm. I'm 5'9",
135lbs, 32" inseam. My 3 road bikes all have top tubes about 55cm,
and with 10cm stems they fit me perfectly. The 49cm Pista has a 52cm
top tube. Obviously, I could use a 13cm stem on the Bianchi to get
the same reach, and a longer seat post to get the right saddle height,
but would the handling or other positioning factors be significantly
compromised? In short, is it reasonable to expect a good enough fit
just by swapping out the stem and seat post? Since he's in DC and I'm
in San Diego, I don't have an opportunity to try it out before
buying...

Thanks very much,

Bruce Rideout

 

[cc011]

Bruce Rideout wrote:
> I've been lurking here for about a year and have learned quite a bit,
> but I'm about to take the plunge on a fixed gear and I need some help
> with a frame size question (I googled the archive and got some help,
> but nothing definitive). I have an opportunity to buy a 2001 Bianchi
> Pista for $350 from a friend back east. Seems like a good deal. The
> problem is, it's a 49cm frame and I usually take a 54cm. I'm 5'9",
> 135lbs, 32" inseam. My 3 road bikes all have top tubes about 55cm,
> and with 10cm stems they fit me perfectly. The 49cm Pista has a 52cm
> top tube. Obviously, I could use a 13cm stem on the Bianchi to get
> the same reach, and a longer seat post to get the right saddle height,
> but would the handling or other positioning factors be significantly
> compromised? In short, is it reasonable to expect a good enough fit
> just by swapping out the stem and seat post? Since he's in DC and I'm
> in San Diego, I don't have an opportunity to try it out before
> buying...
>
49cm is at least two sizes smaller than 54cm. If it's $35, I would
experiment with seatpost and stem, but for $350, no way. You could
almost get a brand new 54cm Pista for about $500. That not much more
than $350 + seatpost + long stem. Besides, with longer seatpost + longer
stem, the handlebar will probably be too low.
GH

 

[Tom Paterson]

Bruce Rideout wrote:

>The
>problem is, it's a 49cm frame and I usually take a 54cm. I'm 5'9",
>135lbs, 32" inseam. My 3 road bikes all have top tubes about 55cm,
>and with 10cm stems they fit me perfectly. The 49cm Pista has a 52cm
>top tube.

This will be worth your while if you haven't seen it yet:

<http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html>

Mr. Brown points out that older pattern road frames with horizontal rear drop
outs have advantages over track frames for road use.

Does one of your good-fitting road bikes have horizontal rear dropouts by
chance?
--Tom Paterson

 

[Luke]

In article <[email protected]>, Tom Paterson
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Bruce Rideout wrote:
>
> >The
> >problem is, it's a 49cm frame and I usually take a 54cm. I'm 5'9",
> >135lbs, 32" inseam. My 3 road bikes all have top tubes about 55cm,
> >and with 10cm stems they fit me perfectly. The 49cm Pista has a 52cm
> >top tube.
>
> This will be worth your while if you haven't seen it yet:
>
> <http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html>
>
> Mr. Brown points out that older pattern road frames with horizontal rear drop
> outs have advantages over track frames for road use.
>
> Does one of your good-fitting road bikes have horizontal rear dropouts by
> chance?
> --Tom Paterson

I have to second your advice. A track bike frameset is not a
prerequisite for building a fixie.

If one of your current frames can be converted (horiz. DO's) go that
route or get an older bike that'll fit the bill (and save you bills!).

luke

 

[Zog The Undeniable]

Bruce Rideout wrote:

> I've been lurking here for about a year and have learned quite a bit,
> but I'm about to take the plunge on a fixed gear and I need some help
> with a frame size question (I googled the archive and got some help,
> but nothing definitive). I have an opportunity to buy a 2001 Bianchi
> Pista for $350 from a friend back east. Seems like a good deal. The
> problem is, it's a 49cm frame and I usually take a 54cm. I'm 5'9",
> 135lbs, 32" inseam. My 3 road bikes all have top tubes about 55cm,
> and with 10cm stems they fit me perfectly. The 49cm Pista has a 52cm
> top tube. Obviously, I could use a 13cm stem on the Bianchi to get
> the same reach, and a longer seat post to get the right saddle height,
> but would the handling or other positioning factors be significantly
> compromised? In short, is it reasonable to expect a good enough fit
> just by swapping out the stem and seat post? Since he's in DC and I'm
> in San Diego, I don't have an opportunity to try it out before
> buying...

You will need a stem with some rise or the bars will be too low. It
will handle a little differently with a longer stem, but European pros
always used to ride with massive stems because it was fashionable. It
never seemed to do them any harm.

It's also possible that the saddle will not go far enough back if the
geometry is "proportional". You can get a seatpost with more layback,
or a saddle with longer rails (rail length varies a lot, and some saddle
manufacturers even warn you not to use the full range of adjustment in
case you crack the rails, e.g. Selle Italia).

Oh yes, and check they haven't supplied it with 160mm cranks, although
given the cost and rarity of anything under 170mm this is unlikely.

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

kay-<< I have an opportunity to buy a 2001 Bianchi
Pista for $350 from a friend back east. Seems like a good deal. The
problem is, it's a 49cm frame and I usually take a 54cm >><BR><BR>

The seat tube angle is probably steeper as well than most '54/55cm' framesets.
You may not be able to get your saddle far enough back. A ill fitting fixed
gear, where ya peddle all the time, on a longish ride, may damage ya somewhere.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

 

[Bruce Rideout]

[email protected]ospam (Tom Paterson) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Bruce Rideout wrote:
>
> >The
> >problem is, it's a 49cm frame and I usually take a 54cm. I'm 5'9",
> >135lbs, 32" inseam. My 3 road bikes all have top tubes about 55cm,
> >and with 10cm stems they fit me perfectly. The 49cm Pista has a 52cm
> >top tube.
>
> This will be worth your while if you haven't seen it yet:
>
> <http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html>
>
> Mr. Brown points out that older pattern road frames with horizontal rear drop
> outs have advantages over track frames for road use.
>
> Does one of your good-fitting road bikes have horizontal rear dropouts by
> chance?
> --Tom Paterson


Tom: Yes, I have a new Kogswell frame with horizontal dropouts
(www.kogswell.com), but I don't want to convert it to a fixed gear.
It's my main commuter and I LOVE it. I would get a Kogswell fixed
gear frame (which is a bit closer to road geometry than most) but they
are out of the 54cm size. Thanks for the tip on Sheldon's site. I
forgot to mention in my original post that I have read just about
everything on Sheldon's site (what a great resource - thanks
Sheldon!).

I also forgot to mention that I plan to use the fixed gear for
occasional commuting (10 miles each way) and short rides.

Thanks,

Bruce

 

[David L. Johnson]

On Fri, 04 Jun 2004 18:04:26 -0700, Bruce Rideout wrote:

> I've been lurking here for about a year and have learned quite a bit,
> but I'm about to take the plunge on a fixed gear and I need some help
> with a frame size question (I googled the archive and got some help,
> but nothing definitive). I have an opportunity to buy a 2001 Bianchi
> Pista for $350 from a friend back east. Seems like a good deal. The
> problem is, it's a 49cm frame and I usually take a 54cm. I'm 5'9",
> 135lbs, 32" inseam.

49 cm will be way too small.

My 3 road bikes all have top tubes about 55cm,
> and with 10cm stems they fit me perfectly. The 49cm Pista has a 52cm
> top tube. Obviously, I could use a 13cm stem on the Bianchi to get
> the same reach, and a longer seat post to get the right saddle height,
> but would the handling or other positioning factors be significantly
> compromised?

Very likely. Your $350 bike could cost $100 more before you get the stem
and post right, then you have to worry about setback, and the handling
will be squirrelly. A new Bianchi Pista would be at most a couple hundred
more than that, and ISTR that they have one model that sells under $600.
New. In your size.

My first track bike was too small, and I had to replace the frame fairly
quickly. Saved $0 over getting a new one, just because I did not want to
spend too much.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | "What am I on? I'm on my bike, six hours a day, busting my ass.
_`\(,_ | What are you on?" --Lance Armstrong
(_)/ (_) |

 

[Tim McNamara]

[email protected] (Bruce Rideout) writes:

> I also forgot to mention that I plan to use the fixed gear for
> occasional commuting (10 miles each way) and short rides.

Heh heh heh. Bwaaah-haah-haah-hahh! Snicker. You'll be doing
centuries on it before the month is out. :-D

 

[Tom Paterson]

From Bruce Rideout:

>I have a new Kogswell frame with >horizontal dropouts
>(www.kogswell.com), but I don't want to convert it to a fixed gear.
>It's my main commuter and I LOVE it.

There's a lot to be said for having identical (or very close) bikes when
changing between rides-- familiar responses in emergency situations, ability to
swap wheels or other parts (incl. chainring compatibility) when the bike shop
is closed, etc. I've done this with a couple of different pairs of frames,
works great.

>I would get a Kogswell fixed
>gear frame (which is a bit closer to road geometry than most) but they
>are out of the 54cm size.

Road style available? Hmm, I looked at Kogs.com, seems they might have one in
your size. An '03, apparently on sale, with free brake calipers and free
shipping. $310? Sounds like a deal from here. If I may: I'd consider putting
some screws in the cable adj.bosses to protect the threads and have two
favorite frames built up with stuff you want on them. (Not negating the appeal
of a fixer-only frame. I have two forks for my track bike. Fun, a great "look",
but I'm not big on front-only brake. Another topic.)

(The Ultimate Spare): Perish the thought, but if your present road K-well got
trashed... --TP

 

[Bruce Rideout]

[email protected]ospam (Tom Paterson) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> From Bruce Rideout:
>
> >I have a new Kogswell frame with >horizontal dropouts
> >(www.kogswell.com), but I don't want to convert it to a fixed gear.
> >It's my main commuter and I LOVE it.
>
> There's a lot to be said for having identical (or very close) bikes when
> changing between rides-- familiar responses in emergency situations, ability to
> swap wheels or other parts (incl. chainring compatibility) when the bike shop
> is closed, etc. I've done this with a couple of different pairs of frames,
> works great.
>
> >I would get a Kogswell fixed
> >gear frame (which is a bit closer to road geometry than most) but they
> >are out of the 54cm size.
>
> Road style available? Hmm, I looked at Kogs.com, seems they might have one in
> your size. An '03, apparently on sale, with free brake calipers and free
> shipping. $310? Sounds like a deal from here. If I may: I'd consider putting
> some screws in the cable adj.bosses to protect the threads and have two
> favorite frames built up with stuff you want on them. (Not negating the appeal
> of a fixer-only frame. I have two forks for my track bike. Fun, a great "look",
> but I'm not big on front-only brake. Another topic.)
>
> (The Ultimate Spare): Perish the thought, but if your present road K-well got
> trashed... --TP


Thanks to everyone who replied. One of the downsides to buying a
frame (like the Kogswell road frame with horizontal drop-outs) is the
high cost of building it up. You can sometimes get good deals on road
build-kits, but I've not found a good source for a fixed-gear build
kit. Any suggestions there?

Thanks,

Bruce

 

[jtill]

Bruce Rideout wrote:
> [email protected]ospam (Tom Paterson) wrote in message news:
> Thanks to everyone who replied. One of the downsides to buying a frame
> (like the Kogswell road frame with horizontal drop-outs) is the high
> cost of building it up. You can sometimes get good deals on road build-
> kits, but I've not found a good source for a fixed-gear build kit. Any
> suggestions there?
> Thanks,
> Bruce



Sheldon's got those too: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/fixed.html
(at the bottom of the page).

I'd also recommend getting an older road frame with horizontal dropouts;
you can find them really cheap on ebay or craig's list if you have that
in your area. You can get track frames there too, but they tend to be
more expensive.

-Jeremy



--

 

[Mike Latondresse]

[email protected] (Bruce Rideout) wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> [email protected]ospam (Tom Paterson) wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
>> From Bruce Rideout:
>>
>> >I have a new Kogswell frame with >horizontal dropouts
>> >(www.kogswell.com), but I don't want to convert it to a fixed
>> >gear. It's my main commuter and I LOVE it.
>>
>> There's a lot to be said for having identical (or very close)
>> bikes when changing between rides-- familiar responses in
>> emergency situations, ability to swap wheels or other parts
>> (incl. chainring compatibility) when the bike shop is closed,
>> etc. I've done this with a couple of different pairs of frames,
>> works great.
>>
>> >I would get a Kogswell fixed
>> >gear frame (which is a bit closer to road geometry than most)
>> >but they are out of the 54cm size.
>>
>> Road style available? Hmm, I looked at Kogs.com, seems they might
>> have one in your size. An '03, apparently on sale, with free
>> brake calipers and free shipping. $310? Sounds like a deal from
>> here. If I may: I'd consider putting some screws in the cable
>> adj.bosses to protect the threads and have two favorite frames
>> built up with stuff you want on them. (Not negating the appeal
>> of a fixer-only frame. I have two forks for my track bike. Fun, a
>> great "look", but I'm not big on front-only brake. Another
>> topic.)
>>
>> (The Ultimate Spare): Perish the thought, but if your present
>> road K-well got trashed... --TP
>
>
> Thanks to everyone who replied. One of the downsides to buying a
> frame (like the Kogswell road frame with horizontal drop-outs) is
> the high cost of building it up. You can sometimes get good deals
> on road build-kits, but I've not found a good source for a
> fixed-gear build kit. Any suggestions there?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bruce
>

Check this frame out, $360 cdn.