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

 

[Zog The Undenia]

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.

 

[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

 

[Qui Si Parla Ca]

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] (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

 

[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

 

[Bruce Rideout]

[email protected] (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]

Originally posted by Bruce Rideout
[email protected] (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 Latondress]

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

> [email protected] (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.