large bikes

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Mr Plow
hi,

i am in the market for new racing bike, but the problem im having is determining wat size bike to get. Im 6'5 ~ 197cms and about 90kg so im looking for a larger bike thats goin to fit me. I like the look at giants tcr and trc2 composite but do you think that the XL 58.5 cm will be too small for me? i was fitted on a ocr at my lbs, same size and it seemed to be alrite but that was with a fair amount of seat steam. What do you reckon?

The general rule of thumb for determining one's bike size is by standover height. There should be an inch between the crotch and the horizontal top tube when standing over it. This is a little tricky when it comes to bikes w/ sloping top tubes such as Giant.

However, bike manufacturers give specifications for their bikes including the standover height. In the case of Giant (TCRs are gorgeous frames with the carbon matte finish), they now produce 4 frame sizes - S, M, L, XL and they give an optimum standover range for each size.

Having said that, your height really poses some issues and as you said 'a fair amount of seat steam'. If you must stick with the TCR then the 'steam' maybe compensated by a longer handlebar stem and/or a seatpin with a fair amount of cantilever. This is just simplifying it coz there is no substitute for getting fitted right with the proper measuring equipment from a LBS.

PS> At your height you might want to investigate cranks with 175mm or 180mm arms. Your LBS should be able to recommend the proper length.

I know 2 big guys and have seen a third regularly (6'2 - 6'4" or so and solid, but not fat builds) ... they are all on Cannondales for whatever that's worth.
Clydesdales on Cannondales ... maybe they just like the name.
Good Luck!

I'm the same height as you and I just bought a new road bike. Of course just because we're the same height doesn't mean we fit on the same size frame. I can tell you that I'm just a bit too tall for most of the "big" manufacturers' largest frame sizes. A custom frame is probably your best option if you can afford it. My MTB is a custom but I couldn't afford another custom frame for my road ride.

It's very difficult to find a good bike that you like that actually fits you since you can eliminate 95% of the bike on the market due to the fact that they don't make a large enough frame! There are some good fit calculators online that will give you a pretty good "ballpark" frame size. Competitive Cyclist has a good one. Here's a link to the site:

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=FIT_CALCULATOR_INTRO

Once you've got an idea of the frame size that you require (and don't let anyone tell you that a frame fits if it doesn't), you can see what's available that will fit you. For what it's worth, I ended up with a 63cm Cannondale CAAD5 frame and it fits great!

hi again

thanks for all the advice, i went and did the fit calculator

my measurements were
Inseam 96
Trunk 71.25
Forearm 39
Arm 81.75
Thigh 65
Lower Leg 61.25
Sternal Notch 162

the output was
The Competitive Fit The Eddy Fit The French Fit
Seat tube range c-c 62.2 - 62.7 63.4 - 63.9 65.1 - 65.6
Seat tube range c-t 64.1 - 64.6 65.3 - 65.8 67.0 - 67.5
Top tube length 61.2 - 61.6 61.2 - 61.6 62.4 - 62.8
Stem Length 13.2 - 13.8 12.1 - 12.7 12.3 - 12.9
BB-Saddle Position 88.8 - 90.8 88.0 - 90.0 86.3 - 88.3
Saddle-Handlebar 62.8 - 63.4 63.6 - 64.2 65.3 - 65.9
Saddle Setback 7.8 - 8.2 9.0 - 9.4 8.5 - 8.9
Seatpost Type NON-SETBACK SETBACK SETBACK

so it looks that the rough frame size i should be looking at it around 62-63cm

these figures match up with the XL of the Giants size charts
http://www.giant-bicycle.com/au/050.000.000/050.750.100.asp?sPageID=050.750.100

however i found this article and it got me thinking
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/techctr/bikefit.html#Anchor-47857

i will be using the bike for ironman, so should i be looking for a more tri-specific bike such as the C'dale (IM 800)? I will be addin aeros to it otherwise.

i can get ($AUS)
tcr2 comp $3400
tcr alum $2799

cervelo dual $2999 61cm max
cannondale IM 800 $3199 62 max