I am 6' 5" with 36" inseam and looking for new or used road bike in the $1,500-$2,000 range. My old bike has a 27" frame which equals 68.58cm. The largest stock bike I have found is 64cm. My rides are usually 25-60 miles with an occasional 85-100 miler. For the year I am under 1000. I have narrowed it down to 2 bikes. 1) Trek 2.3 w/105 64 cm and 2) Cannondale CAAD10 5 105 63cm. Both are aluminum frames with carbon forks and seat posts and both have Shimano 105 components. I had considered the Trek Madone 4.5 but its max frame size is 62cm. I am not willing to pay $3,000+ for the Madone 5 Series which does have a 64cm unless I could buy it used for $2 grand. Finding used 64cm bikes is challenging. How important is it that I get the full 64cm? What suggestions/recommendations do you have?
Looking for large frame road bike
- Thread starter 59er
- Start date
Because many of the newer bikes have longer top tubes than most of the steel bikes of yesteryear, and extended head tubes for comfort, many riders end up sizing down. For example, 30 years ago I rode mostly 60-61 cm steel frames and now I'm on a M/L Giant (which I'm told is equivalent to a 57). Whatever. For me, as long as the top tube is 57-58 cm and the head tube is 16-18 cm, I can make the bike fit.
With sloping top tubes and extended head tubes the most important measurements of a frame that you should be looking at are virtual top tube and head tube. Cockpit length and stack height also work, but fewer manufacturers use these.
With sloping top tubes and extended head tubes the most important measurements of a frame that you should be looking at are virtual top tube and head tube. Cockpit length and stack height also work, but fewer manufacturers use these.
