urgent bike buying on ebay question about frame size - please help!?

HI
I have a specialized vita sport - size medium - says it's for 161 - 168 rider hight and I'm 161 and i find it a perfect fit. I'm looking at a cannondale road bike which says it's frame size is 54 cm and on their sizing chart it says for 171 - ? So my question - please can you tell me - if I ride a bike that fits 168 - will I be completely put off by the fact that it is for a rider 3 cm taller than my current bike? Thanks

Kate

 

Hi Also how do you measure your inside leg for the bike?

 

Cycling inseam is measured as described below by a gent on another forum: "If you have a lycra bike shorts wear it. Get a marker/pen, a 1 to 2 inch book and a tape measure. Stand with your back on the wall, barefooted with feet 6-8 inches apart. Stick the book between your legs and ram it up to your crotch until it stops. Mark the wall where the top of the book meets your crotch. Measure. That will be your cycling inseam." Note that the above is maybe a touch indelicate. It's sufficient to measure to the top of the book, so you don't have to put a mark on your wall. If you don't and never will wear lycra shorts, you don't have to wear the lycra shorts for the measurement. Also, you should take the measurement while wearing your socks but not shoes. Being exact isn't really required.

 

Hi Thanks very much Urgent question still stands X

 

I am 172cm (5'9") and a 54 from most manufacturers happens to be my size. If I purchased a Cannondale road bike tomorrow it would be a 54. A 56 would be too big.

Sizing is not a science and we all have different proportioned bodies but a 54 seems like a stretch for someone around 5'2", 5'3". In fact the only reason I am being so delicate is I have not seen the rider or heard the riders feedback on that particular bike. However here's a hypothetical... if I owned a bike shop and heard that one of my salespeople sold a 54cm to someone 5'2", that salesperson would very likely be looking for a new job in the morning.

A good deal is not worth it if it doesn't fit. Lot's of deals come around on eBay, In my humble opinion you should skip it and make sure that is your size considering in many cases Ebay is a "no returns" transaction.

 

FWIW. A one inch difference in frame size can often be considered to be a lot ... So, a 3cm would obviously be considered more .... Particularly, if you feel-or-know that your current frame size is "perfect" for you. Having said THAT, frame sizing is as much functional as it can be cosmetic ... and, depending on the difference in size between two frames being compared, it may be more of a cosmetic issue. Thanks in part to TIG welding (vs. Lugs) construction, frame sizing has tended to be more focused on the Top Tube length rather than the Stand Over height now when compared with decades ago ...
MY observation is that the stand over is a convenience AND became an "industry" suggestion as a consequence of MTB riders often needing two footed saddle dismounts ... and, the legal teams of corporations adopted The 2" (?) stand over clearance as a consequence.

If you look at the frames of pictures of considerably older bikes (or, if you are of a certain age), you will see (or, remember!) that a minimal amount of seatpost exposure was more common than not on non-competition bike setups.

With a larger frame, in the past, it was easier to set the handlebars at a higher height.

To accommodate less competitive riders, now, manufacturers have added "comfort" to many bike frames by installing a longer (hence, taller) head tube.

If you are a competitive rider, then it is important that you ensure that you can (still) set the stem & handlebars at the height that you ultimately want ...

If you are not a competitive rider, then you just have to decide if the cosmetics of the frame after its components are attached suit your aesthetic sensibilities ....

If your current bike's stem is 100mm (for example), then you would probably need to install a 70mm stem (or, shorter due to the probably higher stem height) to achieve the same fit ...

and, what amounts to being a DH stem on a Road bike may-or-may-not adversely affect the cosmetics enough to offend anyone's aesthetic sensibilities!
Really, your query begs the question:

WHY buy a frame that is possibly too large for you UNLESS you want to re-set the handlebars at a higher height ...

In which case, I would suggest that if cannot raise the stem on your current bike because the steerer has already been cut to a particular length which precludes adding spacers, then get a hi-rise stem ... OR, simply buy a new fork which has an uncut steerer & install the appropriate number of spacers.

BUT, if you don't want to raise the stem (after all, you say that your current bike is a "perfect fit") then 'I' think that you are just asking for disappointment if you opt for the specific Cannondale frame which is listed as being 3cm larger than your current frame.

Doesn't Cannondale make a frame which is the same size as your bike's current frame?

FWIW2. IMO, the only reason for you to buy the particular Cannondale is because an LBS is willing to sell you the frame & fork & headset for $100 (and, no more due to its size) & you want to build up a second bike because you want a test bed with which to try a different component group OR if you are buying a ready-to-ride bike & it is NOS or less than 2 years old that it is less than $500 and you want the components to move over to your Specialized frame ...

To re-enforce danfoz's observation, I'm 175.25 cm (5'9") tall, and I suspect that the particular 54cm Cannondale which you have been considering is the size I would (also) opt for (depending on its top tube length) if I were looking at a Cannondale as a replacement for any of my bikes.

 

At 161 cm (that's a bit over 5'3"), you should be looking at bikes in the 47-50 cm range.

And ideally, your Vita is one size too large. But hybrids are a little more tolerant for sizing too large because of the more upright riding position. Excessive forward reach is compensated by the higher handlebar, so instead of reaching down, your reaching straight forward. This doesn't work the same way with a road bike because it's designed for a lower torso and hand position.

Save your money for road bike that fits you properly.

 

BTW. I did not realize that your SPECIALIZED Vita Sport is Hybrid with a Rigid fork ...

I love Hybrid frames which have Rigid forks because they are essentially a Touring frame with a sloping Top Tube ...

Sloping Top Tubes have been accepted (expected!?!) for over a decade, now, on most bike frames.

If the objective is to have a "sportier" bike, then (IMO) your bike is a good (actually, close to perfect) candidate for updating with Drop Handlebars ...

Because, almost ANY bike can be retrofitted with Drop Handlebars.

FWIW. Here are two, unfinished builds which would normally be outfitted with Flat Handlebars (yes, that's the same set of handlebars/shifters temporarily mounted on the two different frames) ...

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And, one that was completed ...

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All three are MTB (26er) frames ... the 2nd & 3rd were re-fit with 700c wheels.

FYI. You can begin with a cost of under $200 if you DIY & by buying (on eBay) the appropriate Drop Handlebars which suit your preference, stem (eventually OR if necessary ... start with the stem you have & see if you need a shorter stem), plus a set of Campagnolo shifters + handlebar tape + housing/cable (as necessary) ...

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If you are not planning to race then the longer wheelbase which your current bike will be more comfortable if-or-when you go on longer rides.

When the time comes to replace your tires, you may want to scale down to 700x25 tires & tubes.

 

very educational content and written well for a change. It's nice to see that some people still understand how to write a quality post.

 

http://www.plagiarism-checker.me/
http://www.lib.usm.edu/legacy/plag/whatisplag.php
http://definitions.uslegal.com/p/plagiarism/

 

But it doesn't answer clouddog's question.