|   Whos my size? | Aaron
Nov 7, 2002 5:42 AM | | I'm about to buy a road frame and I am trying to decide on what size I need. I'm 5'8", 145 lbs. I've got average length arms, legs, and upper body. I'll be using 175 crank arms. With the help of size calculators, I've become somewhat convinced that I need a 54 cm frame. Does this sound right? Thought maybe someone of the similar size might be able to offer some insight. Thanks alot. |
| not me, but... | jcw
Nov 7, 2002 7:08 AM | | I do most of the fittings at our shop, so perhaps I can offer some insight. First and formost, there is quite the variation in how frames are measured, so a blanket "I'm a 54" does not apply. For instance Trek measures from center of BB to Top of seat clamp, while LeMond uses the more traditional center of BB to center of Top Tube. I'm 5'11.5" and ride a 55cm LeMond, but would ride a 58cm Trek. So the first thing you need to do is find out how the size is measured and adjust accordingly. Add about 1.5cm for center to top of top tube measurements, and about 3cm for center to top of seat clamp. What's even more important than "frame size" is the effective top tube length. You're definitely in the ballpark with the 54cm size, but you might go as small as 52 or as large as 56 depending on manufacturer and style of bike (cyclocross bikes should be sized one size smaller than a standard road bike). Of course the best thing to do is get out there and test ride as many different bikes as you can, and listen to what your body tells you. That's not as easy as it sounds as your mind will definitely pick out a "favorite" and try to override the body if they disagree. |
| it's a lot more complicated than that | fz4vgq
Nov 7, 2002 8:31 AM | | You can't properly fit yourself to a road bike with only overall height and weight. I'm 5'7" 150lbs so i'm pretty close to you in size but someone else 5'7" (weight really doesn't matter) might need a different size than me. It go's like this - road bikes are fit more on your inseam measurement than anyhting else, I have a fairly long inseam for someone 5'7" I need a 52-53cm conventional frame. You also need to look for a top tube length which will allow you to use a stem of 9cm-12cm, anything shorter or longer on a road bike will affect handling (too quick and twitchy or too slow and truck like). Compact road frames (sloping top tube) are a totally different option, they are not really measured like a conventional frame where the seat tube measurement is critical. the top tube measurement is more critical on a compact frame and the seatpost is used to dial in correct seat to pedal distance (compact road frames are more like a mt. bike frame). I hope I haven't confused you much. Getting fit to a road bike properly is really best handled by a professional bike shop, unlike mt.bikes it is important to get fit correctly because on a road bike you are in the same position on the bike for long periods of time and a cm or 2 can be the difference between enjoying your self or hating road bikes. check out this page for help on road bike fit.
http://www.coloradocyclist.com/bikefit/ |
| jcw's reply explains it well........ | fz4vgq
Nov 7, 2002 8:45 AM | | his post wasn't showing up on my computer when I replied. if it had shown up i would not have felt a need to post a reply. Like he said, go ride a bunch and don't forget to listen to the knowledgable person at the shop on what fits you well from his perspective, sometimes your eyes and ass can decieve you in what feels good on a short test ride. |
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