Frame size

[Fats]

Hello fellow hubbers!

 

I know there has been various discussions on this, but please help me!

 

I am 1,84m tall currently ride a 59cm bike but had to shorten the stem a lot to "feel" comfortable on it. I also get neck and trapz pain on longer rides.

 

Would a smaller frame suit me better and what size would you recommend?

Would I be comfortable on a 56?

 

Thanks!

[Minion]

Maybe. It depends on your leg length and torso length.

 

Use this calculator to get a rough idea of the dimensions you need:

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

 

The most important one is top tube length since this is fixed and the others can be varied quite a bit with stems, seatpost, setback etc.

[wisecrack]

Hello fellow hubbers!

 

I know there has been various discussions on this, but please help me!

 

I am 1,84m tall currently ride a 59cm bike but had to shorten the stem a lot to "feel" comfortable on it. I also get neck and trapz pain on longer rides.

 

Would a smaller frame suit me better and what size would you recommend?

Would I be comfortable on a 56?

 

Thanks!

 

Tricky question and I'm sure everyone would suggest getting a professional setup done. It depends on a number of things your leg inseam, flexibility etc...

 

That said I'm 1.89 and previously had a 59cm Merida which almost broke my back and caused me to give up cycling completely. I changed the stem from 100mm to 80mm ,but never felt comfortable on the bike.

 

I now ride a cervelo RS(taller headtube) and shorter top tube, and I feel 100% more comfortable ,but must say my saddle to handle bar drop is quite big causing my neck to hurt sometimes after long rides.

 

That's why everyone including myself suggest you get fitted by a professional first and take it from there.

 

 

 

 

 

[cosborne]

A 59cm seems quite big for your height. I'm 1.79cm and I ride a 54cm. Before you go spending bucks on a frame check how far back your seat it. You might be too streached out. Also put another spacer under your stem to get it a bit higher for a more upright ride. Try everything before spending cash (unless you want to).

[Fats]

Thanks for the info so far...................!

This is what the fit calculator worked out. My measurements might have been out by a cm or so!(difficult to do it yourself) If I read it correctly the eddy fit(second column)works out to 57.6 so 1,6cm bigger than a 56, would this really have such a big impact? From this column my top tube is way to long at 59cm! Any suggestions?

 

The Competitive Fit

The Eddy Fit

The French Fit

 

Seat tube range c-c 56.4 - 56.9 57.6 - 58.1 59.3 - 59.8

Seat tube range c-t 58.1 - 58.6 59.3 - 59.8 61.0 - 61.5

Top tube length 52.7 - 53.1 52.7 - 53.1 53.9 - 54.3

Stem Length 10.8 - 11.4 9.7 - 10.3 9.9 - 10.5

BB-Saddle Position 78.6 - 80.6 77.8 - 79.8 76.1 - 78.1

Saddle-Handlebar 51.1 - 51.7 51.9 - 52.5 53.6 - 54.2

Saddle Setback 5.7 - 6.1 6.9 - 7.3 6.4 - 6.8

[Minion]

Thanks for the info so far...................!

This is what the fit calculator worked out. My measurements might have been out by a cm or so!(difficult to do it yourself) If I read it correctly the eddy fit(second column)works out to 57.6 so 1,6cm bigger than a 56, would this really have such a big impact? From this column my top tube is way to long at 59cm! Any suggestions?

Don't look at the seat tube length. It varies a lot with the type of geometry e.g. a compact frame like a Merida might have a 50cm seat tube and a 59cm effective top tube; a more traditional frame geometry might have a 59cm seat tube and a 59cm top tube. You can also accommodate a shorter seat tube by getting a longer seat post.

 

Based on your top tube lengths you'd probably be looking at a size 54 or maybe a bit smaller. You'd then use that as a starting point to find a frame geometry that most closely matches the other measurements.

It looks like you'll need something with a longer head tube and seat tube relative to the top tube. Unfortunately, this rules out almost all 'pure racing' frames. You'd need to look at something with a more relaxed geomtry. In carbon, something like a Bianchi 928 C2C, Cannondale Synapse or Look 566. The new, 2010 or 2011, Scott CR1 geometries also have longer head tubes.

Edited October 13, 2010 by Edman