Hi,
Ive rode mtb’s for years and fancy buying a road bike for a change and to keep me on the bike when winter comes (training iron).
looking for anyone who has a link or infomation on road bike sizing or could recomend a good web site for the novice roadie.
I know i should get properly fitted etc but dont want to turn up to a shop and look daft as i know nothing about fit and bike specs for road kit.
Budget around a grand would spend a bit more for if i had too

many thanks 😛

go to a shop. its a bike.

This is one I’ve played with before seemed to give reasonable results, but I’ve never been professionally fitted.

BEar in mind as you ride more you develop strength in some areas and what you find uncomfy at the start can end up being comfy once you become accustomed.

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

If you are that worried you can get a professional bike fit for around £170 I think, everyone I know who has had one is pleased.

Thanks for the really helpful advice.
Any genuine recomendations from decent folk are welcome
thank you

Thanks Thebrick,
I know enough about m.t.b sizing etc..
Just looking for pointers really with regard to what to look for with a road bike with it being more of a fixed postion and more lay down.

when you started mtb’ing did you ask on a forum or try one out?

just asking like, you know..i know the whole ‘darkside’ thing is all scary and stuff, but, like, really?*

i dont mean you need to get a bike fitting done, just go into a shop with a cheery hello and you’ll be served. There is always a first time..

darkside, jesus..

edit* i hope you understand this isnt how i normally speak..i just dont understand the **** need to ‘name’ road cycling – is this some sort of mtber insecurity need?

Much as I enjoy using the term “darkside” because it annoys others so much, you have already been given the best advice.

Just MTFU, go into a shop, tell them you are a keen mountain bike rider but know nothing about road bikes, can they explain what you should be looking for and help you with sizing.

Why not ask Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters?

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAl_5e7bIHk[/video]

Thanks to the guys who posted useful advice
Much appriciated
The other comments are obviously by sad trolls.
it appears it is true what they say about this forum these days
very sad.

The other comments are obviously by sad trolls.

Sorry. Have a word with yourself. What those ‘sad trolls’ said is the stone cold truth, if worded a bit sharp.

I was in the same position as you earlier this year, and the best thing I did was go down my local Giant shop and try out the bikes I was thinking of buying. There are just too many variables to not do this when it comes to road bikes, as you are in that seated position about 90% of the time, whereas on a MTB fitting isn’t everything as you are out of the seat a lot.

Don’t come on here asking for help, then get all pissy because you got given the advice you didn’t want, despite it being the correct advice.

Being just over 5’10”, I ride 18″ mountain bikes.
To me, that equated to a 56cm road bike. However, my current one is a 58cm (just like mtbs they have varying geometry, so a 56 in one bike may not feel right in another).
There’s a “new” type around now though (new to me anyway) where the sizes are completely different, I think they are “compact” frames or summink. The Planet X ones for example. So you’d need someone else (or a shop chap) to help out of you were looking at one a them.

(plus, what jamie said 😉 )

haha! nice one! troll indeed.

The road bike nowadays is, as described above, quite complex with all sorts of standards etc. There isnt really a rule of thumb which equates an mtb to a road bike..

I responded a bit sharply as your ‘darkside’ is very childish…if you think of it as something to be ashamed of, what are you going to do if you actually go into a shop and buy one, ride it only at night with a balaclava so that no-one knows its you?

get over yourself, please. Go into your shop. they’ll be happy to help you, you muppet.

I went through this six months or so ago and here’s a quick summary of what I found:
There are compact, semi compact and normal frames. Compact and semi compact have sloping top tubes, normal frames have horizontal.
The figures you want to know are the height and the reach – just as with MTB some manufacturers like a shorter TT some longer. The compact frames will also give a virtual TT length this is what you need to compare across the three different types. Coming from an MTB background you will probably prefer the feel of a compact frame as it is obviously smaller.
You will probably need a 100mm stem.
Do not trust the competitive cyclist fit – it comes up very small and will feel alien to you coming from the sit up and beg position of the MTB (IMHO I should add).
Be prepared that what you want from the fit will change. I started with a very upright (by roadie standards) position on the bike as I’ve done more miles this has changed to the head down backside up position adopted by roadies.
As a few have said there is no substitute for actually sitting on a bike – I bought a 54cm bike second hand off here and it was a monster, felt more like a 56/58cm; I gave it to my Dad. I then bought a used Kona Haole frameset from Ebay this was a 51cm semi compact frame (53cm virtual TT) and it fits like a glove.
Hope this all helps.

‘Darkside’ and ‘training iron’ in one post, oh my.

Go to a shop, then go to learn some manners. Insulting the guys who are helping you isn’t going to win you any friends.

OK, let me help you in a manner you think more appropriate.

I’m 5’9 and ride a medium Soul. Using an online bike sizing calculator I worked out I needed a 54cm Ribble audax frame. It was just that bit too big to get comfortable with, so I swapped it for a 52cm version.

Then I got a Spesh Roubaix, and for that it turns out I do need a 54cm frame.

Then I got a compact Ribble frame, and it turns out for that I needed their 48cm compact

So when we suggested you go to a shop and try some, there really was a good reason we said it.

Sorry if I was a bit too blunt the first time.

Hey! What did you expect? This is STW.
Just how we likes it.

“dont want to turn up to a shop and look daft as i know nothing about fit and bike specs for road kit“

Nor does anyone when they buy their first road bike, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t the best thing to do.

Seriously, take the advice given, go to a shop and try some stuff. Road bike fit is important: you spend most of your time working in pretty much one position. A lot of guides will also be oriented more to roadies than to MTBers – if you’re moving across then at first you’ll probably end up wanting your bars higher and your saddle further forward than standard fit. Worth building yourself a little space to drop the bars and push the saddle back as you get more used to it.

Go and test ride some stuff and stop being afraid of looking a dick. (Unless you’re freakishly sized like me, in which case you won’t find anyone stocking anything you can test ride.)

Look the guy just wanted some advice regardless of the darkside title, which to be honest we all use as a turn of phrase when refering to road bikes.
Scotia U are a tw*t

Look the guy just wanted some advice regardless of the darkside title, which to be honest we all use as a turn of phrase when refering to road bikes.

No, no we (all) don’t, it’s incredibly ****.

Oh, get over the complaining about “dark side” – it’s waaaaay more tedious than “dark side” is ****.

*Gets comfy*

Oh, get over the complaining about “dark side” – it’s waaaaay more tedious than “dark side” is ****.

I’m not quite sure what you are trying to say there, anyhow it’s still ****.

What I’m trying to say is that “dark side” wouldn’t make threads even remotely annoying to read were it not for the fact that as soon as the term appears it’s usually followed by a swathe of tedious posts banging on about it supposedly (ie IYAO) being ****.

I’m 5′ 9-10″. 32″ inside leg, longish arms. My first roadbike, a frame that was given to me – A 58 top tube 58 seattube was way too long, even with 80mm stem.

Got a 2006 56cm (L) spcialized allez with a 90mm stem now, which I though was a great fit coming from the 58cm one. But I think, for me, a 54cm (M) spesh frame with a longer stem would be spot on. That’ll only help if you are roughly shaped like me though! go to a shop and get fitted, will save loads of cash in the long run if you get the road bug. That’s my experience anyway.

What I’m trying to say is that “dark side” wouldn’t make threads even remotely annoying to read were it not for the fact that as soon as the term appears it’s usually followed by a swathe of tedious posts banging on about it supposedly (ie IYAO) being ****.

Oh I see, it’s still ****.