Yesterday I had a Frame Fitting appointment at Paul Hewitt Cycles in Leyland, Lancashire. Thought it was about time I had one since I've been riding bikes a good 30yrs…….

I'm 6' 5" and have a 35"-36" inside leg but was still amazed when the recommended frame size came out to be 65.5cm c/t for seat tube & 61.8cm c/c for the horizontal top tube. In the past the largest frame I'd used was 62cm and that felt ample.

The thing is after seeing the work on Paul's bikes I've decided I'd like him to build and Audax bike for me but I'm worried its going to look stupidly huge and feel far to large, whilst on the Frame Setting jig I felt comfortable in all positions depending where my hands where on the bars.

Has anyone else had this feeling after a measuring for a frame…? It's going to cost a lot of "hard earned" to buy the finished article and I really need others points of view I think before I take the step…….

Cheers

Johnny

You are a big guy so you need a big bike! Would you buy 32 inside
leg jeans because 36's didn't look right on a hanger?

You think it will feel too big because you've allowed too small to become normal for you. You've never had what really fits so you've rationalized what you've got.
They don't make bikes big enough for you off the peg. You're outside the bracket.

Tell you what – get it made and I can find you 20 blokes who will take it off your hands if you don't like it. You need to give it a fair chance too – not just up and down the street a bit.

Should say I'm 6'3" and need big bikes too!

I've not been measured up. If you are worried about it looking like a gate (it sill!) wht not get it made with the seat tube a bit shorter but the same length?

cynic-al

Do you mean slope the top tube, which will reduce the seat tube slightly, then stick the seatpost out further to make up the length again…..therefore keeping the same geometry…?????

Thanks for the replies everyone…..

Ta

Johnny

26.5'' is a very big frame indeed.
i ride a 25'' galaxy and it is massive, with very little seatpost showing.

ton

Its a 25.75" (655mm) frame ctr to top of seat tube, but your dead right its massive, but then again so am I, I suppose………

Op – yes – even shorten the ht?

I'm 6'2" 36" inseam and my Seven aka the gate is 61cm st,tt so for your height it sounds right.Sure you could get a smaller frame if you want to have lots of spacers under the stem and seatpost showing 😉

Couldn't you get them to build you a 'compact' style frame with a dropped top-tube and run more seatpost?

Sod style, go for function.

6 foot 4 with a 26 (c-t) inch rode bike. I think I would go smaller with less pin if buying again, but the bike does fit

ampthill

Do you mean with less pin in the frame and more showing…..?

Cheers

Johnny

that sounds right for your height.

If you do go for a custom, just make sure that you don't have it build with soo much headtube and soo little seattube that it looks like a wheelie bike!!

I've seen em about.

ampthill

Would it be possible to see a photo of your bike side on please….?

Cheers again

Johnny

I have a feeling this bike will look like it came from the set of Avatar however Paul Hewitt really does have a great reputation as a frame builder which will mean that after a very long cold wet audax ride you will feel comfortable and you won't give a shit about the aesthetics of the frame.

Sorry I meant more pin not less. Typing to fast

I'll do a photo in a momemt. Its an odd bike bought in 1984. Its current setup is a bit short for me but back in dai I did loads of miles on it. It actually started with 27 inch wheels. Its a Mercian but I did't have it redecalled when it was resprayed

OK off to tackle the shed……

Full size photo on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/john_clinch/

It looksvey odd in that photo. I think the ground wasn't level, the top tube is parallel to the top of the photo but the world now looks very odd…

Anyway I hope this helps one way or another…….

Think I need to do a few calcs & drawings based on my "measure up" and work out if I can cope with a smaller frame……

Thanks for the photo, thats one huge bike….

Ta

Johnny

Why do people go to experts, get expert advice from an expert, then try to force a different answer because they 'want it to look smaller'? 🙄 It doesn't need to be chuckable, you don't need to drop the seatpost for descents, you don't need it short to loft over drops or manual – you need the right size bike. It looks tall? SO DO YOU!

I wonder if its the thinness of the tubes of a traditionally made round steel tubed custom that make big-uns look gate like? If you specced oversized steel aero shaped tubing for the downtube (like Columbus aero ultrafoco, if you can still get hold of it, or similar) and oversized elsewhere I wonder if that would help aesthetically? Not really in keeping with the audax purpose mind.

Semi compact (maybe a 5-6cm drop from horizontal) rather than a full compact design also looks batter in larger sizes as it is important not to reduce the length of the headtube too much, esp on an audax frame. Compact frames means brazed joints rather than fully lugged and I don't know if Paul Hewitt swings that way.

A few years ago I worked with a friend who builds frames as a sideline and put together a frame from winter training/ racked back country commute duties. I used a gently semi compact design and it looked good although a good bit smaller than yours would be. I also designed it to have callipers (long drop) like a road/audax bike but everything cabled over the top rather than along the down tube like a mtb to make it a bit more weather proof (I ride along a lot of flooded roads in the winter). There is a hassle with the front mech to get around (normal double road mechs are all bottom pull) but there are ways. I now use a CX bike for these sort of duties but still yearn for the single minded simplicity of the OTT (our name for the frame).

recommended frame size came out to be 65.5cm c/t for seat tube & 61.8cm c/c for the horizontal top tube. In the past the largest frame I'd used was 62cm and that felt ample.

The reason a 62cm has felt fine is because thats obviously what you need length wise, as proven by the fact he has suggested a '61.8cm' toptube. Roadies are transfixed on seat-tube lengths for some reason, in reality it could be half that size and as long as the bike was designed correctly it would still be long enough (ie. your old 62cm with a long seat pin and higher rise stem).

Thanks everyone for your opinions and advice…..

I spoke to Paul today and I'm off to see him Thursday evening to get the frame ordered and spec'd up. I discussed the issues I had with the size of the frame especially about it being so bloody huge. Sloping top tube is the way I'm going, slightly over-sized tubing also, it'll take some getting used to but folk I've spoke to who've had frames from him with similar concerns all reckon its the best move they ever made. I've never heard a bad word about his frames so I'm taking the plunge.

If I'm lucky I'll have the bike in 5 weeks….

Thanks again

Johnny

TooTall – Member

Why do people go to experts, get expert advice from an expert, then try to force a different answer because they 'want it to look smaller'? It doesn't need to be chuckable, you don't need to drop the seatpost for descents, you don't need it short to loft over drops or manual – you need the right size bike. It looks tall? SO DO YOU!
Spot on brother of the proper height 😉

older road frames had top tubes around 62cm for a 62cm seat tube frame

(at least the 2 Raleigh Special Products frame I had did)

I've also got a 853 track frame that will fit you 😉

big_n_daft

Could I have some photos please and measurements…..?

Ta

Johnny

Yes, but you will have to wait a little. Its hanging in the coaches lockup at the velodrome.

My old (1980's) road bike is 25", my hybrid is 25" and my newer road bike is 63cm. I tried to look at a Koga road bike last year as they do a standard sized frame in 66cm but there weren't any in the country. I once had a chat with the people at Seven but the prices were a bit scary given how much i'd actually ride it.

I've often wondered with a freaky 39/40" inside leg and 7ft armspan what a custom bike for me would actually look like? I've seen some of the bikes on Zinn cycles and despite the fact they may well 'fit' they are soooo ugly they make your eyes bleed………

My 23" Rockhopper 29er is probably the best fitting bike i have but still feels a bit gate like sometimes. I still like it though.

How much does a custom Paul Hewitt frame run to these days?

Tall guys get 29" wheels for MTBs. Maybe road bikes need to introduce a 780c standard!