Hello all.

Built up a collection of decent components scouring the ads and fleabay, but have to admit the frame i bought via Cycle 2 Work is too big despite Evans Cycles telling me it was perfect fit (new to road cycling having always ridden MTB’s).

I’ve got a number of 100 mile plus sportives and charity rides coming up including 250 mile Manchester to London.

I’m looking for a good alloy or carbon frame and forks to put everything on, but have a budget of about £600-700 for them.

After comfort more than all out speed, looking at Ribble Gran Fondo or similar PX carbon frames or am I better off buying a “quality” alloy frame and carbon forks such as Giant Defy or Specialized Roubaix?

I like the look of the Trek Domane, but although they say they are available frame only, i can’t seem to find any?

Any recommendations?

Giant Defy is a very good buy… I have the alu Defy 1, RRP is £1k for the whole bike. They do a carbon version too, which was noticeably stiffer and more responsive yet no less comfortable, but sadly beyond my means for the spec I was after. I also tested the Roubaix (which is carbon – the Secteur is the alu equiv.) but it was lifeless by comparison with the Giants and vastly overpriced.

Thanks Mike, seems to get a lot of good write ups

+1 for the Defy….

what size and where are you?

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-trek-road-bike-needs-to-go-56cm

Aluminium can be ‘better’ untill you’re spending silly money, certainly it’s often lighter or cheeper for the same price or weight. I like my cannondale CAAD4, so I’d just go on ebay and get any aluminium canondale less than 8 years old in the right size.

Saw that Geoff J. thanks, but it is a 56cm i ride now that Evans swore was right size for me, but after having a bike fit done, is too big, need a 54 or 55cm frame ideally.

How tall are you scud?

Road bikes are always a bit more stretched – have you tried fitting a shorter stem or shorter reach drops?

Do they not do a 54 of the same frame? What is it?

Check Ribble, Ridley, Planet X all excellent value and really good reviews.

I am dubious of these “bike fittings” that seem to be so popular at the moment, to me its just another way to get more money out of the new roadies who want to be treated like a pro. Sure a good fit is important and one of these sessions can be useful but nothing is better than going out with a multitool and adjusting things as you ride rather than go.

Fittings also tend to put people on bikes that are too small for them, there is this appeal for the pro look, ie huge amounts of seatpost on display, and people think thats the right position because that what the pros use… so thats the position they think is comfy [/psuedo psychological waffle] To be honest, if you have 56 and they say you need a 54 or even a 55, there is a lot you can do with stem length and seat position to make up that 1 cm. I’d try a new stem first and adjust your saddle every few miles till you find something works. If you are riding sportives, you will be mostly on the hoods so having a bike thats a tiny bit too big wont be an issue comapred to being on the drops.

If that fails, or you really want a new frame, Dolan always have some good suitable frames for long distance, the Tuono and the Hercules are worth a look.

I have a carbon (the cheap composite version) Defy and it ticks all those boxes

Saw that Geoff J. thanks, but it is a 56cm i ride now that Evans swore was right size for me, but after having a bike fit done, is too big, need a 54 or 55cm frame ideally.

Ahh right – I’m going the other way. I have a Giant SCR (medium / 54) which I think is too small for me. Just can’t decide whether to go retro steel or carbon bling 🙄

I’m 5’10-11″ in height, but have really short (28″) legs and long torso. So with 56cm frame i seem to have very little seatpost, plus i went for the bike fit as despite trying everything, stem is already only 80mm long, i was getting numb hands occasionally and i thought that over longer distances the problem would just be amplified.

I’m 5’10-11″ in height, but have really short (28″) legs and long torso. So with 56cm frame i seem to have very little seatpost, plus i went for the bike fit as despite trying everything, stem is already only 80mm long, i was getting numb hands occasionally and i thought that over longer distances the problem would just be amplified.

I’m almost the same shape as you – slightly longer legs, but same height. I have a 56 cross bike which I’ve been using over the winter and I’ve come to realise that it is a much better fit than my 54 road bike. Getting numb hands can be many things, so I would perhaps look into other potential causes of that before splashing out on a new bike.

scud I am similar height and 30.5 inside leg – the medium Defy fits a treat, with reasonable seatpost out

fwiw 56 sounds about the right size. 54 would be very small for someone 5.10/11

What he said, I’m 5ft11 (and a bit) and have a 56, I know it’s a presonal choice and everyones different, but I’m never sure whether I should have got a 58.

If you’re already at an 80mm stem then a 54 is only 2cm shorter so with a normal (110) stem would be 10mm longer. I suspect you’re just not used to it. Try playing arround with the positions of the brake hoods and bar angle, adjust one thing at a time and it can make huge differences.

Sounds like you have about the right size frame to me, if you’re long in the body compared to leg you will usually go up a size. At 5ft 10 a 56cm is a good place to start but 56cm is a rubbish way to measure bikes, need to look at reach and centre of g over the wheels – ie top tube and seat angle mainly, one 56cm can be quite different to another.

I am also 5’11” and ride 56cm…

Thanks Jameso.

I have found that and it is not helped by so many bike shops giving bad advice when buying, i went into 2 different branches of the same chain and got very conflicting advice, it’s a lot of money to spend to find you’ve the wrong size.

Sure a good fit is important and one of these sessions can be useful but nothing is better than going out with a multitool and adjusting things as you ride rather than go.

The point of a fitting is surely so that someone with experience can make the necessary adjustments whilst watching you ride. The vast majority of people buying a road bike for the first time aren’t going to know what is a good fit and what is a bad fit. It’s not quite the same as trying a pair of trousers on. Is it?? 😀

Although you are quoting seat tube lengths, you are actually comparing top tube lengths when looking at frame sizes, right?

If you do decide your current frame is too long, don’t limit yourself to just looking at this modern fashion for sportive-labelled bikes. Lots of “normal” road bikes have long head tubes and are available in a length of top tube that will fit you, and they tend to be a good bit cheaper, particularly in old stock (as MAMILs have bought up all the 2012 and 2013 stock of anything with “sportive” stuck on it.

E.g. I just got my wife a 2011 Giant TCR from Wiggle. Loads of money off RRP and has all the right dimensions for her that the supposed womens-specific, sportive bikes have.

im 5′ 10” and ride a 54cm.
my advice is sort your pedalling first, ie seat height, then fore /aft on the saddle.
then, when thats done think about stem height/reach/bar width.
also, with a 28″ inside leg are you sure you have the correct crank length? im 30.5″ and use 170mm cranks, by contrast the 175mm cranks on my mtb dont fit me quite as well.
caveat: i am not an expert, this is only based on my own experience of cycling for the past 30 years, ymmv.

I’m no road bike expert, but if you have long body and short legs then what jfeb says about “normal” road bikes would make sense.

Spa cycles do a Ti Audax frame for 800 quid,depends what you call distance I suppose ?

Conversely I have long legs & a shortish body, so at 5’11” I ride a 54cm frame.

I seem to have become more flexible recently and promptly put the saddle up 10-12mm and the pedal stroke feels much better, it now feels like I could get away with more reach so may be swapping the 110mm stem for a 130mm one soon.

Pro to the max

I have found that and it is not helped by so many bike shops giving bad advice when buying, i went into 2 different branches of the same chain and got very conflicting advice, it’s a lot of money to spend to find you’ve the wrong size.

Not ideal, but to be fair you can get a different result from 2 pro-fitting systems too ) we’re working on a more consistent fit training system at Evans now, but the truth is there isn’t a formula to it and no ‘right answers’. What we are confident in is that body measurements alone rarely give an optimum fit.
And as steve_b77 says, ideal fit can change the more you ride or even during the season.

my advice is sort your pedalling first, ie seat height, then fore /aft on the saddle.

and this is good advice.