ok, was working last week driving around the alps supporting a lycra clad bunch of roadies and i’m worryingly getting the urge to sit on the bike rather than in the van. thinking i might do a tour next year as guide just for a laugh.

i’m 5’7″. what size frame do i need? 52 or 54? i prefer smaller frames. don’t like being stretched out.

52″

Oops double post

I’m pretty much the same size as you and my road bike was a 52cm with a 53.5cm effective top tube.

It was a perfect reach with a 100mm stem, but I found the front too low and racy for me.

I ended up selling the bike as it didn’t suit my style of riding.

My advice would be to look at head tube lengths as well as the reach.

i prefer smaller frames. don’t like being stretched out

so an upright nodder position and not getting your weight lower and further over the front wheel for more speed and better weight distribution and handling?
why not just get a hybrid or some some slicks for your mtb?

as you ‘prefer a smaller frame and not being stretched out’ why not get a bike with the same dimensions as the one you preferred before? 🙄

^^ have a fixie that is ok for skipping through town on, but over a long distance it grates.

i don’t know enough about road bikes. enlighten me.

i need to be able to wheelie it.

get a frame/bike that fits, the bike will handle better with a decent length stem (110-130) and if you aren’t that flexible and have a beer gut then bars with a compact bend will mean you will be able to use all 3 hand positions and be more comfortable, its surprising how many people don’t use the drops, its also surprising how much faster you can go using them.

i would ignore anecdotal sizing advice and go to a good shop, your fixed will give you some idea of ETT and how much saddle setback you have

Sizes mean nothing. A 52cm or a 54cm frame can be bigger than the given number, smaller or both can actually be the same size. It’s also not just a height thing, if you have long legs, you’ll need to look more closely at geometry. Go see a bike shop

i would ignore anecdotal sizing advice and go to a good shop

+ a lot

I ride a small giant defy its apparently a 46.5′! A small Specialized allez is a 52.

Numbers seem to mean squat with rode bikes!

I would certainly advise getting yourself measured up, but find a good bike shop with experienced riders. There are many today that claim to know their stuff, but really don’t. If you are on the continent, even better. I have found that the knowledge there is far greater than that in the UK (in general, but I don’t want to say that no one knows their stuff in the UK).

The temptation today is to go and order a bike online, I would advise against this for a first bike as you may not know exactly what you want. After you had a couple of bikes you will start to know what you really like in terms of geometry and size.

Top tube length is the most important dimension in my opinion.

Effective top tube length is the most important dimension in my opinion.

FTFY

Effective top tube length is the most important dimension in my opinion.

this. And different manufacturers have different relative dimensions- my 52cm Lapierre has a TT as long as my 54cm Orbea.

decent length stem (110-130)

“Decent” according to who? Lapierres come with 90mm as stock.

I would disagree with the above.

Top tube length is important, but is only one component of the overall reach to the bars from the saddle. Given that stem length is adjustable from 90 up to 140 and longer, and that the reach can be further changed using compact or normal bars, plus the option to change lever position, there is a lot of adjustment built in.

The really important measurement is the height of the head tube, because adjustments are limited by this and by length of the steerer tube.

The growing popularity of cycling, particularly in the US saw lots of …well, Mamils really, buying bikes based on the bikes that the pros were using, then the forums became flooded with said people who wanted their bars higher because they were a bit old and a bit fat and not flexible enough and not prepared to put the time in to adjust to the low position.

The bike companies responded by producing bikes with higher head-tubes, but instead of calling them Le Chubb, or Porkysport, they called the geometry ‘Sportive’.

Although Gerard Vroomen has a different and much more valid view than mine;

Body position vs bar height – part 1

Body position vs bar height – part 2

Body position vs bar height – part 3

Le Chubb, or Porkysport

😆

fair point Crikey, I was comparing importance of TT length to seat tube length (where youve got even more adjustability), and suggesting the OP doesnt ‘size’ a frame just by seat tube.

stem length is adjustable from 90 up to 140

with a significant effect on handling as well as fit.

If I was going on a guided road bike holiday, and my guide had no passion for road bikes, road cycling I would be a bit miffed.

Good to see you’re coming over to the darkside!

The important thing is finding a comfortable, well balanced position on your steed.

It’s taken me plenty of hours to find a setup that looks good in photos, but I reckon I’ve just about cracked it (130mm stem, slammed FWIW).

I tend to ride mine for upto ninety minutes at a time, prowling the popular routes looking for other lads to ride faster than. For this length of ride its fine, any longer then it might be uncomfortable, but I usually stop at the cafe after ninety minutes (if I’m out for a full day I can end up stopping upto five times).

At the cafe (a popular haunt for cyclists), my setup comes into its own – one hundred and thirty mils worth of slammed stem. 15cm of bar drop. The other cyclists immediately suspect its me that’s thrashed past them at high pace, just by looking at my bike. Lots of admiring glances, especially if I’m wearing team kit.

I play along to it though, and offer free setup advice to the other cyclists who are looking for any performance gain. It’s proved popular and the cafe has started providing me with free coffee. Win!

What fake tan would you recommend for a pasty white chubster Mr Taylforth Sir?

You could probably make any bike from 50cm-54cm (where the seat tube and top tube are similar in length) fit you. Best seek advice from your LBS. There are way too many variables to decide frame size upon height alone – for instance I’m notably taller than you but ride a 50cm (with 53.5cm ETT).

😀

Live by The Rules. Tan lines should be cultivated and razor sharp. They’re a product of hours on the bike. My Aunt works at Palm Beach, so I can go and get mine topped up when needed over winter.

Y’know, after reading mr taylforth’s post i think i might reconsider buying a road bike…;)

Thanks for fixing that for me Mr Smith,

Crikey, I see why you disagree with the statement that “effective top tube is the most important measurement” you are saying that you can tune with stem etc. I generally agree that you can tune, however I feel that the top tube still remains the most important measurement. Changing stems and bars are exactly fine tunes. If you play too much with these you can be on the limit of the good handling of a good frame. The main aim is to get this measurement right and then hone the bike with these fine tweakes. I would advise against buying a bike that’s a little too short in the hope that you can make it fit with longer stem etc.

What about seat tube length?
I’m looking at a Mekk Poggio at 47cm, its measurements are very similar to my small Boardman Hybrid in the top tube and head tube but the seat tube is 10mm higher. It looks like the right bike for me but the wheelbase is a lot shorter.

Hey, muddydwarf, I dont want to put you off cycling – the more the merrier! Heck, it’s another person for me to race against. 😉

Have you got a link to the geometry of the two bikes? It might be tricky to compare since the Boardman’s use flat bars and the Mekk’s have drops bars…..

http://www.boardmanbikes.com/hybrid/hybrid_comp.html

is the Boardman, although mine is a 2010 model

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/mekk-2g-poggio-p15-sora-2013/

is the Mekk.

The Boardman fits me well, have done the C2C in a day on it and several full day rides of 60/80/100 miles on it.
just fancy something a bit faster.

It’s taken me plenty of hours to find a setup that looks good in photos…

I tend to ride mine for upto ninety minutes at a time, prowling the popular routes looking for other lads to ride faster than….

Often I’ve disagreed with opinions and standpoints you’ve expressed on here, but that post Mr Taylforth is sheer class.

You say you prefer smaller frames. Does that mean that you want a compact frame that fits rather than a traditional frame that fits? Or would you prefer a compact frame that is too small?

The TT and chainstays are both longer on the Hybrid, which explains the longer wheelbase. The key measurements (reach and stack) are missing though. The Mekk has a steeper seatube which’ll put you in a more forward position, you could always use a bit more saddle setbck to offset this though.

Also, most compact drop bars have a reach of about 70mm (which is where your hoods will be) which obviously makes up for the shorter TT length on the Mekk.

**** knows, the only way you know if its gonna fit is by trying it (or something similar) but I dont think you’ll go far wrong if you just buy it and then spend a bit of time tweaking the position (with different saddle and bar positions). That’s half the fun for me, don’t think many people bother to do it though (judging by the amount of bikes I see with 5 inches of spacers under the stem and stock components that the bike was bought with).

Well I’m 5’2″ so i wont have too many spacers – mind you i do have a bunch under the Boardman stem. Never having had a proper road bike before I’m a bit nervous of dropping a grand and not getting it right.
I’ll not be racing, or even entering sportives its more for long distance rides with friends.

Get a 2nd hander?

Small Giant Defy is my recommendation. Slightly longer in the head tube so bars not too low. You may want a longer stem than stock. The very low front and slammed stem is a recent phenomenon. And whilst attractive on a pro bike, is unachievable for many. Youll go much faster and further if you are comfortable. And you should always test comfort by riding on the drops. The hoods should feel too high, after all it’s a drop handlebar bike. A long low reach is the usual culprit for not using them properly.

That’s why I’m looking at bikes with shallow drop compact bars, will look at the defy too.

I’m 5’7″ and ride a 52cm Cannondale super six.

Don’t worry to much about the bars. Most come with compacts anyway. But they’re cheap to replace (£20) and its worth messing with stuff like bars and stems and saddles to get a comfy position.

Being a midget i have to do that with all my bikes!
Strangely enough, the only bike that’s fit me perfectly from the off has been my Marin Wolf Ridge 6.8, even though its a 140mm burly bike there’s something about the geometry that is just right for me.

I’m off the a local dealership tonight to sit on a couple of Mekk bikes to see what suits me – if anything.
Personally would rather buy from a shop when buying a bike, and there is only a tenner difference between the online and shop price anyway.