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Hello,
I have decided to venture in the dark side and get a road bike. I am looking at the Cube Peloton Race and SL, and the Specialized Allez Elite and Comp.
For some reason it is almost impossible to find any in 49-50cm in stock because the new ranges are coming out in the next month or three! Of all of the above I would like to get a Peloton SL, anyone any ideas of where to get one on 50cm?
Thanks, Ben
first question have you actually sat on any of them? Seriously save your money for something you can sit on.
Road bike fit matters more than MTB so makes sense for a first bike to actually spend time getting it right rather than assuming size charts will tell you the answer.
I am not saying those are bad bikes, just don't get hung up on brands and bikes yet.
So I am guessing that's a no then...
Really my question is why is it seemingly impossible to buy a bike that you want for approx 3 months of the year because the manufacturers are phasing in new models?
A 50cm Peleton would be a very small bike indeed. Are you sure of the sizing?
As regards availability, for a model like the Peleton, Cube would likely have them all made at the start of the season and that means they have to guess how many will be required. Once they are all sold, no more will be made and that's why you end up waiting for the next years model. It would seem that many of the manufacturers were a bit caught out by demand this year.
Really my question is why is it seemingly impossible to buy a bike that you want for approx 3 months of the year because the manufacturers are phasing in new models?
If bikes are left over at the end of the year to be sold cheap the manufacturer screwed up. It is probably better to run out than to have stock left over to devalue the brand.
Try Velocity at Lindley, Huddersfield. I bought my Peloton there, and he will at least be able to have a straight conversation about availability. If not he'll be good for some alternatives.
Thanks for the responses. I am 5'6" and ride a small Chameleon and a 49cm Kona City. I have entered a Sportive at the beginning of October and was hoping to pick something up before then. Not obsessed about brands just like the groupset and finishing kit on the Cubes for the money.
Find your local proper roadie shop, he might have a jig for you to sit on, or at least he'll know what size you want, on a road bike the correct size is important as if incorrect you get aches and pains you never knew existed, you can tweak a little with hardware but not much.
FWIW, I'm 5'7" and ride a 56cm Cube GTC Agree.
I don't know what your budget is like, but for a bit more than the Peleton SL, you could also get a GTC Agree. The Bike Chain in Edinburgh have both a 53cm and a 56cm in stock at the moment. It would be worth giving them a buzz with your "requirements" 😉
http://www.thebikechain.co.uk/Cube-Agree-GTC-Compact-56-20110901070111/
So it would appear that a 49-50 may be a bit small? On my Chameleon I ride with a 50mm flat stem, and a 90mm on the Kona. What do most road bikes come set up with?
You're approaching it far too simplistically 🙂 but road bikes generally have longer stems. Mind you,, there are all sort of other geometry changes too.
So less slack and longer cockpit?
Woah fella- as Druidh says you need to get a leg over and try something out. You almost certainly do not want a 50.
I am the same height as you and ride a 56 cube. 54 anything else within reason.
Get down your local dealer and try some bikes out. Don't buy off a sheet of meaningless specs and parts. Test a few, get some advice from a dealer who can see your position and pick the one you like the best. Have fun!
5'6" here and have had two Bianchi' road bikes in the 52cm size, both with same geometry. Effective/horizontal top tube lengths seem to be the best start point - 525mm on mine and running 100mm stem.
Your bar choice makes a fair difference and in roadie terms I'm a real fashion disaster as I have an upturned stem and a couple of spacers on my race geometry frame but compared to an mtb it's still pretty head down arse in the air.
It's a pain getting smaller sizes as they don't sell so many so don't make many and no dealer will just hold stock on the off chance of selling one.
Careful of going too short though a small frame will quickly turn twitchy if you have to lengthen contact points.
Thanks for this, sounds like a plan!
Go to your local LBS and ask for their advice. Then see where you go from their. Random Internet assistance is TBH of no help whatsoever. Oh. 😉
Go to a good quality bike shop who knows what they are talking about rather than listening to some of the numb nuts on here, saying well I'm this height and ride this size frame is absolutely meaningless.They know FA about you ,your body,how you ride etc etc .
I'm 5ft 6 and had a 50cm Peloton last year, I found the fit to be spot on. I was sized by my lbs at the time. I have since sold the bike but I'd happily buy another in that size.
The Top Tube was 525mm and felt spot on for me, I was a bit nippit for the 53 for stand over height.
I'm in the market for another tho so I'll be nipping through to throw a leg over a nice Van Nicholas Mistral in Edinburgh next month.
Cube make great bikes, so you won't go far wrong.
As others have said though, they are a bit particular when it comes to sizing.
I'm the same height as druidh and ended up with the same bike, but in a 53cm frame. Bought through my lbs (Walker @ Kilmaurs, great shop btw) so all done correctly.
However, after 70 or so miles I'm feeling its a wee bit tight for me. Just a couple of little things-
1)its got wing-like bars that have a wider than usual profile, and I felt my wrists/forearms were getting rubbed when I was up out of the saddle. The solution for this has been to fit a slightly longer stem, which has also reduced the sprint wobbles.
2)My toes cross the front wheel just slightly when I'm doing extremely tight low-speed turns. To be fair, this would happen to anyone with more than size 5 or so feet on the 53.
With hindsight I think I might have been better with the 56, but probably would have needed a smaller stem. My Boardman is a 55 and I feel its a bit big. I can't see the shop swapping the Cube at this stage somehow, 70 miles later so I guess I can live with it. But it rides really well, is light and fast, has nice wheels and makes me look good 🙂
Minor niggles. Just make sure that if its a Cube you get yourself to a shop!
Ok, so test rode a 53 Cube today. It's hard to say if it was right given that all I am used to is a HT MTB and a Hybrid for commuting. In the light of it being seemingly difficult to obtain a 49-50cm bike I think the 53 has it. The bike felt slightly long, but I think this could be down to the difference between this and my other bikes. The stand over and frame size felt right though, and the effective length could be adjusted with either a lay back seat post or slightly shorter stem. I went for the Race rather than the SL in the end.
I was lucky enough to get a ride of both before I bought mine. I've never had a 56cm road bike before, so the Cubes are definitely sized a bit on the small side. Lovely bike though. Much more comfortable than the Focus Cayo I was riding previously.codybrennan - Member
With hindsight I think I might have been better with the 56,
As you say, you probably need to get used to it a wee bit. Start with shorter rides and build up.palmer77 - Member
The bike felt slightly long, but I think this could be down to the difference between this and my other bikes. The stand over and frame size felt right though, and the effective length could be adjusted with either a lay back seat post or slightly shorter stem.
The main thing is that it felt fast!!!
The sizing is where a decent shop comes in, as you said it is different to a MTB, depends a bit on what sort of hardtail your used to, XC race or jump bike, etc. as to how different.
Try not to play around too much with the seat post, saddle position is basically a function of seat angle and leg makeup, adjust it so it is right then fiddle with the bars/stem.
I foresee a few worrying situations with the 'responsive' steering at speed though!
Don't bother
Nah - you'll get used to it pretty quick.
I foresee a few worrying situations with the 'responsive' steering at speed though!
What is more likely, is that you'll grow to hate the slow unresponsive lumbering nature of so many mtbs.
If its any help - I'm a touch over 5ft 6in. Ride 15in or 16in mountain bikes and ride road bikes anywhere between a 44cm Ribble Carbon Evo, 50cm Focus Cayo Expert and 49cm Scott CR1. As previously stated though - its the length of the top-tube that counts. Horizontal - the max length for my height would be 530mm. The shortest being about 510mm.
Personally, I'm not the sort of person who needs to try before I buy. I do a lot of reading up and study the geometry before commiting to the purchase. Any after purchase tweaks tend to be stem lengths, bar widths and saddle rail adjustment.