"Road" bike sizing
 

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[Closed] "Road" bike sizing

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Hi all, have been looking at the Charge Plug for commuting (only a couple of miles, + anything else i decided i wanted to use it for), but as I have no idea about anything even slightly road related, I'm not sure how the sizings are worked out. Are they BB to top of seat tube?

Wiggle says small = 56cm, medium = 59cm, large = 62cm. Which seem huge to me...my MTB is 17.5" Cove! I'd rather something a bit smaller I guess so I'm not so stretched out in a racer position.

I'm about 6', inside leg of 32" - anyone able to help me out?

Thank you!


 
Posted : 13/01/2009 12:13 pm
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I'd say the effective toptube length is more important than the nominal frame size. Assuming the bike has drop bars, you want a slightly shorter toptube on the road bike as the bars have a couple of inches of extra reach in them, whether you're riding on the hoods or in the drops.

My mountain bikes have 24 inch top tubes with 90mm stems and my road and cross bikes' toptubes are both about 22 inches with 100mm stems.

I'm 5ft 11in, ride a large chromag, a large santa cruz and both the road and cross bikes are larges too, 56cms I think, Scott and Specialized.


 
Posted : 13/01/2009 12:33 pm
 aP
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I'm particularly impressed by the careful use of imperial and metric measurement in the same sentence.
You'll probably be wanting at least a 56cm top tube bike, but rather than accept completely sight unseen advice over the internet go to your LBS.


 
Posted : 13/01/2009 12:44 pm
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Cheers Mr Flash...it doesn't have drop bars, but those bull horn type ones for honking up hills.

If your larges are 56cm then the sizing of the Charge seems a bit on the big side then to me. I couldn't find any geometry on their website either.

Looks like my MTB is a 23" top tube with a 70mm stem, so not much help!


 
Posted : 13/01/2009 12:45 pm
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@aP - seems to be the way road bikes are sized, it's not my doing.


 
Posted : 13/01/2009 12:47 pm
 aP
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Go to a damned shop, and try one there.


 
Posted : 13/01/2009 12:48 pm
 aP
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Oh, and if its any help, both my road bikes are 56cm top tube and I'm 5'8". 😉


 
Posted : 13/01/2009 12:50 pm
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Cheersfanks. Is that effective or actual length?

And go to a shop?! Offline shopping? ARE YOU MAD?!


 
Posted : 13/01/2009 12:54 pm
 aP
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Actual (although they're both compact frames - one from 1997 and the other from 2005).
Off-line? Shouldn't you be asking about light cycles instead?
[img] ?w=500&h=230[/img]


 
Posted : 13/01/2009 1:01 pm
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Ooh, now there's an idea. What size light cycle would I need? And which tyres do they work best with?


 
Posted : 13/01/2009 1:09 pm
 aP
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I can remember getting really excited before going to see Tron.....
and the new film's out later this year...


 
Posted : 13/01/2009 1:13 pm
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I didn't know they were making one.

/Burns childhood memories now to save time


 
Posted : 13/01/2009 1:45 pm
 aP
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[url= http://gizmodo.com/5029479/tron-2-trailer-video-makes-pants-wet-worldwide ]Lights match...[/url]


 
Posted : 13/01/2009 2:06 pm
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32" inside leg is between 54-60cm seat tube, based on a level TT measurement, with a compact frame it could be any fricking size.


 
Posted : 13/01/2009 2:52 pm
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ive always had a 58 cm road frame (32 inside leg 6'2) bought a new frame online and i hate it rode it once - replaced it straight away - compact road frame make it very hard to tell - i would LBS it mate


 
Posted : 13/01/2009 11:16 pm
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charge plug is a bit of a lump...


 
Posted : 13/01/2009 11:31 pm