A few years ago I bought a s/h Kona Jake the Snake 63cm frame because it was big and built it up with parts from a donor bike (Ultegra 6500 groupset, Mavic rims/Hope bubs). I used this for commuting occasionally (10mile roundtrip) and the odd Manchester Blackpool ride.

I’ve since moved, now do a 30mile round trip commute, live among some lovely quiet and hilly lanes so am trying to get out a bit more. At New Year I also signed up for the CW125 sportif in September to give me some motivation to get fit.

I’m now pondering whether to replace the groupset with 105 (£400) or just buy a new bike that might fit a bit better.  However, I’ve no idea how to go about it. Shops aren’t going to carry bikes in my size and I can’t afford to pay for a proper bike fit.

So how do tall people (6’7″ with 36″ inside leg) buy bikes?  I’d be looking at bike to work budget.

Cheers.

compare numbers on potential new buys with your existing bike and go from there?

The big names like Trek and Specialized seem to go further up and down the size ranges than those that sell less volume so probably best to stick with them.

Same way anyone else does – research, try a few shops to see a range of bikes and find one that fits best at your price range. Assuming the price is right, buy from shop, if not, do what everyone else does and search online for same bike but cheaper…

Im 6ft 5, but with 36″ leg, and currently using a Specialized allez, 58cm frame, but with quite a long seat post and raised stem.  i find this ok.  If you could find a 61cm one, it should be fine.

Canyon’s sizing on many of their road bikes goes up to 3XL which they say fits riders up to 204cm which is 6′ 8″

https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road/endurace/2018/endurace-al-7-0.html  £999 with a 105 groupset

Cannondale used to do big big sizes as well.

Im 6ft 5, but with 36″ leg, and currently using a Specialized allez, 58cm frame

same height and inside leg as you – i rode a 61 Spec Roubaix which always felt good.  58’s feel too small when i’ve tried them

Spec size chart

https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/contentPages.asp?pageID=62

Currently riding an XL Giant Defy which Giant’s chart say would fit up to 6′ 8″ (!) so i’m at the lower end of thier advice.  I definitely wouldn’t want it any smaller…

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/_upload_au/rider_height_frame_size.pdf

same height and inside leg as you – i rode a 61 Spec Roubaix which always felt good.  58’s feel too small when i’ve tried them

I’m not surprised, I’m 5’11” with a 32″ inside leg and ride a 56cm (new) Allez

Specialized seem to do some bikes in 64cm sizes – https://www.specialized.com/gb/en/mens-diverge-comp-e5/p/128909

I think that the one I linked to is actually an adventure bike but should illustrate.

Evans seem to have quite a few 61 & 62 cm road bikes and also do trade ins if that appeals.

Try one of the bigger chains that has all sorts of stuff in group stock, like Evans. Then ask if they can get one in for you to build and sit on.

Your average local bike shop won’t have a 63cm frame hanging about, and they’d have to pay for one to get it in stock with and the distributors don’t take returns so they’d be stuck with it and won’t do it for you unless you’re 100% sure what bike you want and they’ve sold one to someone a similar size before.

I’m 5’10” & ride  a 56cm.

I jumped on my mates new MTB the other, who’s 6’2″ & the saddle position was fine for me. I think I’m all leg.

(6’5″ here)

My approach is to start with what I know (which in your case is your 63cm Jake) and figure out if there’s anything I’d like to change and what that means for the geometry (eg I might fancy keeping the saddle-to-bar reach but using a shorter stem, which would mean a longer top tube), and then spend ages poring over geometry sheets looking for the closest matches. (The most important measurements, for me at least, being seat angle, top tube length, head tube plus fork length, and head angle.)

You’ll be extremely lucky to find any shops with stock in your size and in many cases it’s a challenge to even get them to get one in. The only way I’ve managed it before is to pay for the bike up front with the option of returning it for a refund once it’s delivered.

To help shortcut your process, I’ve found that it’s almost uniquely American manufacturers who make bikes big enough for me. So I’d start there: I’ve always ended up with Surly, Cannondale and Trek (and of those I’m maxed out on the latter two, and Surly would be my first advice for anyone taller than me) but then there’s Soma, All-City and plenty more who all cater for big’uns.

6’5″ here, and with a combination of guess work, research and difficulty.

Firstly, as above, start with what you’ve got and work from there, that’ll give you a good idea from start from

Then, go and visit the big brand shops, Giant stores, Spec concept store, etc. They often have big sizes, not in the model you’ll want, but you’ll at least me able to sit on them.

Then you’re into guess work unless you want a Giant or a Spec.

The “proper” answer would be to go to a bike fitter and get them to size you before buying, but that’ll cost you £100 ish before you even buy a bike.

Evans will get a bike in for you to demo, I think, for something like £50. You then get that off the bike if you buy it.

A girl at work has just got an Pinnacle Arkose using this method.

Leisure Lakes used to be pretty good at this sort of thing too.

It’s just narrowing your choices down & finding stock that’ll be the issue I guess.

The “proper” answer would be to go to a bike fitter and get them to size you before buying, but that’ll cost you £100 ish before you even buy a bike.

A decent bike shop should be able to help you out for less than that.  I bought my last new bike on C2W from Condor in London.  We werren’t sure whether M of L would be best, so they replicated  one size and then the other on the bike jig and we went from there.  Didn’t take much time, and they didn’t charge me.

Even easier if you’re going to a big chain with a range of sizes already built up.

Cheers.

I’ve managed to dig out the 2010 geometry for the Snake and so I’ll get studying. Looks like it was a 62cm frame.

That Canyon looks good but no bike to work opportunity.  Specialized website seem to start at £1500 which is more that I want to commit to. I’ll take a look at Giant and try to pop into Evans at  some point.

Thanks for the pointers so far.

If it helps, when I worked in a Giant and Trek dealer whenever someone wanted a road bike and they were 6’4″ or above Trek were the ones to go to. Shame their sub £1k road bikes are crap value for money.

Could be worth calling around the bigger chains – having the odd tiny/giant bike was a positive for customers of EBCs so they could get a fit right before ordering a bike.

I’m 6ft3 and ride 60cm Surly Long Haul Trucker (tourer) and Pacer (road).  Not too much seatpost showing. The 62cm might fit.

https://surlybikes.com/bikes/pacer/geometry

The Pacer isn’t the lightest bike, all steel,  but handles well and copes with (in my case) a heavy rider.

EDIT  looks like the Pacer isn’t sold in the UK anymore. Not in stock anywhere. Looks like a 64cm frameset  on clearance at

https://www.comptoncycles.co.uk/m2b164s208p13040/SURLY-Pacer-Red-Flake-64cm

6″4 with a 36″ inside leg here.

I went hunting on ebay and just chanced the final bike would fit.

I got a 61cm cannondale synapse. They did 63cm in some frames.

Good luck!

Your not abnormal mate your only 6ft 7. Bikes in XL will be fine. At the most add a little in the stem.

I’m 6ft 5 and ride an xl forme flash 2 as my race road bike. I also ride a forme winscar hardtail in a 19 inch which is okay but should be a 21 inch but it’s more squirty round the twisty bits. Also just bought a Sonder Frontier in rigid off the shelf and it’s a perfect fit again in xl. Simply add some stem or high post if Ness but it won’t be.

If the shop won’t order for you to test ride then go elsewhere. Today I use alpkit.com for anything Sonder. Highly recommended.

Cube does bikes for proper size people like us as well

6’6″ and leggy with it

I wouldn’t stress over it too much. I’m the same height and inside leg, I started on a 61cm Tricross years back, a 62cm Canyon Ultimate Al (2XL, they do a bigger one too) and now I’ve got an XL Giant Propel. All of them have had space for higher seat post, all of them I’ve just blindly bought, then faffing with stems and things until I’m happy. Trek sizing seemed generous, I was tempted to go that direction for a while.

I struggle more with mountain bikes to be honest, modern longer frames are helping, but a lot of frames max out at 20″, meaning I need a mile of seatpost. With carbon frames this generally leads to creaking due to the 15 stone balanced on the other end. Cars and trousers too, they’re rubbish. Road bikes are easy though.

6’5″ here, Canyon and Cannondale have usually been my starting points. That and custom of course. I didn’t even get the largest Canyon frame when I bought one recently, and have always been kicking myself for not getting a 25″ cannondale tourer way back when they made them…

Just under 6’4″ with 36″ inside leg here on an XL Defy. With a 90mm stem and hydro hoods the reach is slightly too long, I’d probably be better off on a Large. So at a wildy inaccurate internet guess one of them with a 120mm stem will fit you perfectly, guaranteed.

If the shop won’t order for you to test ride then go elsewhere

There speaks someone with no clue about retailing.

Same problem here (200cm)….very few shops will stock (or source) frames large enough for a test ride. Well, they probably will if you have a big wedge of cash but I don’t have that.

I’ve guessed with frame sizes so far for road bikes and been lucky.

Cannondale Super Six (61cm) is my current bike and its great. Reasonably long top tube and good handling.

6’7 here and ride a 61cm Allez with lots of post showing. Some specialized frames are made in a 64cm but not many. Finding the largest sizes can be difficult and sell out really quickly.

Lots of good suggestions above. I’m an inch shorter with slightly longer legs. Depending a bit on the geometry I look for a 61-63cm frame. Cannondale are my preferred maker as they do big frames that I enjoy riding. Bike shops probably won’t have those sizes on the floor but they should have the next size down which will give you amsense of whether the bike is for you.