Choosing the right frame size

On Dec 15, 4:22*pm, "Steve Freides" wrote:

Yeah, except that not everyone needs a custom frame.

Didn't say that. See the following paragraphs.

*My saga was pretty
interesting, at least to me - I started with a frame with what was
supposed to be the right standover height, then kept trying bigger and
bigger frame until I had one I couldn't stand over even in cycling
shoes - I had to slide to one side to put a foot down - but I loved the
way it rode. *The custom bike I eventually ordered had a top tube
several cm bigger than anything being produced in that size I could
find. *(NB: Interestingly, some really old bikes fit me because there
was a time when they made one size of top tube for all frame sizes ...)

I am short in the legs and long in the TT to an extreme, myself.
Measured by people who measure people for bike fit g.
I used to be a toe-pointer (down) and rode a frame with a much taller
seat tube than I do now. Lots.
"Top tube length learning curve", BTDT.

Hence I comment when someone asks, especially someone who talks about
being "cramped" on a bike they can straddle the top tube of, while a
bike that needs the seat shoved (way?) down feels good to ride.

Or, maybe there is a shop with a "fit guru" who has successful
experience in making "off the rack" customers happy. Many people can
be happy with non-custom frame sizing, by (as above) choosing
seatposts, stems, crank length etc. to suit their choice of production
frame.

Even that is risky business. *The guy at my LBS is a real pro at fitting
people, but his suggestions just didn't and don't work for me.

I have had people tell me I didn't know what I was talking about when
I stated my bike fit measurements. Sometimes very rudely, and I've had
several experts tell me "That stem is way too long, that bike doesn't
fit you!" like I was committing a sin or something, and I learned to
respond: "It does now!!!" which is a pretty good response to that kind
of crap-ola. More BTDT, just sayin'.

One thing, I saw "not racing"; you might be happier with a more
upright riding position than you've used previously. This is a big
factor in choosing among custom and production frames; you want
something (obviously, but...) that is comfortable and fun to ride, not
something that has to be aero and quite possibly less comfy.

+1 to that. *Drop bar have different positions just for this purpose.
Find something that's comfortable for long distances on the tops and/or
hoods, and that you can really tuck into on the drops - that's proper
fit, IMHO.

If you can tuck without pain/injury, then you provide the position. If
tucking is bad, you have to adjust. BTDT, too.
--D-y

On Dec 15, 5:36*am, "Steve Freides" wrote:
OccasionalFlyer wrote:
I know this isn't a racing question per se, but I didn't see a
newsgroup that looked more appropriate. *I'm shopping for a new road
bike, and am considering a Trek Madone, Cannondale Synapse or
Supersix, or Cervelo (like an R3). *I'cw having a little trouble with
this. *Cannondale and Cervelo both seem to have frame sizes of 51 and
54 but nothing in-between. My current road bike is 52cm and that feels
right. *I've tried both the 51' with the seat raised and the 54' with
the seat lowered. *The person at the bike store who worked with me
didn't really seem able to say, "You can tell if it's the right frame
size if..." *The 54' is too tall, even with the seat lowered, while
the 51' feels a bit too cramped. *I know that comfort (since I'm not
trying to race any more) is important but there are multiple
adjustments that could be made, like stem height, to make the right
sized frame feel more comfortable. *Is there any good technique beyond
standing over the top tube and assessing how much space there is
between the bike and the rider to determine if I'm choosing the right
frame size? *There are probably bike shops where I could get more help
with this but I haven't found any yet in my area. *Thanks.

Ken

1. *Why a new road bike? *Just curious - is there anything that
component upgrades wouldn't fix on the frame you currently ride and, I
assume, are happy with?

Steve,

Thanks for the comments. I have a Trek 2100 that is about 20 years
old. It won't take all the upgrades that I want. Most significantly,
the frame is too narrow to accomodate today's 9 or 10 cog cassettes,
not to mention that the first bike I saw with combined brake levers-
shifters at the time was way out of reach financially. Adding this
after the fact, even if there was one for my frame, it would cost t so
much that I would probably save money on a whole bike. I am looking
to get better components than Shimano 105. That;s the basic reason.
I see this as probably my last road bike purchase (barring a massive
crash). If it lasts as long as the current one, I'll be dead by then!

Ken

OccasionalFlyer wrote:

1. Why a new road bike? Just curious - is there anything that
component upgrades wouldn't fix on the frame you currently ride and,
I assume, are happy with?

Steve,

Thanks for the comments. I have a Trek 2100 that is about 20 years
old. It won't take all the upgrades that I want. Most significantly,
the frame is too narrow to accomodate today's 9 or 10 cog cassettes,
not to mention that the first bike I saw with combined brake levers-
shifters at the time was way out of reach financially. Adding this
after the fact, even if there was one for my frame, it would cost t so
much that I would probably save money on a whole bike. I am looking
to get better components than Shimano 105. That;s the basic reason.
I see this as probably my last road bike purchase (barring a massive
crash). If it lasts as long as the current one, I'll be dead by then!

Ken

I wish you many happy miles on your new bike - enjoy!

-S-