jrockey2

Hello All,
I am looking to purchase my first track bike and I was wondering if I could get some advise on what frame size would be best. I am currently looking at a 55cm square NJS frame. I am 182cm tall (roughly 6 feet), with an inseam of 84cm. I also will be using a 100-110 mm stem. I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on what size will be perfect for me.

aniki

Hi,
It's hard to tell for certain without knowing your exact proportions but from personal experience a 55 will be just fine. I would suggest you will probably need a longer stem though (although again, I don't know how much of your height is in your legs vs torso or how long your arms are or how flexible you are)
Many will probably say it's too small but I'm a big proponent of slightly smaller frames.
I'm 180cm and ride a 56 Cinelli Vigorelli (which I feel is slightly too big) and a custom made 55 titanium. On the Ti bike I only use a 100mm stem as I use it on the road so I have hoods. On the track your main consideration is distance to the drops so as I say, you may need to go a little longer. Your Seat tube angle will also be steep which will throw you forward.
There's probably too many things we can't tell without looking at you but assuming your proportions and flexibility are fairly 'normal' my personal opinion would be that you should have no problem at all making that bike fit you.
I ride fixed exclusively on the road and the considerations are VERY different so the above is all assuming you intend to ride track.

Moisture

Everybody will have different opinions on stuff like this. Seeing a picture of you on your bike could be helpful.

Some say go a bit small, others say go as large as possible. Then you get the short stem versus long stem crowd.

Based on your inseam I recommend a 58 or even 60cm frame. You're pretty long.legged, so I would suggest a shorter stem. I say better to go shorter than longer.

Cyclist0100

My advice is this: NEVER take frame fit recommendations from anyone on a forum!!! Find a professional, independent fitter in your area and be prepared to pay $100-$200. It's money well spent to make sure you get onto the correct frame size for your body and riding style. And even after you identify the correct frame size/geometry you still have to fit for saddle height/pitch/fore-aft, stem length, stem angle, cleat position (if you are using clipless pedals), handlebar position, etc. Bike fitting is more complex than most people think.

I'm curious why you're already set on using a 100-100mm stem? How do you know that's the correct length for you?

If you're only riding casually for short distances you can get away with a lot in terms of "bad" bike fit. Over shorter distances at low intensity you likely won't even notice that some aspects of your fit may be "less than optimal". But if you're actively training to get stronger and faster on the bike and/or riding longer distances, a bad fit will become much more apparent. If you're in the former category, a professional bike fit may not be necessary. If you're in the later category, a professional bike fit would be highly beneficial. Best of luck!