phatcatkev

Hey everyone - due to COVID I am having a pretty tough time with this issue. I have a Specialized Crosstrail and am looking to upgrade to a Specialized Diverge. With the new lineup coming out soon, most LBS around me do not have any diverge. One suggested that I come in and try out an Allez just to see if I enjoy the positioning since this will be my first drop bars bike.

My issue comes with sizing. I am 6 foot with a 31 inseam and everywhere I am reading says between a 56 and 58. Every LBS is telling me 58. My crosstail is a size L and I have been looking everywhere and can't seem to find what a L crosstrail translates to in CM.

The shop has a current rule of 1 bike per day due to COVID and brought me out a 58. The seat was maybe a tad higher than the handle bars when looking at it from the side (I always see road bikes with the seat much higher but not sure if that matters.) He measured it with me and told me I was good to go. A few minutes into the ride, I tried to stand and realized I was BARELY higher than when seated. My leg was straight when pedaling at the bottom with lead me to think the bike might be too big.

So my questions are - without the ability to go ride a bunch of bikes, what size would you recommend? And does anyone know what a L crosstrail equates to?

Thanks!

Iride01 

How did you measure you leg length? Don't use pant size. Measure from snug in the crotch to the ground. Some insist on without shoes, but you'll probably wear shoes when you ride, so that half inch or so isn't a big deal. Now if you got 6" heels, that might be an issue. <grin>

Unless your crosstail is the same geometry as the bike you are getting, then don't try to convert the size into cm of seat tube. Different model bikes even within the same manufacture might have different geometry that makes that seat tube length meaningless.

Otherwise, you aren't any different than the many other recent threads here about fitting. So what is already written still applies. Look at some of the other response in those threads.

Leisesturm

I am 5'10" and my bike is a 58cm. I 'should' have a 56cm but they didn't have one. What this means in actuality is that the stem (100mm) is probably 20cm too long for optimum comfort. I'll change it someday. Maybe. It's really not that big a deal. I DOUBT that at 6' that a 58cm is 'too big'. Anyway, it isn't really about the seat tube length. The seat tube of a LG Crosstrail is 50cm. The seat tube of a 58cm Diverge is 52cm. That is correct. What is sold as a 58cm only has a seat tube 52cm long because it is the 'effective seat tube length' that is relevant. The top tube on both bikes slope, but the top tube of a Crosstrail slopes much more than the top tube of a Diverge.

The 'stand-over height' of the 'large' size bike of each model will be very different. What is more important to you as a rider is the 'reach' to the bars. The 'reach' of the LG Crosstrail and the 58cm Diverge will (should be) close. I will assume the salesman eyeballed a working seat height for you and sent you out to test ride. I don't mean to be mean, but when I go in to test ride a bike I tell the salesman what height to put the seat at. The cheapest Diverge is double the price of my roadie. You don't want to leave it to random knuckle draggers like me who have nothing better to do than post online. I have to agree with the earlier poster who suggested reading threads on bike fit. But even better is to find some YouTube videos on bike fit where the information is presented clearly without the usual arguments and disagreements on a user forum. Good luck.

GeneO 

Your saddle is adjusted too high if your leg is straight at the bottom of the pedal. It should be around 30 degrees. It doesn't mean your bike is too big, but that the saddle is adjusted too high by the shop. 58 sounds about right to me.

av8n

Sometimes it’s hard to find the right fit when you’re in between sizes.

Random11

I agree with GeneO. I am 6 feet tall, have a 58 Diverge, and it feels completely right. I've had the bike for 10 months and I'm putting about 400 miles a month on it. Very comfortable!

Carbonfiberboy 

Yes, quite. This also means that this bike shop or at least this employee doesn't know f-all about what they're doing. Unbelievable lack of basic caring.