terrymorse 

Terry's approximate rule for selecting a road bike frame size:

1. Take your height in inches.
2. Subtract 14 from that number.
3. The resulting number is your frame size in centimeters.
4. Pick a frame size that's closest to that number.



Cyclist mean Height vs Frame Size - Road Bikes

RubeRad

Convenient rule of thumb. At a hair under 6', that puts me on a 58. Which is certainly doable, but I prefer to stretch out on a 60 and have (as Riv/GP recommends) just a 'fistful of seatpost'. So I guess the rule of thumb I use would be height-12.

jade408

I think this rule is decent. But I am 5'4" and anywhere between 49-52 can be the right size for me. Sometimes the smaller frame has a cramped cockpit or way too much toe overlap.

jade408

I rode on 1.5 on my last bike. This new one as 1.75 and it is awesome, 2 rides in. I don't think I want to go back to "only" 1.5. My roads are terrible. In some places, the "smooth" pavement is worse than gravel.

RubeRad

Sounds like, to avoid a cramped cockpit, you also prefer height-12 (64" - 12 = 52)

tim24k

I agree if you ride mostly on badly broken up and some gravel roads 1.75” is better. On my Surley LHT I have Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 1.75” that work well in hard packed gravel roads. I also run 2.0” and up Schwalbe Big Apples on deeper gravel and on a tandem.

BobbyG

Check with your local bike shops for pre-owned or reconditioned bikes. They will have been "gone over" by bike mechanics and they often come with some type of short warranty, and sometimes you can return or exchange it if it isn't quite right.

wphamilton

When I began, knowing almost nothing about bikes, I followed the general advice and called every bike shop in the area. None of them had a used bike, period. That avenue did not exist. Looking at Craig's list I couldn't tell trash from a gem, except that anything that I saw as a "good prospect" was snapped up long before I contacted them. I realized that the time necessary to research each bike, and to constantly monitor CL for fresh listings, was a greater loss than possibly paying more. So I purchased an inexpensive bike online.


Since you (@Blu3b3ar) have a bike and bike home from work you're probably ahead of where I was. You might post links to CL ads here and some of the knowledgeable members can tell you instantly if the bike is worth the price. But you know more or less what you want - I'd say don't waste time and just pick an inexpensive, new entry level bike.


FWIW I wouldn't spend $500 on an old 2008 Fuji. Maybe $200, if it was in great condition and I was in a hurry.