mdgbayly

New to road biking - looking to buy a bike.
I'm 5' 11" 1/2 so based on many sizing charts I've looked at, seems like I'm borderline 56/58cm but maybe closer to a 56cm.

Test rode a few bikes today and most of the guys helping me were about my height and they all ride 56cm.
However, one really small LBS, that I really want to support, initially thought 58cm but I tried both 56 and 58.
56 felt a little cramped to me and the 58 felt a little stretched out, but I'm new to road bikes so don't really know what I'm talking about. The different model 56s i tried earlier in the day felt great.

My preferred bike that this smaller LBS carries, they only have in a 58cm but they were suggesting they could make it work by switching to a shorter stem. But my concern is they're only saying that because they want to sell me the bike...

Is that a red flag? Or is it totally legit to tweak the fit by swapping out components like that.

I know I'm answering my own question here, but I felt like one of the other LBSs I went to earlier paid much more attention to fit, and they were adamant a 58 was too big for me.

So freakin' hard to choose!

Thanks
M.

rpenmanparker 

Yes, when you are between sizes, adjusting the components is legit. Or when you just like a smaller size frame, increasing the stem length, for example, is legit. And vice-versa. You just want it to be because you choose to do it, not because you are SOLD the wrong size.

brianmcg123

People will fit on a range of sizes.

The stems can be lengthened or shortened for the reach you want.

A 56 will give you more saddle to bar drop. Meaning more aero, but may be uncomfortable. A 58 will have less bar drop and be more upright if you have the correct reach.

10 Wheels

Go w the 58.

Stretching out is a Good Thing.

shelbyfv

As you get accustomed to riding you will become more comfortable with a stretched out position. That's not to say you should buy a bike that doesn't fit, but if deciding between two sizes, as a new rider, the larger may work out better long term. FWIW, I'm 5'9" and ride a 56 with a normal stem length. I'm surprised a shop would have you on a 56 at your size. Assuming we are talking about effective top tube size, of course.

Pompiere

Since you are on the edge between sizes, slight differences in geometry between manufacturers could mean you will like one company's 56 and another company's 58. Pick the bike and the shop you like, then you can tweak the fit. Since you are new to road bikes, some things are going to feel different anyways, so don't make a lot of changes right away, until you have a chance to put some miles on the bike. What feels good in the parking lot, may not feel so great during a longer ride.

Maelochs

Please don't listen to what these people say ... or rather, listen but don't take it to heart (same goes for what I say.)

Stretched out is Not better. That guy doesn't even know what you mean by "stretched out." it may be that the bike fit well for a rider your size with strong core muscles and flexible joints ... who wanted to ride low. Not everyone does. That's why manufacturers have created whole lines of "endurance-geometry" bikes.

It is true that as you ride more you will gain strength and be able to ride lower ... but you might not want to. But you might.

All the people who say, "If you are X tall you need an XX frame" are ... pick a term.

Every single rider is different. We have different proportions, we have different levels of flexibility, and we have different desires, too.

Some people work hard to be able to look like professional road-racers. Some have the strength and ability to achieve it.

It works if you want to be as aero as possible ... but for some riders it gets uncomfortable and isn't efficient.

The idea that everyone wants or needs to pretend to be a pro rider is ridiculous.

Check this out. It too is just approximate: :https://www.competitivecyclist.com/S...ulatorBike.jsp

Ten-Wheels is not incorrect, that as you ride you will be Able to get lower. Thing is, you can flip your stem and get there too.

Also ... when you go to the bike shop ... make sure the saddle is in the right place. That's where fit starts. Then you can see how far it is to the bars ... and kind of imagine where the bars would be most comfortable.

If there are spacers under the stem, you could lower the stem later. If there is steerer above the stem, you could add spacers. You can add longer or shorter stems, and stems at various angles from -17 to +17 and some even more extreme.

it is a risky process. You can buy a bike thinking you might "grow into it," but you might not. You could also "outgrow" a bike which felt great at the bike shop. That is why it is best to make sure there are some spacers, some clear steerer above the stem, and that the stem isn't already super short or long (if you get a 56 which fits perfect with a slammed 130-mm stem, you can't go much longer or lower.)

10 Wheels

I had a bike that was One Size Too Small.

Rode it 14,000 miles.

I never became a good fit bike No matter what I did to it.

Added a Longer Stem. Added Longer Crank Arms.

Still didn't help.

10 Wheels

My Perfect Fit Bike 27,200 miles in The First Two Years of riding.

philbob57

The Competitive Cyclist tool should be illuminating. You'll see that nothing will be exactly what they recommend. For example, IIRC, it tells me I should ride a 52 cm frame with a 56 cm top tube and a stem between 10.1 and 10.9 cm. That's simply not something I can find in a mass-produced frame, and I can't afford a custom.

If you use the tool, I expect you'll see that it's absolutely necessary to tweak the fit with stems, spacers, etc.

af2nr

I'm 6' and have found to be most comfortable on a 56. I had a 57 LeMond years ago and I was "stretched out", not because I wanted to be but because that is where it put me. Choosing to be stretched out and having to be are two different things.

I would also try and put your feelings away in regards to shops, unless it is the only one who has what you want then you could be stuck with you trade with. I "had" a shop that I really liked, people, prices, etc. A while ago I went in to check availability of a bike and get a price, always had been positive experiences in the past. This time I got a price over current MSRP on the bike I wanted, original MSRP was $3,000 and I got quoted $2,700. Problem was this bike on the manufacturers website had dropped to $2,400, not a "sale" just a price drop. The shop wanted to sell me the disc version they had on the floor for $2,600, also $3,000 MSRP, but it wasn't the bike I wanted but it was the bike they had sitting on the floor and wanted to move. Went to another shop and got the bike for less than the current MSRP. So now I have one less shop that I will even look at to trade with, fool me once shame on you, there will be no twice.

MagicHour

Maybe give that competitive cyclist calculator a go, I've found it fairly accurate and frame size recommended was consistent with 2 pro fittings I've had. It's not perfect and just a starting point of reference though.

I'm your height , and knowing nothing about you or your build or anything else, likely you could make either size work, so it comes down to riding style, your physiology, preference etc. and also geometries of bikes you are looking at.
Things you can look at: on the 58 if you need a stem shorter than say 80-90mm(being conservative), or you feel too stretched out, maybe go with the 56. Bars too high/low relation to saddle height? and how much can they be raised or lowered? and take it from there.

Personally in addition to larger frame size, I find many 58s will step up on crank length to 175 and wider 44 bars, neither of which work for me and are both expensive(cranks) and or labor intensive (bars) swap outs. Stems are easy and inexpensive to swap out so that's less of an issue. In almost any frame/bike off the rack without exception, I've gone with the 56 or as close as a particular brands size range comes.

Hope any of these tips help you, good luck!

Maelochs

@ 10 Wheels ;, i am not saying your bike doesn't fit.

My point is ... YOU chose your bike to fit You.

You don't know the OP, you don't know how he looked on the bike, how he plans to ride, what he can and will do ...

That's why I keep saying, it isn't the number on the frame it is the rider on the bike.

You had a bike which was too small. I have had a bike which was too big.

The point: NEITHER bike fit. The idea is to help this guy find a bike He can ride all day long ... or for as long as he wants to ride.

I think we All want the Perfect Fit Bike. And I think that you would have to agree, that's a different bike for each of us.

I am over six feet tall. I just did a 2.5-hour ride yesterday on my 56 with a 90-mm, +17-degree stem. I felt great.

Everyone told me to get at least a 58 ... because of my height. If I had gotten a 58, I would have needed what .. a 55-mm stem?

I cannot ride like you do--I work 60-70 hours per week. I would if I could. i respect your experience and I admire at least that part of your lifestyle. And judging from your picture, you are a lot leaner and more fit than I.

But ... if I followed your advice I would have bought a 60-cm frame and been miserable. Maybe ... if I quit my job and rode every day, I might get the strength, flexibility, and fitness to ride stretched and low. But the way my life is going, it might be ten years before I would "grow into" a long, low frame. And that would be a decade of riding a bike which didn't fit.

Why would I want to do that?

And if I wouldn't want to do that, why would I recommend it for someone else?

If you reread my response, i told the OP that you were right .. he might grow into a longer, lower frame after some miles. I was not trying to invalidate your experience.

However, I also pointed out that he might not ... as that is My experience, based on my life, which is different than yours.

I would rather present a range of options so the OP can think it through and find the solution which best suits him, than say, "It works for me, therefore it is right, therefore you should do it--and so should everyone else in the world."

Really ... neither one of us know the OP, and neither of us will probably ever know what he decides to do. We are both trying to help him enjoy cycling.

Everything is alright.

10 Wheels

I am 1/2 inch Taller than the OP and ride 60's and 61's, 57,000 miles

Maelochs

I am an inch and a half taller than you and ride 56s ... what was your point again?

10 Wheels

Guess you don't have much fun on your tiny bike.

MagicHour

I guess this guy doesn't have much fun on his puny 56 at 6' tall either.
Peter Sagan's Specialized S-Works Tarmac - BikeRadar USA

Maelochs

10-wheels ... what's your problem with me? Because I dare to be taller and ride a smaller bike, I am The Enemy?

My bike fits me. I have been riding for five decades. I know what fits.

So do you.

Because we are different people with different builds, different bodies, different needs and abilities, we ride different-sized bikes.

Your mature and considered response its to hope I don't enjoy cycling because I ride a different sized bike than a different sized person?

Dude, really ... what is wrong with you.

I hope Everyone who rides a bike enjoys it. Maybe that's weird.

I even hope you continue to enjoy riding your bike, even though you are acting like Little Richard. yeah, so you and I can go our separate ways and you can use your wisdom and experience to tell Peter Sagan how to ride a bike. I bet he will be impressed by how many miles you ride.

Anyway ... enjoy your bike and every mile you ride. Sounds like good advice, but what do I know?

TenSpeedV2

This height is the magical in between height. It is a terrible place to be. Not short, not tall, but just in between. I am there. Tried a 56, seemed a bit too cramped. I ride a 58 and it is a tiny bit stretched out but it works for me. I am all torso with short legs so you may be the same height but all legs and a short torso. Absolutely nothing wrong with swapping out components like bars, saddle or stem. Most riders end up doing this anyway. Very rarely do I keep a stock stem on a bike, mostly for aesthetics but whatever.

wphamilton

I've only been riding 10 years, and only 5-6000 miles per year so I'm not as experienced as others, but I have to confess that I still haven't figured out what is the exact right sized frame for me. My road bike is 54, my commuter 56, my other spare a bit more, and I feel like (at 5'10 or a little shorter due to age shrinkage) they all fit for the riding I do on them. Or maybe none fit and I don't know any better, which is a serious possibility and not facetious. If so, I can say that it doesn't matter all that much to me.

My advice to OP @mdgbayly though is this: get the exact sized frame that you have determined is the best. And then change components to match the position that you're going for. Not compromising with a larger or smaller frame, and changing up to make it fit. If nothing else, it will give you more options for adjustment.

Also check back in on the thread please with whatever your resolution is, and how it worked for you. All of this various advice is more useful when there is finally an update on how it ultimately turns out. No doubt there are a lot of people with the same question, who may eventually look to this thread for an answer.

MagicHour

I'd say 50,000-60,000mi worth of riding qualifies you to offer your experienced opinion!

Stratocaster

Agree



But they wouldn't want a larger bike to be "stretched out". As far as I know (as mentioned with the Sagan example above), pros tend to ride smaller bikes for their size compared to what might be recommended for any of us at our lbs. Well, at least the frame. I assume they have longer stems, no spacers, and put the seat further back.


Also, I think manufacturers size their bikes a bit differently. Really, you should ride them, have them adjusted, and ride them again to make a decision.

mdgbayly

Thanks for all the input and feedback.

Tried the competitive cyclist fit calculator and then compared the output with a Trek Domane and that puts me in a 56 for Top Tube but a 58 for Seat tube - ha! But the fit calculator does emphasis top tube length is most important. Will compare it against some of the other bikes I've been shopping for and will report back once I've splurged and done some riding!

10 Wheels

Good Luck.

Please post a pic or two when you get a bike.

Maelochs

I find that having more seat post exposed is a non-issue but stem length and angle is an issue.

Whatever you get, i hope you have a ball riding it.