hamzie

I've found this beautiful track bike online for sale but the top tube is 53cm. I'm 5'9 and i read online that 54cm is the optimal top tube length for me. Does 1cm make that big of a difference?

bboy314

It really depends on other factors, such as arm and torso length, flexibility, frame angles, etc. generally, a 1cm difference can probably be made up for by changing stem length, but ideally you can test ride a bike before purchasing to help determine fit.

hamzie

Ive got pretty long arms and im very flexible. Also the bike is quite far away 4h drive so yeah.

Garthr

Yes, you have to know all the angles to get an accurate relational picture. Top tube length alone doesn't tell much as angles can vary wildly, especially with track frames. If it's a brand name check bikeinsights.com and see if it's listed with frame specs. If you own a brand name bike and it's also listed, you can do a direct comparison.

wheelreason

I've read online that Kate Upton is optimal for me....

delbiker1 

It can make a large difference, i.e., comfort vs non-comfort. Sometimes adjustments can be made, but nobody can make that determination from the original post. Are you sure you want a track bike? What kind of riding do you expect to be doing.

Trakhak

True sprint-style track bikes (as opposed to fixies with road bike geometry) have ultra-short wheelbases; a shorter top tube is one factor in achieving the short wheelbase.

To obtain more-specific information from experienced track riders, you can ask the moderators to move this thread to the track bike section on this site.

Iride01 

1 cm might not change much of anything for how you fit to the bike. Especially since you can change the stem length. However depending on how that 1 cm less works with the rest of the geometry it might feel like a different bike than what you are use too. Then again, any bike you get that has a 56 cm top tube can have a lot of other things different about their geometry. So even they might feel entirely different too.

Pulling just one number out of bike geometry to use to size your bikes makes no sense whatsoever.

unterhausen

Top tube length doesn't matter, unless it's too long. But even then, it would have to be vastly too long to be a problem Have we all forgotten that stems come in more than one length?

If you look at the history of top tube lengths on production bikes, the top tube on large frames are often very close to the same length as smaller bikes. That's because of stems. A better top tube length for most tall people would probably be longer, but there are people with t-rex sized arms and long legs, so companies build bikes shorter.

Something that's not emphasized enough (because bicycle marketing is not based on reality) is that frame sizing isn't that important if you can arrange things so the seat, handlebars, and pedals are in the right place. Unless a frame is far too big for a rider, it's mostly a matter of making the bike look right with it set up for the rider. The biggest problem is if the head tube is too long for the rider to be in their best position.

These comments are mostly aimed at a high-performance position. For more relaxed positions, all bets are off.

Fredo76

Do the online sources know all your other bodily dimensions, too? I'd bet not...

And, do they know the other dimensions and angles of the bike you are considering, too?

So, how can their height-based "recommendation" for top-tube length be anything but a poor generalization?

3alarmer 

.
...I'd be a lot more worried about the 4 hour drive than the 53cm top tube.

tempocyclist

I was told I was 1cm too small... 😟🫣

freeranger

Not trying to offend, but is a track bike the type of bike you really want? I only ask as the site shows you as a newbie (new rider or just new to site?) and the question. Looked up track bike and..: "A track bicycle or track bike is a bicycle optimized for racing at a velodrome or outdoor track. Unlike road bicycles, the track bike is a fixed-gear bicycle; thus, it has only a single gear ratio and has neither a freewheel nor brakes." I don't tend to lend a lot of cred to what the web says will fit. EX: Trek's site says their hybrid FX would fit me in a medium. When I was considering one, went to a local Trek dealer. The medium was way small, large fit perfect. Some fit recommendations may be more accurate than others, but nothing like actually riding the bike.

Pratt

Lots of good advice, for the sake of the thread, whatever you do, don't climb on and see how it feels. We might have to go back to discussing chain lubrication.

MattoftheRocks

Stack and reach are the most important measurements for “fitting” a bike, but they don’t tell the whole story.

I’m 6’ with a 36” inseam. My shop fitted me to a 56cm bike, it’s about perfect in a straight line, but when I turn I have to hang my ass over the rear axle to get it to steer neutral, elsewise the front wants to turn more than I need it to and I have to apply counter-pressure at the bars through the whole turn.

My three most neutral steering bikes are a 64cm I have with super deep drop bars on a slammed flat stem, a 54cm bike with Nitto RB-009 long pursuit bars, and a 52cm I have with backswept flat bars on a slammed long flat stem. Again, 6’- and truly my favorite most magic carpet ride frameset is a 52.

I’ve owned a buuunch of other bikes in these and other sizes that had their own ride issues.

You really have to put your skeleton on the bike and throw it around like it owes you money to know if it’s going to be a keeper.

Reynolds 

I'm no expert, but I always thought that track bikes were optimized for max efforts and comfort was secondary.

DaveSSS 

Those who ride motorcycles know that you have to counter steer through the entire turn. Bicycles and motorcycles are alike in that requirement, but the motorcycle requires more force.

To assess fit, you need the TT length and the seat tube angle, or better yet, stack and reach. Stems come in many lengths.

tFUnK

For me, 1cm too short is better than 1cm too long, but YMMV depending on your proportions. After going through a few bikes where the frame was one size too big or too small, I'm at a point now where I can no longer justify getting on a frame that doesn't fit me just right.

zymphad

I've concluded reach, head tube and stack are more important than top tube or seat tube measurements. For example I went with a bike size smaller than my prior because of the reach and head tube measurements were more important to me.

Also when you adjust with components you can tell if the frame was wrong size. Just my opinion but if your stem is longer than 120, then reach was too short, I think 90-120mm stem. If you're stacking too many spacers under handlebar, probably should look for a bike with more stack and head tube. At least for me, that's what I look for.

But I probably could have gone for a more endurance frame on my latest frame, but frankly a bike I wanted with direct mount rim brake, options were very very very slim.

CrimsonEclipse

Honestly. let's assume it IS 1cm too long for your personal measurements.
You'd have to move your saddle back 5mm and your stem forward by 5mm.

Now go measure that.

Russ Roth

Don't judge a track bike by the measurements of a road bike, I've made this mistake. At 5' 10" I often ride a 54cm with a decent amount of comfort so I figured a 54cm felt tk2 would work. It doesn't, turns out for someone 5'9"-5'11" they recommend their 58cm, Dolan recommends the same size, and state's v2 frameset fit perfect in 57cm. The 54cm felt is currently in use by my 5'1" 13yo daughter. Real track bikes have short stacks and with the angles seat you forward in a way that road bikes don't putting you more out in front and requiring a longer TT and taller stack unless you're real flexible. That 54cm with a 130mm 17* rise stem looked silly and was still too cramped. For track, assume larger and try it out.

wheelreason

Too short in this case according to the OP.

CrimsonEclipse

according to guidelines

Well within variation of human physiology, frame designer philosophy, and personal preferences.

wheelreason

Whatever that means, the bike has a 53 cm toptube, and he thinks he needs a 54 cm...

CrimsonEclipse

Thanks, you're a tribute to BF