nahom_yemane

Hi everyone- Iv been saving up for ages now and don't want to buy the wrong sized bike because it will be a total waste of money-
Anyway Im 5"7.5 and every bike size chart/guide recommends a medium or 54 cm frame for 5"7 to 5"9. So I went to my local bike store( Moore's Cycles) and the guy there said the exact same thing. He is basically the same height as me and he said he had his bike seat at this height- We tried this height and it was great.

But I really want a height like the second one . This is the seat height of all professional road cyclists Iv seen- its more aerodynamic which he admitted and so is much faster- on top of that I feel that it looks really cool too. So we adjusted the seat height- However a height of this on a medium is impossible for me to reach which annoys me and when I ride standing keep getting painful hits to coxsyx by the nose of the saddle.

Should I get a small size instead so that I can reach this position and ride more optimally. My fear is that the vertical height will increase and the horizontal length will decrease in this set-up so will feel squashed and quite cramped and so inadvertently decrease in efficiency. I am not an aspiring race cyclist but I have recently been seized by this sudden addiction to road bikes that I cant explain and anyway everyone wants to go as fast as possible surely?.

Intended use: Fitness and health/pure enjoyment/ occasional commutes perhaps 10-30 miles which would take almost 2 hours by train (a lot more regularly when I go to university). Otherwise I dont need for daily commutes e.g school (2 minute walk)


Any reply from anyone with any experience will be much appreciated.
Thanks very much. (sorry for the long text but I just cant resolve this issue)

redlude97

Depending on your inseam you could easily ride a 52cm, or possibly even a 50cm with a long stem. I'm 5'7" and ride a 49cm.

gsa103

Are you a professional cyclist? If not, why do you feel the need to have your seat set there?

Your seat height should be set by leg length. Not aerodynamics. The seat to bar drop is largely determined by your flexibility, especially hamstrings and lower back. If you can't touch your nose to your knees with your legs straight, you probably shouldn't have that much drop.

In reality, the difference in aerodynamics is quite small. Just get the medium, and have the shop set it for what feels good.

Ghost Ryder

Just cause you 2 are the same size doesn't necessarily mean you fit the same bike. You have to take the length of your inseam to account.
Different manufacturers offer different geometries, you may got a 54 on 1,52 on another. You really have to test the bikes you want out in person .

mrtrinh

Bingo. Keep test riding for a longer period until you're absolutely sure you are comfortable with the bike. Try going to a different lbs and ask for their opinion what size they recommend. I'm 5'7, almost your height and ride a size 50 CAAD10, previously rode a size 51 CAAD8. My uncle is the same height and rides a size 54.

Cyclelogikal

Simply go to your LBS if you have one available and get a fit from them......even if you are buying from online. I think for the most part they know this happens and if you feel guilty buy maybe shoes or pedals from them to return the favor.

nahom_yemane

What's your in-seam though may I ask? Do you feel comfortable and can you reach max seat height?

Thank you everyone too for all your responses

milkbaby

Having a large saddle to bar drop will not make you faster. It might actually make you slower as you may not be able to produce as much power bent over more. It may also make for bad weight distribution on the bike affecting both comfort and power.

Having said that, depending on the geometry and size jumps between the model you're looking at, you could potentially size down one size without problem if it's favorable. It just depends on the particular model from the specific bicycle company, so it's not possible to generalize.

Phil_gretz

Fatherly advice. Have the bike shop fit you to the frame that is best for you. If you aren't done growing (by family history) yet, take that into consideration. The combination of the top tube length and stem reach, creating the overall horizontal "fit" between the saddle and the handlebars, is your more important measurement. Saddle height, not so much. Saddle-to-bar drop should be the least of your considerations until you become an experienced rider. Take a little more time and ask your shop if you can test ride the bike on a trainer in the shop and then outside on the road. Make certain that they help you with the fit that's correct for your body type.

Then purchase and ride. Don't worry about appearances, but rather, become a strong and skilled rider. The rest will take care of itself. Good luck.

mrtrinh

30.5 and yes I feel comfortable. Like many have said it is well worth it to get a bike fit. I didn't do this with my CAAD8 and on long rides I would get sore and uncomfortable. Not to mention I started having pain behind my knee. With the bike fit it all went away.

Athens80

Same as everyone else -- your total height determines only the range of frame sizes that could fit you. The right frame for me is "too small" for my height. And the positioning that professional cyclists maintain on their bikes is a result of their training and testing and coaching.

bikebreak

so your choice is between "it looks cool and fast but scrunched up and hurts" and "comfortable and fits but doesn't look professional"
Should be an easy answer!

btw "This is the seat height of all professional road cyclists Iv seen"... Have you seen pictures of Eddy Merckx?

Ghost Ryder

Are you asking how to measure your inseam, or asking what his is?
The way to measure your inseam is to measure the inside of your leg from your groin/crotch to the bottom of your foot.

Take this measurement, & look @ the geometries of the bikes you want, with the seat post length in mind, narrow down what size will work for you.

Seattle Forrest

It's easier to make a too-small frame fit you than a too-big one; better still to get the right size, but if you're going to be off, it's better to go a little small. If the top tube isn't long enough, you can use a different stem to extend it. You can raise the saddle and even the bars, if you need to.

No, not really. There's a lot more to riding a bike than going fast. Is it hilly where you live? Aerodynamics isn't very important on the way up, and the way the bike handles is more important on the way back down. Comfort is huge; maybe you want to sprint for 100 yards, maybe you want to do an all day ride and cover some distance, you said you want a bike for pure enjoyment and most people get more of that from long, scenic rides on sunny days than from doing intervals. So aerodynamics shouldn't be a huge part of your decision.

There are bike shops that will let you do longer test rides. Some fit issues won't make themselves known for a while. If you're looking for a bike partly for 30 mile commutes to avoid taking the train, see if you can find a shop that will let you test a bike for a couple hours and go ride several of them for 30 miles each.

nahom_yemane

I live in flat old london- would it make a difference then?

Ghost Ryder

Like others have said...
It takes time for your body to get used to being in the pro position. Flexibility being the most important.

arraamis

This might help a little

rpenmanparker 

The 54 cm bike is at OP's center of fit. The smaller sizes recommended by some posters here can be accommodated for sure, but they are extreme. Too-small frames are fashionable, but they are not the best riding, best fitting solution. Trying to emulate a professional position when OP admits that is not his style of riding (not an aspiring professional racer) is ridiculous. I doubt a rider of OP's type will be comfortable with >4 inches of saddle to bar drop. And looks cool to whom? Tiny bike with high saddles look stupid to me. Ultra-low position is not significantly more aero than stretched out. One could just as well argue for OP to go large to get more top tube. But the mid-range option is the right one. The LBS pegged it right. You can keep asking until you get the answer you like, but that doesn't mean it will be right.

mprelaw

I'm guessing that Eddy was retired a good 20 years before the OP was born. Maybe 30 years.

Ghost Ryder

These are good to use as a reference, generally this works but not always.

Those MTB figures look like they're sized for 26" wheels/tires.
I had to go down a size when I made the move to 29er.

Ghost Ryder

I tried going down to 50cm but the toe overlap was way too much for me! 54cm generally works best for me, but my CX race rig is 52cm. It works best for me, I can maneuver it easier in the mud. My road/race rig is 53cm on a compact frame. All my training/commuting bikes are 54cm.
IMO top tube measurements are more important to me.