rr99

Hi guys,

I've recently bought a Colnago Master. The exact measurements of the frame are:
56,5 center to top (seat tube)
56 center to top (top tube)

I'm around 5'11 (179cm) with 33 inseam. I've just tried it yesterday, and I'm little worried that it's little small for me
When I fully reach the handlebar, especially going downhill, I feel like i'm little bit stiff and the handlebar seems to close? Am I crazy or the bike is too small for me?
Are there any other 5'11 guys on a 56cm frame (c-t-t)?

Thank you

MikeOK

For handling its better to be on the small side. For touring its better to be on the large side.

corrado33

I'm 5'10" and I ride a 54 c-t and 56 c-t. It's on the small side of what you can ride, it all depends of whether or not your back can handle the extra low body position provided by a smaller bike. (More saddle to handlebar drop unless you use a massive angle (up) stem.)

Ex Pres 

Depends on how limber you are. Me, I'm like you and that frame would feel a touch small - a little too much seatpost showing, and probably didn't come with a long enough stem. But if you do need, and can install, a longer stem, and you have a racer's physique, this could be the bike for you. YMMV.

Do you have a picture of your current setup?
One old method for checking stem length is does the handlebar, when you're riding, cross over the front hub? (Block the view)

rr99

Thank you for your response. I totally agree with your judgement regarding frame size. I have upload photos of my bike and photos of me standing beside the bike lol. I do not understand should you struggle when your ride or it should be comfortable. Yes, the stem blocks the view of the front hub. After my first ride, my neck hurts as hell! I'm afraid that the top tube size is little small for me? Its a such beautiful bike and now I cannot fully enjoy it
What do you think?

corrado33

If that saddle is at the right height the bike looks fine for you. Again, a larger bike would mean less saddle to bar drop, but if you're comfortable on the bike then who cares?

due ruote 

There are plenty of people who would look at the pics and say it fits great. Otoh you are telling us you aren't comfortable, so it kind of doesn't matter. How you choose to fit your bike will depend on your age, proportions, flexibility, and the way you tend to ride. You could always experiment with a taller stem. Also if you have riding friends, maybe someone has a larger bike you could try for comparison.

Barabaika

The handlebar is quirky. It's too low when you ride on the drops. You have to bend too much.

Compare it to other handlebars.

Slash5

Looking at the seat post it looks OK - but I'd like to see your leg extension with that setup.
I think it would be too small.
I'm 6' 1" with a 34" leg when measured for bike size - only 1" more than you. I usually can't use a normal road seat post on a 60 cm bike - I have to use a long post.

ThermionicScott 

Aren't top tubes usually measured center-to-center? Which end is "top" on a top tube?

oddjob2

I'd say it is too small by one size. I am 5'9" and my Colnago Super is 57cm to top of ST, but my steering tube is longer than yours.

bikemig 

That's close to being the right size for you. I'm right around your height (178 cm) but my inseam is a little shorter. I can and do ride this size bike. I'll ride a 56 or a 57 center to top.

You likely could use a slightly larger frame but this can be made to work. If the drop to the bars is not to your liking, get a taller stem. I know it's not Italian but Nitto makes beautiful stems that look right on a vintage bike. Nitto makes, IMHO, the best quill stems and bars available and there is real variety to choose from.

Ben's cycles has an excellent selection of nitto stems.

This Nitto technomic NTC DX stem is cold forged and will get your bars up higher, Nitto NTC-DX Technomic Deluxe Long Quill Stem 50mm

carbomb

Cool bike. Well if it's cramped it's cramped, doesn't matter much what other people do. I'm 5'10" 32" inseem, and my best fitting bike is 56cm seatpost c-t-c and 57cm top tube, c-t-c. I ride 54cm track bikes because of their more severe angles and 58cm touring bikes because of their relaxed angles. My Eroica bike was an odd for me 53cm! It fits like a glove though compliments of a tall and long Nitto stem. Overall looks less than ideal for photo shoots, but the fit and ride is amazing.

So I'm in the get a different stem and re-evaluate camp. The Nitto ones are quality, classic looking, well made (arguable better than most period correct stuff) and come in nearly any size.

caloso

Looks good to me, assuming that the seat is properly adjusted. Get a longer stem if you're feeling cramped.

kingston 

Looks good to me. Put your measurements in the CC Bike Fit Calculator and see what it spits out.

jiangshi

Try a longer stem and adjust the position of those STI's, and the handlebars.

Lazyass

I'm 5'10" with a 33 inch inseam. Most of my bikes are 56-57. My Trek has a ST of only 53 C-T but yes it fits because the top tube is 55cm and I run a 130mm stem. I like longer stems to get my weight forward when climbing and sprinting. I can ride it all day pain free. And for whatever reason, I'm fastest on this bike by far. It's just a quick bike. Don't assume it's your frame geometry making your neck hurt. The whole idea of having your stem (your bars, actually) blocking the hub is BS. Not every frame has the same reach in the geometry, people have different length arms, torso, ect. You should put that theory out of your mind.

cdmurphy

I'm exactly the same height, but much longer legged / shorter torso. (35 1/4" inseam). I'm most comfortable on a 60-62cm CtC seat tube, and 56-57cm top tube. (But short 70 and 80mm stems.) From your photos and the size of the bike, it certainly looks like its about the right size for you. It wouldn't be much trouble to swap the stem out for something longer. (It looks like you are running about a 100mm?)

Have you tried simply lowering the bars? It would have almost the same effect of increasing reach and lowering your upper body angle.

cdmurphy

Also, rotating your bars up so that the ramps are closer to level, would let you slide the brifters further down the curve and still maintain the same 5-10 degree up angle you have now. That would effectively move them out ~2, maybe 3cm from where they are now. (At the cost of being a bit higher, possibly negating some of the change.)

Lazyass

With a 56.5 ST, that much seatpost showing and what looks to be 175mm cranks I think the saddle looks way too high for only a 33 inch inseam. He has as much seatpost sticking out as I do on my 53 and we have the same inseam. But in my opinion, many people have their saddle too high. They try to go off the stupid calculations they read on the internet and try to get that perfect looking knee bend. When in reality they could drop their saddle some, be just as fast but more comfortable. Most professionals I see on television have less leg extension than most club riders I see.

gugie 

Forget about any calculators. Don't worry about anyone's opinion. Does it feel right?

If when riding you feel like your arms are getting tired from pushing back on the handlebars, try tilting your saddle up a bit.

Play around with handlebar stem height, rotation of the bars, and brake lever position.

Many of us that have been riding for decades can probably set up a new bike for ourselves by feel and look. I know, for example, that I should set my saddle height at 78cm from center of BB to top of saddle, measured on a line straight up the seat post, and I slam my leather saddles all the way back on the rails. Minor tweeks, tiny rotations, a few mm +/- on height, and it's dialed in.

Experience and trusting what your body tells you is the key. Knowing how you like to ride would

35 lbs ago I rode with my bars ~3" lower than the saddle, and used a 14cm stem (I have a long torso). Now I can't bend that far over without needing a chiropractor.

If you're feeling cramped, try a longer stem.

blakcloud

If you came to my house to buy that frame, I wouldn't sell it to you. In my opinion you need the next size up. Sure you can tweak the bike with longer stem or tilting the bars or brake levers (?) but in the end you will always feel cramped out.

I will also disagree with Gugie's advice, who I really respect, about knowing what feels right. This is a concept I can never get my head around. Who know what feels right when you have never had a bike like this before? When I get in a tadpole trike, it feels ok, but could it feel better if someone with experience helped me with set up? This notion that we will "know instinctively what feels good" is not a natural process unless you have ridden thousands of bike and have the experience to know the difference.

My apologies and please disregard my opinion if you do know what feels right and you have the experience to know the difference. Yet, in your post, you say you are not comfortable and feel cramped in certain situations. This tells me something just isn't right and my money is on frame size.

When I worked at the bike store I would tell customers that I have seen clowns ride 6 foot unicycles, it doesn't mean it was the right size even though the could do it.

SJX426 

I am 5' 11" with a CBH (crotch bone height) of 35" and determined that frame range that works for me is 58 to 61 ctc ST. The reason is that I like to utilize period correct posts which include the Campagnolo NR and SR's.

The more you ride the more you will find what is comfortable. Your core strength will alter that perception as it improves or degrades. If you have multiple bikes, you will soon know the measurements that you will set each with to duplicate comfort, distance from pedal to saddle, saddle to crank (horizontal distance), saddle to handlebar both vertically and horizontal.

toavii

I don't think I could comfortably ride a bike with a handlebarbar that looks like that.

ptempel

I ride a 56cm to 57cm frame and I'm 6'1". :-) I have close to the same inseam as you so have a longer torso. I don't see why a 56cm would be too small. Only two concerns for you might be the top tube length and head tube length. You don't want too long on the top tube (to not be too stretched out). You also might not want a short head tube if you don't want your bar and stem much lower than your seat. They are really riding position preferences (like preferring "french fit" over "eddy fit" or "race fit").

Edit: Just viewed the attached images of the Colango again and the fit looks ok to me so far. To be sure, you really need a decent bike fit from a guy recommended by some other riders/shops. Very worth the money, IMO...