KRS

I've been shopping for a used bike, and I'm not sure what size range I should be looking in.

I've been riding a very undersized 22.5" Trek 4500 and I know I need something larger.

I'm looking for a touring bike... what is the average bike size for someone my height? (inches and cm)

Thank you!

KRS

astropuppy

I'm 6'6" and get by on 25" road frames. I'd really like to find a 27" Nisiki(sp)

jaxgtr

Really really big.. I got to imagine it going to be a 65cm or 25" or larger. You might have to get a custom frame to really get a good fit. (51) is in your range and I know the 25" Trek hybrid he rides is small for him and he is going full custom frame.

jimblairo

I'm 6'6" and ride a 63cm stock frame and a 64cm custom.

(51)

If you're going to be touring I would get a custom fit. I imagine you are in the 25" range.

markhr

niner (29" = 700c) bikes make XL frames that they claim will fit anyone up to 6'8"

https://www.ninerbikes.com/showroom.html

flip18436572

I am 6'3 and ride a 61cm to give you an idea. I would guess you would need a quite larger bike. I would go to an LBS with the proper equipment to do the best bike sizing possible. Then I would see what is the closest you can get for a frame and go from there. Otherwise, I would suggest custom, but those will not be cheap at all.

dizzy101

Cannondale makes road frames in 66cm. See a pic here.

The Soma Smoothie ES goes up to 66 as well. Link here.

Some Rivendell frames are pretty large, but these are custom made (and it adds up in terms of $$$).

There were plenty of brands that made frames with 27 inch seat tubes in the 1980s, such as Fuji, Schwinn, Lotus... (that's when they thought that seeing zero seat tube was 'de rigeur'). 27 inch translates to 68.5cm, roughly. Look on Ebay and Craigslist for such frames--you can often pick 'em up cheap, because they're too large for most people.

If you're willing to pay for custom made frames, the options are limitless, of course. Look into Zinn and many others.

NYJayhawk

Funny how you get different answers from different people. I'm 6'6" with a 38" inseam and one place I went said that only Cannondale makes bikes big enough, either that or I needed to go custom. Meanwhile, my normal LBS recommended a XL sized Ridley with sloping geometry. According to their site, it'll fit up to 39" inseams, and it's about a 60cm frame.

Seat adjusment, the right stem....get it dialed in and there may be several options out there for you. The old size/geometry calculators you see online seem to be based only on standard geometry bikes. Now, with compact, sloping, standard, and other options, the old calculations don't necessarily work.

Go to 3 or 4 shops and get some recommendations and let them sort out each others' BS.

bloodhound

What is your budget? We can recommend custom fitted frames, but not for $600. How much are you willing to spend?

What is your inseam (don't go by pant size, measure for a snug fit)?

If your budget is unlimited, Seven makes a completely custom fitted touring bike... and will only run you around $5000 to $7000, depending on what you outfit it with...

But, more to the point, the sizes aren't universal between brands... a 61cm Specialized will fit differently than a 61cm 'anybrand. So, it helps to know what brand you are looking at, or a budget...

Antelope 70cm

My Dad rides my old 27" Univega and I had a 28" Panasonic DX-2000. With todays sloping top tubes and each mfg seems to measure a different way, I would go and get measured to at least get a ball park figure where to start.

dizzy101

Chances are your LBS recommended you that bike because they had it in their store. Some stores won't recommend anything they can't sell you.

However, it is true that with long stems and long seat posts, a 60 cm compact frame could be made to work for a rider with a 38 inseam. Whether it's the best fit possible is a different question.

CliftonGK1

I'm 6'6" with a 36" inseam, and I need a 62cm frame for touring/LD setups. Unless you're all leg, I'm going to guess that you're probably in the 63-66cm range but could maybe get away with a 62 and a long seatpost and stem.

I've got a 58cm bike that I outfitted with an adjustable long stem and long post, and I can comfortably spend 5 hours on it.

SuperSportDBX

I am 6'6" and just went through the same problem as you, let me tell you the options I came up with...

Soma Fabrications makes a 66cm Smoothie ES which is a really nice frame and is the best price out there...With a long enough stem and seatpost it would work but I personally prefer not to have my bike set up that way.

Gunnar Cycles makes a couple really nice custom frames (Rock Tour and Cross Hairs) for about $1100 which is a really great price. I still plan on going this rout in a couple of years.

Rivendell also makes great bikes in up to a 67 cm (or maybe even a 69), they are beautiful frames but a little pricey @ $1500.

I personally ended up buying an early 80's steel Fuji Touring bike off of e-bay, stripped the parts and built it back up. It is a 68 cm c-c with a standover height of 36 1/2" and fits me well. I have never ridden a road bike that actually fits and man what a difference it is. PLease feel free to IM me if you have any questions.

NYJayhawk

Nope. First off, they had to order the frame and it took about 6 weeks. In addition, they make custom frames as well. I had several choices there of varying sizes.

v1k1ng1001

Size KRS

(i.e. custom)

dkirschwinn

I am 6" 4" and 250 lbs, I have a 27" (68 cm +/-) world sport which I bought on ebay for $175.00, it is a trifle large. I also ride a 62 cm cannondale R500 and a 60 cm specialized allez sport. The cannondale is my favorite ride. I would consider selling the schwinn.

totoroben

Great suggestion! It looks like their effective top tube length is 25.25in, which is longer than my 27" Schwinn Traveler frame in which the top tube is 24.6in. Maybe I will look into a mountain bike........

Sixty Fiver

KRS - I would strongly suggest that you go and get a fitting done... my friend has a 37-38 inch inseam (he is about six foot five) and rides a 62.5 touring frame that is still a touch small for him... he needed to order a longer seat post to accommodate his leg length.

And when you are all legs that will affect your reach and what works one way may not work in another (tt length).

By the simple virtue of your height I would also guess that you weigh more than what the wheel set on many bikes will accommodate so this is also an important consideration in buying or building up a road / touring bike.

There were a few good manufacturers that produced 67.5 cm frames (Nishiki) and they do show up from time to time... I have managed to find two of these frames for a couple of guys who were your height and they were thrilled to finally have a bike that fit them.

tbone7812

I am 6'7'' also my inseem is around 38in and I have a Motobecane 64cm that is amazing, love that thing, writing up more info it about it right now. I think anything in the 64cm would be in the ballpark.

IceNine

A custom-made bike won't be cheap, so you need to tell us your budget. Also, in addition to your height, it would be good to know your arm length, torso length and inseam length. For example, I'm 6'2" but have the torso and arm length of somebody about 6'6". I ride large frames with the longest top tubes I can find and then also typically swap the stems on vintage bikes for a very long 120 mm technomic stem so i can really get stretched out in the drops.

bigfred 

Without knowing your cycling inseam it is hard to answer your question. I'm 6'5" with a 37" inseam. I have a very good friend who is 1/2" taller but with a 39"-40" inseam. We ride completely different setups. So much so, that we can't ride each others bike. I can't reach the hoods of his and he has nowhere but out to go with his elbows on mine.

Rather than write the following out, this page at Colorado Cyclist does a decent job of describing the traditional measurements and some of the modern alternatives https://www.coloradocyclist.com/bikefit/ . Cannondale does a good job at building more traditional large/long cockpits. They suit me well and I own both a mountain(22") and road bike(63cm) from them, among others. Some will find that Specialized fits them. Personally, there cockpits are way too compact for me. If you're not comfortable going through this alone, look for a qualified, knowledgable and sympathetic fitter. Knowledgable, because not all are created equal and I went through years of improperly fit equipment by otherwise well meaning LBS staff before I learned what I fit me. Now adays people will tend toward shorter frames and worry most about top tupe length. One caution with this approach for the large rider is the shortage of stem choices beyond 130 or 140 in length. If you find a good shop that is willing to help you with the fit process, be prepared to spend some money with them for their knowledge, effort and time. Or look for other large riders in a local club, who may have parts to trade around in your fit efforts. Budget will play a big role in how you go about this. Do you have an idea of how much you are interested in spending?

For good advice start with answering:
Height
Weight
Cycling Inseam(floor to top of book pressed firmly upward in crotch)
Arm length
Intended Use: Road, Mountain, Touring, Commuting, etc.
Intensity: I want to ride hard, break a sweat and get fit but not hurt, enjoy the view
Budget

bigfred 

Doubtful. Without going to custom and inappropriately long appendages you're not going to pull that one off. I've got a 37" and am already running a 140 stem and long mountain bike post on a 63cm Cannondale. The only way you're going to fit a 38" inseam on a 60, is if that 60 refers to the top tube length and it has some form of extended seat tube that allows proper seatpost insertion.

bigfred 

Sorry KRS,

I just reread and noticed you specify Used and Touring bike. So New and Customs are out of the equation. Based on my and my friend steve's measurements, I'm going to say you're probably looking at something around 65cm or taller. Again it's going to depend on you cycling inseam, torso and arm length. But, to give some idea of where we are. I'm running a zero set back thomson post on a 63cm cannondale with a 140 stem flipped up. Last time I saw him, he was riding what I remember to be a 65cm Serotta with an extra set back block bolted to an otherwise stock road post and a custom salsa stem of around 150 or 160 and we're both an inch to inch and a half shorter than you. But, it has more to do with limb measurements than overall height. Hope this helps.

And if you ever do consider a custom frame. Leonard Zinn, who someone else mentioned, is a great resource to talk too. He's been in the bike game a long time, is lanky and long as they come and worries about fit before aesthetics or other considerations.

jaxgtr

you do realize this is a 2 year old thread right and KRS has been mia since May 08, but still good info.