DaveSSS 

I've got the same height to cycling inseam ratio as many posters above, but don't need a tall stack or short reach frame. Although some people might have legitimate physical problems, most of the time, all you need to do is stretch more and ride more. A lot of prebuilt bikes come with bars that have too much reach, like 90-100mm, but bars are available with 75-80mm reach. Campy brake hoods also have a shorter reach than the other brands.

At 66 years old, I have no problem with a 10cm saddle to bar drop. My current Colnago C-RS has a stack of 527mm and a reach of 382. With a -17 stem angle, I use no spacers under the stem. Just switching to a common -6 degree stem would raise the bars by 2cm. Most bikes in my size come with stubby 80-90mm stems, but I use 100-110mm and a 25mm setback seatpost. My saddle height is 73cm.

A common mistake is failing to get the saddle back far enough. If the saddle is too far forward, it puts excessive weight on the hands. This mistake is often the result of using KOP to set the saddle fore-aft position. If you fitter wants to do that, find a new one.

AndyK 

I'm 6 feet, and my saddle height is 180 - so I have the same issues with long top tubes and short head tubes. Right now I am liking my new to me '08 Roubaix in 58 with massive head tube. Works pretty well so far. So, buying used may be a good bet to find the right compromise.

Maelochs

https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycl...zer-radar.html

DaveSSS 

180??? saddle height is measured from the center of the BB to the top of the saddle, parallel to the seat tube.

AndyK 

ha! Typo. 80cm!!

tedlemme

I see the numbers you guys had for frame dimensions, and a lot of them go over my head, but the body measurements make sense, because I'm in the same boat. I'm more extreme than the guy earlier that posted that he was a severe outlier. I'm 5'9" with a 36.25" inseam. By population average, that inseam should make me about 6'7" or so.

Bike fitters have told me I need a 52 cm for reach and 62 cm for height. Good luck finding enough adjustments to bridge that gap. In all your efforts to find bikes that would fit you, or could be made to fit you, has anyone seen anything that could possibly go as far as I would need?

Or would you say I'm squarely in "custom frame" territory?

Up to this point, I've tried everything with the LBS, and I think they've done about the best they can, but my knees still hurt. I've got a stem that's about an inch long with a 20-degree rise, and a seat post that stands about 6" higher than my handlebars, but it still doesn't seem to have worked. My knees don't hurt from doing barbell squats, but 45 minutes on my bike and they bother me for days. Maybe I'm just old...

Bah Humbug

Specialized makes a bar called the Aerofly +25 which has a 25mm rise baked in. That would get you yet a little more height, but that’s an unfortunate fit situation. Other way around you could try turning a tri bike into a roadie for big reach and low stack, but... yeah you may be in custom territory.

Racing Dan

What exactly do you mean? There are no bikes with a 52 cm reach bikes, to my knowlege. For instance the biggest size 64 emonda is 40.1 cm reach and 65.4cm stack. The size 60 emonda is 61.5 stack and 39.5 cm reach. It is not uncommon for the bigger bikes to have reach that is very close spanning several sizes, but mind you the top tube differs a lot more.

tedlemme

I guess I wrote that a little confusingly for people who actually know the right terms. What I meant was, the reach that I need is what would be generally found on an average 52 cm bike frame. In the end, they put me on a 56 cm frame, I believe because that's as large as they thought they could go and still keep the reach close enough to allow for adjustments.

datlas 

My proportions are similar to you. 6 feet tall and 38.5 inch inseam. Here is my solution:

dmanthree

I'm 5' 9" tall with a 34" inseam, and I ride a 2017 Specialized Roubaix, sized 56CM. The only modification was to "flip" the stem so it goes up. That, plus the swept up bars makes it a good fit.

tak2

Something else you could look at would be changing your pedals to Speedplay zeros. I have been trying them for about a month now because my knees have been pretty tender. I find that the range of motion movement is freer than with my Shimano pedals and you will also be able to lower your seat some because of less stack height of pedal and cleat.

Elvo

Smitty2k1

Good to hear - I'm same size as you (and I thought a 34" PBH was high for our height) and I'm building up a Black Mountain Road + which has nearly the same geo as your Roubaix. Been having a hard time getting a good fit on my older horizontal top tube touring bike.

tangerineowl

That old Serotta frame on ebay I mentioned above, would fit you.

In an ideal world we'd be able to find production bikes with a good seat tube length to accomodate inseam, like the old horizontal top tube frames. There's quite a few short seat tube length bikes around, like mentioned thoughout the thread, but you find yourself having to find a rather long seatpost to suit.

I am rather fond of a close-to-horizontal top tube though. This custom Elephant NFE gravel/adventure bike would fit me real nice:- https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/243368/?offset=425

GrahamX

I built a frame on a course at Bicycles by Design. They designed it to fit me.
It has a 63cm frame size with 21cm head tube. Saddle to BB is 80cm. I'm 178cm tall with 89cm inside leg.

DaveSSS 

My height to to saddle height ratio is 168/73=2.3. I can easily find a stock frame that fits, partly because I can tolerate a 10-11cm saddle to bar drop.
Don't forget spacers and stem angle when selecting a stack height. Using a 15mm headset top, plus 20mm of spacer and a positive rise stem will add a lot of bar height. My last frame required no spacers and a -17 stem, with a 527mm stack and 382mm reach. Just changing to a -6 stem raises the bars by about 2cm and spacers could have added another 20mm, making the frame 40mm taller, without looking stupid. Flipping a -6 stem to plus 6 would raise by at least another 20mm. Also don't forget that reach can only be compared at ONE stack height. Any frame deviating from a preferred value must have the reach adjusted by subtracting 3mm for each 10mm that the stack is shorter.

My latest frame is the smallest Cinelli superstar with a 46cm seat tube, 509mm stack and 375mm. The reach is NOT 7mm shorter, it's about 12mm shorter, at the same stack height, using spacers. I can use a -6 stem with no spacers instead of a -17 stem with spacers and get the same reach and bar height, but with a frame this small, I'm leaving 15mm of spacer under the stem to preserve resale value.

illdrag0n

Argon 18 bikes have adjustable stack

DaveSSS 

The stack value listed on most geometry charts is the vertical distance from the center of the BB to the top center of the upper headset bearing. That dimension. I've never seen a frame with a top headset bearing than can be moved. Any other movement comes from a headset top bearing cover and spacers.

illdrag0n

Regardless the headtube height is adjustable and can assist in getting the geometry he wants

https://www.argon18.com/en/argon-18/technologies/3d