6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
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6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby claymore » Sun Feb 17, 2013 12:54 pm
I'm having an issue with the frame size. I'm a couple of mm from 6 foot tall and I currently ride a 58cm specialized allez 2006 model, which seems an *okay* fit. The bike that I have found is a 56cm Felt F5 2013. Although here it says that I should technically be better on a 58cm frame.
Many of the bike shops that I have been to have said I should try a 56cm frame as it may still fit me. I haven't ridden a 56cm frame yet, only my bike which is 58. I was looking for some advice maybe along the lines of 'not sure about bike size, or inbetween sizes, go one size lower.'
My aim is to go back in Monday and get the bike but just want to be sure that 56cm is optional/optimal for my size, because I've read that bike shops can occasionally just try to fit you onto what stock they have.
I've read that changing stem length plays a part in making a slightly small bike fittable to a larger rider? I've also read that there a lot of riders who are 6 feet tall riding on 56cm frames.
Thanks in advance guys, any help is greatly appreciated.
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby Pravda » Sun Feb 17, 2013 1:06 pm
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby MH » Sun Feb 17, 2013 2:40 pm
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby trailgumby » Sun Feb 17, 2013 2:54 pm
It's more than occasional.claymore wrote:... because I've read that bike shops can occasionally just try to fit you onto what stock they have...
+1 to the horizontal top tube length. With sloped top tubes, it's the only constant you can rely on to compare sizing between manufacturers. As a happy coincidence, it's also the more difficult to adjust for, and hence is the more critical frame dimension to get right when sizing a bike.
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby biker jk » Sun Feb 17, 2013 3:36 pm
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby foo on patrol » Sun Feb 17, 2013 6:12 pm
Track frame top tube 57cm, road 54cm (these are custom) and my current is 52cm top and 58cm seat.
Foo
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby YouAgainstMe » Sun Feb 17, 2013 6:26 pm
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby jasonc » Sun Feb 17, 2013 6:41 pm
It's easier to make a small bike bigger than it is to make a big bike smaller.
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby Dan » Sun Feb 17, 2013 8:52 pm
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby nickobec » Sun Feb 17, 2013 11:24 pm
Now anything new is 54 to 56cm range, my current project crit bike is 54cm with 120cm stem, has raised a few eyebrows, but it works for me.
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby bomber » Mon Feb 18, 2013 10:57 am
Different brands are exactly that so there are three measurements that are important for me:
1: Top tube
2: Head tube
3: Set back position
Like I said my contact points haven't changed but the frame size has.
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby Fixie82 » Mon Feb 18, 2013 11:38 am
I also like the feel of a slightly smaller frame under me when riding, especially for crits, even though I can fit on a 58cm it is not my preferred size and do not like how they feel when ridden. My Crit bike is a Cannondale System Six 54cm with a 120 stem and a setback post to keep my ideal leg position.
Bike fit is a funny thing, we all have preferences and dimensions that are different. You just need to find what will work for you
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby RonK » Mon Feb 18, 2013 12:41 pm
Seat tube length does not matter as saddle height is easily adjusted, but in general road bike frames are designed "square" i.e. the seat tube and tube are approximately equal in length anyway. On compact frames we are of course talking virtual sizes.
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby RonK » Mon Feb 18, 2013 12:41 pm
Seat tube length does not matter as saddle height is easily adjusted, but in general road bike frames are designed "square" i.e. the seat tube and tube are approximately equal in length anyway. On compact frames we are of course talking virtual sizes.
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby rifraf » Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:15 am
RonK wrote:I'm 182.5cm. The right frame for me has a 55cm or 56cm top tube and an appropriate stem for an overall length of 66cm. I could go the other way (i.e 58cm tt and 80mm stem) but stems shorter than 90mm may adversely affect handling.
Seat tube length does not matter as saddle height is easily adjusted, but in general road bike frames are designed "square" i.e. the seat tube and tube are approximately equal in length anyway. On compact frames we are of course talking virtual sizes.
Is there an echo in here?RonK wrote:I'm 182.5cm. The right frame for me has a 55 or 56 cm top tube and an appropriate stem for an overall length of 66cm. I could go the other way (i.e 58cm tt and 80mm stem) but stems shorter than 90mm may adversely affect handling.
Seat tube length does not matter as saddle height is easily adjusted, but in general road bike frames are designed "square" i.e. the seat tube and tube are approximately equal in length anyway. On compact frames we are of course talking virtual sizes.
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby Ozkaban » Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:25 am
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby twizzle » Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:29 am
Go to the Competetive Cyslist fit calculator, do all the measurements, plug the numbers into the calculator and see what comes out.
In compact frames I'm a ~ 57 - 58cm TT, but my latest bike (which is the closest to my sizing except a little long on the top tube) is a "64cm" frame. Seat tube angle is a very important consideration in larger frames.
I'm 191.5cm with a 93cm inseam.
...real cyclists don't have squeaky chains...
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby Dan » Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:34 am
+1twizzle wrote:*sigh*
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby RonK » Wed Feb 20, 2013 2:44 pm
Hewo. Hewo.rifraf wrote:RonK wrote:I'm 182.5cm. The right frame for me has a 55cm or 56cm top tube and an appropriate stem for an overall length of 66cm. I could go the other way (i.e 58cm tt and 80mm stem) but stems shorter than 90mm may adversely affect handling.
Seat tube length does not matter as saddle height is easily adjusted, but in general road bike frames are designed "square" i.e. the seat tube and tube are approximately equal in length anyway. On compact frames we are of course talking virtual sizes.Is there an echo in here?RonK wrote:I'm 182.5cm. The right frame for me has a 55 or 56 cm top tube and an appropriate stem for an overall length of 66cm. I could go the other way (i.e 58cm tt and 80mm stem) but stems shorter than 90mm may adversely affect handling.
Seat tube length does not matter as saddle height is easily adjusted, but in general road bike frames are designed "square" i.e. the seat tube and tube are approximately equal in length anyway. On compact frames we are of course talking virtual sizes.
He he - it's just an echo. He he - it's just an echo.
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby rifraf » Wed Feb 20, 2013 2:56 pm
Priceless, I'm off to get a cloth to rid my screen of coffeeRonK wrote:
Hewo. Hewo.
He he - it's just an echo. He he - it's just an echo.
How are you? I'm fine how are you?
Oh I'm fine how are...hey wait a minute. I gotcha you wascally wabbit! Come outta there.
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby barefoot » Wed Feb 20, 2013 4:01 pm
5'10" T-rex here.Dan wrote:6'1" T. rex here - 56tt for me.
Most simplistic size charts would put somebody my height on a 56.
I've had a few 54cm frames with 555mm eTT, and they're way too long / low for my short arms to reach the bars (from my high shoulders).
Had a 53cm frame with a 540mm eTT. Better length, only a little too long, but waaaaaay too low.
Bit the bullet and had a custom frame built with 510mm eTT and 54cm ST... and a massive 200mm head tube. Finally, a bike I fit on.
At 6' tall, I'd recommend you buy... the size that's comfortable for your body proportions. 56cm is not outside the range of sizes you might fit on. I wouldn't buy it without trying it (or without being prepared to come up with all sorts of ugly stem/spacer kludges to get the bars where you need them).
tim
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Re: 6 Foot rider looking at 56cm frame?
Postby rifraf » Fri Feb 22, 2013 4:24 pm
Hi Ron,RonK wrote:I'm 182.5cm. The right frame for me has a 55cm or 56cm top tube and an appropriate stem for an overall length of 66cm. I could go the other way (i.e 58cm tt and 80mm stem) but stems shorter than 90mm may adversely affect handling.
Seat tube length does not matter as saddle height is easily adjusted, but in general road bike frames are designed "square" i.e. the seat tube and tube are approximately equal in length anyway. On compact frames we are of course talking virtual sizes.
could you please elaborate on the stems shorter than 90mm I was considering a 50mm to help shorten the cockpit of my new frame.
Cheers
Aidan
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