# What is it with small frames for tall people?



## sevelancs (23 Jul 2011)

Hi all, I am looking at buying a road bike (hanvn,t had one since the 90s) and wondered why everywhere I check its recommended 60cm frame size. Im a little confused as when I last bought a bike I always went for 24.5 / 25" and on that size I seemed to have plenty seatpost stuck up. My inside leg is about 33" and I am 6'2. 60cm seems small to me but I guess all the calculators can't be wrong. Has the trend changed to smaller frames since the 90s or was I just buying a bike too large lol.


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## Angelfishsolo (23 Jul 2011)

sevelancs said:


> Hi all, I am looking at buying a road bike (hanvn,t had one since the 90s) and wondered why everywhere I check its recommended 60cm frame size. Im a little confused as when I last bought a bike I always went for 24.5 / 25" and on that size I seemed to have plenty seatpost stuck up. My inside leg is about 33" and I am 6'2. 60cm seems small to me but I guess all the calculators can't be wrong. Has the trend changed to smaller frames since the 90s or was I just buying a bike too large lol.



Have you sat on a 60? I am 6 foot with a 33" inside leg and ride 59. I believe that the way sizing is done has changed over time. Sure some of the experts on here can explain far better than I.


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## jig-sore (23 Jul 2011)

forget size charts and go sit on the bike.

the reach of the bike is the most important thing to get right in my opinion. you have far less adjustment on the stem than you do on the seat/seat post so go for the frame that has the best reach.

im 6 foot and ride a medium boardman. the seat post is set high (but still well within the limit) but the reach is spot on and im very comfy on the bike.

most people look at the set up of my bike and say its too small for me


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## cyberknight (23 Jul 2011)

jig-sore said:


> forget size charts and go sit on the bike.
> 
> the reach of the bike is the most important thing to get right in my opinion. you have far less adjustment on the stem than you do on the seat/seat post so go for the frame that has the best reach.
> 
> ...



WoW !

you must have a short reach , but if it fits then thats the main thing .

I am 5 foot 7 " and i ride a small which apparently is as big as i can go frame size wise, this is how my boardman looks ..


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## Red Light (23 Jul 2011)

Angelfishsolo said:


> Have you sat on a 60? I am 6 foot with a 33" inside leg and ride 59. I believe that the way sizing is done has changed over time. Sure some of the experts on here can explain far better than I.



+1 I'm 6'6" and with 36" inside leg and ride a 63.


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## Angelfishsolo (23 Jul 2011)

Red Light said:


> +1 I'm 6'6" and with 36" inside leg and ride a 63.



We agree


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## Red Light (23 Jul 2011)

jig-sore said:


> forget size charts and go sit on the bike.
> 
> the reach of the bike is the most important thing to get right in my opinion. you have far less adjustment on the stem than you do on the seat/seat post so go for the frame that has the best reach.



Agree but only to a degree. With a road bike a small frame can lead to a head down bum in the air riding position as the seat post is stuck well out of the frame but you typically have very little chance to lift the stem and bars to match.


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## Angelfishsolo (23 Jul 2011)

Red Light said:


> Agree but only to a degree. With a road bike a small frame can lead to a head down bum in the air riding position as the seat post is stuck well out of the frame but you typically have very little chance to lift the stem and bars to match.



I am of the opinion that the two (saddle hight and reach) are equally important.


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## sevelancs (23 Jul 2011)

Well thanks for the advice guys, I will go and take a look and sit on a couple just to make sure of the reach 

Very nice couple of boardmans too you guys have


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## MontyVeda (23 Jul 2011)

Angelfishsolo said:


> We agree



+1


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## asterix (23 Jul 2011)

Boardmen?


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## cyberknight (23 Jul 2011)

sevelancs said:


> Well thanks for the advice guys, I will go and take a look and sit on a couple just to make sure of the reach
> 
> Very nice couple of boardmans too you guys have



Cylce to work , i had to give up booze and weekly cycle mags to justify it to the wife mind ............


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## Red Light (23 Jul 2011)

sevelancs said:


> Well thanks for the advice guys, I will go and take a look and sit on a couple just to make sure of the reach



Do more than sit on them. Take them out for a ride - any reputable bike shop will allow that. You learn far more about fit riding them than just sitting on them.


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## xxmimixx (23 Jul 2011)

I am 33", ride a 56 and feel very comfortable with the size


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## Angelfishsolo (23 Jul 2011)

xxmimixx said:


> I am 33", ride a 56 and feel very comfortable with the size


You are 33" tall?


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## xxmimixx (23 Jul 2011)

Angelfishsolo said:


> You are 33" tall?



Just my legs 

Im 5.11!


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## Angelfishsolo (23 Jul 2011)

xxmimixx said:


> Just my legs
> 
> Im 5.11!


Another tall Lady


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## vickster (23 Jul 2011)

I am somewhere between 5'9 and 5'10, ride a 54.5cm as the 57cm was too big - have still had to adjust reach by flipping the stem and having narrower bars than on a standard men's bike. I have the seat post quite low as I like to be able to reach the ground when stopped  I think long posts on small frames look weird and uncomfortable!


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## postman (23 Jul 2011)

xxmimixx 33" tall and 5 years 11 months.And can ride a bike.Just wait till you grow up.You are brilliant.Look out Cav we have a possible green jersey contender.


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## Angelfishsolo (23 Jul 2011)

postman said:


> xxmimixx 33" tall and 5 years 11 months.And can ride a bike.Just wait till you grow up.You are brilliant.Look out Cav we have a possible green jersey contender.



LMFAO


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## xxmimixx (23 Jul 2011)

postman said:


> xxmimixx 33" tall and 5 years 11 months.And can ride a bike.Just wait till you grow up.You are brilliant.Look out Cav we have a possible green jersey contender.



you are sooooo funny, you missed your calling


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## postman (23 Jul 2011)

So much doom and gloom in the world today.So i just thought a little light relief.I have had a bad day myself .the Wife was in a road accident today.The car was hit by a steam roller .She is ok though..She is in wards 34 35 and 36 of the Leeds General infirmary. I''ll get my coat.


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## sevelancs (23 Jul 2011)

just wondering postman if your wife rides a mountain bike.

goto be something strong if shes takin up 3 wards :s


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## smokeysmoo (23 Jul 2011)

I'm 6' 5" with 35" inside leg. I ride a 61cm Cannondale road bike, a 61cm Specialized Steel framed fixed gear, and I'm in the process of renovating and converting an 80's Peugeot road bike with a 62cm frame.

You are right in some ways, I asked the same question in my LBS a while back, and the owner said if you look at pro riders in the 80's they rode larger frames with generally less seat post on view, nowadays they all seem to ride compact frames with loads of seat post where applicable. Look at Wiggins, 6' 3" and Pinarello don't make frames bigger than 59cm!

I find that any frame with the modern trend for sloping top tubes just look daft under me TBH, so I stick to traditional geometry both for this reason and the fact that I just don't like sloping top tubes myself.

I also used to have a 2006 Trek Madone 5.5 in a 60cm and it was perfect, I then saw the 2009 Madone, (with change to sloping geometry), I sat on a 60 and it nearly went up my arse! (I exaggerate for effect), but the truth is I would have had to go to a 63 to get the right fit.

Like others have said, go and try some, sit on loads, and ride even more. Size calculators are just a guide IMO, they will point you the general right direction, but don't allow for quirks, tweaks and personal preferences.

Good luck, there's nothing quite like hunting for a new bike


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## jig-sore (23 Jul 2011)

smokeysmoo said:


> Like others have said, go and try some, *sit on loads, and ride even more*.



?????? are we riding them standing up ??


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## johnnyh (23 Jul 2011)

one of my road bikes is a 54cm and the other a 56, I am knee high to an ant (5'8") but when I test rode the 56 it just felt more comfy. - go figure


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## Zoiders (23 Jul 2011)

The OP seems to have fallen foul of the Compact/Semi Compact concept.

No they don't look like traditional frames as more seat post shows, check the manufacturers suggested sizing and look at the top tube reach and head tube length, these will still be the same as a traditional frame.

Don't be freaked out buy the amount of post showing.


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## smokeysmoo (23 Jul 2011)

Zoiders said:


> The OP seems to have fallen foul of the Compact/Semi Compact concept.
> 
> No they don't look like traditional frames as more seat post shows, check the manufacturers suggested sizing and look at the top tube reach and head tube length, these will still be the same as a traditional frame.
> 
> Don't be freaked out buy the amount of post showing.



Spot on in the sense that the frames are measured in the same way, ie: a 60cm measurement on a sloping frame is measured from the centre of the BB to a virtual point in space created by taking a virtual horizontal top tube position.
The fact remains that a compact frame under someone 6'+ just looks too small IMHO.

If the OP finds a compact frame that fits, suits and he's happy with it, happy days


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## smokeysmoo (23 Jul 2011)

jig-sore said:


> ?????? are we riding them standing up ??



It was a vague attempt at humour to outline the need to test as many bikes as humanly possible, especially when you are coming to the purchase arena from the inexperienced position of the OP


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## dave r (23 Jul 2011)

There's some awfully tall people on here, is it something in the water? or are you lot sleeping with your feet in a growbag?	

5" 6' with a 29" inside leg, my Kilmeton is a 53, both my Pearson and my Dawes are 54's. Sometime in the last 10 years we seemed to move away from not having much seat post showing to loads of seat post showing.


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## smokeysmoo (23 Jul 2011)

dave r said:


> There's some awfully tall people on here, is it something in the water? or are you lot sleeping with your feet in a growbag?



Eh up! At 6' 5" if I had a pound for every time I'd heard that


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## dave r (23 Jul 2011)

smokeysmoo said:


> Eh up! At 6' 5" if I had a pound for every time I'd heard that



Note to self, must try harder next time.


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