Any sizing gurus ?

[Bear]

You've answered your own question there, although an extended test period would confirm your feeling.
I reckon the technical methods can be both confusing and offputting for beginners, and trial and error through testing at an LBS is the best way forward followed by tweaking of position at home.

Totally agree with that.

Can anyone advice on gearing please, while i'm here. The 3 bikes i'm looking at are all doubles, 2 with 50/34, & one with 53/39 ... which one is better for a bit of everything, hills & flat ?

And one other thing if poss ... i've been looking at bikes with 105 components or better, hoping this will give a quieter ride ... is that enough ? It has to be smooth ... definitely, without spending on top line stuff.

 

[Randochap]

I reckon the technical methods can be both confusing and offputting for beginners, and trial and error through testing at an LBS is the best way forward followed by tweaking of position at home.

While this might sound like the simplest way, unfortunately it has led to many an ill-fitting bike.

If you have a scrupulous LBS w/ trained staff, then you are on your way -- nothing further to learn. The shop will size and fit the bike for you. To my mind this is the advantage and part of what you're paying for at the LBS.

But what if the beginner walks into a shop that is willing to palm off a bike of the wrong size that they happen have in stock? It happens more than you think!

Working in the industry I've seen other shops do this and had to make less-than-perfect alterations to help the hapless victim. That's why it pays, like in any other expensive purchase, to do a bit of background research.

Now, you have so many people buying online (see how many ask for free expertise on forums like this to facilitate their online purchase!) without the hands-on experience to guide their choice.

If we are assuming that a beginner need not know the fundamentals of sizing, then we might also assume that they won't have the knowledge base to tackle the far more complex job of fitting at home.

In the end, if you are serious about cycling, there is no way around familiarizing yourself with the technical side of things. It's a technical sport.

 

[jimboalee]

While this might sound like the simplest way, unfortunately it has led to many an ill-fitting bike.

If you have a scrupulous LBS w/ trained staff, then you are on your way -- nothing further to learn. The shop will size and fit the bike for you. To my mind this is the advantage and part of what you're paying for at the LBS.

But what if the beginner walks into a shop that is willing to palm off a bike of the wrong size that they happen have in stock? It happens more than you think!

Working in the industry I've seen other shops do this and had to make less-than-perfect alterations to help the hapless victim. That's why it pays, like in any other expensive purchase, to do a bit of background research.

Now, you have so many people buying online (see how many ask for free expertise on forums like this to facilitate their online purchase!) without the hands-on experience to guide their choice.

If we are assuming that a beginner need not know the fundamentals of sizing, then we might also assume that they won't have the knowledge base to tackle the far more complex job of fitting at home.

In the end, if you are serious about cycling, there is no way around familiarizing yourself with the technical side of things. It's a technical sport.

Oh so true.

PS Randochap, I dug up an old T shirt from the bottom of a drawer and thought I'd ask your opinion whether it would make a useful undershirt?

Yay, or Nay?

 

[Randochap]

Oh so true.

PS Randochap, I dug up an old T shirt from the bottom of a drawer and thought I'd ask your opinion whether it would make a useful undershirt?

Yay, or Nay?

You mean vest?

 

[Will1985]

I'm not dissing the value of a good fit. I'm just saying that a professional/technical fit is just one more expense which beginners do not want to have and is likely to put them off buying a bike in the first place. There are so many different approaches as well so there is always going to be a range of dimensions.
It seems to me that newbies who come here buy their first (road) bike to see how they get on with cycling and will then get a better one within 6-12 months. By this time they have more technical knowledge and know what they want in a bike. A proper fit is more justifiable here after the trial period.

Btw, if you read the OP, you'll see that he has tried bikes for size and isn't just buying 'unseen' online.

 

[jimboalee]

I'm not dissing the value of a good fit. I'm just saying that a professional/technical fit is just one more expense which beginners do not want to have and is likely to put them off buying a bike in the first place. There are so many different approaches as well so there is always going to be a range of dimensions.
It seems to me that newbies who come here buy their first (road) bike to see how they get on with cycling and will then get a better one within 6-12 months. By this time they have more technical knowledge and know what they want in a bike. A proper fit is more justifiable here after the trial period.

Btw, if you read the OP, you'll see that he has tried bikes for size and isn't just buying 'unseen' online.

A "professional/technical" fit shouldn't cost anything. A LBS man worth his keep will be able to select a frame for you with the aid of a measuring tape and a sliderule ( or calculator if you are younger than 48 ).

The 'bike jigs' are there to persuade you to part with your money, or there because the LBS man hasn't got the savvy.

I have the 'savvy'. There are eight bodily dimensions I need to measure, and then the frame can be built.

RandoChap is correct when he says 0.5" is an acceptable tolerance. That is why mainstream manufacturers build in 2cm increments.

I have transcribed my hand written notes to a MS spreadsheet. One column of working gives a precise result, while the second column rounds DOWN to the nearest 1cm for an Off The Peg Selection.

 

[accountantpete]

Totally agree with that.

Can anyone advice on gearing please, while i'm here. The 3 bikes i'm looking at are all doubles, 2 with 50/34, & one with 53/39 ... which one is better for a bit of everything, hills & flat ?

And one other thing if poss ... i've been looking at bikes with 105 components or better, hoping this will give a quieter ride ... is that enough ? It has to be smooth ... definitely, without spending on top line stuff.

I'd go for the 53/39 but it also depends what you have on the cassette - you should look at something like 26-13 for pleasuring about.

 

[Bear]

Thank you mate