Sizing Advice

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Dilbert

Active Member
Location
Blackpool
Hello,
I have started cycling again after 15 years as a result of teaching the kids and realising what I have been missing and am hoping to start commuting a couple of days a week in the next few weeks once I have built a bit of fitness up.
I am looking at a Boardman Road Team under our C2W scheme and I have been into Halfords to try one for size. Young lad who served me seemed to know his stuff but as almost every post about Boardmans is horror stories about Halfords, and only having recent experience of Mountain Bikes, I thought I would just check with some folks more knowlegable than I am. The chap said I should have an inch of clearance when straddling the top tube, which seems to be the case with the medium, and then should be right on my tip toes when on the saddle (which I was - in fact he said the seat could go up a little bit more). To be honest it felt a bit odd but I have not ridden a road bike since I was 18, which is a few years ago.

Thanks in advance for any advice

Alasdair
 

Garz

Squat Member
Location
Down
If your crotch has about an inch clearance at least that area seems fine. You need to see what the reach is like which measures from seat to handlebar stem, you can play with the saddle height but you may need to have a different stem (dont know if halfords can change this).

I was lucky and the stem that came with the bike fits pretty well. Sounds like your frame is the right one though, the more astute fitting mathematical guys should be along shortly to supersede my laymans post.
 

gregster

New Member
I'm just about to order a carbon Boardman through my C2W scheme, but deliberated long and hard, mainly due to the Halfords factor, but in the end the reviews and advice from people on here swayed me. There are lots of sites that will guide you in sizing your bike but as a general rule, like you said, an inch between the nethers and the cross bar is about right. At least the guy at Halfords knew that much!!! The initial one I went to didn't have a clue. I'm taking mine straight to my LBS once I've got it from them to check it over. Friend of mine has the team, rode with him on a recent sportive and he was very happy with it.
 

alp1950

Well-Known Member
Location
Balmore
gregster said:
I'm just about to order a carbon Boardman through my C2W scheme, but deliberated long and hard, mainly due to the Halfords factor, but in the end the reviews and advice from people on here swayed me. There are lots of sites that will guide you in sizing your bike but as a general rule, like you said, an inch between the nethers and the cross bar is about right. At least the guy at Halfords knew that much!!! The initial one I went to didn't have a clue. I'm taking mine straight to my LBS once I've got it from them to check it over. Friend of mine has the team, rode with him on a recent sportive and he was very happy with it.


Hang on a sec..... have a think about what you've just said.

If everyone used the LBS just to check/set-up bikes bought cheaply elsewhere, then not many of these shops would survive. In the long run, you will be much better off cultivating a relationship with the LBS- go and have a chat to them about buying from them under C2W, see if they can match or at least get close to the price of the Boardman from Halfords and see what else they will include eg free servicing for life. You won't be turned away if you arrive with a new bike from elsewhere, however I can't imagine you will be greeted with much enthusiasm either now, or in the future should problems arise.
 

Addledbedraggled

New Member
Location
Southampton
Not all C2W schemes let you use your LBS - for my work sceme you had to order from one company online so I decided against it as I hadnt a clue what type and size of bike to get and didnt feel happy using the LBS for advice with no intention of buing from them.
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
I thought you could only get the Boardman's from Halfords anyway? Surely any LBS wouldn't turn away the chance of an on going support/customer relationship. (Well I have seen the old guy in mine refuse to work on a kids wrecked Apollo:smile:)
 

Steve Austin

The Marmalade Kid
Location
Mlehworld
If your crotch has about an inch clearance at least that area seems fine......

This may have worked fine when all frames had horizontal toptubes, but its no good for frames with sloping toptubes. Trust me on this, if you use this method, you will buy the wrong size bike..
EG: My Giant TCR has a toptube that is very low, and could be stood above by someone of 5'5" easily, yet they wouldn't be able to get anywhere near the saddle as i'm 6'2".

Compact frames have made it almost impossible for people to guess what frameset they need, and the only way to work this out is to visit the shop and sit astride a bike of your choosing. Considering the country is littered with Halfords, it is worth doing
 

Garz

Squat Member
Location
Down
Steve Austin said:
This may have worked fine when all frames had horizontal toptubes, but its no good for frames with sloping toptubes. Trust me on this, if you use this method, you will buy the wrong size bike..
EG: My Giant TCR has a toptube that is very low, and could be stood above by someone of 5'5" easily, yet they wouldn't be able to get anywhere near the saddle as i'm 6'2".

Well I did go in and try the boardmans Steve. The small frame I had clearance, the medium my bits touched the frame when flat footed, the large was obviously too big. The best way is defintately to try them out, after all I dont know how tall this person is but just off his description he seems to be I guess 5'9"-5'10".

For this bike you are only offered S,M,L,XL. As im a short ass, it was between S and M the difficulty I guess is when your in between frame sizes. :smile:

The stem I dont know if they offer different ones btw.
 
OP
OP
Dilbert

Dilbert

Active Member
Location
Blackpool
Thanks for the advice guys. I am 5'10 and I am just on the edge of Small / Medium but after trying it I think the Medium will do the trick. I will try it again when I go in to order it. I assume the LBS will be happy to take money for servicing / repairs / upgrades etc, especially as we have bought bikes from them. They have already serviced my MTB which came from Halfords originally The union tried to get the scheme to cover LBS's but the company has sites all over the country so I guess its easier to go with Halfords.
Thanks Again

Alasdair
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Steve Austin said:
Compact frames have made it almost impossible for people to guess what frameset they need, and the only way to work this out is to visit the shop and sit astride a bike of your choosing. Considering the country is littered with Halfords, it is worth doing

Quite right.

I had issues buying a new bike recently, the LBS got it right as I'm used to standard frames.....

So far, the advice is about 'ball park' - seems OK.

Also do the bare foot, crank at lowest, if heal can just touch pedal then height about right. Saddle and post should be well out of the frame !

I believe the most important measurement is top tube length these days, as the seat tube varies so much.....
 

Garz

Squat Member
Location
Down
If he's 5'10" (as hes said now :smile: ) then medium should be perfect, I was almost medium and im 5'7". Just focus on your top tube as fossy mentioned you may require a different stem to get this well fitting.
 
Top Bottom