Sizing is a nightmare.I have moaned about this before.Bike shops will not carry bikes for BIG people i know i have tried asking. 6' 4" and 34" inside leg.I would not buy a car from a photo or a house.But we are expected to put up money to get one in and not get the money back!!!!.What is that all about.
Spesh sizing
- Thread starter roadiewill
- Start date
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Sizing is a nightmare.I have moaned about this before.Bike shops will not carry bikes for BIG people i know i have tried asking. 6' 4" and 34" inside leg.I would not buy a car from a photo or a house.But we are expected to put up money to get one in and not get the money back!!!!.What is that all about.When I started cycling, I couldn't understand how my LBS man could look me up-and-down and tell me my frame size and stem length.
Over the years and being in and out of bike shops and frame builders, I realise those old guys have had forty or fifty years of sizing bikes to people.
Now, I have forty years of bike experience and when I get asked by a 'newbie' at work who wants to buy a bike, I can do the 'looksie' and tell him the framesize.
I haven't been punched in the gob yet, so I guess they were all happy with my recommendations.
But it comes down to the fact that to be totally reassured, a Framebuilder is the only man who can help.
Over the years and being in and out of bike shops and frame builders, I realise those old guys have had forty or fifty years of sizing bikes to people.
Now, I have forty years of bike experience and when I get asked by a 'newbie' at work who wants to buy a bike, I can do the 'looksie' and tell him the framesize.
I haven't been punched in the gob yet, so I guess they were all happy with my recommendations.
But it comes down to the fact that to be totally reassured, a Framebuilder is the only man who can help.
Paul_Smith SRCC
www.plsmith.co.uk
- Location
- Surrey UK
I am nearly as tall as you at 5ft 11 ½”, I have a 33” inside leg, I would ride a 56 Specialized Tarmac if that helps; suggest you try one before you buy though, your local Specialized dealer should be able to give accurate advise regarding bike fit
Paul_Smith
www.corridori.co.uk
Paul_Smith
www.corridori.co.uk
andy_wrx
Über Member
I'm 5 11½ and ride a 58 Allez and a 56 Roubaix with all the spacers removed from under the stem.
The Allez is my Winter/wet-weather/occasional commuter/into-town-on-Saturdays bike with a rack and guards and is set-up a bit softer and higher at the front, the Roubaix is my Summer/sportive/fast-in-the dry bike and is set-up a little bit more aggressively.
Saddle height is the same on both, they have different length stems, but also different handlebars which is something often forgotten about - those on the Allez are a bit wider and have a bit more reach, so I spend more time on the hoods, whereas I spend more time on the drops on the Roubaix, even though it's lower at the front.
The Allez is my Winter/wet-weather/occasional commuter/into-town-on-Saturdays bike with a rack and guards and is set-up a bit softer and higher at the front, the Roubaix is my Summer/sportive/fast-in-the dry bike and is set-up a little bit more aggressively.
Saddle height is the same on both, they have different length stems, but also different handlebars which is something often forgotten about - those on the Allez are a bit wider and have a bit more reach, so I spend more time on the hoods, whereas I spend more time on the drops on the Roubaix, even though it's lower at the front.