Frame sizing

[ontheroaddave]

I have been riding a 2008 55cm Bianchi C2C 928 carbon frame for at least 1 1/2 years now. I am 6' tall and about 170 pounds. I was told that it's the right frame size for me by my LBS. As much as I love the looks of this bike and the way it rides some of the time, I haven't been able to become comfortable on it. The fit seems like it's never going to work out...The saddle is all the way pushed forward and i've changed out my 120mm stem for a 100cm. I've tried about 5 different saddles and 3 different sized crank arms and nothing seems to work.

I bought a brand new 2009 52cm Specialized Roubaix Pro SL Sram Red the other day because I got a killer deal on it (paid $2,500). My thoughts are to flip it and make some money. Here's the thing...I adjusted the seat post height on the Roubaix (just for kicks), test rode it to see how it rides and it actually feels VERY comfortable. The only thing i would change are the 40mm handlebars...but other than that, It feels great.

I'm not saying that i'm going to keep it and ride it..but is there something wrong about a 6' tall guy riding a 52cm frame? This is my first time posting on this forum and everyone seems nice so I'm asking this question before I get a proper fitting session this coming sunday.

Thanks,

David

 

[spiff spaceman]

Top tube length is more important than the seat tube height. You need to find your proper reach, seat to handle bars. If you get it with the Specialized that keep it. I think the TT is longer on those frames.

 

[brianf7]

Get a proper fit by a specialist and when he is finished get a photo so you can look at it at home . draw lines on it and whatever you want before you shell out for a new frame.
Any good bike fit specialist will refund money if it dont work. Most frame builders will give you a refund for the fit up off a new frame.

 

[Wallace]

I have been riding a 2008 55cm Bianchi C2C 928 carbon frame for at least 1 1/2 years now. I am 6' tall and about 170 pounds. I was told that it's the right frame size for me by my LBS. As much as I love the looks of this bike and the way it rides some of the time, I haven't been able to become comfortable on it. The fit seems like it's never going to work out...The saddle is all the way pushed forward and i've changed out my 120mm stem for a 100cm. I've tried about 5 different saddles and 3 different sized crank arms and nothing seems to work.

I bought a brand new 2009 52cm Specialized Roubaix Pro SL Sram Red the other day because I got a killer deal on it (paid $2,500). My thoughts are to flip it and make some money. Here's the thing...I adjusted the seat post height on the Roubaix (just for kicks), test rode it to see how it rides and it actually feels VERY comfortable. The only thing i would change are the 40mm handlebars...but other than that, It feels great.

I'm not saying that i'm going to keep it and ride it..but is there something wrong about a 6' tall guy riding a 52cm frame? This is my first time posting on this forum and everyone seems nice so I'm asking this question before I get a proper fitting session this coming sunday.

Thanks,

David

From what you've said here (saddle all the way forward, shorter stem) it sounds like you've got a small torso in comparison to your legs--still I don't see how at 52cm frame can possibly fit a 6' tall guy. My suggestion: sell both your bikes and go to a good LBS, get fitted with a bike that genuinely is right for your body.

 

[usedtobefast]

I have been riding a 2008 55cm Bianchi C2C 928 carbon frame for at least 1 1/2 years now. I am 6' tall and about 170 pounds. I was told that it's the right frame size for me by my LBS. As much as I love the looks of this bike and the way it rides some of the time, I haven't been able to become comfortable on it. The fit seems like it's never going to work out...The saddle is all the way pushed forward and i've changed out my 120mm stem for a 100cm. I've tried about 5 different saddles and 3 different sized crank arms and nothing seems to work.

I bought a brand new 2009 52cm Specialized Roubaix Pro SL Sram Red the other day because I got a killer deal on it (paid $2,500). My thoughts are to flip it and make some money. Here's the thing...I adjusted the seat post height on the Roubaix (just for kicks), test rode it to see how it rides and it actually feels VERY comfortable. The only thing i would change are the 40mm handlebars...but other than that, It feels great.

I'm not saying that i'm going to keep it and ride it..but is there something wrong about a 6' tall guy riding a 52cm frame? This is my first time posting on this forum and everyone seems nice so I'm asking this question before I get a proper fitting session this coming sunday.

Thanks,

David

if it feels great, then why worry? it is a very subjective thing. getting some outside help with fit is not a bad thing either. just remember you are the guy on the bike, no one else.

 

[Notso Swift]

Being comfortable seems to be more and more underrated but I think it is very important, especially at a non pro level. (even then)
Remember being cramped up top can hinder your breathing and is generally less Aero, Aero may not be an issue for you but Breathing is
You also need to make sure you have a reasonable amount of weight on each axle, but other wise I say go for it, remember a lot of experts are working on theories that may not be specifically applicable to you. Good guys look at every case individually and also consider your comfort.

 

[bc_hills]

I'd say that there's no way a 6' guy could fit a 52 cm (top tube) frame! You'd have to have the torso of a someone 5-5ish with crazy long legs. Like a Kenyan distance runner. And even then if wouldn't be an off the shelf specialzed that would fit a body like that.

Just saying...

But as mentioned above, if it works, it works...

you should post the results of your fitting.

cheers!

 

[ontheroaddave]

Thanks for your input guys...I know it seems a little crazy to have it fit but I guess I'll see what happens in the fit session and testing the bike for myself. It's very possible that I need to try a completely different bike in the 55cm-56cm range, who knows.

I wouldn't even consider thinking of riding a smaller frame if I really didn't feel it was the only thing keeping me from fully enjoying my rides with my team...So thanks.

 

[ustabe]

I have been riding a 2008 55cm Bianchi C2C 928 carbon frame for at least 1 1/2 years now. I am 6' tall and about 170 pounds.

Are you sure you're six feet tall? I know a lot of guys who say they're six feet, who are really about 5'10".

First, your approach to fitting yourself to the Bianchi was all wrong. You were putting too much pressure on your hands, which made you believe you were reaching too far. Then, to reduce the reach, you got a shorter stem, which probably made it easier for you to support your upper body but put even more pressure on your hands.

Then you got on the 52 Roubaix with its long (for a 52) head tube. But there's no pressure on your hands now because you're sitting almost bolt upright, and that feels great after what you've been through.

Pushing the saddle forward is where you went wrong. I needs to go back so your center of gravity is over the bottom bracket. Think about all the other active things you might do in a more or less vertical posture--walking, running, skiing, skating, playing softball or volleyball. Some are done in an upright posture, some are done in a crouch, but they all have one thing in common--what keeps you from falling on your face is keeping your center of gravity over your feet. Think of it--what sport requires you to use your hands to keep from tipping over onto your face? So slide the saddle backward, probably a lot, and lower it a bit too, to account for the extra reach you'll get.

Years ago there was a prominent US amateur cyclist named George Mount, known by those in the sport as Smilin' George. It was uncanny--whenever the camera caught Mount on the bike, he was smiling. Not only that, regardless of how hard he was working, he always looked perfectly at ease.

That's him in the aviator glasses. In my younger days I would puzzle over these photos, trying to figure out why he looked so comfortable. He didn't sit higher than anybody else; he was actually quite aerodynamic. And his body proportions were in no way unusual. Years later, though, as I refined my own position and studied other riders, I understood why Mount looked so good. His weight was over his feet, he was sitting on his bum, and his arms were just out there for steering the bike or pulling on the handlebar in a sprint or climb.

Take Brianf's advice and get to a fitter, or at least start patronizing a shop that understands frame sizing and fitting.

 

[Notso Swift]

I agree with the above, which is sort of what I was trying to say whan I said you need to have a balance of weight on each axle

I'd say that there's no way a 6' guy could fit a 52 cm (top tube) frame! You'd have to have the torso of a someone 5-5ish with crazy long legs. Like a Kenyan distance runner. And even then if wouldn't be an off the shelf specialzed that would fit a body like that.

Just saying...

But as mentioned above, if it works, it works...

you should post the results of your fitting.

cheers!

I took it to mean 52cm Seat tube, which with current frame design is not really important

 

[dsut4392]

Thanks for your input guys...I know it seems a little crazy to have it fit but I guess I'll see what happens in the fit session and testing the bike for myself. It's very possible that I need to try a completely different bike in the 55cm-56cm range, who knows.

I wouldn't even consider thinking of riding a smaller frame if I really didn't feel it was the only thing keeping me from fully enjoying my rides with my team...So thanks.

It may be worth going through a DIY fit session before you go back for another shop fit. It will help you learn a lot more about what you are trying to achieve, and the pros and cons of different fit philosophies. You'll also likely get more respect and better fit service from the shop if you come in with something that is close, rather than some outlandish position on an unsuitably sized frame.
The Competitve Cyclist has a pretty good fit calculator on their website.
This page has links to a number of others. I'd particularly recommend reading The myth of KOPS in addition to the basic LeMond system articles.