Originally Posted by
maidenfan
My wife is 5'6" and rides a 52-54 range bike, depending on the manufacturer. I too would agree that, in general, a 49cm frame would be too small for you at 5'7". That's the whole problem with Internet orders though, you're taking a leap of faith. I would suggest going to a few local bike shops and ride a few different brands of bikes - you'll get a good flavor for the general size you fit into (usually a top tube length) and can make a more confident order over the net.
First off women have way longer legs relative to their torsos compared to men...so if those are women's frames you're talking about for your wife then they should have a much larger seat tube length (which is the cited frame size) for a given top tube length.
I've ridden lots of bikes in stores and have generally found that I'm happy no matter how the frame is sized...to me it seems there is no such thing as a "wrong" bike size only a different frame that fits in a different way which is probably why I've never been inspired to purchase a normal diamond frame bike...but now I've reached a point in my cycling journey where I've become a bit curious as to whether I'm just dense and so I just want to put a couple thousand miles on a bike that's supposedly the "right" size by the book to see how it compares with the "wrong" sizes I know and love.
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I once inquired about a custom frame build and after asking me to submit some measurements of my "favorite bike" they're response was, "you must have mixed up the numbers because these dimensions don't make any sense!"
Originally Posted by
no1mad
Here's a suggestion- check out bikeisland.com. You'll find BD's 'scratch and dent' offerings there.
Windsor Oxford 3 spd can be had for $199 (or less) shipped.
And a fantastic suggestion that is, sir!...at prices that barely cover the cost of shipping I might as well just get one of everything, huh?
