Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Riding a frame that is entirely too large:

Is this an idiotic thing to do? I found a Taiwanese-made Bianchi frame sitting around at Free Ride which I was determined to build up even after I measured it at 61 cm C-T seat tube. Now I'm 6' and have decently long legs, but to have the bike adjusted to give me anywhere near the proper leg extension, I have to put the seat tube almost all the way down. Should I suck it up and throw the parts on a smaller, albeit crappier frame, or stick with this one because I'm a brand/mediocre quality *****? Basically, I want your responses to recall stories in which you've ridden too large frames and regretted it or loved it.

What is the top tube?

i've tried damn near everything to get my beautiful 61cm guerciotti to fit me decently and only just recently accepted that it's not gonna happen. fit is too important to compromise, imho. i realized this midway through a crit race when i tried to adjust my position a little and felt like my back was being stretched on one of those medieval torture devices (can't remember what they're called for the life of me...).

I think it's called "the rack".

If it doesn't fit, you must forget (it)!

I'd prefer to tote five pounds of extra weight rather than ride an ill-fitting bike. Keep looking!

I ride a 62cm early 80s Centurion Frame that has been fixed. Its top tube is exactly the same length as my 57cm 2005 Lemond Poprad. So they fit me the same (correctly), even though the top tube of the Centurion is a nut buster. So check and adjust the reach (top tube, stem) of the frame, not the seat tube length.

Al

i'm about 6'1" but mostly leg. my bike is about 61cm (top tube is about 59cm). Although it looks huge, it fits me fine and neither the stem nor the seat is even close to being all the way down (though my stem is kinda stubby). I like how I am taller than all of the cars on my comute - some of the SUVs too.

all that to say ... it might be worth giving it a shot. it seems that a bigger problem is folks riding bikes that are too small for them.

riding an incredibly tall bike can be quite glorious
i can barely stand over my raliegh but i still love to ride it

I'm right around 6' and ride a 54x54 frame with a 90mm stem on my track bike and a 56x56 on my road bike. I really couldn't imagine riding a top tube longer than 56-57cm. I think it would be painful. Maybe your arms are really long and things work swimmingly. Only one way to find out.

A Taiwanese frame is a Taiwanese frame...

I have three bikes with the same top tube measurements- 61, 58, 57 - and I have no standoever issues with any of them. all that really matters is top tube, assuming you can straddle the thing. Bianchi measure theirs a bit strangely. As I recall, their 56 is more like a 54, etc... I'm guessing it will be a smallish 61- although, if it is a modern frame, it will probably have a longer TT than something a bit more vintage.

Unless they are giving it away, I'd skip it. Fit isn't something to comprimise on. There is nothing to love about a bike too big- although it seems many people tend to ride bikes that are too small (and would probably feel better riding something that fit).

A lot of bike shops go through this. They have customers or customers of other shops bring in bikes that were improperly sized for whatever reason. The shops are pretty good with swapping out different size frames of the same models or even upgrading the kits to better frames. For a price of course. You might want to look into this if you want to salvage the rest of the bike.

while i do love the fit of my bike, i should admit that the standover hight keeps me from being able to perform sexy - or even mildly graceful - mounts and dismounts. thats alright though, if i started doing anything sexy, my friends and neighbors would be very confused.

im 6'3" and my surly frame is a 62cm....i think it is probably the "correct" size...but astheticaly...bah....i figure ill ride it like this for a year (becuase i love it anyway) then swap it for something a bit sexier

If anyone wants to give away a 61 or 62cm frame, I'm all over it! I'm 6'2", my Pista is 61 and fits me perfect. I would be willing to trade an old Ficell frame, which is probably a 56 or 57. The Ficell has most or all of the original components dating back to the 70's, according to it's previous owner. Let me know if anyone is interested.

Critical issue for height for me is whether there will be any critical issues for the likelihood of future issue. As long as your 'nads are safe during any quick stand-over maneouvres, does it really matter? If you think you look like a gump with the seat all the way down, then it may be meaningful to swap for a smaller frame.

As per Andrew, I've always got an eye out for 61cm framesets. PM me if something is taking up space....

never heard of ficell, any info?

IMO, stand over height means Nothing!, top tube length is the one that counts.

My point is that the traditional method of sizing bikes means nothing. How do you feel on it? are you stretching to reach the brakes? are you comfortable? Stand-over height is for mountain bikes or bike where you really need to bail out of the pedals from time to time. Otherwise, TT length and your comfort factor should decide.

Everyone keep in mind that this frame was absolutely free and I would have no problems swapping it out for one of the many degenerate frames at Free Ride. The point was that this is a Bianchi and for free..why would I let it loose? Anyway, I must have measured it wrong because I haven't had any problems with standover height or with reach during my few commutes I've done on it so far. I like how sturdy the ride is with my seat rather low. I've never measured the TT, but I'll do that later this evening to see if there's a great discrepancy. I did consciously put a shorter stem on there so as to not maximize my reach, and with my flipped and chopped bars I've yet to have any reach issues. Yeah it's a bit of a strain to do a leg sweep over dismount, but I'm willing to sacrifice that for a nice, free frame. By the way, thanks for the tips everyone; I'll make sure to check both the TT and C-T in conjunction from now on.