Road Cycling - Road bike height

I'm buying a used road bike and I've test ridden it once. Although the fit seems ok while riding it, I'm concerned about the height when I straddle it - there's only about an inch between the frame and the inseam of my (tight) cycling shorts. Also, when I straddled it, I was wearing shoes with about 1/2 inch heels. It doesn't say on the frame what size it is. Not having owned a road bike, I don't know if this is too big. :confused:
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Originally posted by baltazar
Not having owned a road bike, I don't know if this is too big. :confused:
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

For me, as long as I clear the top-tube on a road bike, standover is less important than top-tube length and reach.

Try looking under the bottom bracket, thier is usally a serial number stamped on and sometimes the frame size is aswell. If you can stand over it, it should be good just adjust the stem and the seat to fit.
Stew

You can measure the hieght yourself. Measure from the centre of the bottom bracket, along the seat tube to the top or middle of the top tube. You can use this to compare to other frames.
The length of the top tube is more critical for a well fitting frame.

1" clearance on a road bike is adaquate for standover, but check that the reach from bars to saddle is OK.

I'm 5'6" so that top bar is something that has always bothered me about road bikes. Maybe you should consider a compact frame that fits better and put all the parts from this frame on it. Then maybe even sell this frame to help pay for the new one. :)

Frame size sounds fine to me....when I stand over my Paramount, I am in firm (but not painful) contact with the top tube. Conventional wisdom (?) would have me riding a smaller frame, but the more I am around bikes, the more I am convinced that there are no hard and fast rules for fit. At best, they will only get you in the general area. If the bike feels good when you are in the saddle, ride it, and have a little fun!!

Standover height isn't very important. If you clear the top tube, you're fine. A while ago I realized that I might straddle my bike with both feet on the ground maybe once in a ride, at the very beginning, and never again.

Other dimensions -- particularly top tube length -- are more critical to good fit.

RichC