Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Preliminary IRO buying Questions

I recently decided that i'm going to go ahead and get the IRO Mach V that I've always wanted, but i had a few questions first.
I'm 5'8 and right now I ride a 52cm which fits me quite nicely. I did a search and found that tony recommended getting one size bigger than you usually. However, I was thinking that i might like a more compact bike for better city riding, handling, and maybe some freeriding stuff. I'm wondering if the 53 will suit my purposes just fine or if the 50 is a good idea?

Also, this is a stupid question and I apologize, but when you're on the ordering page, it gives you options for the stem length. Is that just the length that the stem goes outward?

Finally, I understand that the Complete mach V comes with a 46t crank, so i was wondering what your opinion are on a good ratio for me, keeping in mind that i live in seattle which has both hills and flat so i would be looking for a good compromise ratio.

Thanks for any help!

i would go with the 53. 50 for a 5'8" sounds a little rediculous. and yes, thats the length the stem that comes out. I would go for a 17t cog, personally. thats what I ride for commuting in SF. wheeeee


me=bored

46x18 wouldn't be too bad. You can always up the ratio later, if its too easy for you.


Spinning is the bee's knees.

i would go with the 53. 50 for a 5'8" sounds a little rediculous. and yes, thats the length the stem that comes out. I would go for a 17t cog, personally. thats what I ride for commuting in SF. wheeeee


me=bored

i ride a 50 and i'm 5'8"

... get the IRO Mach V ...

Is that like the Mark V, but with a Boston accent?




Sorry, I had to.

I think that is the speed that the OP is planning on riding.

Two points to consider:

1. You may have a funky time hearing your ipod traveling faster than sound.

2. If you run a front brake, use it gently so that your retinas don't detach.

Besides that, good luck.

I'm 5'7" and ride a 53 cm Rob Roy. I tried the 50" Mark V, but felt too cramped to skid comfortably.

Is that like the Mark V, but with a Boston accent?




Sorry, I had to.

HA HA Good stuff.
For the record i'm 5"6-28 inseam & ride a 50cm mark v a 53 might be good for you ?
Cheers

for what its worth...i'm 5'8 and ride a 50 very comfortably. i usually ride a 52 road bike, but find that i like my fixed bikes a little smaller for some reason. with a frame too large, you might have to compensate with a shorter stem, but i would advise against running a stem shorter than 100m, as it tends to make things pretty twitchy. running bullhorns felt great, i recently switched to risers and found that it handles wonderfully and makes it so much easier for hops, maneuvers, etc...but it is a little crunched up in the cockpit when you wanna lay out a nice skid.

good luck!

Do *not* get the 50cm. IRO measures frames from the center of the BB to the TOP of the seat tube. When you notice his seat tube stick out 2-3cm over the TT, you can see why he recommends getting the next size bigger. I'm 6'2" and I ride a 62cm angus. I normally ride a 59.

Check out this page: http://www.irocycle.com/id21.html

Now ignore the numbers he refers to his frames and pay attention to the ST c-c and TT c-c.

Measure the ST and TT of your current bike and compare. It's possible the "53" is too small and you need a "56" I'd be more worried about the TT length when considering what kind of riding I was going to be doing.

Good luck...

FWIW, I'm about your height and ride the 53cm Mark V comfortably.

i ride a 50 and i'm 5'8"

You also have your seat post about 8" high and use a 130mm stem, not to mention the Fizik Arione's long nose that kinda dwarfs your bike.

i am 5'9 and am sort of wishing i got the 56 rather than the 53. oh, its comfortable and zippy, but i too have to prop seat up a little high. skidding does not seemed cramped tho

haha first of all sorry about the "mach" typo, dont' know what i was thinking.

second thanks for the advice thus far. I guess i may go with a 53 and a 100mm stem. Plus i'm going to be opting for the 165 crank to avoid pedal strike so if i got the 50 that could quite possibley be way too cramped.

What do you guys think?

Also, I'm considering 46/18 for the ratio, how are the skid patches on that?

I'm 5'10" on a 53cm Angus. After owning and riding a number of bikes from 54 to 57cm over the years, I've come to realize that my torso / arms are stubby like t-rex...

Also, I'm considering 46/18 for the ratio, how are the skid patches on that?

Check out noisebeam's skid chart here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=101252&highlight=skid+chart), post #4. 46/18 isn't too bad -- I think it's actually the best you can do for an even/even combo (unless you had a cog over 18t!).

i am 5'9 and am sort of wishing i got the 56 rather than the 53. oh, its comfortable and zippy, but i too have to prop seat up a little high. skidding does not seemed cramped tho

same here. 5'9 riding a 53. it's usually fine since i tend to like smaller bikes, but on long rides i wish i had a little more room.

Shouldn't the seat tubes on all fixed gear specific frames be shorter than average? I would think the raised bb would require sorter seat tubes, that way you could still stand over you bike. Maybe Tony's frame sizes take this into account.

I'm 5'7" and got the 53cm Mark V with a 110mm stem. It fits great and I feel very comfortable on it. It has the same top tube length as my roadie, but my roadie only has a 100mm stem, so I knew I needed a little more room.

Take care,
Kevin

Hey there. I'm 5'8"+ and riding a 53cm. I'm also in Seattle riding 46x16 and climbing ViewRidge daily

I'm 5'8" and the 50 was WAY to small for me, I took it back and got a 53 which is much more comfortable. This is the Angus though, I don't know how the Mark V geometry and sizing differs. I know that the Angus is measured from the center of the BB to the top of the seat tube rather than just center to center.

Also, I'm considering 46/18 for the ratio, how are the skid patches on that?


I run 46/17 on my Mark V. If skid patches are important to you, 46/17 would give you 17 of them. I ride in DC and think that my gearing is fine(mix of hills and flats). I also have 170 cranks on it and they also are fine.

Have fun with it!

You also have your seat post about 8" high and use a 130mm stem, not to mention the Fizik Arione's long nose that kinda dwarfs your bike.

nice attempt at being a convincing prick. i have a little more than 5" of seatpost showing, and i do in fact ride a 130mm stem, although i'm probably going to be switching to a 110mm soon. and yeah that extra couple of cm that a fizik has over my last saddle really dwarfs the frame.

I'm a little over 5'8" and ride a 56cm. I feel a little too stretched out on the bike, but I attribute most of this uncomfort to the short steer tube length/low bars. I may be investing in a new fork, hopefully from IRO, with an uncut steer tube. I would probably go with the 53cm and a longer stem, if necessary.

Do *not* get the 50cm. IRO measures frames from the center of the BB to the TOP of the seat tube. When you notice his seat tube stick out 2-3cm over the TT, you can see why he recommends getting the next size bigger. I'm 6'2" and I ride a 62cm angus. I normally ride a 59.

Check out this page: http://www.irocycle.com/id21.html

Now ignore the numbers he refers to his frames and pay attention to the ST c-c and TT c-c.

Measure the ST and TT of your current bike and compare. It's possible the "53" is too small and you need a "56" I'd be more worried about the TT length when considering what kind of riding I was going to be doing.

Good luck...

Wow, that is strange isnt it. According to the geometry I'd need a 59 or 62 IRO bike, and I'm riding a 57cm right now.

29 in inseam and i ride a 50cm