Road Cycling - Any 6'2" guys riding a M Giant composite?

I tried this bike out at my lbs, and really liked the bike. My current bike is a classic geometry steel in size 57cm. Giant's size chart puts the 57cm traditial size in their medium, but they also have a height chart that indicates that a 6'2" rider needs a large.

I rode the composite medium and it felt good, Not too much seatpost out, and reach seemed fairly comfortable. I then tried a OCR1, an AI bike in large. The bike seemed way too big. BTW my inseam is 34 inches.

Any ideas? Is the medium just too small?

I tried this bike out at my lbs, and really liked the bike. My current bike is a classic geometry steel in size 57cm. Giant's size chart puts the 57cm traditial size in their medium, but they also have a height chart that indicates that a 6'2" rider needs a large.

I rode the composite medium and it felt good, Not too much seatpost out, and reach seemed fairly comfortable. I then tried a OCR1, an AI bike in large. The bike seemed way too big. BTW my inseam is 34 inches.

Any ideas? Is the medium just too small?

Why do you say it is too big?

It might be that your 57 is too small and that is your standard. I sell a ton of road bikes and unless you have really really short legs (your inseam size would suggest otherwise), I can't imagine the 57 fitting you properly. My inseam is also 34, and I ride a 60cm bike. I've ridden a 57 Look just to try out a carbon frame. I couldn't ride it more than an half hour due to the size.

Inseam is 34..add two inches to the floor (to do that type of measuring properly, you should be in your socks and the measuring goes from the crotch to the floor..and from the crotch, I mean all the way up where your bike seat would be if you were sitting on it...to the bone to get it right)...so 36...

36x.65 (.65 is the factor to use for center to center dimensions)= 23.4 to convert that to cm, take it times 2.54 and that gives you 59.44. That's why I'd look at the 60...I can always make a bike smaller, tough to make it bigger. The higher the seat goes, the further from the handlebars you get.

Giant says if your conventional is 59-63 cm large is your size.

I get that all the time....this feels too large. It's because in your head that too small bike now feels natural.

Hope that helps and you have some fact based info on sizing. What the bigger bike will do is help your pedaling stroke. Too small of a bike does not allow you to come across the top of your stroke effectively and that's where the lower back starts to compensate. Your breathing gets better and you begin to ride more quickly.

If you can find a shop with a cyclocomputer, put the 57 on that and take a look at your pedal stroke on the computer. I'd almost guarantee you will be suprised at the power loss shown on the computer reading.

Here's some support data if you want to calculate this yourself (http://www.coloradocyclist.com/bikefit/)

Giant sizing data (http://www.giantbicycles.com/us/050.000.000/050.600.100.asp?sPageID=050.600.100)

That sounds too small to me. I'm getting an XL Softride Rocket and I'm 6'1". Only you can tell what fits you. One thing I like about the Softride is that it can be adjusted many ways.

I'm 6' with a 32.5 inseam on a 58cm and i would ride a lg giant.

I have the TCR 1 and I am 6'1" with a 33 inseam and a size large is perfect. I wouldn't even consider trying a Medium.

We had a guy who was riding a M Giant and he was about 6'2". We finally convinced him he was on too small a bike and he stepped up to L and it fits him much, much better.

I ride an OCR-1 ('01). I'm 5'11" and it is a Large... My riding buddy is 6'2" and he's riding a large (OCR-2) as well, and I can not see him fitting a Medium..

Thank you for your replies. I should also point out that my current bike is a twenty some year old custom frame. It measures 57cm from the center of the spindle to the center of the top tube. I don't have it handy but I really don't have very much seat post out now. It certainly could be that I have been riding the wrong size for a long time. I will go back and retake the mesurements as you suggest and see what I come up with.

I was suprised that the medium felt good. I just assumed that I would need the large. The large however felt alot bigger than the medium. Then again my lbs did not have a large composite so I was riding an large aluminum TCR. I will see if I can track down a large composite frame to try. Thanks again.

Hmmm ... interesting stuff. I just bought a new bike. My LBS sold me a 54cm bike. I'm 5'9" with an inseam of 32. I have to say though, that it feels good! My last bike was a 56 frame and I always felt like I was reaching for the handlebars.

A medium sounds too small to me. Are you sure you have had your current ride set up appropriately all these years (regarding hip and knee position, handle bar positioning, seat height, etc.). If not, then you may be used to riding at a less efficient position that feels normal to you.

You know The sizing on the Giant's are kinda wierd it just might not be the bike for you. Try another bike compare for sizing. It all comes down to fit and how you feel on the bike.

Moser:

I'll add my two cents in! If you are 6'2", I would say that a medium Giant TCR1 or OCR1 frame is too small for you! I'm 5'9" and ride the Giant TCR1 Composite medium frame. The medium is perfect for me with a 30" inseam. With a 34" inseam, I would imagine that the seat post would be almost at maximum extension. I would really encourage you to work with your LBS on properly fitting you on a large frame.

Cyclingmaniac!

If you're 6ft 2ins, I'd start you off on something that was ( if it had a horizontal top tube ) a 59 or 60cm, with a top tube around about 58-60cm depending on your flexibility and whether you had the arms of an Orang Utan or not. Seat angle would be be about 72 degrees for starters. Offering a bike in 4 or 5 sizes is a travestry - especially aggrevated if you're outside of the normal definition of 'average'.

If you're 6ft 2ins, I'd start you off on something that was ( if it had a horizontal top tube ) a 59 or 60cm, with a top tube around about 58-60cm depending on your flexibility and whether you had the arms of an Orang Utan or not. Seat angle would be be about 72 degrees for starters. Offering a bike in 4 or 5 sizes is a travestry - especially aggrevated if you're outside of the normal definition of 'average'.

Thanks for all the replies. I took measurements as suggested and I do indeed come out with a 36’ “cycling” inseam. (In socks, measuring to the pelvis bones) That leaves me with roughly a 59-60 cm frame fit. I then figured saddle height the Lemond way, cm inseam x .883. My current saddle height was less then 1 cm too short. I made the adjustment and still have only somewhere around 10cm of post exposed. I will take these measurements with me and set up the medium and the large that way.

As long as you have enough seatpost, what is the drawback of riding the smaller frame? Smaller frames will have shorter top tubes, is that the disadvantage? Can that problem be overcome with a longer stem – spacers?

Bars could be a different size,crank a different size. Dont try to make the wrong size frame fit.

I'm 6'1" with 34" inseam and my LARGE TCR composite 2 fits me perfectly. Go with the Large.

I'm 6'1" with 32" inseam... I currently ride an Large OCR1, used to ride a 57cm Giant CRF3 which in comparison was way too small for me, didn't realize it until I rode the current bike which fits be perfect... After 5500+ miles, I'd say that I really enjoy the fit

I'm 6-4, 35" inseam and sleeve length. I ride a TCR1 XL. Fits me great. I can't imagine you on a M. I actually feel that the compact road frame sizing is perfect for us taller guys. I like this bike a lot and may get a Giant composite one day too. Altho I like the Treks alot. Ah, so many bikes, so little time!