Road Cycling - Does Frame size realy matter?

Hi guys!

Im new to this forum and just getting into Road bikes. Im shopping around and looking into whats out there on the market that is in my price-range.

The main fear i have is that i will make a wrong choice of frame size. So id like to do it right.

I am 6ft even and weigh 201lbs (prolly gonna drop back to 180ish when i get back in shape)

What should be the ideal frame size for me?
Ive been looking at 56cm thru 60cm and im hearing conflicting advice everywhere i turn.

Is there some standard methode in measuring the correct frame size to a persons body hight/weight or is it all kind of personal opinion?

thx in advance, i look forward to reading your replies and good advice :)

-Dan

yes frame size does matter, if you get a bike which does not fit, then you will most likely be uncomfortable when you ride :(

here is a easy way to get a rough idea on frame size,

size calculator (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/sizecharts/roadsize.cfm)

but I would recomend going to a LBS and riding a bike near your size to see how it feels. every bike is different.

Welcome to BikeForums.

You are the same height as me. My road bike is a 57cm Litespeed. My commuter bike is a 56cm Raleigh.

Check out a few bike shops. Find the bike you like (components, features, whatever) and talk to the bike shop owner/manager. Then he/she will do all the measurements (inseam, height, arm length [reach], etc.) and determine what frame size you'll need. Then he/she will install the correct stem, handle bar (shoulder width), saddle height, and so on.

If you try to buy a bike from a catalog or online, you could get a bike that doesn't FIT. And FIT is the most important feature about any bike.

Talk to the bike shop folks. They will make sure it fits. If it doesn't fit, you won't enjoy riding!!

Good luck and let us know what you get.

The best comments on fit I've come across were from Tom Vernon who said something along the lines of "a cheap suit that fitted well was a better buy than an expensive one that didn't fit".

You might not need a made-to-measure frame, one off the peg will do but you want one that's comfortable.

Richard

Top tube length can be even more important than "frame size," i.e., seat tube length. For any given leg length, there will be about a +/- 1 cm spread of opinions regarding ideal frame size, reflecting differences in application (racing vs. loaded touring vs. commuting vs. recreation) and pedaling style (ankling, etc.). For the record, I wear trousers with a 30-inch inseam and like the size of my (C-C) 54 cm Capo and 53 cm Bianchi, both of which have somewhat long top tubes. My 55.5 cm Peugeot feels too big for me, and anything smaller than the Bianchi feels too small.

I agree with John E - concentrate on top tube length. The other factor that I find most often overlooked and that is important to my sense of comfort is the width of the road bars. Most generic bikes have bars that are to narrow for me. Even though I am only 5'8", I need a 54cm bar. Test ride, test ride, test ride. I have come to the conclusion that fit is critical- even more than frame material for ultimate comfort.

I agree that top tube length is actually more important than seat tube length, as long as you can set the bar as high or as low as you want (spacers and/or reversing the stem). You can easily adjust the seat height by playing with the seat post, but there's only so much what you can do about top tube lenght by playing with the stem length, theres only about 50 millimeters of usable adjustment (80-130 mm) at the most when it comes to stem, you don't want a very long or very short stem because it affects the way how bike steers. I suggest you try several bikes and sizes just to know how a too big or too small bike feels so that you know what to avoid.

There's a web site that calculates you some data that you may find useful when thinking about how your bike should fit. It's not like you should absolutely obey the instructions it gives but it may give some hints what to look for in a bike:
http://www.bsn.com/Cycling/ergobike.html

It asks the measurements in European units so:
1 inch = 2,54 cm
1 lb = 0,45359 kg

Me too.
Length is more important than top tube height, but you chose the length according to how you want to ride.
You can chose anything between a very upright leisurely style and a deep stretched out time-trailling race position .
Between these extremes lie a reasonably deep but comfortable long distance race position, or a comfortable effficient touring position.

It depends on your flexibility and needs.

Check out
http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm
for some good sense on the topic.

In addition to frame size, other variables include crank size, bar width, stem length, seatpost-layback (ie where the saddle is mounted in relation to the seat tube).

I agree / disagree with what's come before. Fit is important, but over-rated (In my experience each person can comfortably & efficiently ride a wide range of differently sized and equipped bikes and enjoy the heck out of it). Certainly particular folks might have specific gripes ("Man, this seat* is killing me!"), but I have found that any bike is better than no bike (I knew a guy, same size as me, who had a bike he rode from Atlanta to Seattle and I wouldn't have ridden it across the street; and he had a smile on his face the whole way). The point is, get a bike and start riding it a bunch. Along the way you'll meet many others who'll more than likely be happy to let you take a spin on their bikes. It won't be long before you'll find your "perfect match", and measurements won't have had anything to do with it.

*In my stable of "Usually around a dozen or so" bikes I've got an ill fitting classic with a seat from the Marquis de Sade's dungeon, but it's so cool to ride that it makes you forget the pain or that nothing's quite right...

Read the fit info at http://www.peterwhitecycles.com and http://www.rivendellbicycles.com both have excellent info.

I am 6'3" and ride a 58 cm road frame. With a 72º seat tube I am VERY comfortable with a 58cm top tube and 10-12 cm stem.

But with a 73º seat tube I need a shorter top tube (56cm or so) in order to get comfortable - this is because a steeper seat tube moves my center of balance forward and puts too much weight on my hands/wrists (this is more of a problem with heavy guys like us). In order to move my center of gravity back I must move the seat back - which requires a shorter stem and/or toptube to keep the reach within reason. But if the stem gets too short it will result in scittish handling.

All in all, a 72º seat tube is better for non-racers. But you may have trouble finding one since most road bikes sold in shops are made for criteriums and thus have 73º or even (E-gads!) 74º seat tubes.

One possibility is to buy a touring bike like the Bruce Gordon BLT (or any one of several less expensive touring bikes). These have 72º seat tubes and are very sturdy. If appearance is an issue a touring bike can be made to look more road-like by swapping out the wide 40+mm tires with something a little narrower like 28 or 35mm. Some touring bikes have STI shifters (which you will probably like) and others have bar-end shifters (which you probably WON'T like).