Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Trek Soho S, bad sizes?

I was considering ordering a Trek Soho S, but I'm concerned about the sizes they offer. Trek makes them in 15", 17.5", 20", and 22.5". I'm 21.5", so maybe this bike is a bad fit for me? I would like a properly sized bike for once.

go to the local trek dealer and test ride bikes, they can help a ton more than us 'cuz they're there.

I am screwed too because I'm a 19.5", how do they expect to sell these things???

go to the local trek dealer and test ride bikes, they can help a ton more than us 'cuz they're there.

Well sort of. Dealers usually will tell you it fits perfect because they want to sell you the bike. The more you know in advance about what is the right size, the better off your are.

More than likely you can make one of the sizes work for you with a stem swap or other adjustments. However, its also probable that there is some other bike out there that might fit you even better.

They luckily had the 2 sizes to check out. The sizes were terrible. One was WAY too small, and the other was too big. Oh well. Guess I'll scratch it off the list. Too bad, because I really liked the bike otherwise. Even more so when I saw it in person.

Thanks for everyone's help anyway!

They luckily had the 2 sizes to check out. The sizes were terrible. One was WAY too small, and the other was too big. Oh well. Guess I'll scratch it off the list. Too bad, because I really liked the bike otherwise. Even more so when I saw it in person.

Thanks for everyone's help anyway!

How tall are you, what is your inseam and which two sizes did you sit on or ride?

he's probably about 6 feet and he probably tried the 22.5 and the 20 since he said he's sized perfect at 21.5...

If you want "a bike that fits" all around, the odds of finding a perfect match on a stock bike are pretty slim. That's not to say the soho necessarily fits your needs, but if they want to sell you on it and you tell them you're in between sizes (did you tell them?), the shop can help try to dial it in or lose a potential sale. I fit best on a 22" frame, but I have a weakness for old bikes that tend to be 21" or 23" with nothing in between. With a few adjustments, either size usually works fine. If you can't try adjusting the fit before buying, definitely steer clear; but if you really like the specs on the soho, it's worth seeing whether it's doable.

Assuming you can standover the bike, seat tube height is meaningless - just raise or lower the seatpost. The only important number is top tube length. And since you have about a 2" range of adjustment available by changing stem length, the available sizes can be made to legitimately fit nearly any body size.

I am 6'0" and have 81cm inseam. They had the 17.5" and the 20". The problem with the 20" was stand over height. I might go back and give it one more look, but I don't think I'll change my mind.

the available sizes can be made to legitimately fit nearly any body size.

Are you crazy?!?! He is 21.5" and they don't offer that size, can't you read?

Are you crazy?!?! He is 21.5" and they don't offer that size, can't you read?

Everyone is just trying to help.

Everyone is just trying to help.

helping is overrated, this is SSFG.

I was considering ordering a Trek Soho S, but I'm concerned about the sizes they offer. Trek makes them in 15", 17.5", 20", and 22.5". I'm 21.5", so maybe this bike is a bad fit for me? I would like a properly sized bike for once.

I'm 6'0"/250lb and on the long side of a 31.5" inseam. I went with a 2010 Soho-S in the 20"/51cm size. It seems to be a good fit for me. I just raised the seatpost to get the proper leg extension. The sloping top-tube toward the seatpost can be misleading. If I straddle the top-tube near the head-tube, my boys are right there on the tube. Needless to say, when I step off the pedals, I have ample clearance at the mid-point of the top-tube. I straddled the 22" before I pulled the trigger...and although it felt okay, it wasn't the best fit....it felt tall-ish. With the exception of my recently acquired Madison, I tend to ride the smallest bike I can fit on with respect to top-tube length so I'm not all bunched up like a circus bear on a bike. Since your inseam is 81 centimeter (or 31.889"), I hope this info is helpful to you. Just keep in mind that your torso length and how the rest of you fits on the bike after adjustments might also influence your decision. The Soho-S is a fun bike!

Paipo, what inseam is that? Is that your pants inseam or measured with the book-in-the-crotch method (which is how I measured my 81cm, my pants inseam is 29")? I can't figure out why you would have enough standover room on the 20" model and I wouldn't. I think I could get the 20" model to fit other than the standover room. Of course, I'd want to tweak it to see before I bought. But with the standover where it was, I can't see using this bike.

Paipo, what inseam is that? Is that your pants inseam or measured with the book-in-the-crotch method (which is how I measured my 81cm, my pants inseam is 29")? I can't figure out why you would have enough standover room on the 20" model and I wouldn't. I think I could get the 20" model to fit other than the standover room. Of course, I'd want to tweak it to see before I bought. But with the standover where it was, I can't see using this bike.

What was wrong with the standover? Though it's certainly worth considering as one aspect of fit, it's highly over-rated, esp the widely used 1"+ clearance rule. If standover is a priority to you for a particular reason, that's fine, but most folks spend essentially zero time straddling the top tube, making tt length far more relevant as a starting point for fit. If your measurements are correct and you're 6' tall with an 81 cm inseam, then you have a fairly long torso, meaning you'll end up having to do a fair bit of adjustment in your saddle and bar position if you shoot for generous standover clearance.

I don't spend a ton of time with standover, but this was way too close. Serious (not slight) compression of my tender bits. And ya, I have shorter legs and longer torso and arms.