DaytonaMike

I think I understand that Raleigh’s are measured from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the seat post when referring to frame size and my Sports is 21”.

Is there a name for the measurement for the distance from the center of the seat post to the center of the headset? If so, is a 21” men’s Sport’s the same as a 21” ladies?

Sixty Fiver

Bicycles are typically measured from centre to centre of the lugs / joints although the English, and Grant Peterson measure to the top of the seat post which is guaranteed to confuse people who have been using the other system for everything else.

Sixty Fiver

On bicycles without a top tube you need to use the effective top tube measurement which is drawn by measuring a horizontal line from the centre of the seat post to the centre of the headtube... my Raleigh 20 folder is effectively a 54 cm frame when it is measured in this way.

auchencrow

You mean the top of the seat tube - right Sixty?
Right or wrong, that's the way I have always given frame measurements - whether the bike was English or not.

PatrickZ

I believe the 21" ladies frame has the same headtube as the 23" mens model.

DaytonaMike

Thanks for the feedback. Is there a chart posted anywhere that might have all the dimensions where I could confirm what the distances are between the centers? My wife recently took my Sports for a ride and loves it. She is 5’ 9” and some ladies bikes have her knees almost hitting the handle bars. I am trying to talk her into a men’s 21 inch like mine but she wants a ladies model.

PatrickZ

I am not aware of a chart, but the 21" should be big enough, and again, the handlebars will be even higher than your 21" mens model due to the taller headtube. My wife is 5"7" and a 21" ladies Raleigh Sports fits her fine. She likes her 22" Raleigh Tourist loop frame better, but the fit is about the same.