JOHN J

Whats up fellow war horses? I hope all is well.

I cant be the only one built like this Im 5' 10" 29-30" inseam and a long mid section.

I have 3 bikes and all 3 are too small due to only having the standover height to work with.

My MTB is a giant ATX 760 Bought new when The ATX series came out in the early 90s the salesman talked me into the smallest frame (the stiffer thing) my seat post was a sky scraper and the bars were always low, didnt care much with the type of riding I was doing then and didnt know any better.

My falcon road Bike I bought new in 1992 it was fit kit to me and same thing I needed a larger frame but the SO Height killed me as I only could practicaly use a 50cm. no compact frames in those days.

I love this road bike its an SS right Now . but again I cant get the bars up where I would like them for around town commuting. I have a NItto tall stem but Id like another inch mabe a dirt drop stem would work but then I still have about 4-5 " of stem above the head tube

finally my beloved Full dresser cross check commute beast. Unfortunatly the XC frame was ordered based on my SO height and thus the frame is too small. the first 2 seasons of commutting was not bad but now that im riding more and longer distances I FEEL the effects of the small frame.

My brooks seat is all the way back and I have a very long riser stem and its not quite tall enough for long ride comfort and of course a 5" stack height

ive gone to 3 LBS looking for ideas and the best any of them came out with was "how about a surly LHT"

but when I point out the fact that the LHT has horizontal top tube and that ill be in pretty much the same situation they all said "well thats all we can think of"


I cant be the only one built like this! if there is anyone else, If yes What seems to work?

I cant justify a full custom frame(I may have to at some point) or I may build my own frame this fall (im a very good metal worker and can weld -braze-solder just fine)

I was looking at some of the 29er frame like the SOMA JUICE as a solution But Im not sure a 29ers short chainstay/ wheelbase would be comfortable on longer rides 50- 100 mile and it doesnt look like fenders and attachments would be too easy to use..

sorry for the rant but Im in a bike fit rut and my fleet is all too small.

many thanks

"John"

JumboRider

I am 6'4" with only a 33-34" inseam. My arms are fairly short for my size as well. Yes, Mulder from the X-files has been in contact with me. I am going with a Surly 61 cm, but I am sure that to really get a fit i will need a custom. That will be my reward for cutting my weight down.

mkadam68

I'm 6'3" with a 33-34 inseam. I ride a Kuota Kharma X-Large frame with a nice long stem. Fits wonderfully...very comfortable. Look for a racing/relaxed geometry with long top-tubes (stay away from Cannondales as they usually have short TTs). Lemond frames fit the bill nicely as I understand.

redneckwes

6'1" 30" (pants) inseam, I must look funny as heck on a bike, I have to stick to mostly 21" (Traditional top tube, don't like compacts) frames just to leave some saftey room for the boys. So I have to find 100-110mm stems and move the seat all the way back just to fit.

Half Ewok, Half Wookie

HAMMER MAN

5'10" long legs, 33" inseam. stout upper body
It is easier for me to buy custom made bikes. Everthing that I bought that was not made for my body specs just never worked out, I was always constantly trying to get comfortable by exchanging drop bars, seats and stems and my fore/aft position.
Zero problems now.

Turboem1

What custom frame do you have?

I am 6 foot with a 32" inseam.

barndoor

Yeah...it's hard to find a nice fitting bike when you have short legs for your size....I'm 6'7" w/36" inseam, 37" sleeve size. I have a couple of buddies my height and they both have 40" inseams.

Of all my bikes, the only ones I own that really fit well are the 62cm Surly LHT with a few stem spacers and a Delta stem riser(looks weird).....my upper torso length requires a long top tube ... the LHT really stretches me out pretty good. My other is a custom Proteus 68cm s/t and 67cm top tube....that one fits me perfectly.

Neil_B

6 foot, 30-31 inch inseam. I ride a Trek Navigator, 18" frame. Unfortunately a host of structural problems prevents me from determining if an 18" frame was right for me - too many other things are going wrong. :-(

bloodhound

Have you looked at this?

https://www.konaworld.com/bikes/2k7/SUTRA/index.html

Looks to me like it's a LHT competitor, but with a nicely sloped top tube.

Tom Stormcrowe

6'3", 30" inseam and 35 inch sleeves, that's right, I look like an Ape!

JOHN J

now this is much better, does Kona sell just frames? Probably not. the 56 would be great.

'John"

bloodhound

They do sell 'frames only', but I don't see the frame they used for this bike.

https://www.konaworld.com/frames_main.htm

huhenio

6'2 33 inch inseam

I am all lungs on a 175 crank :weird

Wogster

You sure that's the problem? I mean I am 5'9.5" with a 30" inseam, and don't have a problem, in fact 30" would seem to be right around normal for a guy, your height. On my MTB (see blog for photo), the bars are at factory height (bike was a factory demo), and while I could use them back about 1/2", and up about an inch, a different stem should fix that (planning on the changing it out in the next month or so).

manual_overide

i'm 6'0" with about a 30-31" inseam. My bikes fit ok. Not huge frames with seats set pretty far back. buying clothes is much harder. XL shirts fit, but can be too short. 2XL is usually too big, but the right length. XLT is hard to find, but fits perfectly. Pants are another story. 38-40 waist with a 30 inseam is almost impossible to find.

(did anyone else read the title of the thread and think of the Cake song, "Short Skirt, Long Jacket")

rideorglide

John,

I just posted this below on your BikeForum thread-- but since we are nearly identical sized (what length are your arms BTW?) I think we have much in common regarding this particularly difficult conundrum..... I will be interested in how you work it out.



I'm about 5'9" 29 - 30" inseam too. I feel your pain and it sux having this weird body. If the seat tube/standover is correct, then my head ends up too uncomfortably close to being aligned over the front axle!!! One mistake with front brake and it's over the falls. Downhill is no fun. I use MTB techniques to get my weight back etc.

I have been riding a 54.5 Top Tube, steel frame bike, seat all the way back, (and maybe not right for KOPS knee alignment, for what that's worth) and the standover is OK but felt the cockpit a little cramped.

I am now building up a 56 frame with a horizontal TT. That feels like the right Top Tube length, but the standover will be right up my Khyber Pass! (rhymes with ...) But just barely enough to clear by less than an inch. I will let you know how it works out.

With this body type I seem to like a longer Top Tube and a stem in the 90 to 110mm length. I am still figuring out the correct stem. It doesn't help that my arms are on the shorter side too.

Most "compact" sloping TT's seem to rise up to their 'standover height' right around where the crotch is when dismounted, anyway, so the concept doesn't work that well for me, and they seem to be designed for shorter torso folk. But that may not be true for all of them.

I am building good/great components around a 'decent' but inexpensive frame. When I can afford the custom frame, I will strip this frame, and put the parts on the new frame.

That's my long term solution. it's slow, but by the time I am ready for the custom frame, I will have the specs dialed in, whether I want to go custom carbon, Ti, . . . or back to steel -- and I will have the the parts ready. No hurry.

Neil_B

Tom, I take a 37 inch sleeve. How's that for simian? :-)

heavyp

Mr JOHNJ,

I am 5-ft 10-in. I have a 31-inch inseam (true...from ground to nether regions with the boys out of the way). I wear 30-inch inseam pants. I think I have short arms too. I wear 34-inch sleeve dress shirts.

I think we are similiar in size.

I ride a Trek Pilot 2.1. I have the 56cm model. TT length is 56.2 cm. With a short reach handlebar, I use a 90mm 7degree stem. The seat is about 1-inch higher than the handlebars. I think it is quite comfortable. Trek lists the SO height at 76.8cm, or 30.1 inches. When I am off both pedals, straddling the TT, my sack underneath my supportive bike shorts touch the TT. It is not uncomfortable, just the TT saying "hello" to the royal jewels.

If you still think that 30.1 SO is too much, try the 54cm Trek Pilot. It has a 29.5 inch SO height, with a 54.5cm TT. That is a minor change in TT length, just 0.7cm!

Check out the Specialized Roubaix as well.

If you are worried about the seat to handlebar drop, you can always run the 17 degree stem, or a bunch of steer tube spacers. Doesnt look as cool...but oh well.

Good luck!

ronjon10

I've almost got you tied. 6'2" 30" inseam, 34/35 sleeves.

To the OP:
I have a custom built touring bike (worth the expense) and a new off the shelf compact frame Roubaix. The roubaix fit so well off the rack I could've cried. Finding off the shelf anything is almost impossible for me. If a Roubaix frame suits your needs, go check it out, I suspect it'll work for you.

breadbin

I'm 5' 11" with an inseam of about 31" so I am in this gang too. My road bike doesn't fit me properly because of this. I wonder is this why I don't use it? My MTB is a bit better but standover height is zip.

JOHN J

[QUOTE=rideorglide]John,

I just posted this below on your BikeForum thread-- but since we are nearly identical sized (what length are your arms BTW?) I think we have much in common regarding this particularly difficult conundrum..... I will be interested in how you work it out.



I'm about 5'9" 29 - 30" inseam too. I feel your pain and it sux having this weird body. If the seat tube/standover is correct, then my head ends up too uncomfortably close to being aligned over the front axle!!! One mistake with front brake and it's over the falls. Downhill is no fun. I use MTB techniques to get my weight back etc.

I have been riding a 54.5 Top Tube, steel frame bike, seat all the way back, (and maybe not right for KOPS knee alignment, for what that's worth) and the standover is OK but felt the cockpit a little cramped.

I am now building up a 56 frame with a horizontal TT. That feels like the right Top Tube length, but the standover will be right up my Khyber Pass! (rhymes with ...) But just barely enough to clear by less than an inch. I will let you know how it works out.

With this body type I seem to like a longer Top Tube and a stem in the 90 to 110mm length. I am still figuring out the correct stem. It doesn't help that my arms are on the shorter side too.


Thanks for the reply (everyone) Im almost carbon copy of you in the sizing. a 56 frame is just about right but with traditional horizontal TT My privates are in danger on the SO height.

I called a very reliable resource in vermont and went over the SOMA JUICE 29er frame. Bill at battenkiill sports thought that would be a very good fit in the L 18" size . the so Height is 30.5 but thats with big fat 29er tires 2.4" id be using 32 or 35 slicks so So height would be better. wheel base is longer than my cross check 42.3 vs 39.6 and the TT on the 18" JUICE is 23" that will give me a shorter stack height and the bars up where I need them and without My eyes looking down at the front axle like you.

I may be giving it a try all I need is the frame and headset. I also like tHat the cableS are all top routed and the track fork is good cuz I cant pull the wheel out when I climb (happend twice this month on the XC.

Ill look a bit more but the SOMA JUICE looks like a good canidate for my longer end.

"John"

felixtannenbaum

6'3" 31 in inseam, 36/37 sleeves....

i have an old mtb with slicks and lolly bars, but have been looking at the surly crosschecks- the 60 cm with a low seat felt really good, and i think ill be buying one...

jbpence

i am 5'10", 29-30 inch inseam. after a detailed fitting, the shop suggested a felt F1 team carbon frame. in a 54, it fits like a glove. felt geometry seems suited to the longish torso, shorter legs issue.

bpisciot

I am also 5'10"--but my inseam is somewhere between 28" and 29" (I have to roll the cuffs on jeans at 29 in. inseams!). 54 cm. bikes are just a smidge too tall for me. I ended up on a Trek Pilot 1.2, size 52 cm., but with a very long stem--a high rise 120 mm. The standover is about right, but I do feel a bit out in front of the bike when I ride. It's a serviceable compromise--one I've become used to. Next time around, I'm thinking about touring bikes. I like the thought of longer wheel bases. Bob

jim10040

I restarted riding roadies a short while back. I'm 230#, about 5'10" (If I stand up straight), and my pants legs are barely too long at 30". I rode my friend's older Bridgestone with a REALLY long h-bar stem, and it felt GREAT! I soon after bought an older Univega with a fairly short stem, and it always feels like I'll endo if I grab the brakes too hard. I'm going for a longer stem soon. Both bikes are 54cm. My MTB which has always felt good is 17".