awry

I've done a lot of reading over the past couple of days, but I still need some help choosing a new fixie.

Fit is a big concern for me. I'm 6'3"+, and I can't find anyone who stocks large enough rigs for me to try out my various options. My legs are pretty normal length (about 33" inseam), so most of my height is from my waist up. My impression is that I should be looking for geometries with a high t-t to s-t ratios.

Given that constraint, I've narrowed down my choices to: Jamis Sputnik, Surly Steamroller (complete), or IRO MarkV/Angus. I don't have time to build a rig frame-up, so I'm looking only at full rigs, here.

It seems clear that IRO represents the best value, in terms of frame, comp group, and service. Yet it also has the worst t-t to s-t ratio for me, at only ~.95. Is is it worth $80 more to get the Angus with the Reynolds tubes? Seems like it probably would be, and frame durability is important for a big guy like me. The all-black Angus comes out at $699 ($619 for the Mark). All-black IRO is sexy as hell.

The Surly has what I imagine to be the best frame geo for me, with a .98 ratio. The Surly complete has arguably the worst comp group of them all, though. It's priced comparably to the Mark V, and also made of 4130 steel. Also the least aesthetically pleasing of the three, in maroon only (blegh).

Again I ask - should Reynolds 631 be an important priority for me? Does it actually improve the durability of the frame, or just allow the frame to be made lighter?

Finally, the Jamis. It seems to be the sweet spot in a couple of ways. For a pre-built, it seems to have a pretty solid comp group (except the alex rims!). It's Reynolds 631, with the second best t-t to s-t ratio of .97 (really close to surly).

In summary -

• Is the Angus geo going to fit my build comfortably?
• Is Reynolds 631 worth the premium in price, in terms of durability/longevity?
• I'm leaning toward either the Jamis or the Angus, which are priced about the same. IRO has better components, but Jamis seems likely to fit better (and probably $50-100 more than IRO). What would you do?
• I wish there were used frames available in bigger sizes, but I can't find sh*t!
• What makes such simple bikes so freaking expensive?!

na975

just buy a unicycle,one size fits all.

Pfutz

You know I am 6'5" with like a 35** inseam and I ride a 57 cm bike and have no complaints

sniks

REALLY!!!!!!**********!!
that seems so small for you

Pfutz

I get that impression based on what other people ride but I feel fine in it.

Eric Hanus

im 6'4" 170lbs and most of my height is in my legs, 34 inseam. my road bike is pretty up high. but are your legs too big for the bike or are your arms?

Pfutz

sorry I just realized I said 38, I meant 35*

Sakae Custom

get a bike your real size and feel the joy

apt13

6-5 here at about 200+ pounds. got a 36" inseam. i have the 62 angus and dig it alot. fits me really well. went with the tehnomic stem which is a bit longer so you can pull it out more if need be. this is how the bike looked when i first put it together out of the box last year, it has since changed. but i have to say i have been super pleased with the purchase.

In Absentia

No one can tell you what will feel right for you, you just have to find out the hard way: by actually riding. If you can't test ride the actual bikes you're looking at, find bikes with similar geometries to try.

Retem

I am 6'4" I have a 34" inseam and I ride a 55~57c-c st and a 56~58c-c tt most of my height is in my torso as well

awry

Well, I just decided on the Jamis.

Geometry. The Jamis geometry looks like it will be a better fit for me than the IRO. Ditto steamroller.

Steel. I decided R631 is probably worth the extra dough. I know a lot of people swear by steamrollers, but from what I've read, R631 is a pretty clear winner over 4130.

Comps. The comps on the Jamis are definitely better than the Surly, but probably not quite as good as IRO (esp. wheels). Not a bad compromise.

Sex appeal. All-black IRO and Jamis are about equal I think. Maroon surly is not so hot.

Price. I got Sports Basement to order me a Sputnik for $650, same price as the Angus, only $20 more than the Surly. Now we'll see if they can actually get the thing into their store...

Also heard some real enthusiastic comments from Sputnik enthusiasts along the way at various LBS!

Retem

geometry sputnik is a slightly aggressive road geo, sulry is a slightly traditional road geo, iro retro road/track geo
steel r631 is light and nice but it dents easily r631 is a specialty type of 4130 so your comparison is a little off
components jamis has really nice comps for a standard bike, surly also has fairl good comps for a standard bike, Iro is about the same trim level as surly

you probably could have made yourself very happy with an angus from montano velo or refried cycles or even american cyclery but you went the other route good luck with your choice I hope you enjoy it but next time it might help to actually go into a shop that handles fixed/ track bikes and chat it up with someone with mass amounts of experience

the more lax geo of the angus would have actually been better for whereyou live pot holes and all..

jacobs

you're talking about probably less than 1cm in difference of the top tube length. you can get stems from 50mm to 150mm without much difficulty, and they aren't very expensive if you decide you don't like the reach of your ride.

mascher

I don't know about the without much difficulty part with long stems - 130 is pretty much the standard end point. Bike shops aren't very good here, but with fewer and fewer factories making bike stuff, it seems sizing of parts is getting more and more streamlined/limited.

The Fuji Track and its clones have a 61cm top tube and a nice frame in the 64cm size. It fit me well when I tried one in Toronto once.

I have two 26" wheeled bikes with 63cm top tubes, and a Surly steamroller with 60.8 tt I think, all of them with 130mm stems, all with a very good fit with a 35.5" cycling inseam and a long torso. My first fix had a 59.5 and a 130 stem, and I was a little bunched up, which was fixed by finding a 140mm stem on ebay.

I'd recommend doing your measurements at wrenchscience.com or coloradocyclist.com and seeing what you come up with - if you're less flexible or like sitting up, you'll want a shorter top tube and higher stem. Your size seems pretty doable in any off the peg bike though - is 33" your pants or cycling inseam? My cycling one (from yr pubis to where my cleat would be on your bare foot) is different.

Be wary of recommendations here though - *lots* of posters here ride bikes much smaller than you'd see ideally fit to them. Not saying they don't know how to ride their bikes or what feels good to them, but if you check out other forums you'll see few people riding 54 and 56cm bikes at 6'5".

I always reply to these threads because I rode bikes too small for me my whole life because I was broke and used what I had/could get, and when I finally got one that fit me, man, it was such a pleasure to ride. The difference was 2.5" on the top tube, which is about the difference between a 56 to a 64cm bike in typical sizing. For bike sizing, that's a huge difference. FWIW, I considered buying a nice used Marinoni that was almost my size (60 cm), and it felt like a toy.

It takes a long time to get your size dialed if you're a casual rider, but I was just comparing my bikes today trying to dial in the fit of a new road bike, and I wasn't surprised to find that my geared xc mtb, fixed 26" wheeled commuter and fixed road bikes all had the same saddle height, reach, and bar height, none of which was possible on my old Raleigh rigid mtb with any stem, post, and saddle configuration.

Finally, I wouldn't worry about the stock components on any of the bikes you mention - they're all plenty tough, they're just a hair heavier and less pretty/less blingy, unless you're going to race or have an extremely high power output, or are really really heavy. The Alex rims on my mountain bike have held up 5 years without being trued with a 230 pound rider.