Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Singlespeed & Fixed Gear
Reload this Page >

standover or TT lengh - what sizing works for you?

Notices
Singlespeed & Fixed Gear "I still feel that variable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-- Henri Desgrange (31 January 1865 - 16 August 1940)

standover or TT lengh - what sizing works for you?

Old 11-19-09, 08:44 AM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NYC
Posts: 2,781

Bikes: Felt AR1, Cervelo S2

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts
standover or TT lengh - what sizing works for you?

i've been trying to figure out my size in a track frame by comparing measurements to my current road bike, which fits me perfectly.
of course, nothing matches up perfectly, and i wouldn't expect them to...

i've done a lot of reading.
some say to go with a bike that most closely matches my current bike. if so, then i'm at 55cm.
other say ignore standover height, and go for a match on TT length. in THAT case, i'm looking at bikes that are like 60cm.

for example - the Kilo TT.
my current bike is a 21.5'' / 55cm, standover 823mm, TT 585mm.
the 55cm KiloTT has about the same standover, but t 560mm TT.
the 57cm KiloTT has about the same TT length, but an 839mm standover.

so i'm confused. which measurement is more important?
should i expect at FG to have a shorter TT?


To put this in context - i'm shopping for my first FG; my (awesome) girlfriend wants to make it a birthday present, so i'm shopping around for complete bikes. i'm looking at the Kilo Stripper, Charge Plug Racer, the 2010 Fuji frames, etc. i've read the threads on those...if anyone feels like throwing in 2 cents on that, i'd be happy to listen.
Inertianinja is offline  
Old 11-19-09, 08:56 AM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
the_don's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Tokyo
Posts: 1,938
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
I like to use the seat stay length as the most accurate indication of bike sizing...



Nahhhhhhhhhhh but seriously, go by top tube length.
the_don is offline  
Old 11-19-09, 08:58 AM
  #3  
Live without dead time
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2,136
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
A combination of top tube length and saddle to bar drop.
elTwitcho is offline  
Old 11-19-09, 09:05 AM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
Brian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Between the mountains and the lake.
Posts: 16,681

Bikes: 8 bikes - one for each day of the week!

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
Originally Posted by Inertianinja
To put this in context - i'm shopping for my first FG; my (awesome) girlfriend wants to make it a birthday present, so i'm shopping around for complete bikes. i'm looking at the Kilo Stripper, Charge Plug Racer, the 2010 Fuji frames, etc. i've read the threads on those...if anyone feels like throwing in 2 cents on that, i'd be happy to listen.
My girlfriend got me a new bike too. I should have told her that I had also ordered one. Now I've got two. Not that I'm complaining...

I would get the frame with the top tube that most closely matches your current one, but provides sufficient standover. You can tinker with fit my using a longer or shorter stem, but you can't really raise your nuts to fit your bike. What length stem does your road bike have?
Brian is offline  
Old 11-19-09, 09:15 AM
  #5  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NYC
Posts: 2,781

Bikes: Felt AR1, Cervelo S2

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts
my current bike's measurements are kind of strange. it's a 21.5'' bike, but the ST is measured "509mm center of bb to TOP of TT", not center of TT. so it's not C-T, it's something else. stem is 120mm, it's a flat-bar bike. TT length 585mm effective

i've looked at 5 brands of FG/track bikes today alone (at work ), 3 sizes per brand. the only consistent measurement has been TT length, and they have all been much shorter than 585mm. for example:
Kilo 57cm - 575mm TT.
Charge Racer L ("seat tube length 620mm") - 566mm TT
Fuji Track 58cm - 570mm TT
Pista 59cm - 575mm TT.

i'm 6ft, ~33'' inseam, and i don't think i'm fitting on a 59cm bike. i definitely have some standover clearance on my current bike, but ~59cm seems big.

i'm really lost in these measurements, since each company measures their bikes differently.
Inertianinja is offline  
Old 11-19-09, 09:24 AM
  #6  
Nü-Fred
 
ichitz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 1,517

Bikes: Torelli Tipo Uno (stolen), Peugeot Nice, Mercier Kilo TT

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by brian
i would get the frame with the top tube that most closely matches your current one, but provides sufficient standover.
+1
ichitz is offline  
Old 11-19-09, 09:58 AM
  #7  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NYC
Posts: 2,781

Bikes: Felt AR1, Cervelo S2

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts
i guess sometimes direct human contact works better than Internet research

i broke down and made some calls. i spoke with someone at EigthInch, and he gave me some good info. the confusion was coming from my attempts to match the TT length, but apparently my current bike has a ridiculously long TT (trying to match a 585mm TT was putting me on 61'' bikes) with that out of the way, things are simpler. guess i'm going for 55-57''
Inertianinja is offline  
Old 11-19-09, 10:07 AM
  #8  
outside agitator
 
redmist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: LES
Posts: 566
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
https://www.frameforum.org/forum2/ind...2&st=0&start=0
redmist is offline  
Old 11-19-09, 11:29 AM
  #9  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Davis/Lafayette, CA
Posts: 2,014

Bikes: too many

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
a flat bar bike will have a longer tt since it's more upright i think. if you look at a mountain bike they have pretty long effective top tubes for their size. well, compared to road bikes.

in lieu of going to a brick and mortar shop or getting on similar style bikes at all to see what's your size, i'd go by standover.
LupinIII is offline  
Old 11-19-09, 12:46 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NYC
Posts: 2,781

Bikes: Felt AR1, Cervelo S2

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts
i just re-measured myself for my "cycling inseam"
i didn't realize that you were supposed to do it from the base of your pelvic bone and NOT give any room for the balzaranos.
unscientific, for sure. i took a book here at work and measured it up against a poster, and then measured it to just over 3 sheets of paper (11'' each)
so apparently my inseam is 34''.
Inertianinja is offline  
Old 11-19-09, 01:09 PM
  #11  
*
 
adriano's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Baltimore
Posts: 6,876

Bikes: https://velospace.org/node/18951

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
both can be fudged around with with seat post and stem adjustment. if you want to be able to get low, size down. if you dont race, size up.
__________________

α

Last edited by adriano; 11-19-09 at 01:16 PM.
adriano is offline  
Old 11-20-09, 08:02 AM
  #12  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NYC
Posts: 2,781

Bikes: Felt AR1, Cervelo S2

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts
If you guys could tolerate this for a bit longer, i did some more measuring and think i'm close. I'm getting the 09 pista. only question is 55 or 57.

Current Bike's seat tube length is ~55cm. (21.5'') C-T
I called EigthInch - they recommended a 55cm or a 57cm. C-T
I called a random LBS about the Bianchi - they recommended 55cm C-T
I spoke with BikesDirect about at KiloTT - they recommended "55cm C-C, which is 58cm C-T"

so i'm getting bounced back and forth.
i'm not planning on racing.
Inertianinja is offline  
Old 11-20-09, 08:09 AM
  #13  
Senior Member
 
Brian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Between the mountains and the lake.
Posts: 16,681

Bikes: 8 bikes - one for each day of the week!

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
I'd get the 55. It's easier to adjust cockpit length by 2cm than worry about stand-over, all else being equal.
Brian is offline  
Old 11-20-09, 08:12 AM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
preston811's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Seattle
Posts: 424
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
why not actually go to a LBS and sit on / ride some bikes? you're not obligated to buy anything, a bike is a big purchase. then go back and look up the specs online of your favorite fits. Best to support the LBS though, and they will support you..

no one's mentioned online fit calcs either, you could try those. this one seems decent. there are many.
preston811 is offline  
Old 11-20-09, 08:18 AM
  #15  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NYC
Posts: 2,781

Bikes: Felt AR1, Cervelo S2

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts
i'm going to stop by a bike shop this afternoon, though i hate doing that when i don't intend to buy. the fit calcs put me generally inbetween sizes, so i was trying to figure things out based on the bike i have, which fits.
Inertianinja is offline  
Old 11-20-09, 08:39 AM
  #16  
Senior Member
 
preston811's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Seattle
Posts: 424
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Inertianinja
i'm going to stop by a bike shop this afternoon, though i hate doing that when i don't intend to buy.
I dunno, you should go into them with an open mind, rather than deciding what you want before even seeing it. It's how I found my Steamroller.
preston811 is offline  
Old 11-20-09, 08:45 AM
  #17  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NYC
Posts: 2,781

Bikes: Felt AR1, Cervelo S2

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by preston811
I dunno, you should go into them with an open mind, rather than deciding what you want before even seeing it. It's how I found my Steamroller.
i don't want to get off-topic, but i've had a couple of bad experiences with shops being uncool about my lack of knowledge, lack of interest in what they had in stock, etc.
i had one guy try to sell me on a bike that was clearly too small for me.
another guy - i asked him about FG bikes and he said "pph, why would you want one of those?"
another shop only had one FG in stock, not my size.
who do they treat nicely? the guys in there to buy trek madone's.

so i obsessively research online, bother you guys with my questions, and just go in there ready to buy.
Inertianinja is offline  
Old 11-20-09, 08:59 AM
  #18  
Senior Member
 
preston811's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Seattle
Posts: 424
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
understandable I guess, but not all bike shops are bad ya know? especially in this economy/offseason I feel like it's in their best interest to be nice/helpful. Of course some may try to sell you a less than ideal bike, but you're the one paying the $$ after all and like I said you're obviously under no obligations: if you don't like the bike or fit, or if they give you hard time, just bail. Nothing lost except a little time. If they're nice to you and you're not sure how to walk away, just tell them you are still weighing your options and want to sleep on it some. Make it clear up front you're just browsing if you want, they won't care.

Just my $0.02 for the LBS route; good luck to ya either way.
preston811 is offline  
Old 11-20-09, 09:07 AM
  #19  
Senior Member
 
preston811's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Seattle
Posts: 424
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Yeah sorry to derailleur the thread, it's just that I was you a few weeks ago and I'm glad I went the LBS route and got to see a bunch of bikes in person and had my loads of questions answered. But I had the luxury of hitting up like 5 different shops within walking distance. If you live in a smaller town and have 1 LBS who are snobs, screw them then.
preston811 is offline  
Old 11-20-09, 09:39 AM
  #20  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NYC
Posts: 2,781

Bikes: Felt AR1, Cervelo S2

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by preston811
Yeah sorry to derailleur the thread, it's just that I was you a few weeks ago and I'm glad I went the LBS route and got to see a bunch of bikes in person and had my loads of questions answered. But I had the luxury of hitting up like 5 different shops within walking distance. If you live in a smaller town and have 1 LBS who are snobs, screw them then.
heh, i really have no excuse. i live in NYC, there are a million shops here. it's just that a few bad experiences and i'm kind of feeling some approach avoidance.
you guys give unbiased opinions, though.

i imagine most of you are around my height and build, and so the 55 vs 57 thing would be something you've dealt with.
Inertianinja is offline  
Old 11-20-09, 09:47 AM
  #21  
Banned.
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 27,297
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 378 Post(s)
Liked 1,407 Times in 908 Posts
Standover is only important if you stand over. With adjustable seat posts, swap-in stems, etc, the main thing is to get professionally fit by someone who is not trying to sell you a bike.
RobbieTunes is offline  
Old 11-20-09, 12:05 PM
  #22  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: NYC
Posts: 2,781

Bikes: Felt AR1, Cervelo S2

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by RobbieTunes
Standover is only important if you stand over. With adjustable seat posts, swap-in stems, etc, the main thing is to get professionally fit by someone who is not trying to sell you a bike.
I just went to a LBS.
it took a LOT of conversation, but I was told that my 21.5" Jamis Hybrid is more like a 58" frame. he didn't have anything for me to try.

I called every bianchi dealer in NYC, and they pretty much universally recommended the 57. only one had a 57 in stock, but was really not interested in building it for me.
Inertianinja is offline  
Old 11-20-09, 06:34 PM
  #23  
Senior Member
 
preston811's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Seattle
Posts: 424
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Inertianinja
i imagine most of you are around my height and build, and so the 55 vs 57 thing would be something you've dealt with.
not a great assumption, there seems be a pretty wide range of sizes around here. however I am actually close to your size, 5'11 with a 34.25" inch inseam, and the 57cm Pista was for me. So yeah 57 is probably for you, unless of course you have significantly shorter/longer arms than me (since reach/TT kinda matters most). It was a fun ride, and I almost got it in fact. But it still would benefit you to see em and/or ride if possible. That's odd he didn't want to build the 57 for you. It was an '09 and he wasn't interested in selling it?
preston811 is offline  
Old 11-20-09, 07:36 PM
  #24  
Elitist Troglodyte
 
DMF's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Dallas
Posts: 6,925

Bikes: 03 Raleigh Professional (steel)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
In my experience, Top Tube length is far more important than nominal frame "size". I had to ride maybe 3 or 4 bikes before I found that I fit a 57.5 cm TT pretty well. But there's NO WAY I'd have gotten that info from an on-line calculator or asking someone with a build like mine. No one is actually ME.

Don't worry about the test bike being FG or whatever - it doesn't matter. I rode bikes I was sure I wouldn't like (and didn't), but the info on the geometry was all I was after.

Hint: Wear your normal cycling clothes, and take your own pedals.
__________________
Stupidity got us into this mess - why can't it get us out?

- Will Rogers
DMF is offline  
Old 11-20-09, 08:13 PM
  #25  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 913
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Correct top tube fit is everything. Nothing worse than a cramped, too-far-forward position with a short top tube. Stand over height is really not an issue unless you like to straddle your bike with both feet planted. Ride the longest top tube you can comfortably fit. If a true velodrome sprinter, then drop down a size, but for comfort and correct posture, don't go short on the tt...my 03 cents
jimx200 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.