Thread: Frame size help
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Old 06-26-11 | 09:32 AM
  #8  
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khatfull
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Joined: Aug 2008
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From: Woodbury, MN
I'm 6', and have 1 58cm bike and (counting ones "in production") 5 60cm bikes. The only one I can stand over (comfortably) is the 58cm. Don't let standover height be your guide! IMHO the current emphasis on standover height isn't the way to fit a bike. When you come to a stop do you instantly hop off the saddle and plant both feet on the ground? Of course not. One foot down, lean over.

I'm a masher and have found that I like a little more leg extension than typical so a little more seat tube works fine for me. Then I look at top tube length which I like a little shorter than the seat tube with a typical 100-120mm stem.

The trick is to get fitted on a bike how you like it, measure accurately, and compare those measurements to any potential purchase to see if it can be made to fit you with a reasonable amount of seatpost showing and a stem that is neither too long (>130mm) or too short (<90mm).

IMHO 1-2 x a fist for a seatpost, a 100-120mm quill stem, and no more stem rise than extension are the most aesthetically pleasing criteria for a classic geometry, horizontal top tube road bike. I'll look for frames that allow all that to happen.
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