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Old 10-02-11 | 08:21 PM
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oldbobcat
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Joined: Jul 2005
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From: Boulder County, CO

Bikes: '80 Masi Gran Criterium, '12 Trek Madone, early '60s Frejus track

I don't know what 57 c-c translates to on the bike you're looking at, but it's highly likely that you'll find the 55 cm top tube too short, even with a 14 cm stem, and the head tube that comes with it. Your build is on the lanky side of average so it means looking for something tall with a somewhat short top tube.

First, don't take the online fit calculator as gospel. Second, understand the kind of fit your looking for, competitive (utterly contemporary pro peloton), Eddy (pro peloton circa 1974-1990), or French (now considered touristy). Third, understand the relationship between your build and the geometry charts of the makers of the bikes your interested in.

I'm going to suggest that anything with a top shorter than 57 will be too short, anything with a head tube shorter than 17 will be too low, and any compact with an actual seat tube shorter than 54 will be too flexy, especially with a 27.2 mm seat post. To accommodate your leg length you may have to push the upper range of your head tube length to, say 58.5 cm. I'm seeing you on something like a 58 or 60 cm Trek H2, a 58 cm Scott CR1, a 58 cm Cervelo, a 58 cm Tarmac, or a Large Giant TCR. Don't be scared of a 58.5 top tube, you're on a 60 now.

For reference, I'm a slightly miniaturized version of your build, 182 cm total height, 89 cm leg length. I ride a M/L Giant TCR (57 cm top tube, 17 cm head tube) with a compact (75 mm) reach bar and 13 cm stem. The stem is not slammed down but it's low enough for me to straddle it, and the seat post is as high as I'd ever want to go for a skinny 27.2--it flexes visibly when I'm riding. By CC's gauge my style is between competitive and Eddy--my back is flat and quite low. A few weeks ago I tried a 58 Cervelo, which was dandy but for the turned up 11 cm stem that had me sitting in the back seat and still cramped.

For another reference, Eddy himself was a lanky 183 cm tall. His Molteni DeRosas were custom made to 60 cm c-t (58.5 c-c) with 57 cm top tubes and 13 cm stems.

Last edited by oldbobcat; 10-02-11 at 08:26 PM.
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