Originally Posted by
deepspacegiant
F I am 5'9'', does 56 sound as you would have anticipated for a 5'9'' er? Barring some serious mistake here, I am going to be shopping for what is termed and hopefully universally a "56" cm bike. Don't know how it could be subjective but, ya.
nothing is really universally universal.
56 is just the seattube measurement....one of many measurements on a frame.
you got seattube length, toptube length, chainstay length, etc, and you've also got
the angle measurements....
CyclingAbout.com ? Understanding Bicycle Frame Geometry
frames from different manufacturers will have a different mix of these measurements.
and of course bike for different purposes will be built differently.
even if a 56 from acme company fits you, a 56 from xyz may not.
"56" is just a general sizing guideline. it may be suitable for 85% of all 5'9" little
folk, but not all midgets have the same body dimensions....just as with bike frames.
different folkses of the same height have different lengths for legs, torso, arms...
go to bike shop. ride bike. if it fits, buy it.