i have about 31 inch inseam so longer torso and arms. the lbs fitter put me on a 54 and 56 tarmac because they had no roubiax. He was looking at the geometry of both bikes but said i looked better on the 56 because of my longer torso. I went to a different shop and tried both the 54 and 56 and the 54 felt better. but than again this is my first road bike. The lbs i ordered from said i will be fine either way but 54 will be more agressive and 56 more relaxed. thanks
Originally Posted by
johngwheeler
It will depend on your inseam measurement, and personal preference. Even though I'm slightly shorter than you, I have a 34"+ inseam, and large feet. Smaller frames tend to end up with lots of saddle to bar drop (due to shorter head tube), and more toe overlap. Your measurements may be completely different.
Of course, it also varies greatly according to bike geometry. I had a 54cm Trek Crossrip that was fine because of its long wheelbase all tall stack measurement.