Originally Posted by
bruce19
Maybe I'm a traditionalist. Back in the day frame size was approximated by inseam. Per people like Greg LeMond and his coach Cyrille Guimard. And others. For example....I am (now) 5'9" with a 32.25" inseam. A friend is 6' with the same 32.25" inseam. We both ride a 54-55 cm frame. His upper body and reach are longer than mine so he has a longer stem. That is not to say that we can't ride a range of frame sizes. But, IMO, inseam is a better prediction of ideal frame size. Has worked well for me over the pat 40 or so years.
It doesn't always work. My wife and I both have a 30" inseam. I am 5'2", she is 5'8". There is no way in hell we are riding the same size bike, even if we swap out for longer/shorter stems.