Originally Posted by
crandress
ahhh, someone who understands. I paid for a fit kit and two years later went into a unique shop in Seattle, the guy said, “you can’t ride a 52!” I had just bought a 51 and thought it might be small. He said a 50cm Fran would probably be perfect. But you know all he did was look at me, so I kind of downplayed it at the time, but I learned he really was an expert. Not that it matters, but he built me some wheels that are still true 20+ years later...
The struggle is real! You may benefit from a bike with a sloping top tube. I know, I don't like the way they look either... But something like a Rivendell (if you can lay out the cash!) with the sloped top tube and the high head tube might be more forgiving for fitting.