ok, how about THIS to
mess ya up...
I'm a fraction over 5'6", have a 30" pant inseam, a 32" PBH (ala Rivendell method), and I've been agonizing between the 50 and 53cm for quite some time now. I had test-ridden a 53cm a while back, and while it felt good, I wanted to compare it to a 50cm before making a final purchase decision. For the last few months though, none of the Chicago LBS's even had a 50cm in stock, and then suddenly, they were all out of Auroras, period.
Then, as luck would have it, I spied a 50cm parked right in front of my health club about a month ago. So I decided to tape a note on the guy's bike, asking if he'd be kind enough to let me take it for a test ride. He returned the message, stating that he was more than happy to oblige. How cool!
Well, after the test ride, I must say that his 50 did in fact feel good, if not a weee bit small...definitely not as stretched out as I was on the 53cm I had test-ridden a few weeks earlier. What's bizarre is that I had test-ridden another 53 even earlier than THAT during the summer (at Rapid Transit), and THAT 53cm felt more comfortable than the one at Barnard Schwinn. I can only attribute this to bike setup. Go figure.
So now, the 2008's arrive at Rapid Transit, and I FINALLY have the ability to directly compare the 50 and 53cm head to head, one right after the other. Yay!!!
Well, the 50 felt pretty decent, everything pretty much within reach, nice, if "maybe" a little small-feeling.
Then I jumped on the 53...
Ahhhh, everything felt more stretched out and comfortable, but in a relaxed sort of way; nice comfortable circles when peddling, no hint of "tiny bike" feeling, more commanding postion (read "higher") on the road. I REALLY liked it.....except for the fact that I had to reach for the hoods just a little bit too much. So the ever-attendant sales guy (Dan) decided to switch out the 53's (100mm) stem for the one on the 50's (80mm), and tilt up the adjustable angle a bit. Btw, I've really put this guy thru the ringer.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh....much better. Not 100% as close as I'd like, but about 98% of the way there, and I don't think I can shorten up the stem any more without going to a completely new one. It would certainly be close enough to enjoy for a while before feeling the need to change things out again.
Now HERE'S the kicker... The guy at my health club who let me try his 50cm was 5'9"!!! Yes, you read that right...5'9", almost 3" taller than myself, and I had to RAISE HIS SEATPOST ALMOST TWO INCHES FOR MY TEST RIDE!!!
And the funniest part? He said he preferred MY seating position better! How funny.
Yes, he seemed to be a newbie who wasn't quite familiar with proper bike fit, was riding on completely mushy tires, and obviously a bit too busy to experiment with adjustments. But hey, I was THRILLED that he let me take his bike for a test ride.
Moral of the story:
1) Setup by the LBS has a LOT to do with your impressions during a test ride.
2) Standover height is NOT as important as overall comfort and reach.
3) Have a bike shop adjust, adjust, swap out, and adjust til it fits ya right.
After comparing the 50 and 53, I could actually "feel" the smallness of the 50. It wasn't terrible by any means, but it wasn't the ahhhh that I got when I stretched out on the 53. I asked the guys at the bike shop, and they basically said it was a tossup..that I was in between sizes and could go either way. In my shoes, I've got fractionally less than 1.5" of standover clearance on the 53, with 2.5" on the 50. For some reason, that 2.5" clearance on the 50 feels disconcertingly large...probably because I've always ridden largish bikes.
Also important was the fact that the 53 gives me about 3/4" extra head tube height, which raises the handlebar to a nice comfortable level, fractionally higher than the level of my seat. Now all I have to do is bring in my Brooks saddle to see if I can bring it close enough to the bar.
So, to sum things up, I think that even though most folks my height would probably buy the 50, I'll very likely end up with the 53.
And supposedly, Jamis' are rumored to run large..... Go figure.
Ran