Most numbers are not especially helpful in getting fitted for a bike. I read posts from guys all of the time who say "I am six feet tall with a 28 inch inseam". Obviously, these guys either don't know the definition of "inseam" or don't know how to measure an inseam".
The "perfect fit" on a bike is something that you only know after you have found it. Then, you can take measurements, and dial in that same fit on every bike you own. A bike does NOT fit because the "numbers" on the bike match the "numbers" posted on a web site. A bike fits because it feels perfect when you are riding it.
In my case, a bike that fits me perfectly has a "reach" of 35 inches (the distance from the back edge of the saddle to the back edge of the brake levers where my hands are postioned) a saddle height of 29 1/4th inch, and a "bar drop" of one inch.
Assuming your current bike fits you perfectly, measure the "cockpit length" (the distance from the back edge of the saddle to the front edge of the stem) the "reach" (the distance from the back edge of the saddle to the back edge of the brake levers) and the saddle height (from the center of the bottom bracket bolt, up the center of the seat tube, to the top edge of the saddleJ). And measure the "bar drop" (the difference between the highest portion of the saddle and the highest portion of the bars).
Any bike that can match your current bike on those four measurements within 1/4th inch or so will fit you just as well as your current bike, regardless of its "advertised" size.
Last edited by alanbikehouston; 07-20-08 at 04:23 PM.