A few months ago, I was looking for an older road bike. A friend had a 1980 Ross with a 25" frame and when I stood over it, I could not comfortably rest both feet on the ground. We measured the top tube and it was approx 34.5" above the ground. He advised me that I needed a 23" frame. Armed with this info, I bought a 1982 Schwinn Traveler with a 23" frame off of CL. The height of the top tube is 32.5", I can comfortably stand over this bike.

The problem is that after riding it for a few weeks and adjusting it to be comfortable for me, I have adjusted the seat high enough that the seat post is now about 1" above the min insertion mark and about 3" above the handlebars (the stem is adjusted right at the min insertion mark).

After searching the posts here and on other sites, I measured myself again and got a PBH of exactly 34". This would indicate that the right size frame for me would be 60cm (23.6") and that the seat should be approx 30" above the center of the crank. This correlates almost perfectly with where I adjusted the seat by trial and error.

So what is the best option for me going forward? Am I better off on a 25" frame and dealing with not being able to stand over it comfortably or sticking with a 23" frame and getting a longer seat post and stem? Also, if 60cm is the right size for me, what range of sizes is workable when I am looking at other bikes?

The main problem that you are dealing with here is the fact that many old bikes had HUGE steps of 2 inches or 5cm between sizes. Today, 2cm increments are the norm and a few brands still offer 1cm increments.

With an 86cm cycling inseam, the range of recommended size, measured center to top would be 56cm at the minimum and about 60cm at the maximum. The general range of standover clearance would be 2-6cm.

You choice of frame size depends on your proportions and how much saddle to bar drop you can tolerate.

Do you intend to keep buying old bikes, or move on to something new in the near future? Newer bikes no longer use quill stems that have a large range of vertical adjustment. When looking at a new frame that will probably have an integrated headset, you then have to consider the head tube length, with the headset and spacers as an indicator the the frame's maximum vertical size. Frame size numbers can be goofy in some brands and no longer match either of the old c-c or c-t methods of measuring. It's a little different ball game than in days past.

Thanks DaveSSS, that was helpful. On my Traveler, I would like to get the handlebars a little higher so that they are closer to the saddle height. Looks like I am going to need a different seat post and stem.

I do not see myself buying anything new at this point. There are plenty of older bikes out there and it gives me a chance to tinker and determine exactly what I would want and need on a new bike when the time comes. I just wanted to make sure I am on the right track with frame sizes so that I can make sure I do not buy something that clearly won't work for me and the range of sizes you listed helps a lot. Thanks.

I was also curious what others prefer to ride when they are in between frame sizes. One size up or down? What is the better tradeoff?

One thing I have learned so far. When adjusting my seat post a few weeks ago I didn't get it tight enough and it slid down about 3/4" while I was riding. The difference in comfort and power was huge and I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I assumed something was wrong with the bike so I stopped to take a look at it. Once I figured out what it was I readjusted the saddle and the difference was amazing. Thats why I want to use this bike to figure out exactly what I need.

The primary problem you have, as alluded to by the first response, is that different bikes are sized in different ways, and even in 1980s bikes, just because a 60cm from one bike fits fine doesn't mean another 60cm bike will fit as well. Each bike you consider must be evaluated with respect to "is this bike comfortable for me" instead of "is the size of this bike the same as the size of that other bike that fits."

You say the seatpost is close to its max height line - how long is the seatpost overall? A lot of older bikes have crazily short seatposts and almost any replacement you buy will start around 300 mm (~12") long.

As for handlebar height, replacement stems are available if you only need to raise your bars a bit (3" of drop from seat ---> handlebars is not outrageous, but not what most people want), and there are lots of other options like quill-to-clamp-on adaptors, stem extenders, upright handlebars, etc.. You can raise your bars above the max line and sit on the bike (DO NOT RIDE IT) to see if an extra cm or two will get you comfortable. It is likely that it will make a big difference. Then talk to your LBS to see what your options are for a new stem or adapter or whatever.

Remember - you only have three points of contact with your bike - saddle, bars pedals - and the shape of the triangle made by these three points determines how a bike will fit. And the triangle is adjustable with some effort.

The top of the saddle is 7" above the seat tube. At this adjustment, the min insertion line is about an inch above the seat tube. Sounds like a new seatpost will solve this issue and I will take your advice and experiment with the stem as well, thanks.

I guess this is where my confusion started. If I need to adjust the seatpost and stem higher then the original equipment allows, is this ok or do I really need a larger frame? But the next larger size frame for the 82 Traveler was 25", which would put the top tube too high for me to be able to stand over it. I was thinking maybe I was missing something basic.

If you could try out a 62cm '82 Schwinn Traveller then I would suggest it. Chances are the guy you bought the bike from does not have a wide selection of sizes available

As I said before, different bikes fit differently, even if they are the same "size." Many modern road and touring bikes have a sloping top tube that generally gives more standover clearance than an old level-top tube bikes, as well as higher handlebars.

Swaping out stems and seatposts is totally fine - it is necessary a lot of the time to get a bike to fit perfectly. Just be reasonable - a stem with an extra 2 or three inches of rise or adjustability, a normal length seapost inserted past its maximum and you will be fine. If you find yourself stacking multiple stem height extenders and installinga high rise 150 mm stem and you have a 450 mm seatpost jacked out to the max line, then the bike is probably too small. If standard normal size parts make the bike comfortable without going to the extremes of adjustment then everything will be fine. Keep the tires inflated, the chain lubed, and ride the hell out of it!

Sounds like you'll be hunting the parts bin at the bike shop as the selection of 1" quill stems is a might slim. The selection is kind of odd, it's either a standard road stem giving you that 3" height difference with adequate reach or a very tall quill stem with inadequate reach.