Looking for some frame size advice
 

I have some seriously noob questions for you guys. I started riding in May. I found a steal of a deal on a (I beleive) 1991 Specialized Sirrus Triple (58). I just finished my first Century and I have about 1000 miles on it now.

http://i.imgur.com/uVMoAS3.jpg

I am pretty convinced that this bike is a bit large for me. I am 5'11". I find that my most comfortable riding position is when I rest the crease between my fingers and my pad on the bar. When I try to rest my palms I feel like I am straining my neck more than I would like to. Currently the saddle is slid all the way forward.

How does frame geometry effect fit? I found a German catalog with this bike and it says it is 73ºx73º. The Alleze looks like it is 74ºx74º. Given the same size frame would the alleze have a longer top tube? I think that is what my issue is with the sirrus. I think I need a bike with a 54-56 top tube. The sirrus is 58.

I am planning to build climber (compact crank, brifters ext.). I am not sure if I will do it with this frame or try to find something else. If I do keep this frame or I cannot find a decent replacement I could put a shorter stem on and get by I think. I am looking for a good frame on the lighter side of things equivalent to this sirrus or better. I am keeping an eye out for a Schwinn Tempo. It looks like the tempo is listed as 74ºx74º. I should also add that I am not a racer. I like to ride and I like to go fast but I would sacrafice a bit of that for some more comfort. So should a be looking at something more like the voyager listed at 72ºx74º?

First off: your saddle position should be determined by your legs, not your reach. If you ride with the saddle too far forward you can be putting excess weight on your hands, and you can be putting excess strain on your knees.

If that amount of seat post is right for you, you might have a very hard time sizing down to a smaller frame. I would switch to short reach bars such as Soma Highway 1, and try a shorter and/or taller stem as well. Very possibly simply a taller stem might help. Your bars aren't even as high as your saddle right now.

an easy and relatively cheap way to determine if you want to use this bike as the template to build a climber is to get something like the 2 links below. A threadless stem adapter and a modern stem. The modern stem linked is 26mm but there are hundreds of options, just make sure you get a 26mm since thats what your handlebars are(instead of the modern 31.8mm).

You can then get a stem with 7degree of rise(or more if you want) which is also shorter than whats currently on the bike. This, to me, is MUCH better than moving your saddle all the way forward as that potentially messes with where your hips and knees are in relation to the crank.

Ride for a few hundred mi with a threadless stem which is shorter and has the same or more rise as your current setup and see if you dont have the reach issues anymore.



As for other bikes- ill just say that a Voyageur doesnt seem to fit what you want. Its a fully capable touring bike and you seem to want a climbing road bike.


Nashbar Stem Adaptor

Nashbar Deluxe 26.0mm Alloy Road Stem


Another option to get less reach is a different bar. Compact drop bars dont have as much reach as your current bars. This will bring the hoods closer to you.

The head tube angle affects the steering geometry and by extension the handling.

The seat tube angle mostly affects the seat postion. It made more difference back when all seatposts had about the same setback. Nowadays you can get seatposts with a wide range of setback from zero to ridiculous.

58cm top tube is rather long for a 58cm frame, but not unusual. Since you are new to cycling, you may need more time to acclimatize to leaning forward. Or, the frame may be too long for your torso length.

I'd suggest you use the online calculator from competitive cyclist and measure yourself carefully. The "Eddy fit" is a good traditional fit for a level top tube road bike.

If your suggested TT length is close - like within a couple cm, getting a shorter stem to make up the difference is practical. And I agree that those bars look to be pretty long reach. You could replace them with shorter reach bars and it will help a lot.

If it's way off, consider a different bike.

BTW a 58cm bike would typically be just right for someone who is 5'11".

Agree with the previous post - just eyeballing it by the seatpost, I would not think that bike is too large for you.

The idea of KOPS positioning has been debated endlessly and I have no idea who is right. Most of my bikes are fairly close to that metric, fwiw. I have on occasion had success with zero-setback seatposts when I had run out of other options for reachy bikes. The Origin8 one has worked well for me and can be had for around $25. You could try that, or, as the previous post mentioned, a taller and/or shorter-reach stem. I don't think that bike looks overly aggressive though.

Btw it appears your bike is in the large chainring/large cog combination. You can probably find another combination that will give you the same effective ratio, a better chainline, and less wear on your system.

OP, I didn't see where you mentioned your leg length. If you have close to average body proportions, the 58cm frame should be about right for you at 5'11". If you have longer legs and a shorter torso, you may need the shorter top tube you think would be a better fit.

The suggestion Salamandrine offered about using the Competitive Cyclist online fit calculator is good advice.

The chart below will give you a "sanity check" to get you in the ballpark. It assumes traditional geometry like your Sirrus has, and the seat tube measurement is from the center of the BB spindle to the very top of the seat tube where the seatpost is inserted. Measure your leg length as shown in the Competitive Cyclist photo below.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...psc2845621.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...ps18dce955.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...ps40e7a583.jpg

Judging by your seatpost, you could size up a CM or 2, certainly not down. Long seatposts pretty well automatically give more drop to the bars. If you want to work on your fit you could try a taller stem and bring the stem up a cm and shorter by a cm although it looks like your current stem has a bit of rise to it.

I suspect Scooper has got it. with the seatpost like that, the OP would have to be of the long-legged shorter torso variety. or hes riding on tip toes.

also, very nice bike.

Thanks for all the feedback so far guys. As best I can tell that measurement is about 34.5.

You have relatively long legs for your height, so you're on the "long leg, short torso" slope of the bell curve. You probably do need a shorter top tube than a stock 58cm frame normally has. The ideal solution is to get a professional fitting on an adjustable fit bike and then have a custom frame made. If that's outside your budget, look for a 58 cm frame with shorter than normal top tube.

Trying to make a stock bike fit you by drastically shortening the stem extension or sliding your saddle way forward on the rails usually gives disappointing results. If a bike doesn't fit you properly, you won't ride it.

What part of the country are you in?

This is my fit bike. Lots of well equipped LBSs have something similar.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d7...psf0d0895d.jpg

Yeah, at 5'11" you've got some long-ass legs.

I have similar proportions and what has worked for me is to run a taller, shorter stem with short-reach bars, as I suggested earlier.

"What tends to happen with very long legged people is that stems have to be short and as high as possible"

I am about 3/4" over six foot, and 34 max standover. I also have a long torso though. I am most comfortable on 60 with a max of 62cm. I like my top tubes in the 58.5 cm range, and I would probably use a 80-90 cm stem most of the time. I prefer to fit my upper body, and let the seatpost height fall where it needs to be. Usually not much more than a fist full of seatpost. More of a French fit I guess?,,,,BD

When I got back on the bike after many years off, it took me a year of riding 100+mi/wk to get the strength and flexibility to ride in a normal position. Spent some time with a higher and shorter stem, then eventually didnt need it.

My inseam is only an inch shorter but I have less than half that amount of seatpost sticking up on my 57's, maybe less than half. Only a fistfull shows. Mine doesn't even stick up that high on my 54cm modern bike. Your bike looks like a 6 foot 3 guy trying to fit a 58.

Not to mention you even have a Brooks saddle which has a high profile.

Long legs and short arms? You are my body opposite. We should join the circus together!

Yeah, I agreeit looks like the seat is too high for someone with a 34.5 inseam on a 58. Obviously just eyeballin' it, but I have fitted hundreds of people on bikes.

First try a short reach handlebar with a shorter stem. Velo Orange sells the Dajia drop bar. see: Dajia Cycleworks Shallow Drop Handlebar - Handlebars - Components

I have these on this bike, see below.


If that doesn't help sufficiently, consider a new frameset: Many of the Japanese frames have relatively short top-tube lengths compared the seat-tube lengths. Look for a Miyata or Ironman with a 56 or 57cm top-tube length and a 58 to 60 cm seat tube. These bikes have longer headtubes than your bike which keeps the handlebars more easily within reach.

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...psklpnpz4t.jpg

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...psddetymx5.jpg

.

Yeah, part of the reason I decided to basically build a new bike around my Fuji America frame is because I couldn't find anything modern that offered anywhere near its 60 cm seat tube with 56 cm top tube, and my body proportions are similar to OP only I'm an inch taller.

I have the same problem, only a little worse. At 6' 0" with a 35.5" leg length, nearly half of my overall height is legs. I like 61cm seat tubes with 56 cm top tubes.

I'd say it's in the ball park. OP has 1/2 inch longer leg than I do and that's about the amount of seat post I have on a 58.

http://i.imgur.com/ob1VIUC.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/KXQqUjv.jpg

Some of you guys have some serious leg extension.

Yeah, honestly it sucks ass.

My wife is 67" and I am 71.5". We both have a 32" cycling inseam. I used to Competitive Cyclist fit calculator to determine how much reach I needed to take out. I simply put a shorter reach stem & bars on my 57cm Trek 460 and now she won't ride anything else.

I'm 5'10" with 33.5 inch inseam. This bike is 58c-t with 170mm cranks.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...pscpqaqqnp.jpg

As mentioned, dial in the seat fore/aft first and then choose a stem.

Also work on your flexibility.

I'm just over 6' with a 32" inseam.

After 25 years of riding and trying frames from 56 to 62, I've found that the best sizes for me are 57/56 or 58/57. I have long arms, so usually run between 120-130 on the stem.

Here's my 58/57 ctc with a 120. Fits like a glove and can ride all day.

https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8417/2...75a2bd5e_c.jpg