junkpile

I've always ridden 25" frames, give or take. I've got a 32" inseam and a 63cm frame is about the max when it comes to stand over height without pain.
I've also always run the seat post up to the moon to get proper leg extension. with an extra long seat post, my leg is slightly bent with the crank at the bottom of a stroke.
I was given a HUGE frame Raleigh USA a few weeks ago, its in riding condition needed some cleaning and relube. I took it for a quick ride and found its probably the most comfortable road bike I've ever been on. The saddle is up about half way to give me good leg reach, but the stand over height is way too high, a slip off the saddle and I'd never be right again.
I went to my smaller frame Raleigh Super Course, and couldn't get that type of fit no matter how much I moved things around.
The Raleigh USA is a Marathon model, 69cm frame, with about a 38" stand over height.
I've always had knew problems, but this bike is first that doesn't aggravate my knees. It's geared the same, it's not particularly light, but it just feels right when I'm riding it. This is till I have to dismount, it's sort of a jump down to one side deal. I would think that I could get that fit by just going taller on the seat post on my other bike but it don't work that way. I can't get to the point where I have a comfortable leg extension on the down stroke. At 6' 3" tall, with a 35" inseam pants size and over 300lbs these days. I ride less these days but I still ride several days every week.
I need to find the right combo to try and preserve my knees. Most of my problems are old injuries but the right knee is getting pretty painful if I over do it.

Capecodder

This is by far the best way (for me) as it is always spot on. https://www.rivbike.com/article/bike_...g_a_frame_size

rhm

Okay, I know the question was about the bike, but I'm pretty sure your pants are too big.

Seriously, if you're having knee problems, I strongly recommend looking into shorter crank arms. The problem there, however, is that if you lop an inch off your crank arms, you're going to have to raise the seat by an inch, and your handlebar by an inch, in order to preserve the same fit.

newenglandbike

I'd say keep it & ride it, if it's comfortable. Absolutely. Don't worry about standover clearance. I'm about 6' tall with about a 34" inseam, and I ride 63-65cm frames. On my 65cm touring bike I have zero standing clearance* but nonetheless I rode that bike on a 6000+ mile mixed-terrain tour, including some amazing singletrack, and never accidentally slipped off the saddle. I'm also commuting on it everyday right now, here in Massachusetts, and it works great on ice and snow too. In fact, I even sit on the top-tube to lower my center of gravity a few inches on choppy ice/steep descents sometimes (no it is not necessarily pleasant to do that, but it works!).

Anyway the point is, it's a super comfortable bike to ride because it is the right size for me.


*Not that I think there is any merit to the idea of 'standover clearance' being an important factor in frame sizing, but just to humor the notion for a moment-- let's say for some reason you slipped off the saddle and both pedals, all at the same time. I look at it this way: with less clearance, you have less distance to fall before impact with the top-tube. Less distance <=> less velocity on impact <=> less chance of injury.

John E

For what it's worth, my trouser inseam is 30", my heel-to-crotch inseam is 32", and my ideal traditional diamond-frame road bike size is 55cm C-T.

RobbieTunes

+1 with John E.
My trouser inseam of 30", don't know my heel to crotch because my wife won't measure it, says it's creepy.
My ideal size is 56/56 or 56/55. I don't stand over comfortably, so I don't stand over. And I anticipate stops.

junkpile,
If that ginormous frame is relatively pain-free while riding, keep it.
Before I settled for 56, I rode bigger bikes.
The fear of harm kept me quite vigilant.

We want you riding, and we want it to be comfortable.
With a little practice and aforethought, I think you would really enjoy riding that tall bike.
I'm rooting for you.

auchencrow

+1 I think some people tend to have an extreme fear of the TT - and yet the only serious injury I've heard of came from someone riding a step-through frame.

junkpile

I'm not too concerned about the top tube issues as far as injury, but I am curious as to what makes this bike so much easier to ride. I don't see why a smaller frame with a taller seat post and stem doesn't feel the same as this bike. I think it may have to do with rider position due the angle of the seat post. The taller the seat post, the farther back my weight is as the seat post top is farther back over the back wheel.
Something else I find is that frame shifters just don't work well with big bikes, your just out of reach of the lower tube.
I have always preferred shorter cranks, they just feel better to me, but the fact that a longer crank gives more leverage is stuck in my head.

Capecodder

You need more of a square frame...... Some frames have shorter top tubes than others. If you ride a 60cm frame with a 61cm top tube and a 100mm stem your probably stretched out too much. Find a 60cm frame with a 60cm top tube and add a 85-90mm stem and that would make a huge difference in comfort, and you could reach the DT shifters with no problem. I just threw out those measurements by the way.

mtnbke

Leg extension has about next to nothing to do with bike fit. You can always get proper extension on any frame with a long enough seatpost.

The critical factor is top tube length and handlebar height without resorting to some kind of frankenstem. The reason you find your large Raleigh to be so comfortable is that the bars are high relative to your saddle height. With long extension seatposts you've been getting leg extension but your hoods and drops have always been much too low.

Standover height has nothing to do with bike fit, regardless of what you see from the idiot wrenches at your LBS demonstrating to prospective customers they are intending to drive away from the sport of cycling.