birch71

I was wondering if the sizing on the Surly runs a bit small. Right now I'm on a Cannondale XR800 and I'm thinking of going to a LHT for commuting... longer chainstays so I can have a rack, more fender clearance for the oncoming winter and Nokian studded tires, a heavier bike (so my weekend speedster feels that much faster!)....

So if my cannondale has a TT legnth of 58.5 which is mighty comfortable, would the 58 of the LHT work?

Cyclaholic

I have that exact same size LHT and ride comfortably on several other bikes of that same size.

What components are you thinking of installing? I built mine with Deore LX groupset.

vik 

I ride a 58cm Cannondale R800 and I ordrered a 58cm LHT. It is getting replaced under warranty and I'm switching to a 56cm frame.

Why? The 58cm frame leaves very little stand over clearance for me. On a road bike this isn't as important, but on a touring bike and a do everything errand bike a little extra clearance makes life a lot easier and avoids "complications" if where you put your foot down is slightly lower and your "boys" get banged up. I also have bigger tires on my LHT, 32s vs. 23s on the R800. Another reason is that on my LHT I am sitting a lot more upright and therefore need a shorter top tube than on my road bike.

Bekologist

LHT 58 is a BIG 58......

i've ridden 58 (23") road bikes my entire adult life, but ride a 56 LHT.

saharvey2

I just finished building up a 52 LHT for commuting. I rode a 58 (23") SR road bike for many years. Curiously, when I flip the stem (seat and bars level), the reach and pedal to seat position length are identical. The concensus appears to be that the LHT runs big. As Vik and Bekologist indicated, their LHT's are one size smaller than the road bike they ride.

birch71

The cannondale cross bike is a size larger than stated (58 cross = 60 road) so I think a 58cm is going to be great for me!!!

It would start as a parts swap (shimano 105 stuff that came on the cross bike) then can add "goodies" over time as funds permit!!!

O-Town

I have a 56cm LHT and rode a 56CM C'dale for some time. The LHT is a bit "larger". I find it more comfortable to ride than my old C'dale.

my 2-cents...58 sounds like the right size.

Old Dirt Hill

I ride a 58cm LHT, but since it's my first real road bike, I'm not sure if I ended up with the correct size. I'm 6'0" with a 32" clothing inseam.

Things feel ok although I do feel better when I push my saddle farther forward.

KeatonR

I ride a 55cm cyclocross bike (but those have higher bottom brackets than road/touring bikes). My road bike size was 56, back when I had one. And I'm comfortably on a 56 LHT.

5'11 (and 3/4)
30" pants inseam (more like 32"-33" actual).

highlyselassie

Is this runs big/small thing all a product of sloping top tubes, if not can someone elaborate?

Allen

Sheldon Brown's article on Frame Sizing.

highlyselassie

So, when someone says "runs big" they actually mean the top tube is longer than the seat tube?

Don't others look at both the seat tube and top tube length and make their decision from there.

Looking purely at the seat tube length and then calling something big because it has a longer top tube seems a little naive in todays sloping/variable length top tube climate.

Don't you think?

Cyclaholic

You can see HERE how surly actually measure their LHT frame, and that the seat tube and top tube are basically the same. What makes it an apparently 'big' frame is the combination of lower BB height + relaxed gometry + long chainstays which add up to quite a long wheelbase.