hi everyone.

i've decided to take the plunge and get myself a carbon road bike.
i got myself a bike fit done at my LBS . all my previous and current bikes are 54 cm ( i have 6 of them ).
i was surprised to be told that the 56 would be the best choice for an 'endurance' ride and the 54 for an aggressive ride .
i ride about 250-350 kilometres a week ( and a surly LHT ), sometimes more. i do 100-150 km's on weekends.
i much rather ride comfortably than fast ( i average 30 km/h on my surly LHT ) and have had numerous injuries that have taken a toll on the body, especially on the back and knees.

shortlist of bikes that i am considering - Specialized Roubaix, Trek Domane, Cervelo R3

any help/suggestions is deeply appreciated ( just so you know. not a single shop in Bombay has any of these bikes and i have to get it in america and ship it here. so i can't test any of these bikes )


Road Bike Fit Summary

The Eddy Fit (cm)

Seat Tube Range c–c:52.2 - 52.7 cm
Seat Tube Range c–t:53.8 - 54.3 cm
Top Tube Length:61.3 - 61.7 cm
Stem Length: 10.4 - 11 cm
BB–Saddle Position:88.4 - 90.4 cm
Saddle Handlebar:55.4 - 56 cm
Saddle Setback: -0.2 - 0.2 cm




The Competitive Fit (cm)
Seat Tube Range c–c:51 - 51.5 cm
Seat Tube Range c–t:52.6 - 53.1 cm
Top Tube Length:61.3 - 61.7 cm
Stem Length:11.5 - 12.1 cm
BB–Saddle Position:89.2 - 91.2 cm
Saddle Handlebar:54.6 - 55.2 cm
Saddle Setback: -1.4 - -1 cm



The French Fit (cm)
Seat Tube Range c–c:53.9 - 54.4 cm
Seat Tube Range c–t:55.5 - 56 cm
Top Tube Length:62.5 - 62.9 cm
Stem Length:10.6 - 11.2 cm
BB–Saddle Position:86.7 - 88.7 cm
Saddle Handlebar:57.1 - 57.7 cm
Saddle Setback: -0.7 - -0.3 cm


my Measurements
Inseam:31 ( 78.74 cms )
Trunk:24.5
Forearm:14.4
Arm:28
Thigh:24
Lower Leg:27.7
Sternal Notch:56.6
Total Body Height:69.68 ( 177 cms )

thank you in advance ( this is really a great community. love how helpful everyone is :-)

ride safe !

Even the French fit puts you on the shy side of 56, although the suggested top tube and stem lengths are for someone who's at least 6'4". I think there was user error in measuring to your sternal notch or arm length.

Regardless, your overall height is between medium and tall and your legs are on the short side. A 54 will be easier to straddle and give you enough latitude to adjust the reach and height of the handlebar.

Look at your arm length in proportion to your legs and torso. If your arms are gorilla-ish, you will be able to handle, or you will even require, more drop to your handlebar. If they're more along the line of a tyrannosaurus, you'll want the bar closer to saddle height.

based on the eddy fit calculator specs for your measurements, go for a 52cm .... you will be more comfortable (and quicker)... you may need to replace the stem and adjust the seat position (a bit further back)

hi oldbobcat. thank you for your insightful and funny thoughts ( the t rex riding a bike ( well , i thought of how one would look... look ma no hands ! )
i got my measurements taken again and you were right ( especially about the arms length. turns out i am a close relative to the gorilla , but not as close as i thought )
these are my 'new' measurements. taken thrice for safe measure. does this put me in the 56 category ? or am i still safely in the 54 cm region. ( i do want to ride comfortable on an endurance bike rather than a racer,etc )
would you please help with the confusion ? thank you in advance. have a wonderful day.

Actual Inseam

80 Cm

Trunk

62.23 Cm

Forearm

36.57 Cm

Arm

80 Cm

Thigh

60.96 Cm

Lower Leg

70.35 Cm

Sternal Notch

146 Cm

Total Height

177 Cm

56 center (of bottom bracket)-to-top (of seat tube) on a level top-tube frame could work better. That'd be 54.5 center-to-center (of top tube). The bigger bike will give you more room for your seat-tube water bottle (with a 55 seat tube I had to drop my cage to clear both a 25oz/.75l bottle and my frame pump), more reach for your long torso (on a 54 you could be getting close to where your stem options become limited), and a taller head tube for less drop using fewer spacers and a flatter stem for more traditional aesthetics.

Frames with sloping top tubes are different (some are sized by actual seat tube length not where it'd end with a flat top tube, some have very tall head tubes so you could ride a smaller one), all frames vary, and you need to look at stack + reach of the specific frame which interests you.

I'm 176.5cm tall (-5mm) with an 80.5-81cm (+5-10mm) inseam and ride a 55 center-to-top with a 55.5 cm top tube, 12cm head tube (although you need to know bottom bracket drop to make a real comparison), and 73 degree angles. Set up professionally for long distance riding with a 4.5cm drop to the bars I have a 100mm +6 degree stem (110mm worked as well on the trainer), and the spacers needed for that combination (30mm to the headset locknut, 40mm to its top race) should be compatible with a carbon steerer.

That's comfortable for at least 209 miles/336 km, and I'm looking forward to a 400km + ride in April.

Unprofessionally I comfortably rode a 120mm -17 degree stem for 19 years which worked through 134 miles/215km and a 418 mile/672km + 28,000 foot/8534 meter 7 day supported tour, although my posture was horrid by the end so I wouldn't recommend the same.

Your legs are a little shorter, top a little longer, and all else equal would need a bit longer top tube or stem.

Colors, your ideal bike would have the stack of a 54 with the reach of a 56. But given that the head tubes of all three of these 56s range from 173 to 190 mm, which is really quite tall, I"m going to stand firm on recommending the smaller frame and making up the reach deficit with a longer stem. On a 56 your saddle will be close to slammed (down to the top tube), which means that any way you cut it, you'll be reaching up for the handlebar, sitting nearly bolt upright, and very possibly with your center of gravity in the back seat. And even if this is the position you want to start with, it will very likely be something you'll grow out of with more fitness and experience. With the smaller frame you can start with spacers and positive stem rise, and then go lower as your needs change. With the larger frame, and especially the 56 Roubaix with its ginormous 190 mm head tube, you're starting on the margin of too high and your only option is to go even higher.

My recommendations are, the Cervelo if the lower stance, responsiveness, and, um, stiffer ride, are really what you want, and I suspect this is not really what you want. Or the Domane or Roubaix for a more relaxed posture, softer ride, and calmer handling. In 54 cm, the cockpit dimensions of the Trek and Specialized are quite similar, so I'd base my preference between the two on ride and handling. And don't hesitate to ask to be fitted with a 12 or 13 cm stem. And even though I work for a Trek dealer, I'm going out on the limb to say I prefer the handling of the Roubaix.

I have a 33" I seem and a balanced body frame (meaning my legs and torso are proportional). I can ride a 58 or 61 comfortably. I rode a 56 in my teens when I was in my last growth spirt from 6' to 6'3", inseam was 32" and I think I might have been more comfortable on the 58. I'd say a 56, but you should go to a shop and ride one of each if they have one. I always feel better on a slightly larger frame. I remember the first 58 thinking, wow, this is nice. 61 is a hybrid so that's not really a good gauge unless you're going flat bar.

wow. that is really really very well ( and simply, as i truly have difficulty understanding technical stuff ) put. thank you so much for that.

wow oldbobcat. that is really really very well ( and simply, as i truly have difficulty understanding technical stuff ) put. thank you so much for that.
if i can find a roubaix , i'll go for that. otherwise, if i find a domane, i shall go for that. as what i have read about both of them are that they are truly great bikes to ride.

You're welcome. Let me suggest checking Scott's CR1 and Cannondale's Synapse, too. While I don't have firsthand experience with the Cannondale, I've heard very positive feedback. And through personal experience I'm a big fan of the CR1. It's a frame that's been around in its present form since 2009 or 2008, but the design has legs. Scott bills it as endurance, but it's really the hot rod of the category.

sorry for the delayed reply.

thank you old bob cat and everyone else who took the time to write.
i have finally bought a specialized roubaix 2012 elite 54cm.got a very good deal on ebay and am sooooooo looking forward to riding it. the scott cr1 and the cannondale do look good bikes ( my favourite two have been the roubaix and the domane and would have loved to get either of them and happy happy happy that i have gotten one finally ! )
the bike arrives with my friend in june. so , till then, its the surly LHT for my attempts at 'kom's' and the rest. thank you all again and bike safe

So happy you're happy, colors. Happy trails.

I rode an Emonda and a Roubaix and ended up with the Roubaix SL4...I'm not going to lie, I liked the colors better.

me tooooo! ( singing and dancing about it )

till then its the surly lht to the rescue. today i surprised myself with 15 ( both pb as well as kom ) best times ! yippie