Roadies_Rok

I am looking around for a new road bike and I am looking at the Trek 1.2 in H2 configuration, the Specialized Allez, and the Fuji Altimax. I have always ridden a 60cm frame which in the traditional frame configuration (the double diamond with a horizontal top tube) was good for me. I also rode a 59 cm top tube with a 110mm or 120mm stem with approx 7cm of saddle setback and that pretty much was the sweet spot for me. Now these newer frames with the so-called "compact" geometry have got me all confused.

What I am seeing is that with the new frames a size Large equates to approx a 59 or 60 cm frame size in the traditional sense with a freakishly long 60cm top tube. The size X-Large equates to approx a 61 or 62cm frame with a terrifying 61 or 62cm top tube. I have been leaning towards a size Large frame to get the top tube length that I have been used to.

I stopped into the shop that carries Trek bikes this weekend and the sales guy who approached me was quite full of himself. I told him what my needs were and also the size I was looking for and he started shaking his head and told me that he "wouldn't sell you anything other than a size XL frame". When I asked him what he planned to do about the horrifically long top tube his response was "oh, we'll slap on a 100mm stem for you and everything will be OK". When I told him that I was more comfortable with the thought of the 59cm or 60cm top tube that came on the size Large bike his remark was "oh, you don't want that, we would have to put on a 130mm stem and the bike would be unrideable". After hearing this I politely thanked the sales guy for his time and left as quickly as possible.

I would like to have the opinions of the group on this. Is this guy really as full of himself as I think he is or is there any truth to what he was telling me? I don't want to make a mistake and wind up with an uncomfortable bike that sits in a corner and collects dust. The few times I have ridden the new frames and tested a size X-Large I have felt way too stretched out but maybe it is something I might get used to over time. Thanks everyone.

Igualmente

I was looking at the dimensions of the Fuji Altamira (Fuji Bikes | ROAD | COMPETITON SERIES | ALTAMIRA SL). You mentioned a fuji altimax, but I know of no such creature. The L has an effective top tube of 57.5cm, while the L/XL is 59cm. So, there is 1.5 cm difference in effective top tube.

If one looks at the Frame Stack and Reach dimensions (which I tend to find more useful than effective top tube) on the same webpage for the same sizes, the frame of the L/XL will, all other things being equal, place the headset 20mm higher but 8mm farther forward.

I would expect the reach to be about 8mm more on the L/XL with the 59cm top tube. If that is too long, the other model might work better. The only way to know is to ride the bike. If you like the front end of the bike higher, the L/XL may be better, and you could downsize to a 110 mm stem.

Was the salesperson wrong? I can't really say. His insistence on the L/XL seems a bit misplaced without having you on a bike. How tall are you? What is your cycling inseam? Maybe the salesperson saw someone well past the threshold for a L/XL size but maybe you are less flexible and prefer less reach.

As to the other bikes you mention, you can find the same dimensional information on their manufacturer's websites.