That's funny. I have the same measurements and also ride a 54 cm frame. In fact three of them now and five of them over the course of time. With 100-110 mm stems and the saddles all the way back on the rails. All this talk about sizes and measurements means nothing.

There is no way for bars to adjust the reach to the tops, only the hoods and the drops.

The hoods and the drops are what I can't comfortably reach. I am comfortable with my hands about 1" behind the hoods, that's where my hands go naturally. The drops are the same, I need them back 1". My saddle is all the way rearward, I had to put it there because otherwise I had too much weight on my arms. It's all a comprise on this bike, that's what made me think in terms of a custom frame.

Might want to test ride a few off the shelf bikes first. You said you have a motobecane right? That's the risk you take when buying online. Shorter stem and shorter reach bars might do the trick for you, one inch is not that much. Your other concerns seem to be aesthetic.

Everything you're saying seems to say that your current bike is just too big. You're too stretched out, not enough seatpost, short stem, etc..

Don't think of it as a race frame. A frame that fits properly will be good for all different kinds of riding. I'd do almost any kind of road ride on it as long as a regular road tire (23c) works.

Now, my own limitations, that's a different story.

It doesn't sound like you need a custom bike for fit.

So if the goal is to have a top end bike, personally I'd spend the money on an off the rack CF frame.

A well designed and built CF molded frame to me represents the current state of the art. You can get a molded CF frame that excels in both low weight, and ride comfort.

Because it's price prohibitive to build custom molded CF frames. (you can't afford to make a mold for one custom bike), almost all custom bikes are made by joining tubes, whether, its Ti, Al, steel, or CF. Nothing wrong with that, but it limits what the builder can do, below what can be done in a molded frame.

So, at pretty much any price point you choose, the off the rack CF bike is likely to be both lighter and a better ride.

Which makes it appear, that getting the same frame geometry in a 52 would likely solve the problem.

I'll make bike shopping easy on you because we are fairly similar other than your shorter torso. I am 5' 8.5" with a 32" inseam. I can fit traditionally measured size 54cm frames but I have found that I'm just as comfortable on a 52cm and can put my handlebars much lower than my saddle (a good thing for me). Of course, frame sizing is all over the place so here are some actual numbers from my most recent frame which should fit you well. I run a 110mm stem but you'd probably want a 80-90mm to accommodate your torso length unless you happen to have much longer arms than me or are more flexible. Unless you are a yoga instructor I'll assume 'not' on the latter :)

Stack: 526mm
Reach (frame): 382mm
Reach (handlebars): 70mm (Ritchey compact)

If you can find a shorter reach frame you can use a longer stem or longer reach bars. These numbers are for a size 50cm Hongfu frame (seat tube center to top with a sloping top tube).

Sounds like moving a size down in an endurance-focused bike with compact geometry would get you what you want - longer stem and more seat post with relatively little saddle-to-bar drop.

As pointed out above, it depends on the material and process.
Casati build made-to-measure frames in aluminium, steel (lugged or fillet brazed) and carbon from tubes, and prices vary accordingly.

While nothing indicates this will help, you can try raising the handlebars. It just might compensate for too long a reach. But do this only after you've changed the stem and still feel too stretched out. When I say raising the handlebars, I really mean changing to a stem that does this.

Spending a large amount of money is an exercise in self-fulfilling satisfaction. In your mind, you need a rationale to justify what you've spent. This is not as shallow as a placebo effect, because the satisfaction is real. I've certainly done this to myself on some expensive purchases. But I mention it in case you would rather avoid the expense of a custom frame or even the off the shelf carbon frame suggested above. That suggestion has merits, too, and it should cost less than a custom frame.

I've owned lots of bikes of various sizes and gotten them to fit me one way or another. One of them is officially too small for me, and I just put an extra tall stem on it. It looks dorky, but riding it feels fine.

How does this look?

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4312/...7910c5_h_d.jpg

It looks like Bernie Sanders is photographing your bike.

I am not sure what anyone should be able to tell from the picture. What matters is how you fit on top of the bike, not how it looks as it stands there on its own.

If you're struggling with the reach having your stem slammed might not be the best idea. Same with hand pressure.

Who is Bernire Sanders? In the pic, does the amount of seatpost exposed look about right? The bike works fairly well set up like this.

We don't expose seatpost for a look. If you're used to seeing more on other people's bikes, you're comparing a useless metric. You say it works fairly well.

I see you have spacers above your stem. Put them under it and see how that feels. I know you're looking to decrease reach and not gain height, but this is a cheap fix, so try it next.

Also, some deadlifts and pushups can help your tolerance for the posture on the bike.

fify

If it works well, to heck with what it looks like.

Before investing in a bespoke frame...or worrying about it....talk to a professional fitter about any concerns you have.

Lol I'm not quite that old. Hey I think I voted for him.

Gunnar frames offer a pretty inexpensive way to get custom geometry. Base frame is $950 (Gunnar Sport), custom geometry is $1300. You'll need to add a fork to that, but the whole thing comes out to be pretty reasonable for custom. I have one, like it - mine is a Gunnar Crosshairs. I have an issue with a neck injury, a long torso, long legs and comparatively short arms. Going to a custom frame really helped make a comfortable bike for me.

My main bike is an Anderson from Dave Anderson in St. Paul. Just a gorgeous bike to ride - but not cheap. That said, it's got the perfect vertical compliance I want, the perfect fit, perfect handling, etc... Comes in at around 16.5lbs for a 56cm frame.

I've also been looking at the Habanero cycles for a disc based frame as well. Really been impressed with the conversations I had with them.

Another choice that could be really good is Rodriguez Cycles on the west coast (Seattle or portland, don't remember which). I really like their approach to frames and they tend to priced pretty well too (inexpensive).

I'd be very ok going with any of these. Yes, you can probably get a standard frame to fit. But if you have the cash and you want exactly the right thing for you, then I'd not be scared of custom at all. It's worked out really well for me.

In general, it's important to get a frame builder who is going to listen to what you have to say. And it's just as important to make sure you can verbalize what you want. It's important to quantify the performance you want as best you can and then get them to tell you how they are going to implement that. Communication is key. The reward is you can get a bike that really fits your application and body well.

J.

Thanks all. Sorry I derailed my own thread. I looked at all the links you provided and I was pleasantly surprised about the prices. I've got some weight to lose, and though it may take me months to lose it my treat to myself is to buy a custom frame. I always wanted a Litespeed, but those frames are way more expensive than a custom would be. This bike is a fair fit, I can tolerate it for a few months.

+1, though some have been known to for glamour shots (and have been rightly ridiculed).

Actually I think a super long seatpost looks funny, but the majority of the bikes I see have more seatpost showing than I do. And I really wanted a more racing setup, with more of a saddle to bars drop. Before this bike I had both a 54 and a 52, and I was considerably faster on the 54 even though it was a little big. That's why I'm looking into getting a custom frame that fit's perfectly. I would be willing to drop $1500 and from the info given in this thread it looks like that's possible.