Geoff326

i'm 5'8 and i ride a 54

ronbridal

53/54

glassman

I'm 5"8" and have a 30.5 inseam and I ride a 53cm Lemond Tourmalet triple

condor63

5'8 56cm and nothing less,tried a 54cm with a 100mm stem, felt like I was riding a circus bike, 56cm-100cm stem-170mm cranks-Perfect fit for me .

Ant

I'm 5'7" - 5'8" and I ride a 100% stock Trek 1200 size 56. Tried the 54 but I felt all cramped on it compared to the 56. I have about a 30" inseam but I guess I have a longer reach. My shirt sleeves are 35" to give some sort of reference.

CPW

I'm 5'7 1/2" and I'm on a Jamis Quest 53cm. I was leaning toward a 55cm at first in an attempt to get the bars as high as possible (did some reading about fit on Rivendell's site) but the 55cm required me to put the seat all the way fwd and I had almost no seat post showing. The 55cm seemed forced and the guys at my LBS watched me ride both and all agreed the 53cm was a better fit. The 53cm had 170mm cranks where the 55cm had 175mm cranks. Two of the guys working there have are 5'10" and 5'11" and are riding 175mm cranks. I have a 30" inseam.
I went in determined not to be sold too small a bike but they were pretty convincing and so far no regrets. I'm new to the road and feel pretty stretched out w/ my hands on the hoods as it is. I think the 55 cm would have required an immediate and radical stem chg and might still have beeen less than ideal.
53cm-54cm is probably a good place to start but try to find someone you trust who can watch you ride and check things like your knee poistion over the peadal spindles, etc. I know there are different sizing philosophies but in the end, if you come at it from a few different directions and arrive at the same choice, you'll come up w/ something that can be tweaked to your body and you won't go too far astray.
I'm certainly no expert but I just went through exactly what you are doing and that's my $.02.
CPW

rt1965

Don't know my measurements, but I have a somewhat short inseam. I wear 29 inch pants. I'm 5'7 and I ride a 50cm Trek 2300. The shop put a longer stem on the bike to stretch me out a little and I am perfectly comfortable.

DiRt DeViL

I'm 5'8" and ride a 54" Orbea.

Dahon.Steve

I'm in the same position. A Lemond is a totally different story. A 54 on a Lemond would be to big and a 51 would be perfect. A bike with a traditional frame like the Jamis would also be better in a smaller size like a 51. I purchased a 53 or 54 and it's slightly too big. On a compact frame, you're better off going with a 54/53.

I'm 5'7 by the way.

pgoat

5' 7.75", 29" inseam. (no shoes, so maybe 29.75-30" shod)

I like standover height so I shoot for 29 inches or so max for the bike, and like to get a 54cm TT if I can. 52 or 53 is okay and I adjust with the stem.

My big beef is finding a low TT bike with a seat tube angle under 74 degrees and short chainstays.

Compact geometry - which I admit took me some time to get used to on an aesthetic level - has really proven to be a blessing. I will say I can ride a slightly bigger frame (50, 51cm or so as opposed to my usual 48 - 49cm).

Oh, and I kinda like 165 cranks, though 170s are pretty nice on long hills. If I HAD to pick one length I think I'd go 165 for better spin with my stubby legs.

Dahon.Steve

Good one.

If you can only spend 10 minutes on the hoods, the fitting is wrong. A ton of pressure on the hoods is a good determination the fitting is off.

geneman

I'm 5' 8.5" with a 30 inch inseem and ride a 55cm Caad7 frame with a 90mm stem. I have a setback seatpost, but mount the saddle in a neutral position relative to the straight portion of the post. It's very comfy for me. The only changes I make mid-season are to raise the seatpost slightly as the season progresses and possibly lower the bars on the stem by swapping out a spacer (depends upon how I feel).

Mark

ivansie

I am more between 5'9" -10" and ride a 54 compact frame, slopping top tube. Couldnt get a 54 standard thought since there was no clearance while standing up. For that I will need 52.

Peace

corny

52 cm for my 5' 7"

velocipedio

51 cm marinoni, 52 cm kona jake the snake, medium [eff. 53 cm] litespeed teramo.

Dave719

5' 8", 31.5" cycling inseam, 30" pants inseam. 54cm 2004 Specialize Allez Comp w/110 stem.

Dave

glade

I'm 5'8'' with a 32.5 inch inseam, I was looking at 54cm frame sizes, since I assumed a 56cm would be a touch too big. Is that the case or could I get away with a 56cm?

simplyred

5'9" w/ 32 inseam

Ride a 548mm top tube. [54cm frame]
172.5 cranks.
70mm stem.
Short stem is due to my body getting used to riding low.
I figure I'll get a 53 cm C'dale for my next bike instead of changing the stem.
HAHAHAHAHA

Al1943

5'8" 32" bicycle inseam 32" pants size.

Trek 5500 56cm, 56.1 top tube, 90mm stem, 30mm spacers, poor fit but a 54cm Trek would be even worse for me because of the huge saddle to bar drop. No more Treks or LeMonds for me.

Colnogo C-50, 55cm C-T, 53.3 top tube, 105mm stem 30mm spacers (I'm old), good fit, able to bend elbows on long rides.

voltman

5'7" w/ ~30. 52 Specialized Allez.

SpongeDad

5'7", 31.5" inseam

I ride a 54cm (c-t) Trek. Fits pretty well. Some have suggested that a 53cm might have been better, but then the top tube (54.6cm I think) would have been a touch short. Anyway, at that level, I think you can make any necessary adjustments with saddle height, saddle fore aft position and stem length.

ac29593

Im about 5'10" and ride a 52in frame. 2003 Felt F65. I am a leuisure/recreational rider that loves sprinting down flats and semi inclined roads. I dont bomb down hills at 50mph, but will do 50 mile rides when I can. I love the extra standover height I got from the 52 instead of the 54. My bike feels lighter and much better to handle like I have total control and can whip it around. I have plenty of seat post height and used a 110mm stem with a 15 degree rise. My fit feels perfect, love riding it under any conditions (traffic, paths, streets) and any pace. I might go out and do 25 miles leisurely around the city at around 12mph, or crank out a 40 mile ride at 17-20 miles per hour. Get the frame that feels best for you, and then adjust by swapping the stem and adjusting the seat. Just my two cents based on my experience. I made some nice changes this year to my fit and the improvement regarding speed and comfort is unbelievable.

longbeachgary

Five seven riding a 55 center to center

Hammertoe

OLD THREAD

Maybe start a new one...




I am 5' 7" but have an inseam of 32.5"...

Long legs and short torso creates problems...

Height alone is only part of the equation...

I ride 52 cm bikes because I need the short top tube...

I also then need some spacers because I have a short reach...

AEO

nope.