Bike sizing
 

Hey guys,

My little brother wants to get into cycling. Coincidentally, one of the shops in town is moving and is practically giving bikes away today. Only problem is that he lives in VA, so obviously a normal trip to the LBS to get fit is out of the question (I'd much rather save the $1000 and get the bike here and bring it back with me next week after finals). The shop carries Cannondale, Felt, and Scott, and my brother is 5'10" w/ 33 in. inseam (nice, long legs like his big brother....maybe he'll be a time trialist, too). So what size do I get for him? I was thinking 56, but I didn't know if any of those brands ran big and he'd need a 54. (My TT bike is a Scott and I know that they run big, but not sure about the road bikes). I know that they'll tell me at the store, but having second (and third?) opinions would make me feel better.

Generally, a 55cm will fit someone with your brother's specs unless he has unusually long arms. I'm 5'11", regular build, 33" floor-to-pubic-bone inseam (I buy 32" inseam pants) and 55cm works well. Fit can be fine tuned by choice of stem length and seatpost setback. A 54cm or 56cm are close enough to work as well.

54/56.

54-56, depending on the bike. Go 54 if in doubt, as it will be lighter and stiffer. I'm 5'11", 33" inseam and I ride a 54.

It depends - basically on bikes nowadays the critical dimension is saddle-handlebar drop as it's harder to change than others. He will probably be fittable to a 54, though if he has racing ambitions I would suggest that it could be a bit short. For example I am 5'9" and ride a 55 Pinarello with a 12cm stem and Deda bars with a long reach. Yes you can get 14cm stems, but I think 10-12cm is the sweet spot.

On the other hand the 56 head tube could be too high if he likes a short, low position, but this is less likely IMO.

Best alternative I think is to get him to go to his LBS for a test ride on a 56 or a professional fit. To assuage his guilty conscience he should at least buy some shorts, tubes and a puncture kit from them.

The Bike Route is moving? Where are they moving to? I bought my Felt there about 2 years ago.