fatigoworld

hello all,

i just bought a frameset on a whim because it was so damn nice and a very good deal. the catch is that it is too big for me. i am supposed to ride about a 55cm and this frame is 58cm....more like 57.5. i have ridden a few bikes that were too big for me in the past but nothing bigger than a 56cm. i know rivendell reccomends larger sizes for comfort.....and i will not be racing with this but i do bike a LOT. so any advice on if this may be a bad idea? i havent had the chance to even try it out yet but anyone else have experience riding frames that are too big? thanks!!!

redirekib

If it doesn't fit, how is it a good deal?

fatigoworld

well for starters, if i end up not liking it, i should make at least a few hundred dollars profit if i decide to re sell it. sounds like a good deal to me.....

but thanks for the charming and informative response...

lechat

adjust the seat post and buy a 15 mm shorter stem. or whatever feels comfortable. anything 100 mm or longer should be stable.

fatigoworld

yeah, i definetly decided i would go with a shorter stem for it, but ive heard people say that riding i bike to big could cause knee pain and stuff like that, are these just rumors? honestly, it sounds like it...

jimbud

As long as the stand over height doesn't create a problem with your boys get a zero set back seat post and shorter stem and ride the hell out of it.

BHBiker

you should be fine with a short stem and zero setback seat post. it should be a more upright riding due to the length of the headtube of this size.

You would definitely have a very low seat but hey who cares about the look if you are comfortable? Besides its a good deal!!!!

I have seen third world countries like cambodians on TV riding way bigger bikes....seems they still live to tell the tale on Discovery Channel :-0

fatigoworld

im liking this feedback, mostly because i was hoping that its not a terrible idea to ride the wrong size bike. i LOVE this frame. will try it out within a few days once i build it up.....

biker128pedal

Size is relative. The seat tube length is not that important. It is the top tube length and the seat post angle. Even then with the right seat, seat post and stem it Will fit. Just think how much you can stretch out if the top tube length is longer than your normal ride. Take your normal setup measurements and see if you can make the bike match your normal riding position.

If the seat tube angle is the same as your normal ride the knee over pedal will be the same for the same seat height to pedal distance. Then you need the proper length stem. The handling will be different and you may not be able to drop the bars down low if you like that. Ride it and find out.

Jenkinsal2

I have been riding a fixed conversion that is a 58cm at 5'6" for a few months to no ill effects. I definatley feel more comfortable when riding my friends more appropriately sized frames though.

urbanknight

I intentionally ride a bike that is "too big" because I need the relaxed seat tube angle. I went to a 100mm stem and it fits perfectly. It looks a little strange with such little post showing, but keep in mind this would be a normal looking setup up until the 90s. See pic.


I can only see it causing knee problems if you can't get the saddle far enough forward, but that's rarely a problem on modern bikes with their steep seat tubes. Aside from that, as long as you can stand over it without squishing the family jewels, you should be fine.

gfrance

Don't worry about it. People are sized to a range not an absolute. You are still within your range if you think your perfect is a 55. Probabaly at the upper limit though. But it should be fine with proper adjustments and fitting. You'll know for sure once built up and you're riding it.

Homebrew01

[QUOTE=urbanknight;5729376]I intentionally ride a bike that is "too big" because I need the relaxed seat tube angle. I went to a 100mm stem and it fits perfectly. It looks a little strange with such little post showing, but keep in mind this would be a normal looking setup up until the 90s. See pic.


QUOTE]

Wrong ... that was never "normal" in the 70's, 80's or 90's, at least not for racing.

nowheels

Not a rumor at all.....happed to me this past year. Position over the crank is very important for preventing knee problems. I went from a 57/56 down to a 53/54 cm frame before my knee pain went away totally.
It had not an issue until I went into a larger road bike frame.....' Because it was a good buy'.

Coyote2

Hell, man, if you're not racing, just adjust seatpost and saddle and stem, as others have suggested, and you'll be fine. And if it doesn't work out, a 57 fits me perfectly, so you can send it to me as a way of saying "thanks for the advice!"

urbanknight

Oh really?

Joop Zoetemelk


Eddy Merckx


You should really cite references or personal experience, because I was there (well, in the 80's and 90's at least) and amongst us racers, a "fist full of seatpost" was plenty and 2-3" handlebar drop was normal. Some crit racers started to ride smaller frames for handling and aerodynamics (lower bar), but the compact frame wasn't around until the mid 90's.

I admit that my photo is at the extreme of one end, but it's about 1cm less seatpost than the bike I raced in 1994.

alanbikehouston

I'd be surprised if your new frame is "too large", as I have never seen an experienced adult cyclist riding an expensive bike that was too large. But 60% or 70% of the guys I see on road bikes are riding a frame that is one, two, or even three sizes too small.

There are two measurements that matter in bike fit:

1. Saddle height

2. Cockpit length (the distance from the back edge of the saddle to the front edge of the stem).

A guy doesn't go into a store to buy slacks without knowing his inseam length. And a guy should not buy a bike unless he knows his cockpit length.

Bike fit is really, really simple. If you can dial in your preferred saddle height, and your preferred cockpit length with the bars at your preferred height, the bikes fits. If the bike is set up with your preferred saddle height and preferred bar height, and the cockpit is too long, or too short, the bike does not fit.


Set up your new bike with the saddle at your preferred height, and at the middle of the saddle rails. Raise the bars to the correct height (which ranges from level with the top of the saddle for a long distance cyclist to two inches lower than the top of the saddle for racing crits or time trials).

Then measure the cockpit length. All of my road bikes have precisely the same cockpit length, even though the frame sizes range from size 56 to size 61. How can a size 61 bike have the same cockpit length as a size 56 bike?

Although the top tube on the size 61 bike is longer than on the size 56 bike, the frame is taller, and the headtube is longer and taller. The combination of the taller frame and taller headtube brings the bars both up and back, closer to the saddle.

You can verify that your new frame fits by taking measurements on the bike that fits you the best. Measure the saddle height and the cockpit length. Then set the saddle on your new bike to precisely that height, put the bars at your preferred height, and measure the cockpit length. If the cockpit length is within 1/2 inch of your "perfect" bike, it will be easy to dial in a perfect fit by swapping out the stem.

If the "perfect" cockpit length for you is 31 1/4th inches, any bike that provides you with a cockpit length of 31 1/4th inches is a perfect fit, regardless of the size of the frame, or the length of the top tube.

What about the relationship of the knee to the crank? Many sprinters SWEAR that it is crucial to have the knee in a forward position relative to the crank bolt. And, Greg LeMond SWEARS that having the knee BACK relative to the crank was crucial to his success in long stages and climbing stages. But, for cyclists without a racing license, comfort is more important than mythical claims about racing performance. Start with the saddle at mid-rails and dial in your preferred cockpit length. If you are into short fast rides, you may end up sliding your saddle a bit forward. If you prefer looong rides with a steady high cadence, you may prefer sliding the saddle back a tad.

BarracksSi

I'm asking because I simply don't know -- what were stem lengths like back then?

I was nearly fitted onto a 56 cm CAAD8 and would have had a 140 mm stem along with maybe 6 cm of setback and nearly two fistfuls of seatpost. This felt really awkward to me, so I exchanged it for a 60, which now has a 90 mm stem (down from the stock 110), saddle centered on the seatpost clamp (so maybe 2-3 cm of setback), and a "big fistful" of seatpost. The saddle-bar drop, I'd guess, is no more than 4 cm.

At any rate, it feels good to me.

urbanknight

I don't know for sure, but judging by pictures and what is commonly available on ebay in NOS products, I think 100-120 was the average.

Whatever is comfortable is best for you, but it sounds like a 58 would have been your "ideal" size. Stems of different lengths handle differently, so if you like the 90 better than 140, so be it. I like 110 to 120 myself, and am about to try a 100 on my ride since I have been stretched out a little too much with this large frame.

Obviusly, a low handlebar is more aero but less comfortable, but there's also extremes in that case too. I personally think some people put their bar too low to either look cool or to compensate for a bad habit of riding with straight arms.

MrCjolsen

Check the frame manufacturers website and see exactly how the 55 and 57.5 bikes are different.

I have 4 bikes. A "56", a "57" a "60" and a "61." I'm probably a 58.

I'm comfortable on all of four bikes. The seat tube angle is the same on all of them, so saddle positioning is simply a matter of adjusting the seat so that it is the proper distance from the bottom bracket. The only difference is that the smaller bikes have a bit more seatpost showing.

Bar setup is a bit more tricky. The two small bikes have non-road bar setups. One has bullhorns and one has moustache bars. The two large bikes both have drop bars. The 61 actually has a 59cm top tube. But because the bars I'm using with it have a longer reach, I'm actually using a shorter stem than the bike with a 60cm top tube.

The bars on both small bikes bikes are about 3" below the saddle, which is mid point between the tops and drops of the bars on the large bikes. To comfortably run drop bars on the small bikes, I'd need a very long and tall stem.

There are many variables besides frame size that affect bike fit. The reach of the bars, how the brake hoods are positioned, and the angle of the bars all affect the upper body. The length of a saddle and the size of one's feet affect the lower half.

And finally, in 40 years of knowing how to ride a bike, I've never needed that 1-2 inches of top tube clearance they say you need to keep from crashing your nads on the bar.

BarracksSi

Yeah, a 58 (or 59 if they made one) would've likely fit better than the 60 if both were stock. The shop actually didn't have a CAAD8 in 58, so sometimes I still think I should've insisted on getting one ordered or switching to another bike (they had a Synapse in my size)... but, the way I've got it now, the 60 definitely feels better than the modified 56 would have.

I switched to the 90 stem when I noticed that I was more comfortable riding with my hands closer to the top bend of the bars rather than at the hoods; making the switch brought the brifters right to my hands. I got another bike recently that, between test rides, also got the stem swapped for a shorter version, and on both bikes, I found that I preferred the handling with the shorter stems. The 60 with the short stem even felt as nimble to me as the 56 with the stock stem, never mind the pig-like handling I'd get from a 140.

PhilThee

It sounds like you are still questioning whether that frame size is right for you or not.
You should go to a professional bike fitter in your area.
You may remember me asking if mine was too small a little while back.Well I'm going to a fitter tward the end of Dec or early Jan.
My questions will be answered.I was quoted a price of 120+ cost of parts if any be needed.Add another 60 if I want him to fit my cleats.

To me that's cheap for answering my questions in person, by a person who comes highly recommended and has 20+years of fitting experience.Not some dude that may have been at the bike shop for 5 or less years and is repeating what everyone else has told him.

BarracksSi

Actually, this was after getting fitted onto the 56 and not liking the results (namely the way-long stem and hanging the saddle off of the very front of its rails; "It won't fail catastrophically, it'll just break," the fitter said.. ), then exchanging for the 60 right there in the store that evening.

On the smaller bike, I'd hurt so bad that I'd turn home not long after simply getting warmed up. By now, though, I've only stopped riding when I've either run out of time, gone where I wanted to go, or just gotten tired of it.

PhilThee

That shop sure doesn't sound like it has competent fitters.They sound more like the local shop that looks at you and says oh your a ___. I can tell without taking any measurements because I've been doing this for X amount of years.
They might have been doing it wrong for that amount of time also.

BarracksSi

Yeah; his attempt to reassure me about the saddle mounting really took me aback.

The 56 was originally handed to me by another sales worker who must've just misjudged my height when he eyeballed me (it probably didn't help that he was several inches shorter ). On another visit prior to the fitting, one of the other workers (who was close to my height) heard what I had and said, "Wait a minute -- he's got a what? Who sold him that? He should be on at least a 58, maybe a 60."

I think they're still working on establishing themselves, having opened in 2000. They'll get their talent sorted out, I'm sure. The owner/head manager/whoever-he-is let me exchange the bikes with no problems, too.