thatguy512

I decided to get my first roadbike from BD since I get more for my money.

I decided to get a Dawes Lightning 2300
https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/lt2300_x.htm

Heres the Geometry chart i got.
https://imageshack.us/f/96/geometrychartdaweslight.jpg/

My height is 5'3
Arm length 27 inches
Standover Height 29inches
Inseem 29

thatguy512

bump,come on guys help me out here haha im dieing to order my first road bike but im not quite well at reading the charts

Pokey Rider

Well, that Small (46 cm) stand over is 29" so it's gonna be right at your stand over height. It won't give you any clearance though. They say, you should have at least an inch of clearance between the top tube and yourself.

thatguy512

but then the frame is 4 cm smaller than what i should have and i could outgrow it since im still a teen.

thatguy512

bump

eippo1

Use CC's fit calculator. https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za...LCULATOR_INTRO

thatguy512

why do i need to use the calculator?im wondering what size i can fit according to the geometry chart?I dont quite understand how to read it.

Hunt-man

This is the problem with a mail order bike. If you don't already know your size it is tough to tell you what to do. I have made several mistake on size and thought I knew what I was doing. So go to a local shop and see what they have. Or pay a bike fitter to help you and give you a fit when you get the bike.

The internet is no place to size a bike. Sorry. That is why you are not getting responses and because this subject comes up all the time here.

Hunt-man

Besides, the 54cm is sold out and the 50 is likely too small.

kylen721

Input your measurements, then match the output to the BD bike geometry chart.

Hunt-man

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...omp20_gold.htm

This might work in a 53.5 but it is a few hundred more. Try to save up for 105 or Ultegra.

thatguy512

I first started at 300 dollars then up to 600 i dont plan to spend more
Im 5'3 i dont think i need anything bigger than that

Hunt-man

Well then, you know what you need.

urbanknight

I'm sorry we put so much doubt in your mind with that last thread. The truth is you will probably fit a 50. The problem with ordering online is that probably is hard to fix if it is wrong. But I'd say you have a 95% chance of it being right, or at least fixable with a different stem and/or seatpost.

Don't worry too much about standover height. I don't even know where manufacturers measure this from, because I have owned bikes where the published standover height should have had me crushing my jewels on the top tube, and yet I had a couple inches to spare.

thatguy512

haha indeed a lot was put into my mind from the last thread. Yes i need a 50 but then i was talking to another BF guy and he suggusted i go with a 46 because i can raise the seat tube barely be at the standover height and i could still be growing as im a teen

urbanknight

The problem with going too small is that you might end up needing the saddle to go back farther than it can go. As the frame gets smaller, the seat tube angle tends to get steeper. You also run the risk of having to pull the seat out so far that you need to buy a longer seatpost. In addition, the smaller size probably comes with a shorter stem and narrower bars. So to get the right reach, you're not spending $50 or more to get the right size parts, plus the labor involved in swapping them out. My 4'10" friend rides a 46 or 49 depending on brand, so I'd stick with the 50. Besides, if you grow, you may find yourself wanting a 52 or 54. With a 46, you are likely to grow beyond the capabilities of any stem and seatpost.

boymonkey

Im going to throw this out there again. Pay attention to the geometry chart. If you are 5'3" and a 29in inseam. There is no way the 50/medium will fit you. It is way too big unless you are going to have a growth spurt of 6 inches in the coming months. You can fit into the 46/small. Remember the geometry of this bike is different so dont go by the seattube. It may be just slightly too big for you (and Im talking like 1 or 2 cm), but as I said earlier you can make adjustments to make it fit you, ie shorter seatpost and stem. If you are still growing you'll grow into it. If you're worried about it being too big you can size down and make the smaller one fit you, longer stem etc.
But since we are probably similar in measurement and I have the Dawes frame sitting in my garage which is the same geo as the one ur looking at the 46 will work. Since Im no longer growing and forever stuck at midget height, I would've preferred to get the xsmall bike. But its not even my bike so I dont care what I would've picked lol. I have the Vent Noir and the 50cm fits perfectly.
This is a problem with buying online, but I knew exactly what measurements I was looking for so it wasnt an issue for me.

Also measuring and plugging in the numbers on CC's calculator will give you a rough estimate of the measurements of top-tube, seat tube, stem , etc that you should be looking at.

Buy the small/46c one, ride it till it breaks, and be happy. When and if you do grow and you no longer like ur bike, you can buy something better.

/thread

thatguy512

omg im going insane now.

boymonkey

If you want I can take a pic side by side of my vent noir and the dawes.. but Ill have to do that tomorrow. So you can see what the frame is like and you can compare numbers or whatever.

I still say buy the 46 and end the trouble its causing you. You'll feel much better when you click buy.

Oh to throw into the confusing. If the seat tube wasnt so tiny and it was a normal frame. Id say the 46 is more sized like a 50/51 cm bike.

thatguy512

im starting to really want to just go to performance and buy from there now............but i wouldn't be getting whats worth my money

urbanknight

OK I finally actually paid closer attention to the geometry chart and I'm on board with boymonkey now. The "46" is actually more like a 52 and the "50" is more like a 54.

kylen721

Agree. The top tube on the 50 is nearly the same as the 54 specialized allez, at 5'3 I can't see that fitting you. The 46 would seem to be the best option.

thatguy512

so everyone votes 46?

urbanknight

Yeah, that's what I realized. I'm 5'10" on a 54cm Allez, and I would fit the 50 on the Dawes.


Yep, but I'm still giving you a 95% chance. There's always the odd person with weird proportions. I'm one of them. My short shins with long thighs have me looking at seat tube angle and head tube length more than anything. There are some brands I just won't even ride because nothing they make will fit me properly, and even my Allez is a compromise where I had to buy a very setback seatpost and a very low angled stem... and I'd still like to have my bars an inch lower if only it were possible.

But yeah, a 46 will probably fit you, and if it's not quite right, you can probably just buy a stem or seatpost to fix it.

kylen721

Just order it man, otherwise you are going to keep running in circles and maybe not order anything because of all the second guessing.