Please help With Fit.
 

Hi I'm new here, Been lurking for a while but this is my first post. I'm looking to move from a commuter to a road bike and have been looking at the 2011 Specialized Allez. I have ridden both a 54 and a 56 but only for rides around the block and I cant tell much difference. I went to Competitive cyclist and used their fit calculator after seeing it recommended here. I got the information but I'm unsure how to use it. The measurements are in cm's.

Based on what I see I'm Dead in between the two but i don't know if I'm using the information correctly.


Measurements
-------------------------------------------
Inseam: 77.5
Trunk: 71
Forearm: 35.5
Arm: 66
Thigh: 62
Lower Leg: 57
Sternal Notch: 146
Total Body Height: 179


The Competitive Fit (cm)
-------------------------------------------
Seat tube range c-c: 50.2 - 50.7
Seat tube range c-t: 51.7 - 52.2
Top tube length: 56.9 - 57.3
Stem Length: 11.6 - 12.2
BB-Saddle Position: 69.5 - 71.5
Saddle-Handlebar: 55.1 - 55.7
Saddle Setback: 3.0 - 3.4


The Eddy Fit (cm)
-------------------------------------------
Seat tube range c-c: 51.4 - 51.9
Seat tube range c-t: 52.9 - 53.4
Top tube length: 56.9 - 57.3
Stem Length: 10.5 - 11.1
BB-Saddle Position: 68.7 - 70.7
Saddle-Handlebar: 55.9 - 56.5
Saddle Setback: 4.2 - 4.6


The French Fit (cm)
-------------------------------------------
Seat tube range c-c: 53.1 - 53.6
Seat tube range c-t: 54.6 - 55.1
Top tube length: 58.1 - 58.5
Stem Length: 10.7 - 11.3
BB-Saddle Position: 67.0 - 69.0
Saddle-Handlebar: 57.6 - 58.2
Saddle Setback: 3.7 - 4.1


Link to specialized website. http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/...11&sid=11Allez


Thanks for the help.

Chris

You're a hair under 5'11" then. The 54cm Allez should be a very aggressive riding position and you would need a long stem and should've had noticeable difference in seat-to-bar drop. The 56cm is what I would recommend, with the usual caveat that advice only goes so far and seeing you in person on the bike is the real key.

Disagree-- OP is a solid 3" taller than you. 52 is right out.

Agree with your disagreement. I didn't look far enough down to see his height and stopped at inseam and the recommended fits from CC. I'll delete my premature and erroneous assessment. Thanks for being civil!

try to use the top tube length as a benchmark around which to 'compare'.
with a 'compact' frame (sloping toptube vs a horizontal TT) you can easily go the 56 with your inseam.

I would - triple check your inseam measurement...
it's not that uncommon to be that inseam short for someone 179 tall, but it is unusual enough to skew the fit calculator...
I like to use a 1/2 to 3/4 inch hardcover book - jam it right up there until it's tight up against the sitzbone (move everything else aside...). With you backed to a wall, the right angles of the book makes sure you're 'handgrenade' close to being level when the book is set against the wall. Make a mark at the book edge and measure from floor.

no problem.. we've got plenty of internet badasses here in 41, I know. I figured you missed something but didn't want the OP to actually start thinking about a 52cm.

[QUOTE=cyclezen;13231378]try to use the top tube length as a benchmark around which to 'compare'.
with a 'compact' frame (sloping toptube vs a horizontal TT) you can easily go the 56 with your inseam.

I would - triple check your inseam measurement...
it's not that uncommon to be that inseam short for someone 179 tall, but it is unusual enough to skew the fit calculator...


My legs are really short for someone my height. My girlfriend is 5ft 5in and her legs are almost as long as mine.

I went back and rode both bikes again this afternoon.

I barely have any clearance between the top tube and my Man parts when standing flat footed over either bike. Is that something i should be concerned about ?

Really appreciate the help guys.

You should have about another 1/2" to 3/4" clearance on the 54 compared to 56. The top tube on the Allez is curved-- You don't need to standover the mid section, just the part 3-4" in front of the nose of the seat. You're looking for at least 1" standover while wearing cycling shoes (if not clipless, whatever you will ride in). Some people say you need 2", but I clear my TT by less than 1.5" and I've never smacked my junk.

if you're set on the Allez, which is a very nice machine, then try straddling with the clothes you;re gonna wear riding. If you plan to use lycra, that does give more support and helps keep the stuff off the bar.
If you decide to go the smaller - 54, Head tube on the 54 is 145 mm vs 160 for the 56, which means 3/4 inch lower bar for the smaller frame, which might be ok for you, but if not...
you might ask if they'll swap out a stem (100mm comes std on both sizes) for the next size - 110 - and then you can flip it so it's angling upwards - means you be closer to the saddle to bar drop of the 56... and slightly longer stem might give you better length for your torso/arm reach, since the 54 is 17mm shorter TT. The 110 stem might be longer, the upward angle takes away a lot of that additional 'reach'.
you might even consider a 120 stem...
Decent stems are cheap, I might get all three sizes and then fool around until you find a good match.
in any case, a 110 is certainly not a long stem and would not get you as far forward as the 56 frame with the 100 stem it comes with...

the first important thing in setup is getting the saddle fore-aft in a good place, then everything else falls in from there... both sizes should allow you to get the saddle in a good spot.

Okay,, my take it a little different. I'm less concerned with stand over height, since its not a position on the bike (provided of course, that you can keep the bike upright when you're stopped).

My three concerns are top tube length so I can get in position with a somewhat flat back when in the drops. I also believe you can modify this with different length stems, but if you are a climber, you don't want the top tube so short you get too far out in front (a problem I had with a compact frame that I otherwised loved). If you have to go to more than a 115 stem, it may be that the top tube is too short for your body.

The other two are the most important, first being the correct saddle height. The final is to get the fore/aft position of the saddle correct. I'm somewhat old school, so I like having the lower front of the knee cap directly over the spindle when my pedal is a the bottom.