GaryPitts

I would like to hear your experience and guidance in what I might have to deal with if I were to buy a road bike one size smaller than ideal. A 60cm is what I ride and need and I am looking at buying a used 58 if I can get it at a good price. My main concern is handlebar height. I am an older fellow and have only been riding a little over two years and I need my bars at saddle height to be comfortable. My hybrid is a 57cm and I had to use a stem extender to get the bars up where I like them, but after doing so the bike is very comfortable. A stem extender on a drop bar bike would be sooo dorky My properly sized flat bar road bike I used a 27 degree stem and that got them up where I need them. With the smaller frame, I'm pretty sure even a high rise stem like that wouldn't get them high enough. What might my options be, or should I just stay away from it???

valygrl

wrong size bike = waste of money, no matter how little you pay for it. keep shopping.

TDRILL

It is more a function of the bike geometry. I believe anyone can ride up or down one size, but if you buy a bike with 'race geometry' and a short front end, you may find you have a problem. Not because its a size smaller than you normally ride but because front end is lower. There are lots of bikes with a more relaxed geometry and taller front end where your handlebar height won't be much affected by whether its a 60 or 58

THSdrummer

Can you look up stack/reach?

That'll give you a good comparison between your current 60cm and the new (to you) 58cm. I'd also pay attention to make sure the steerer tube isn't cut down on the bike you're looking at purchasing.

My stack/reach options means I could ride a 52 to 56 CAAD10. I currently ride a 54 and it feels great.

rkwaki

I would stay away from doing it.
I should ride a 56 but ride a 53, huge stem, huge seat to bar drop but it was built with a purpose and I've been at it for a little while.

Don't sacrifice a proper fit for a few dollars.

DaveSSS 

The frame size number will not give you the information needed to predict the fit. You need the total head tube length, with the headset, at the minimum. With a used frame, you also need to know how short the steering tube has been cut, to determine how much spacer can be put under the stem.

A +17 stem is about the most extreme used on road bikes, and even that is dorky. I'd look for a frame that has a taller than normal head tube for a comfort fit.

asok

Don't do it.

clausen

If you ride a 60 cm a 59 cm would be 1 size. 58 cm is 2 sizes. Don't do it.

merlinextraligh

2cm is less than inch.

The key is towrk out the math. Hence the stack and reach reference above.

Op appears to know the drop, and reach he needs.

It's a matter of comparing the measurements on a bike that fits him to this bike.

It may work it may not. one key is the head tubes.

rpenmanparker 

What you say is exactly correct. I think you answered the right question even though OP titled his post with a very different one. This may just be semantics, but here goes. He asked what would be the issues with a bike that was one size TOO SMALL. You (and other folks here) have rightly posted answers to the question what would be the issues with a frame that was one size smaller than OP usually rides. While that is the sensible approach, it is not at all the same thing as was asked. First if the new frame is not the same make and model as the old frame, the sizing may not at all be comparable. One nominal size smaller could actually be the same or bigger than OP now rides, depending upon how compact or standard is the geometry and the philosophies of the designers. Nominal size tells you very little as no one can agree how to measure a seat tube or how the seat tube length should related to the nominal size. As others have pointed out, it is all about the critical dimensions on modern frames, stack, head tube height, horizontal top tube length and so on.

But more importantly if the bike is truly one size TOO small rather than just one size smaller, then OP has answered his own question. Too small means too small; don't do it; it's wrong and a waste of money at any price. But one nominal size smaller means hardly anything at all until you actually check out the bike against your correct fit. It could be perfect or even in some cases too large depending upon the specifications. The bottom line is this: if the current fit is ideal, why would OP want anything less in a replacement or additional bike?

Robert

Campag4life

Gary...
as the other guys stated...but more to the nos...since we are likely the same size...
Measure the center of your crank spindle to the top of your saddle where you sit and post this dimension...either inches or cm...either way.

Since bars around saddle height is a priority of mine as well as I too am an older rider....I can tell you what head tube length you need to accomplish this goal with reasonable spacer stack and stem rise.

As an older rider, I strongly suggest you consider an endurance geometry...sometimes referred to as a comfort geometry. These frames have taller head tubes. I ride a 58cm Roubaix and many times a 60-62 in conventional geometry with shorter stem. which places me on the bike in about the same position only with tighter stand over. As stated, the frame size no. isn't definitive...you need to scrutinize the details a bit more. Comfort geometries have a fractionally shorter top tube...or conventional length eff. top tube...but with a 20mm or so taller head tube.

HTH.

PS: Weather has been awful here in the midwest and my miles are way down this year but was fortunate to get out yesterday. I was nearing the end of my ride last evening and I looked back and saw a cyclist about one hundred feet behind me who apparently had been gaining ground on me during my ride...I had been cruising about 19-20 mph or so. So I ramped up my speed to 22mph or so for my last 5 miles since I was close to home to see if he could hang which is about my threshold speed without going anerobic in good weather conditions. As I neared my house I looked back and he was still there so I stopped as I dismounted my bike. We had a nice conversion and he had a pretty interesting bike. He was riding a fixie with a big gear...no brakes....chrome moly frame...carbon wheels and serious drop...looked to be 5-6 inches. He said it weighed 16 lbs. The guy obviously is a strong rider. He was out riding about 100 miles that day and was a long way from home that he rode in pretty serious traffic with no brakes. . I asked him if all that drop bothered him and he said nope...felt good. Youth. : ) We talked about no brakes in traffic and he said, riding fixed with no brakes teaching you to be a better rider out of necessity...have to anticipate. I agreed and said or alternatively dead. and we laughed.

Hell of nice guy...worked at a local bike shop...20's or early 30's. He complimented me on my Roubaix and I told him I needed all 20 gears to keep up with him. One of the pleasures of the sport are all the interesting people you meet on the road. This young man really knew biking and was a strong rider.

coasting 

Wrong bike size...don't go there.

StanSeven

Robert/Campag/ML,

Great answers and good information for the OP as well as lots of other people. Some really helpful advice.

GaryPitts

The reason is strictly money. It's a top line Project One Trek that would normally be way out of my price range. If I could get it for, say, half price, could I make it work and be happy?

Campag4life

You can't say that with any certainty. Frames from mfr to mfr vary in terms of head tube and tt length with the same size 'rating'.

contango 

If you're concerned with handlebar height why not get a hybrid with straight bars? There doesn't seem a lot of point buying a particular style of bike and then modding it because the style of bike isn't suitable for you.

Both my bikes (cross bike and MTB) are one size smaller than a theoretical ideal based on length. In both cases I went down a size to get the top tube clearance - the bikes that were ideally sized in terms of the length of the frame had top tubes high enough that an emergency dismount would have spelled doomsday for any chance of future generations. The price I pay for standover clearance is that my toes can clip the front wheel if I turn hard. On the cross bike that's almost never a problem as the only times I turn that sharply are times that I can push the pedals back and forth to avoid clipping the wheel, and on the MTB it's not a problem as I don't use clipless pedals so can just shuffle my feet back a little if I need to.

If I ever attempted to ride a very technical trail on the MTB I may have issues but I'm not into highly technical riding.

Campag4life

We can figure this out pretty simply...but will require further effort on your part. Again...post your saddle height as I described in my earlier post.

If you can, go on line and find the Trek Project One geometry...you can pull this off their website. Trek sells their Madones in three different head tube lengths for the same frame size aka top tube length. This is called H1-H3. Btw, Project One works against you I believe as this special order frame I don't believe is available in H3 which is likely what you will need if you size 58 with objective of a higher handlebar. Your answer is in the details and supercedes generic frame sizing which won't give you the answer you need.

Campag4life

Sorry...in bold...very poor advice. The entire comfort road bike market...arguable comprising predominant sales volume...is based upon the OP's objective of higher handlebar. I ride such a frame and also own a flat bar hybrid style bike aka 29er. The bikes are vastly different and serve verys different purposes.

MetalPedaler

If it's that good of a deal, why not try it [It may work; or you may get used to a different position...] and if it doesn't work out, if it's such a good deal, you can re-sell it and at the very least get all of your money back/maybe even make a few bucks.

I generally prefer a smaller frame; and normally I'd say 2cm in either direction is not a big deal- but for what you're trying to achieve, I would think that a larger frame would be your friend- but as I said...why not try it? What have you got to lose?

Campag4life

He could try it but why? He knows the fit he likes. It isn't rocket science to reproduce a good fit. But at least the OP should pull up the geometry chart of the frame he is interested in and see if the stack height agrees with his saddle height.
The OP has responded once since I posted earlier. If he doesn't perform any due dilligence, then he is just flying blind. Maybe OK for you...and perhaps it will have to be for him by default...lol.

rpenmanparker 

I understand your point Gary, but would suggest this. Do as Campag4life suggests and find out whether this Trek is really smaller than you normally ride in the important dimensions (forget about nominal size) or not. If it is smaller, how much? If it is just a matter of one size stem longer and maybe flipped up, well you can decide how you feel about that. It's not such a big deal. Bike fit is so important to the enjoyment of riding, I am just advising you be careful is all.

Oh and Don't forget about crank length and bar width too. Check these against what you normally ride. You may not be comfortable with a shorter crank or narrower bars. Not too big a deal, but replacing these would affect the value of the purchase.

Robert

CrankAndYank

That's just wrong.

Campag4life

The OP is right and you are wrong. You should never judge another's riding position. Are you 60 years old? How much drop do 80 years ride?
How about you? You ride 4" of drop? Why not 8"..or 10"?
There is no wrong or right when it comes to fit. The stronger the rider, the more fit variance a rider can tolerate. Generally older riders need less weight on their hands and that means a higher handlebar. Some prefer a handlebar 1" above the saddle.

dalava

If your main concern is the handlebar being too low, and the stem extender looks dorky, you can always extend the steer tube with something like this: https://www.everybicycletire.com/shop...extension.aspx

CrankAndYank

[QUOTE=Campag4life;15521461]The OP is right and you are wrong. You should never judge another's riding position. QUOTE]

Road cycling is not about judging others?