Incognito

Very close to pulling the trigger on Surly Steamroller. LBS doesn't have any on the floor, so actually sitting on the bike is not an option. Salesman made me nervous when he said 54cm frame. 10 yrs ago my road bikes were 58 & 60 cm. Maybe Surly fit is different.

What size fframe do you believe Would work? I'm 6'1'', inseam 34" (pants) and 34/35" shirt sleeve.

IAmSam

I don't think SRs come in 54cm. Without getting into an in-depth discussion of fit/geo - my son who is 5'10" has been happily & comfortably riding a 53 for years that was a bit too big for me @ 5'6". IIRC the next size up is 56cm.

For more info there is a geo chart on the Steamroller page on Surly's website...

50voltphantom

I'm 6' with a 30 pants inseam and I'd say my 56 is a tad undersized (I like it that way). My saddle is slammed backward and I run a 110 stem with drops. I could easily ride a 58.

jack002

I am between 6'1" and 6'0", about a 34" inseam and have ridden a 60cm road bike for about 19 years. I think you're right. Too small.

ksryder

Do you happen to know what the top tube measurement is on your old bikes? Go with that: https://surlybikes.com/bikes/steamroller/geometry

The geometry on some Surly models can be a little different than standard -- I normally ride a 56 but if I was to get a Cross Check I'd get a 54, because it has a 56 top tube.

The Steamroller geo isn't quite like that but a 56 = 56.8 top tube.

IAmSam is right, the Steamroller comes in a 53, not a 54, and I'd be surprised if it was big enough for you. Are there any other LBS near you that you can visit, maybe at the very least they'll work with you more on proper sizing?

fixedweasel

Yup, pull the exact same measurements* off of your bike now and just match them up. I can tell you right now, Steamrollers have crap geometry. The effective top tubes are long and the head tubes are short.** I once emailed the owner about the poor geometry and he said, "Yeah, I know, but we're not going to change it". Ok. Take a look at how many of the Steamrollers are set up. The bars are either terribly low with a huge saddle to bar drop or there's an abundance/tons/many/lots/a hugely amount of spacers under the stem throwing the bars sky high, making it look quite silly. They should really redesign the geometry with some thought for the customer/consumer. That bike needs a longer head tube or they should start sloping the top tube.





*top tube CTC
head tube
seat tube CTC
saddle to bar drop
standover is basically irrelevant
**unless they redesigned them with sloping top tubes since i last looked

SquidPuppet

If they lengthened the head tube, wouldn't they have to lengthen the seat tube in order to maintain a horizontal top tube? Thereby changing the actual frame size?

fixedweasel

Not always. And you can see some folks doing this like the VO Campeur and Rivendell.* There are a few other folks doing it as well. Geometries as far as effective top tubes can also be manipulated with the head and seat tube angles as well as taller head tubes with sloping top tubes. As far as frame size, I know we've talked about this on here before, but a numbered "frame size" on a bike is totally irrelevant. I've had a Schwinn "labelled" as a 53cm with a 57.5cm effective top tube and a 90mm head tube and I've had a Motobecane "labeled" as a 53cm with a 53cm effective top tube and a 120mm head tube. I can tell you right now that both of those bikes would not fit the same person proper. That is what is so frustrating about sizing. I feel for the guys coming in and insisting they are a 53cm for example when I know that it will take all the measurements on a frameset to get him fit proper. How many times have you read that a guy bought a certain frame size on line or what not only to realize that it came nowhere near fitting him comfortably. BTW, I was incorrect on the particular Surly. It's the Cross Check that has a crap geometry. I cannot speak for the Steamroller. Sorry for the error.




*more so Rivendell

Philasteve

I ride a 53cm Surly Steamroller and I'm 5'9ish 30" inseam. I don't have a lot of seatpost showing a little more than a fist, but the top tube fits me good. There's no way in hell you should ride the same size bike as me, and it's funny he said that because they don't have even have a 54cm.